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

July

Nature p.L.A.y.

Calendar of Events

(Part 2)

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 7/18 Vista Hermosa Natural Park is offering a free ride to King Gillette Ranch with their “Transit to Trails”. This is the perfect place to spend a Saturday with family and friends.  Pack a picnic and take a free trip to the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains from 9am-4pm. *

For a shorter excursion you can head to Franklin Canyon and learn all about “Bugs and Their Adventures” as you join naturalist Dennis “the Bug Man” on a light walk from 10am-12pm. *

Or you can spend the evening at Malibu Lagoon State Beach with the Children’s Nature Institute for their “Tikes on Trails: Moonlight Tidal Walk” from 6:30-8:30pm.

Sunday 7/19 learn all about California Native Plants at Kidspace with Naturalist Dwain Wilson from Wildwood Foundation at 11am and 1pm. Which of those plants and “weeds” that we see all the time are edible? Which can heal our ailments? Let your child unveil these mysteries.* (free with admission)

Week of Monday 7/20 through Friday 7/24

Suggestions for your week:

7/20-7/24 let your 8-11 year old child enjoy the epiphanies at Headwaters Corner’s “Discovery Nature Camp” Session 2 from 9am-4pm every day. They will “discover the wonders of nature with the aid of scientific tools, hands-on activities, crafts, games and listening to engaging talks by guestspeakers.” It will include a guided hike and fieldtrip. Pre-registration is required and enrollment is limited. Nominal fee. For more info or to register: Mountains Restoration Trust, 818-591-1701 x181

On Wednesday 7/22 Vista Hermosa park is hosting their weekly “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 7/23 the South Coast Botanical Gardens will be the perfect setting to watch Shakespeare Festival LA perform “Romeo and Juliet”. The gardens are open at 6:15 so that you can enjoy a picnic bef0re the 8pm show begins. Call 213-481-2273 for tickets and information.

Weekend

Saturday 7/25 put on your work boots, slip on those gloves and get ready to get dirty because it’s “Farm Chore Day and Picnic” at Animal Acres Farm Sanctuary! Volunteers are asked to arrive between 9 -10 a.m. and commit to a three hour chore task. Please RSVP to info@animalacres.org if you can join them, so they can make sure they have enough vittles! *

Or head over to Deb’s Park from 1-3pm for “Art and Nature” fun. Artist Patricia González and an Audubon naturalist will lead you on a discovery of the nature of Debs Park through art.*

Sunday 7/26 get your fill of one of the most glamorous creatures in the world, the butterfly, and go visit the “Pavillion of Wings” at the Natural History Museum. They will be gracing the museum until September 7th.

Week of Monday 7/27  through Friday 7/31

Suggestions for your week:

On Tuesday 7/28 families can take a “Walk on the Wild Side”  at Descanso Gardens with foxes and giant tortoises of Africa. Rescue animals, educators and handlers will present an interactive safari of the imagination where you can learn about the habitat and survival techniques of furred, feathered and scaly beasts. Seating is first-come-first-served. $12 members, $10 non-members.

During the week there are various campfire programs to get toasty with! There is, of course the Wednesday campfire at downtown’s Vista Hermosa (See previous week’s schedule). There are also several happening at various state parks. Check the California State Park website and find one that suits your marshmallow-eating, story-hearing, sing-along-singing child’s needs.

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

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

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