NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Tuleyome has launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish a children’s nature book based on the organization’s popular “Tuleyome Tales.”

“Tuleyome Tales” are informative, educational, entertaining articles written predominantly by Tuleyome staff members and distributed to the local press as feature articles.  

Past articles have included coverage of native bees, local bird populations, slime mold, fire safety and outdoor recreation areas in the region.

The children’s book will take several of the tales and condense them down to simple paragraphs with a bold photograph and a probing question for readers to answer.

Acknowledging that there is something of a “nature deficit” among young children in the region (as kids spend a good deal of time indoors with their computers and cell phones) Tuleyome seeks to engage children ages 6 to 12 with a book based on nature, animals, plant life and places in the local region.

Tuleyome wants to initially publish 300 copies of the book, which will then be made available to the public.  

The Kickstarter campaign is focused on gathering pledges and funds specifically for the publication if this book alone and ends on Aug. 31.

For more information about the book, see Tuleyome’s Kickstarter page at http://kck.st/1nzhmAx .

Tuleyome is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, California.  

For more information visit www.tuleyome.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Rockhounds club will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

The group will meet at 5 p.m. at Redbud Library, 14785 Burns valley Road in Clearlake.

Visitors are welcome.  

For those interested in joining the club, annual membership costs $15.

FORT BRAGG, Calif. – The Cal Fire Mendocino Unit is ending the sale of 2014 firewood permits on Jackson Demonstration State Forest due to the very high demand and a limited supply of available downed wood.   

One firewood area will remain open to those with valid permits until the wood supply is gone, Sept. 15 or the first significant rain, whichever occurs first.    

Gathering in violation of the terms of the permit will result in revocation of the permit; gathering without a valid permit is misdemeanor theft.  

Please help protect forest resources by respecting locked gates, and remember that one less spark is one less wildfire.

Questions regarding the firewood program may be directed to the Cal Fire Fort Bragg office located at 802 N. Main St. in Fort Bragg, telephone 707-964-5674.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Sons of Norway Vikings of Lake Lodge No. 6-166 will hold its next heritage and culture event on Sunday, Aug. 10.

The group will meet beginning at 1 p.m. at the Galilee Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 8860 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.

The August event will include a salad potluck.

There also will be member and lodge awards, and a special tribute.

The afternoon heritage and culture events include fellowship, interesting programs, a quick Norwegian language lesson and, occasionally, some dancing.

Cost of the meal will be $5 per person.

For more information contact hostess Evelyn Robison at 707-279-4385.

Visit the lodge's Web site at http://www.vikingsoflakelodge.org/ .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Each year at the Lake County Rodeo, youngsters ages 3 to 8 years compete for the title of Cutest Lil’ Cowpoke.  

This year seven contestants entered the competition at the 85th annual Lake County Rodeo.  

Chosen by applause from the spectators in the grandstands were Abbigael Grace Malley, age 3, of Lakeport and Nathan Boomer, age 6, of Witter Springs on July 11.

Each child received a silver buckle to commemorate the occasion.

All children of the ages specified are eligible to enter this competition, which is always held on Friday evening at 6 p.m. at the rodeo.  

Applications for the 2015 contest will be available at www.lakecountyrodeo.com after Dec. 1.

Sponsors for the 2014 Cutest Cowpoke were the Clear Lake Junior Horsemen and the Scotts Valley 4H Swine Group.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – One of the few positive consequences of war has often been the advances in medical science.

The Civil War was no exception. With hundreds of thousands of men suffering from wounds and disease, necessity sped up research and invention, and future generations benefited from these advances.

This will be the lead topic at the August meeting of the Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable at 6:15 p.m. this Monday, Aug. 4, at the Tallman Hotel in historic Upper Lake.

Dr. Mark Cooper will be leading the discussion on Civil War medicine and how it impacted both the war and the future of military medical care.

He will place an emphasis on how women took the lead in caring for the sick and wounded.

In addition, Zane Jensen will review the Atlanta Campaign – which occurred 150 years ago this month – and how that impacted the outcome of the war.

“Anyone who has seen 'Gone With the Wind' will appreciate the back story of General Sherman's siege and capture of Atlanta,” said Jensen. “The outcome of this campaign had a direct impact on the elections in November 1864. If Sherman does not take Atlanta, Lincoln may not be reelected, and the South may had won it's independence.”

The Civil War Roundtable meets monthly and attempts to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the war by reviewing events from 150 years ago, month by month.

The event is free, and everyone is welcome. The presentations are created to appeal to both the novice and expert.

For more information, contact Phil Smoley at 707-264-4905 or Zane Jensen at 707-349-6390.