The Wiyot Tribe held a private ceremony and celebration today to mark the official return of Digawututklh, a 350-acre section of ancestral land in Samoa with significant historical and cultural importance to the tribe. “This place has traditionally been used for food harvesting such as clams and surf fish, it was also a ceremonial place […]
Friends of the Dunes
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos: Sand Sculpture Kick-off
On Saturday, five teams of artists working in wet sand gave live sculpting demonstrations as the month-long Dispersed Sand Sculpture event got underway at the ocean beach west of the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center. Sponsored by Friends of the Dunes, the 27th annual Sand Sculpture Festival again invites sculpting teams to participate during July while […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Exploring the Lanphere Dunes
I would never have guessed that back in the 1930s, the entire Cal Poly Humboldt faculty (then Humboldt State College) could fit into one house for dinner. This was one of many bits of trivia I learned on a Friends of the Dune guided tour of Lanphere Dunes earlier this spring. Thirteen of us assembled […]
Posted inNews
Back to the Beach: Kids Ocean Day 2022
Hundreds of Humboldt County school children participated in this year’s 17th annual Kids Ocean Day event by helping to restore dune habitat at the Mike Thompson Wildlife Area on the South Spit of Humboldt Bay. To mark the day, the kids joined together with their classmates, teachers and volunteers to form the shape of three […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Friends of the Dunes Presents Naturalist Notes Webinar Series
Get to know the diverse flora and fauna of the North Coast. A new web series presented by Friends of the Dunes is a great way to learn about the many plants and animals you encounter while out adventuring. Tune in Wednesdays, April 21 through May 26 from 5 to 7 p.m., for the Naturalist […]
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Lanphere Dunes and Ma-le’l Dunes Named National Natural Landmarks
Lanphere Dunes and Ma-le’l Dunes were designated as National Natural Landmarks this week by the U.S. Department of the Interior along with sites in West Virginia and Colorado. The more than 900 acres adjoining Manila and Arcata are biological hotspots, boasting a range of rare plant species amid the dune forests, coastal dunes and diverse […]
Posted inNews
Arkley’s ‘Dog Ranch’ Peninsula Property Sold to Conservation Coalition
It turns out “never, ever, ever, ever, ever” isn’t so long after all — sometimes it’s a little more than 15 years, in fact. Back in 2005, after swooping in at the 11th hour to outbid Friends of the Dunes and the Humboldt Bay Harbor District for a 200-acre property on the Samoa Peninsula known […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Winners of This Year’s Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival
Friends of the Dunes has announced the winners of the 25th Annual Sand Sculpture Festival. Although COVID-19 altered the festival to be more dispersed, the sculptors came through with loads of creativity. Eighteen teams entered this year’s festival hoping to win one of the few titles of Best of Show, Most Imaginative, Most Dedicated Diggers, Most […]
Posted inArt, Arts + Scene, Community, News, Outdoors
Winners of the 25th Annual Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival
Here are some of the sculptures from this year’s Sand Sculpture Festival.
Posted inNews
Friends of the Dunes Presents the Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival
Friends of the Dunes announced that a physically-distanced version of its 25th Annual Sand Sculpture Festival will take place during the entire month of July. The modified event, called the Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival, will take place in lieu of the annual Sand Sculpture Festival previously scheduled for July 25, 2020 at Samoa Drag Strip. Getting […]
Posted inNews
Friends of the Dunes Offers Online ‘Get Outside Gear Sale’
Friends of the Dunes’ Get Outside Gear Sale is one of Humboldt County’s hidden gem events. The annual fundraiser that supports coastal education and conservation programs is the insiders’ spot to score great deals on new and gently used outdoor gear. Due to Covid-19, this year’s April event was cancelled. However, gear donated before the shut […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Photos from the Sand Sculpture Fest
The 24th annual Sand Sculpture Festival turned the Samoa Drag Strip into a packed parking lot on Saturday, as the Friends of the Dunes fundraiser attracted a large crowd to the nearby ocean beach. Nineteen teams of artists working in the medium of ocean beach sand competed for fun, cash prizes and various awards, while […]