Yolo Basin Foundation

Reviewed by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation

0% complete

$30,000 Goal

Yolo Basin Foundation leads environmental education programs and innovative partnerships for the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, City of Davis Wetlands and Grasslands Regional Park, which are visited annually by more than 35,000 individuals. The Foundation is instrumental in promoting conservation of the area through its education programs.

Covering 16,700 acres, the Wildlife Area stretches below the busy throughway I-80—also known as the Yolo Causeway—that connects Yolo County and the City of Davis to the metropolitan area of Sacramento. This special Wildlife Area functions for flood control, wildlife and habitat management, and recreation and educational uses.  It provides a wide variety of benefits:

  • Carries Sacramento River water at overflow to the Delta, thus providing vital flood protection for the Sacramento Region.

  • Offers an array of recreational activities for nature enthusiasts, such as hiking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, vernal pool exploration, and wildlife viewing

  • Creates research opportunities for environmentalists, conservationists, and educators.

  • Provides an agricultural zone to produce food for the region and the world through rice farming and cattle grazing.


Yolo Basin Foundation’s 2022- 2023 program highlights include: 

  • Conducted 100 Discover the Flyway field trips and programs, reaching 2200 students. Over 80,000 students have participated since Discover the Flyway's inception in 1997.

  • Presented 15 guided tours, for 175 participants, at the Yolo Basin Wildlife Area and City of Davis Wetlands. 

  • Over 8,000 community members participated in Yolo Basin Foundation programs, activities and events, leading to greater awareness of conservation and stewardship of wetlands and wildlife in the Yolo Basin.

  • Partnered with Yolo Basin stakeholders for a collaborative approach to management and use of the Wildlife Area. 

  • Collaborated with 200 volunteers who contributed 5,960 hours toward education programs and community events

  • Over 1,300 people participated in our Duck Days family festival.

  • Provided 57 Bat Talk and Walk programs that educated participants about the Mexican Free-tailed bats that flyout each night from the Yolo Causeway during summer months. including guided observations of the bat flyout.

Mission

Yolo Basin Foundation expands public appreciation and stewardship of wetlands and wildlife in the Yolo Basin through education and innovative partnerships. Through a unique partnership with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Foundation leads environmental education for the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. School programs, guided tours, field trips, workshops, and events contribute to a deeper appreciation for nature and an increased understanding of the Wildlife Area’s significance to the region.

With the growing challenges of climate change, and the escalation of natural disasters here in California and throughout our world, these same programs also build an awareness of how climate change may impact the Wildlife Area. Yolo Basin Foundation partners with a range of Yolo Bypass stakeholders pro-actively contribute to issues facing the area—policy, water quality, land use, habitat restoration, and agricultural productivity, to name a few.

Needs

We invite you to become a "Friend of Yolo Basin Foundation" and help build awareness and continued conservation of this important ecosystem. Your contributions will support wetlands, wildlife, and educational experiences for thousands of children and adults annually. You will help keep are programs reasonably priced or free so they are accessible by all.

Contributions will support Yolo Basin Foundation's programs including:

Discover the Flyway: The Foundation’s outdoor education program for K-12 schools, based on California science and social studies curriculum standards, typically engages between 3,000 - 4,000 students from 27 schools across 5 counties each year. Contributions support access to nature-based field trip options for schools in the Greater Sacramento region.

Guided Wetland Tours of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, the City of Davis Wetlands, and the vernal pools at Grasslands Regional Park. These tours introduce the public to natural places and educate the community about the many unique wetlands in the region.

Bat Talk and Walks offer an exciting opportunity to learn about California’s largest colony of 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that roost under the Yolo Causeway. Visitors are guided through the wetlands and rice fields to view the bats during their “flyout” to hunt for insects from June until mid-September.

Get Involved

View our current participation opportunities.

In-Person Volunteering


Student Field Trip Docents for K-12 Discover the Flyway Programs

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters

Ongoing opportunity

In-Person Volunteering


Wetlands Public Tour Docent

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters - Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area and Davis Wetlands

Ongoing opportunity

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Yolo Basin Foundation

Year Established

1990

Tax id (EIN)

68-0230311

Mission Category

Environment

Operating Budget

$250,001-$500,000

Organization Need

Funding: Unrestricted, Funding: Program, In-Kind Donations, Funding: Other, Other

Demographics Served

Youth & Children, Low-income individuals/families, General population

Local Counties Served

El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo

Address

PO Box 943
Davis, CA 95617

Headquarters

45211 County Road 32B (Chiles Road)
Davis, CA 95618

Service areas

Yolo, CA, US

Placer, CA, US

Sacramento, CA, US

Nevada, CA, US

Solano, CA, US

Phone

530 757-3780

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