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Welcome to Cosumnes River Preserve
(footsteps on boardwalk)
(birds calling)
The BLM manages natural areas for a variety of purposes.
In the West, these places may be right next to where you live.
Come along and explore BLM public lands.
Cosumnes River Preserve is located about 30 minutes south of Sacramento near the town of Galt, California.
Surrounded by farms and cities, this 46,000-acre natural area preserves needed freshwater marshes
and oak forests as habitat and a feeding ground for migratory waterfowl.
The best time to watch wildlife here is between November and February.
We're visiting Cosumnes in early January, and the first thing that we notice is that there are birds everywhere.
Last week's regular bird count revealed a Preserve record of over 123,000 birds.
You'll want to bring along your binoculars or spotting scope and a bird identification book if you have them.
If not, be sure to check out the white board at the visitors center where other visitors record their sightings.
You can watch right from your car along Desmond Road
or get out on one of the boardwalks or trails.
However you choose to watch the wildlife, remember that these birds are resting and storing up calories so they can complete their migratory journey.
You may notice that some areas are marked as "closed" - this is to protect sensitive birds.
Please leave pets behind when visiting Cosumnes River Preserve
and watch from a distance to keep the birds from unnecessarily using up energy.
If you're up for a little healthy exercise, there are two main nature walks at Cosumnes River Preserve.
The River Walk (show map) is a 3-mile loop that takes you out to the Cosumnes River,
and the Lost Slough Wetlands Walk is an accessible 1-mile loop just north of the visitors center off Franklin Blvd.
The Lost Slough Wetlands Walk joins up with an accessible ΒΌ mile boardwalk extending out into a seasonal wetland on its west side.
Paddling offers another perspective for viewing wildlife and enjoying some exercise.
A sidewalk routes paddlers directly from the visitor center parking lot to a put-in on Middle Slough.
Cosumnes is primarily a wildlife preserve that promotes low-impact recreation
and offers naturalist-led activities such as hikes, bird monitoring, paddles, photography walks, and volunteer work days.
Be sure to check out the visitor center with its displays and touchable objects during your visit.
You will find helpful staff there on most weekends.
Just look around -- there are birds everywhere.
We spotted coots,
ducks,
sandhill cranes,
geese,
a great egret,
and a great blue heron.
The sightings board outside the visitors center also lists American bitterns, kingfishers, and even a river otter.
With so much of the valley converted to farms and cities,
Cosumnes River Preserve is a haven for wildlife.
It takes a lot of food to support so many visiting birds.
They consume macro invertebrates like slugs and insects to stay healthy.
The BLM also grows grain such as rice in some of Cosumnes' many fields
specifically to feed birds that will need enough fuel, stored as fat, to fly as far away as Alaska.
BLM and its partners at Cosumnes River Preserve are proud to provide a place where natural processes can occur.
Where the river can rise and fall with the seasonal flow of water from the mountains,
and where migratory birds can rest and refuel during their inspiring journey.
Come and experience Cosumnes River Preserve for yourself.
To learn more about Cosumnes River Preserve, call (916) 684-2816
or visit www.blm.gov/ca/cosumnes
(sounds of paddle in water)