September 2025

This Month's Issue:

Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks Cleanup is THIS Month

BEC's 50th Anniversary Gala

Elements Youth Advisory Council

Oroville Proposed Biomass Plant News

Oroville Salmon Festival

BEC FUNDraiser Event

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Butte Creek Canyon Grazing Workshop

No Swim Advisory- Big Chico Creek

Volunteer to join the Cleanup on September 20th from 9-12pm!

The 38th annual Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks cleanup is this month and we hope you are just as excited as we are!

Event Day Logistics

Where: Volunteers will check in at Hooker Oak Park, 1928 Manzanita Ave

When: Check-in at 8:30am

Here is what you can expect at check in at Hooker Oak Park:

• Sign liability waivers and check in
• Receive their free unique event t-shirt
• Borrow cleanup materials
• Choose a cleanup location/assignment
• Receive a safety briefing

Volunteer Celebration Lunch

BEC will be hosting a volunteer lunch with free pizza, complimentary of Costco Wholesale, and drinks provided at Hooker Oak Park from 12-1pm. 

Minors

• Must be accompanied by an adult at all times
• Do not pickup sharps or any items that could have hazardous materials in it
• Can not be dropped off without parent signing a waiver at check in at Hooker Oak Park

Over the last 38 years, a total of 11,961 volunteers have removed 274 tons of trash from our waterways- and BEC invites you to take part in this endeavor.

Pollution Hot Spot Volunteer Recruitment Continues

BEC is partnering with the City of Chico to clean up a pollution "HOT SPOT" location during the Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks Cleanup on September 20, 2025. We are in need of 15 more individuals to sign up.



We are seeking individuals who:

• Who are 18+
• Can lift 20-50 lbs.
• Ability to navigate rough terrain safely 
• Can work in a group setting - employ a "daisy chain" structure for lifting bulky items 
• Excited to climb around a impacted patch of the creek, while communicating with a team to work together 
• Follow safety procedures for sharp collection and disposal
• Pre-register through the exclusive link below 

As incentive, volunteers who volunteer for this cleanup spot will be guaranteed a commemorative cleanup t-shirt.

If you are interested in signing up for this spot, please fill out the registration form below and we will contact you with more event details.

Reserve Your Seat Today!

Join Butte Environmental Council (BEC) for a landmark evening as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary Gala Fundraiser on Thursday, October 23rd from 5–9 PM at the beautiful Lakeside Pavilion, 2565 California Park Drive, Chico, CA, 95928.

Inspired by Elemental Elegance, the dress code for this event invites you to don your most exquisite attire, reflecting the essence of your favorite element. Whether you attend with family, friends, or on your own, we welcome you to join us in celebrating this remarkable achievement.

Dinner feature a fully catered meal specially crafted by OM Foods, feature live acoustic music to create a warming ambiance, and a silent auction specially curated from some of Chico's local favorite local artists, makers and businesses.

Have you ever volunteered, worked, interned, and or celebrated a BEC event?

We're looking for you!

One of the things we're really looking forward to for BEC's 50th Anniversary Gala Fundraiser is catching up with old friends, and gather in appreciation of BEC's accomplishments. This reunion celebration will highlight BEC's history with a retrospective video and a slideshow that showcases the efforts of the BEC community. 

If you've ever been a volunteer, BEC staff, board member, speaker, Fellow or a BEC awardee, we'd like to have you in our slide show. Please feel free to describe your history with BEC along with your photos, memories, scanned articles from the print days, or artwork.

Make sure you come to the BEC Gala Fundraiser, you'll find the link for ordering tickets in this newsletter and on BEC's website under events (scholarships and non profit discounts available). See you soon!

The Anniversary Gala Fundraiser is an opportunity to commemorate the many accomplishments of BEC over the years, to celebrate our current successes, and to pay tribute to those who have contributed to the environmental work of our community. 

BEC will be presenting three awards to deserving members of the environmental community of Butte County.  

Check out the Elements webpage for dates, pictures, and answers to frequently asked questions. Apply on the Elements website linked below. The deadline to apply is Sept. 12.

The Elements Grant 

This program is FREE to local youth thanks to the California Natural Resources Agency Youth Community Access Grant program funded by Proposition 64 in addition to resources and administrative support provided by the Paradise Recreation & Parks District.

Earn a $250 Stipend

• Attend four, 2-day weekend excursions
• Attend bi-monthly group planning meetings 

For more information, contact: Kelly Munson at munlark4@gmail.com or 207-650-2498 www.outdooreducationforall.com/youth-advisory-council 

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Join BEC at the Annual Salmon Festival on the fourth Saturday of September, celebrating the return of the Chinook Salmon to the Feather River! Held in Historic Downtown Oroville and at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, this vibrant event features live entertainment, engaging performances, and fun activities for all ages. Explore a variety of local vendors and savor delicious food while enjoying guided tours of the hatchery. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature.

BEC FUNdraiser at Habit Bar and Grill

Save the Date for the Friends of Butte Creek's 19th Annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival October 11, 2025 at the Paradise Performing Arts Center.

Salmon holding conditions continue in good shape although the next heat wave is concerning.

The CDC has confirmed dangerous E.coli O157 in Big Chico Creek. A No-Swim Advisory Remains in effect. For more information, please read the Butte County Public Health Press Release at the link in our bio.

If you or someone you know becomes ill from swimming in the public waterways, call and report their illness to Butte County Public Health at 530-552-3929.

Butte Environmental Council recognizes the original occupants of what is now referred to as the Butte County area and the descendants who are still living here. They include:

Tyme Maidu Tribe-Berry Creek Reservation

Enterprise Rancheria

Mechoopda Indian Tribe

Mooretown Rancheria 

We acknowledge and are mindful that these first people have a special and sacred relationship with their ancestral lands and the waters that run through these lands, sustaining them for centuries. We strive to learn from their ways and to be considered by the tribes as allies to respect and steward resources in this life-giving place.

Support Butte Environmental Council!

BEC is a grassroots non-profit dedicated to protecting the health of our environment. Our work is made possible by people like you! Your contribution helps us plant trees, clean the creeks, and bring environmental education into the classroom.

BEC is a membership supported organization, we invite all interested parties to become a member today.

Consider becoming a Sustaining Member today for as little as $5/month.