July Nature p.L.A.y. Calendar of Events (part 1)

July

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 1)

To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, An eternity in an hour. – William Blake | Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

Ahhhh! Summer is in full swing!

Now, the times may call for you to cut back on the summer travel plans but that just means more time for enjoying the abundant nature opportunities Los Angeles provides. You can create a “staycation” with outdoor concerts, festivals, nature walks, or even a local camping trip in the Angeles Forest or the Santa Monica Mountains and Beaches. Los Angeles is your oyster this summer!

LAUSD has cut summer school this year so please check out the LA Department of Parks and Recreation for alternate childcare and summer activities.

* Take action to Save 220 of our CA State Parks from closing by clicking here*

Weekend

Saturday 7/4 Kidspace is celebrating Independence day with insects, arts and crafts, science discovery and more from 10am-3pm! So, before you head out to watch the explosions in the sky take the family to the museum for some low-to-the-ground bug action. Free with museum admission.

Or you could celebrate by taking the family on a summertime “Family Nature Walk”. Every Saturday Eaton Canyon offer one from 9-11am. Placerita Canyon, which just re-opened their newly remodeled nature center, offers a walk from 11am-12pm then an “Animal Presentation” from 1pm-2pm on Saturdays as well. *

Sunday 7/5 your family can help in a “Special Beach Cleanup” at Cabrillo Beach the day after July 4th festivities! From 8-10:30 am help remove litter to protect our coastal habitats. Call (310) 548-7562 for reservations.* (And if your family really enjoys beach clean-ups I would check out Heal the Bay’s list of on-going “Nothin’ But Sand” clean-ups!)

Then you can stretch those generous but sore muscles with a “Mommy and Me Yoga” class at Franklin Canyon Park from 1-2pm. It’s a beginning level class for children 3-8 years and their families. Bring a pillow, towel, and light blanket.*

Week of Monday 7/6 through Friday 7/10

Suggestions for your week:

On Tuesday 7/7 it is “Family Fun Night” from 7-8:30pm at King Gillette Ranch! Join naturalists for songs, stories, and a nature program. Bring a blanket/chair. Marshmallows, skewers, and weather permitting, a campfire will be provided. Meet at parking lot to left of bridge.*

On Wednesday 7/8 Vista Hermosa park is kicking-off their summer programming with a “Family Campfire Program” from 7-8pm. Go listen to stories and sing songs around the crackling flames in this beautiful park just outside the bustle of downtown.*

On Thursday 7/9 at the South Coast Botanical Garden your child can learn to “Make a Salad” (and eat it too) in the Children’s Discovery Garden from 10am-12pm.*

Weekend

Saturday 7/11 it’s all about “Slime and Scales” for your 3-5 year-old at the Natural History Museum from 10:15-11:15 am. They’ll hear stories, play games, and make a scaly craft to take home in celebration of the slimy and the scaly critters that call the Discovery Center home.*

If it is an 8-12 year-old you are looking to entertain, then take them to Malibu Lagoon State Beach for “Family Field Trip” from 9:30am-12:30pm. They will discover why Malibu Lagoon is home to many living things and why the Malibu Creek watershed is important. There is a fee and pre-registration required: 818-591-1701 x181.

Sunday 7/12 the Friends of the Ballona Wetlands are offering their once-a-month “Salt Water Marsh Tour” from 1-3pm. “Learn about our coastal ecosystem and explore the wonders of nature right in the middle of urban Los Angeles.” Meet in the parking lot behind Gordon’s Market at 303 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey.*

On Sunday you could also head to the Satwiwa Cultural Center to listen to the stories and soothing flute music from Bill “Elk Whistle” Neal under the stars from 7:30-9pm. Bring a flashlight.*

Week of Monday 7/13  through Friday 7/17

Suggestions for your week:

On Thursday 7/16 you can listen to some swing jazz while surrounded by the beautiful Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens from 7-9pm. $8 adults; $6 students & seniors (65+); $4 children (3-12 yrs.) Garden Members and children under 3yrs., admitted free – so, become a member!

On Friday 7/17 it’s “Twilight Night: Dino Night” at Kidspace! “Kids and families go back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Kids can make a fossil and go on a fossil hunt, also make a cool dinosaur mask. Play the Stegosaurs Stomp, get a dino tattoo and have a roaring good time! BBQ dinners will be available for purchase.” Admission to event $5.

(Part 2 on its way!)

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions.

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

June Nature p.L.A.y. Calendar of Events (part 2)

June

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 2)

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." Henry James | Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

Yay for Dads! Yay for Summer! This month rings in the Summer Solstice and gives Father’s yet another good reason to go outside with the kids – Father’s day! Kick off the socks and slip into your flip-flops it’s time to romp under the trees, through the sand, within the ocean, over the warm hills,  (plug in your own preposition + place here)!

* Take action to Save 220 of our CA State Parks from closing by clicking here*

Weekend

Saturday 6/20 there are many reasons you should visit one of our local CA State Parks – it’s Father’s Day weekend, Summer Solstice, and CA State Parks Foundation is hosting SOS Weekend. They are asking that you go and enjoy a state park you bring along a sign that reads “Save Our State Parks!”, take a picture or video of your family holding the sign, and then send it to CA State Parks Foundation. They will compile them all and send them to Sacramento. Los Angeles State Historic Park and Pio Pico State Historic Park are both holding events in honor of SOS weekend. Check the foundation’s website for further details.

Also on Saturday the beautiful and historic Placerita Canyon is having an “Open House and Family Festival” in honor of the re-opening of their Nature Center from 10am-3pm. There will be animal presentations, panning for “fools gold”, food, drinks, and activities.*

Sunday 6/21 is Father’s Day and I am sad to say that none of the parks or museums that hosted a Mother’s Day event in May are hosting an event in honor of the patriarch. So, I have some suggestions for ways you can honor those hard-working, loving, giving men we call Dad (or Papa, Daddy, Father, etc).

1. Take him to a State Park and have a picnic. (Don’t forget your SOS signs!)

2. Ride your bicycles along the L.A. River.*

3. Wake up early and go bird watching at Ballona Wetlands or Malibu Lagoon SB.*

4. Spend the day in Griffith Park – you can play a round of golf or tennis, visit the zoo, observatory, Travel Town or Autry museum, ride on the merry-go-round, a pony, or the miniature train, or just throw a frisbee and have a barbeque.*

5. Hike in the Angeles National Forest above La Canada Flintridge and have lunch at Newcomb’s Ranch.*

Week of Monday 6/22 through Friday 6/26

Suggestion for your week:

Headwaters Corner is beginning their first session of “Nature Discovery Camp” for children ages 8-12 from 6/22 – 6/25 9am-3pm. This week’s topics will be stream ecology, reptiles and amphibians, Native American culture, and include a Malibu Lagoon field trip. Reservations are required and there is a nominal fee per child. Contact Susan Haugland at 818-591-1707 ext.181 for information and reservations. (Their next session will be 7/20 – 7/24.)

Weekend

Saturday 6/27 enjoy a beautiful docent-led “Family Nature Walk” through the magical Eaton Canyon from 9-11am.*

Sunday 6/28 the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden’s “Kid’s Adventure Garden has plenty of fun-filled activity to keep your energetic and curious child happy from 11am-3pm.*

Or you can follow our feathered friends with “Birdwatching for Young Children” at Malibu Lagoon SB from 10-11am. They provide binoculars!

Week of Monday 6/29  through Friday 7/3

Suggestion for your week:

Deb’s Park and Audubon Center is offering week-long nature-themed camp sessions for children ages 6 – 10, from 9am-4pm Monday through Friday. Cost is $200 per first child and $150 any additional children. There are also sessions on 7/6 – 7/10, 7/27 – 7/31 and for children ages 9 – 12 from 7/13 – 7/17. Check the website for further details.

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

6/13-6/21 CNI & Blueberry Atelier Partner with Natural History Museum!

See our June Calendar of Events for other local nature activities.

I urge all parents and educators to go see this exhibit on view at the Natural History Museum. Children’s Nature Institute is a leader in providing urban youth with nature experiences. I also had the opportunity to hear the director of Blueberry Atelier speak at last year’s CNI Urban Nature Week forum. Her perspective on education is moving and inspirational. Please go see what beauty this collaboration has acheived.

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

Information from the CNI website is below:

Join The Children’s Nature Institute and Blueberry Atelier as they present

“A Sense of Wonder, A Sense of Place: Viewing Nature Through the Images and Words of Our Children”

June 13-21, 2009

In partnership with The Natural History Museum’s Sustainable Sundays, this week-long interactive exhibit will feature the poetry and photography of budding environmentalists in Blueberry’s preschool class. Entrance to the event is included with the cost of museum admission.

Over the past year, Blueberry Atelier Family Child Care and The Children’s Nature Institute (CNI) have been working in collaboration to offer unique, hands-on nature experiences for the parents and children of Blueberry. Once a month, CNI educators, Blueberry teachers, parents and children embarked on an exploration of Temescal Canyon. This canyon became a classroom without walls; filled with places that fed our spirits, imaginations and souls. Through these dynamic experiences, nature came alive in the hands, hearts and minds of the children.

We invite you share this journey as seen through the eyes and ears of our children.

http://www.childrensnatureinstitute.org/index.html

June Nature p.L.A.y. Calendar of Events (part 1)

June

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 1)

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein | Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

As summer approaches & children are released from the daily care of their schools, many parents may suddenly find themselves with restless, energetic children who are craving some outdoor fun. Oh no! What to do? Well, it’s a good thing you’re here. This calendar should provide you with plenty of outdoor activities to keep those little beings happy, healthy, & stimulated! Enjoy this opportunity to bond with each other while communing with nature.

* Take action to Save 220 of our CA State Parks from closing by clicking here*

Weekend

Saturday 6/6 is the beginning of Leo Carillo State Beach June campfire series. Every Saturday in June from 7-8pm you can join a ranger for a little toasty talk around the flames. Meet at the campground and bring a flashlight.

On your way to Leo Carillo you can stop by Malibu Creek State Park for their regularly scheduled “Fun With Nature” from 12:30 – 2:30pm with games, crafts and exhibits at the nature center. Parking fee.

Sunday 6/7 your 3-8 year old can take the inspiration from the trail and use it to create their very own masterpiece. Sooky Goldman Nature Center is hosting “Hike and Craft” fun from 10am-12pm.*

Week of Monday 6/8 through Friday 6/12

Suggestion for your week:

On Thursday 6/11 the South Coast Botanical Garden is ready to help your kids learn to love “Hummingbirds and Friends”  in their Children’s Discovery Garden from 10am – 12pm. Oh! Wait! Children love hummingbirds! *

Weekend

Saturday 6/13 join the docents at Deb’s Park for a “Family Nature Walk” through their beautiful grounds from 9:30 – 11am. It’s in Spanish and English so tell all your friends and neighbors to bring their families too!*

Or you can spot a Great Blue Heron and learn about their habitat with the  Ballona Wetlands monthly “Freshwater Marsh Tour” from 10 – 11am. Meet at the entrance near Jefferson Blvd and Lincoln. *

Sunday 6/14 celebrate the scaly at Descanso Gardens with their educational program, “Reptile Family: Lizards, Turtles, and Snakes, Oh My!” at 1pm. Free with admission.

On Sunday you could also enjoy beautiful surroundings while tapping your toes at Peter Strauss Ranch as they kick off their warm-weather “Sunday Concerts in the Park” with celtic-inspired group Banshee in the Kitchen.*

Week of Monday 6/15  through Friday 6/19

Suggestion for your week:

Descanso Gardens is offering 6 weeks of “Toddler Treks with Acorn Bear” on either 6 Thursdays or 6 Fridays from 9:30 – 10:30am or 10:30 – 11:30am where your 2-4 year-old can explore the natural world through their senses. $85/child, $75 members, $50 each additional child. Call 818-949-7980 to register.

(Part 2 on its way!)

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

California State Parks Threatened – More Than 80% Could Close

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is threatened

SAVE OUR STATE PARKS

“this is the worst threat to park system in its 150 year history” - California State Parks Foundation

For those of us who grew up in California, our childhoods are most likely marked by at least one experience in a state park. For those who relocated here, it is most likely pictures of the landscape that lured you and an experience in one of our state parks that made you feel that you made the right choice. The smell of campfire smoke mingled with ocean air at El Capitan State Beach. Avoiding banana slugs while traipsing through fern-lined trails under majestic giant redwoods in Humboldt State Park. Arriving in Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve State Park just in time to catch the brief but awesome hillside floral springtime spectacle. Having your breath taken away by the dramatic cliffs while driving the windy road to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Reading through the lengthy list of proposed state park closures my eyes well up with tears. As a familiar park name scrolls by I mourn for it like I would a friend. Great memories are tied to so many of these places. They have shaped me.  I wonder about those other unfamiliar names – the “friends” I’ve yet to meet – what will I be missing? What will the generations of children after me be missing?

I believe that we should be able to convince Schwarzenegger not to close these state treasures with our personal stories. However, just in case the qualitative doesn’t convince anyone, California State Parks Foundation has some convincing quantitative figures to throw into the argument. Please read what they have to say and write your own personal letters to your legislators today. Let’s give our children the opportunity to build their own memories.

- Ilana Gustafson Turner

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is threatened.

This is the information straight from the California State Parks Foundation:

“Imminent State Park Closings!

We have just learned the details of Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget plan that if approved will close at least 80% of California’s entire state park system.

Here is the list of the proposed park closures. [download .pdf here]

Beginning July 1st, the Governor will cut the parks core funding in half and then eliminate all core funding in twelve months.  Without this money, there will be no choice but to close the majority of our park system.

Even if you are not planning to visit a park soon, the governor’s short-sighted proposal will impact you and every California resident. It is the very definition of “penny-wise, pound foolish”. Consider the facts:

FACT: The General Fund budget that state parks receive account for less than 1/10 of one percent of the entire state budget.

FACT: Last year alone, there were over 80 million visitors to state parks – and all indications are that this year was going to be even higher.

FACT: For every dollar that funds the parks, $2.35 is returned to the state’s General Fund through economic activities in the communities surrounding the parks.

That means eliminating all funding for state parks could actually result in the state losing over $350 million dollars in revenue.

For the financial well-being of our state, we must oppose this reckless plan.  We have had the displeasure of notifying you of threats to our parks in the past.  But this is the worst threat to park system in its 150 year history.”

May Nature P.L.A.Y. Calendar of Events

*********************************************************************************************************

Say goodbye to Where do the Children Play L.A. and Say hello to:

Nature P.L.A.Y.

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth

*********************************************************************************************************

May

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility." - Rachel Carson | Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

This month’s calendar may be a week late (sorry folks) but it is certainly filled with more outdoor activities than there are lizards on a hot dirt trail! Mother’s Day you have your choice of two concerts, two brunches, and plenty of nature, and Children’s Nature Institute’s  proves that “Kid’s Rock”  just as much as their moms with their music and nature festival. So, whether you’re a kid, a mom, or just someone who loves them, there is plenty to do outside with the family – so, stop reading this and – GO PLAY!

Weekend

Friday 5/8 you can take your toddler on a night walk with the Children’s Nature Institute from 7:30 – 9:00pm. This “Tykes on Trails Moonlight Hike” is geared toward young “naturalists” who still know how to engage their senses to notice the tiniest sound, smell or sight that one might encounter along the Temescal Canyon Trail. Strollers are okay and remember to dress for the cooler evening temps. $20 – Make your reservation on-line.

Saturday 5/9 you can learn all about trees at Sooky Goldman Amphitheater in Franklin Canyon Park with the delightful and informative “Speak for the Trees!” program from 2-4pm. For all ages!

**See Sunday’s listings for more Saturday fun.

Sunday 5/10 is Mother’s Day! There are so many ways to celebrate being a mom and spend some time in nature with the kids this weekend:

What a better way to remember this day than by planting a tree you can visit in years to come? Treepeople is hosting a “Mother’s Day Park Planting” in Sylmar from 9am – 12pm. Reserve a space on-line.

Malibu Lagoon State Beach is having a “Mother’s Day Garden Luncheon” from 11am – 3pm. Call 310-456-8432 to make a reservation. There is a fee.

South Coast Botanical Garden is having a “Mother’s Day Concert” from 2 – 4pm. Take a picnic and enjoy being serenaded by the Palos Verdes Symphony while surrounded by your family.

**Kidspace knows how to combine what a Mother wants and what will keep a child entertained with their “Mother’s Day Festival”. Your little elf can create natural facial scrubs, masks and soaps, cards and frames just for you! There will also offer chair massages for those worn out mama muscles. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a meal on the lawn! From 10am – 3pm on BOTH Saturday and Sunday.

** For a bit pricier option ($45/person, $38/members, $15/child) you can enjoy a “Mother’s Day Brunch” right in the middle of a rose garden at the beautiful Descanso Gardens. Make your reservation by calling 818-790-3663. You can also enjoy a concert for the price of admission, with or without purchasing the brunch at 1pm. This event is on BOTH Saturday and Sunday.

Week of Monday 5/11 through Friday 5/15

Suggestion for your week:

The passionate and knowledgeable docents at Whittier Narrows Natural Area offer school tours of their beautiful native gardens on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am – 12pm. You have to make a reservation ahead of time though by calling 626-525-5523. So, if you are a teacher – take your class! If you are a parent – tell your child’s school! See why the Friends of Whittier Narrows are fighting to protect this oasis of native wildlife for yourself!

Weekend

Saturday 5/16 learn how Runyon Canyon was formed, moved, and changed on a “Geology Walk” from 9:30 – 11:30am. Meet at the Mullholland and Desmond Estates entrance. *

Sunday 5/17 “Kid’s Rock” in Griffith Park with the Children’s Nature Institute’s fun-filled concert and nature fair that will make your kids boogie under the trees! At the Old Zoo in Griffith Park from 3:30 – 7pm. $15/person or you can purchase a $50 family package, good for 2 adults and 2 children.

On Sunday you could also rock out with some “Bugs, Lizards, Etc” as the docents of Charmlee Wilderness Area lead you on walk where your child just might encounter a few carabidae or a southern alligator lizard! From 12 – 2pm, $4 parking.

Week of Monday 5/18  through Friday 5/22

Suggestion for your week:

Do you feel like you want to be adventurous with your child but either you don’t know where to go (although that’s impossible if you’re reading this blog!) or you have no other parents with whom you can share the adventure? Well, check out the Mommy Adventure Club! They have a weekly newsletter with various group outings in the city to take yourself – and your little one and siblings, grandparents, nannies, and all are invited to join along. They offer a Green Adventure Guide for outdoor outings as well as trips to museums, the farmer’s market, eateries, city tours, and more. Sign up for their newsletter and meet some other adventurous moms and kids!

Weekend

Saturday 5/23 spend the day at the historic and beautiful Placerita Canyon! From 11am – 12pm you can explore the grounds on a “Family Nature Walk”, bring a picnic and chow down under the oaks from 12 – 1pm, then head over to the nature center for the “Animal Presentation” from 1 – 2pm where you’ll meet some pretty awesome creatures!

Sunday 5/24 Malibu Lagoon State Beach will be hosting their regularly scheduled “Birdwatching for Young Children and Parents” from 10 – 11am. They are cool as sea cucumbers and provide binoculars for those of you who don’t have them!

Week of Monday 5/25 through Friday 5/29

Suggestion for your week:

Well, Monday is Memorial Day and you may be wondering how to keep your vacationing child entertained but avoid the crowds. While all of Los Angeles heads to the beach I suggest you take your children the opposite direction and head East into the Angeles National Forest. It will be less crowded and you can still enjoy a picnic or stroll along one of the many stunning trails and you won’t have to clean the sand out of the most unlikely places when you’re done! You’ll need to display an Adventure Pass so either purchase one for the day or the year. You can do so online or at a ranger station.

Weekend

Saturday 5/30 get to know the arroyo a little better and head to Eaton Canyon for their weekly occurring “Family Nature Walk” from 9 – 11am.*

Sunday 5/31 head to the Conejo Valley Botanical Gardens! Every Sunday they offer activities, lessons, and fun at their “Kid’s Adventure Garden” from 11am – 3pm.*

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

Natural Wonder:Learning About Nature by Experiencing Nature

Natural Wonder

Learning About Nature By Experiencing Nature

Children on a Children's Nature Institute nature walk making a spider discovery before even hitting the trail!

Young children have a natural sense of wonder. Moments are filled with the immediate. When children are in the outdoors their senses are stimulated, their hearts beat fast, their minds are filled with questions about what they see, feel, hear, smell. If young children are allowed this awe-filled experience in nature their connection to the Earth will be personal and visceral. So often, however, we expose very young children to the “idea” of the environment rather than giving them the “experience” of their environment.

Environmental education often takes place indoors and is often filled with images of distant rain forests and tales of suffering antarctic creatures. Children, being openly empathetic towards other creatures are easily effected by this information. If this is their initial and primary connection to the natural world – through a feeling of despair for a far away place – nature becomes something abstract, distant, and in pain.

I propose that we give young children, who have not yet developed the capacity for abstraction, an introduction to nature through the joy of wonder and discovery. Let children play outside and connect to the world just around them. Let us help them build a love for the environment they can touch, feel, see, smell, and hear. Children want to know more about that which they love. When they do grow older and hear tales of far-off places the distance on a map may be great but their personal connection could not be closer.

"If love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow." - John Burroughs

Resources

There are several books and magazines that promote connecting children to nature by taking them into nature. You can also check the links on the right for organizations that offer nature programs for youth. If you know of any additional resources please share!

Beyond Ecophobia – Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education – David Sobel

Last Child in the Woods – Richard Louv

Place-Based Education – David Sobel

Small Wonders- Nature Education for Young Children – Linda Garrett, et al

Sharing Nature With Children – Joseph Bharat Cornell

Biophillia – E.O. Wilson

10 Fun Ways to Enjoy the Great Outdoors (Parents Magazine article) – Winifred Yu

The Way We Live Now – Natural Happiness (New York Times Magazine article) – Paul Bloom

- Ilana Gustafson Turner

April Nature p.L.A.y. Calendar of Events (part 2)

*********************************************************************************************************

Say goodbye to Where do the Children Play L.A. and Say hello to:

Nature P.L.A.Y.

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth

*********************************************************************************************************

April

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 2)

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." -Native American Proverb

Earth day is on April 22nd and it is a chance to connect your children to the idea of stewardship of the planet. Children, I believe, have a natural affinity toward the outdoors but they must be shown by the example of adults how to care for it. There are plenty of opportunities to share the wonder and the fragility of our Earth with your children this month, from a Whale Fesitval to park restoration. Have a beautiful Earth Day!

Weekend

Saturday 4/18 is the beginning of National Park Week (4/18 – 4/26). Now, I know this is not L.A. specific, but I think our National Parks have the invaluable ability to turn anyone into a nature-lover upon fist sight. The highlight of the week is Jr. Ranger Day on 4/25 at National Parks across the State of California. Plan a school or community or family trip!

Local fun is abundant on Saturday as well:

Kidspace is celebrating the culmination of their 13th annual caterpillar adoption with a Butterfly Release! There will be games, activities and live music. The museum opens at 10am the release happens at 2pm.

Malibu Creek State Park is having their regularly scheduled Fun With Nature from 12:30 – 2:30pm with games, crafts and exhibits at the nature center. Parking fee.

Sunday 4/19 join the Sierra Club as they celebrate John Muir’s birthday with a hike in Topanga State Park. There are several hikes that will converge at Trippet Ranch for a picnic party from 12 – 1pm in celebration of this important naturalist. A family hike takes off from Dead Horse at 10am and is 3 hours round trip. Bring water, lunch, and your best birthday hat! Information 310-559-3126.*

There is another celebration happening on Sunday.  In honor of our beloved cetacean friends, the 13th annual Whale Festival will take place at beautiful Leo Carillo State Park in northern Malibu from 10am – 4pm.  Live entertainment, whale-watching stations, arts and crafts, music and food are all a part of the day’s events.  Experienced naturalists will be on hand to help participants spot and identify gray whales and bottlenose dolphin right from the beach!  Parking $10 or free for schools with pre-arranged reservations. For more information contact: (805) 488-1827 x106 or malibuinterp@gmail.com or visit the website www.malibuinterp.com.

Week of Monday 4/20 through Friday 4/24

Suggestion for your week:

On 4/23 Children’s Nature Institute is having a Garden Planting and Watering Party at Fern Canyon Trail in Griffith Park from 10am – 12pm. Come celebrate Earth Day by caring for this very special garden that was created by children with CNI in the fall to help restore the fire-destroyed trail.  There is a $10 suggested donation. All ages are welcome.

On 4/24 share the splendor of the spring night sky with your child at Charmlee Wilderness Park from 7:30 – 9:30pm.

Weekend

Saturday 4/25 the California State Parks Foundation is celebrating Earth Day by offering opportunities to clean and restore some local parks. Ballona Wetlands, Rio De Los Angeles State Historic Park, and Malibu Creek State Park are some of the beautiful places where your family can offer some helping hands from 9am – 1pm.*

Sunday 4/26 there is yet another chance to celebrate Earth Day! Star Eco Station in Culver City will be having a celebration especially designed for children with music, games, environmental heroes, and more in honor of the Earth from 10am -4pm.

On Sunday you could also celebrate our beautiful Earth by admiring it’s feathered friends. There will be Birdwatching for Young Children and Parents at Malibu Lagoon State Park from 10- 11am. They provide the binoculars!

Week of Monday 4/27  through Friday 5/1

Suggestion for your week:

Descanso Gardens is in full Spring gear! Wisteria, lilacs, irises, and tulips are just some of the flowers now making a showing. There is always something to do at Descanso from “fossil” digs to nature strolls to train rides. You can also enjoy a cup of tea as you watch the Koi swim merrily through the pond in the Japanese garden. Or you can take in the soothing smells of the blooming lilac garden. There is a lot to do so plan to make a day of it!

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

April Nature p.L.A.y. Calendar of Events (part 1)

*********************************************************************************************************

Say goodbye to Where do the Children Play L.A. and Say hello to:

Nature P.L.A.Y.

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth

*********************************************************************************************************

April

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 1)

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. - William Shakespeare | Photo by Chandra Renee Walker

This month is full of opportunities to celebrate the gregarious Spring! Subtlety is left behind with the memories of winter and in it’s place we find the vibrant colors and busy activity of flowers in full bloom, birds noisily singing, and bugs and reptiles basking in the warmer weather. Children too are brimming with excitement at all the energy of Spring! Take your child outside and let them rejoice along with the flora and fauna!

Weekend

Saturday 4/4 is a wonderful opportunity to spend the day at the 419-acre urban natural wonderland that is Whittier Narrows. The caring docents are presenting “Spring Fling” at the nature center from 10am – 2pm, with crafts, live animal presentations, nature walks, and an adventure hunt. For more info please call (626) 575-5523.*

Sunday 4/5 you can get your fill of the blossoms the season has to offer with your choice of two Spring walks:

“Charming” Charmlee Wilderness Park (see feature) offers a “Wildflower Hike” from 10am – 12pm. Make a reservation by calling 310-317-1364; $4 parking fee.

… And a Topanga State Park naturalist will show you the “Springtime Splendor” from 1-3pm.*

Go to one… or both!

Week of Monday 4/6 through Friday 4/10

Suggestion for your week:

There is a place you can take your child  that  features walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, and a nature-themed playground amidst native Mediterranean vegetation. Oh, but you don’t have the time to travel very far? Well, no problem Angelenos. Vista Hermosa Park is practically located in your back yard! Visit this Downtown oasis and let your child explore the wonders of nature just outside the shadow of skyscrapers.*

Weekend

Saturday 4/11 there are two egg hunts in two beautiful natural settings to choose from. Give your children a chance to apply that investigative eye necessary for the development of a future scientist and have  great fun while they’re at it!

Descanso Gardens‘ “Egg Hunt’ begins at 9:30 a.m. and is repeated every 45 minutes until 2 p.m. $5 – includes basket and treats.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum will also have, what they call, “The Great Easter Egg Hunt” from 10am – 2pm, with games, crafts, and photo opportunities. Free with park admission.

Sunday 4/12 wake up with the “Morning Birds” at King Gillette Ranch on a docent-led walk from 8am – 10am.*

Week of Monday 4/13 through Friday 4/17

Suggestion for your week:

If last week’s visit to Downtown’s Vista Hermosa Park made you say, “Hey! Why aren’t there more places like this in the middle of L.A.?”,  then you might be interested in Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. This park, located just off of La Cienega Blvd.,  features 5 miles of trails through coastal sage scrub habitat as well as a lotus pond, a lake, and picnic sites.*

(Part 2 of our April Calendar of Events coming soon)

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

Name Change

Say goodbye to Where do the Children Play L.A. and Say hello to:

Nature P.L.A.Y.

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth

Ballona Wetlands

Our name may be different, but our mission remains the same:

The purpose of Nature p.L.A.y. is to address a condition coined by Richard Louv, “Nature Deficit Disorder”, in Los Angeles children. Children are increasingly spending less time outdoors and many believe that this is linked to several health issues in our youth. We aim to open up a dialog about this condition and to serve as a resource for our community of Los Angelenos toward finding and building solutions. We can transform the image of Los Angeles from that of urban sprawl to a city that offers an abundance of natural resources for it’s children.

-Ilana Gustafson Turner