Fall 2025 Newsletter
Back to Camp! Oct. 25, 2025 (21+)
BBQ, music, skits, auctions, and Whiskeytown Environmental School (WES) Camp spirit—everything you loved about camp in one unforgettable evening. Mark your calendar for Back to Camp on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the Shasta District Fairgrounds. Doors open at 4:00 PM for a camp-style fundraiser bursting with indoor and outdoor experiences—all to support the rebuilding of our beloved WES.
This extraordinary evening promises a camp BBQ with sides, line dancing, toe-tapping music, silent and live auctions, and even a night hike. The event is hosted by Leadership Redding, class of 2024, in partnership with WES Community.
Rebecca Baer, of Leadership Redding, says “From the moment our class learned about the need for financial support to rebuild WES, we knew we wanted to help. The WES program has created core memories for many of our class members and their children, so this cause is very personal to us. We know how important outdoor education is and how impactful the WES experience has been to so many students in our region for the last 50 years. Our class has been planning an entertaining, fun-filled evening that will take you back to camp. The evening allows you to relive all your outdoor camping memories while giving you the opportunity to make new ones with friends and supporters of WES.”
Join the fun on October 25 at the Shasta District Fairgrounds for a night you won’t forget. Purchase your tickets today at wescommunity.org/back-to-camp. Most importantly, your ticket is worth more than admission, it’s your investment in the future.F
We’re Looking for Volunteers!
Help us make our Back to Camp event a success. We need volunteers before, during, and after the event. Please note that only volunteers 21 and older can help on the event day, but all ages are welcome to assist with preparations and cleanup.
Local raffle heroes lit up the big screen and the Marquee glow at the Cascade on premiere night.
Road Movie Magic at the Cascade
A cool theater, a warm night, and a film that left Shasta County smiling. The July 12 premiere of “Out There: A National Parks Story” was a smash hit at the Cascade Theater. On a toasty Saturday, the cool house drew armchair travelers and road-trip dreamers alike. The film delivered laughs, tugged heartstrings, and—most of all—reminded us how deeply national parks nourish the human spirit.
WES Community sold more than $900 in raffle tickets, thanks to the generosity of nine adventurous local businesses—Adventure Hub, Damburger, Fleet Feet, Hermit’s Hut, Tractor Supply, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Sports LTD, and the Western National Parks Association—each thanked on the big screen. A generous grant from the National Park Foundation helped underwrite the film rental and the Cascade Theater. All net proceeds support the rebuilding of Whiskeytown Environmental School.
Fuel for the Future: $50,000 From the National Park Foundation
Partnership in Action: NPF Invests in WES Community
WES Community is proud to announce a $50,000 grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Awarded as part of the Collective Campaign—a cornerstone of The Campaign for National Parks—this flexible funding strengthens our shared commitment to preserve, protect, and enhance Whiskeytown National Recreation Area for everyone, forever.
The grant empowers WES Community to expand fundraising capacity, tackle near-term challenges, and press forward with rebuilding Whiskeytown Environmental School. The redesigned campus will center accessibility and community use—serving Shasta County students and neighbors as it has for more than fifty years.
Tomorrow’s park stewards learning with a WES naturalist.
Goodbye, Old Cabins. Hello, New Possibilities.
Cabin 6 in 1968, A ranger at the doorstep of a 70’s cabin.
Respectful farewells, careful recycling, and space for what’s next.
In August, the National Park Service began the bittersweet work of demolishing the cabins that survived the Carr Fire. Condemned in 2023, the more-than-65-year-old buildings had been renovated many times but no longer met modern building codes or NPS fire-suppression standards for overnight housing. Those cabins have a storied past.
First built as tent platforms in the late 1950s and early 1960s by volunteers for the Vision Valley Baptist Summer Camp, they were later enclosed by local service groups and went on to host tens of thousands of students since 1970. During demolition, NPS carefully sorted materials—metal and concrete for recycling, wood for bioenergy. The old bathhouse foundation remains and will soon host the teaching gazebo (currently beside Hatcher Hall), making extra room for the new amphitheater.
Create a Giving Network with Your Facebook Page
Create a network of awareness and giving for WES Community with your Facebook page. Your birthday, anniversary, or another special day for celebration is the perfect opportunity to support projects you value. It is an easy way for family and friends from afar to honor you with a gift of love to WES Community. We appreciate the many donations we have received from this source.
