SONORA, Calif.
- Please bring the family and join the Bureau of Reclamation at the New Melones Lake Visitor Center on Saturday, April 30, for the lake’s second annual
Heritage Day. This special day will be a celebration of the Native American Me-Wuk peoples of Tuolumne and Calaveras counties and their history, culture
and traditions. Reclamation strives to preserve historical heritage landscapes for future generations to discover.
The festivities will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a traditional blessing and will then continue until 2 p.m. Demonstrations of beadwork and jewelry making,
basket weaving, flint knapping and acorn preparation will continue throughout the event. A special presentation of traditional native dancing by the
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuks will take place at 11 a.m. Admission and parking are free.
Representatives of the Tuolumne Me-Wuk’s Four Seasons Native Plant Nursery will be present, and the Tuolumne County Master Gardeners will be onsite to
answer questions and give away native seeds and plants (while supplies last). The Master Gardeners will have information available on invasive species and
their eradication.
For additional information on Heritage Day activities, please contact Park Ranger Pat Sanders at 209-536-9094 ext. 217 (TTY 800-877-8339) or psanders@usbr.gov. If you would like to participate in a program and need accommodation, please contact Ranger
Sanders at least 10 days in advance.
The New Melones Visitor Center and Museum is managed by Reclamation’s Central California Area Office and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. For information on activities, directions, pet restrictions or other questions, please call the Visitor Center and Museum at 209-536-9543 (TTY
800-877-8339) or visit http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
