February WDCP Best of L.A. Calendar

February

WDCP Best of L.A.

Calendar of Events

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain - Henry David Thoreau / Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

As the winter takes her final bow and the spring flowers  begin to peek through the earth so does the  nature programming begin to blossom! This month you will find plenty of outdoor revelry, from a “faery hunt” in Griffith Park to a nation-wide event dedicated to the birds. The Great Backyard Birdcount begins on Friday the 13th so get those binoculars ready! We wish your family a happy transition out of the winter hibernation with plenty of choices below to help you on your way.

Weekend

Saturday 2/7 Franklin Canyon Nature Center will be hosting their on-going series “Speak for the Trees” from 3pm – 5pm.  This is a fun, interactive program where your child can learn what trees need and why we need trees. “Build a tree and learn teamwork and trace the history of Franklin Canyon as told by its arboreal silent giants.” Ages 8 and up.

Sunday 2/8 your family can help celebrate the Jewish holiday, Tu B’Shvat, referred to as the “New Year for Trees”, by planting seedlings in a Sylmar park with the Treepeople from 9am – 12pm. REGISTER BEFORE THURSDAY by contacting Lisa Sotelo at lsotelo@treepeople.org or (818) 623-4879.

Later, from 5pm – 6:30pm, bring your instrument of choice and continue the celebrating with a little “Music in the Mountains” at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center.

Week of Monday 2/9 through Friday 2/13

Tuesday 2/10 Tykes will be taking over the trails in Calabasas! Your 2-4 year-old can join the other “Tykes on Trails” at Headwaters Corner from 9:30am – 11:30am, but you have to register him or her first by calling 818-591-1701 x181. There is a fee.

On Friday the 13th even the Munsters can be found counting birds in their backyard. This typically spooky day marks the beginning of the four day-long Great Backyard Birdcount! From 2/13 – 2/16 the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology need your help tracking the birds in your neighborhood. Every one can participate as much or as little as one likes with as much or little birdwatching experience as one may have. You can find birdwatching tips for adults and children and instructions on how to register your findings at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc . You can also check our weekend events for public bird-counting opportunities.

Weekend

Saturday 2/14 your toddler (ages 3-5) can join the Critter Club at the Natural History Museum and explore this week’s topic of animal babies with crafts and games. From 10:15 -11:15am, free with museum admission.

Don’t worry, if it is a pre-teen (ages 8-12) you have on your hands you can saunter them on over to Headwater’s Corner where they can take part in this month’s Youth Naturalist Program. The topic will be Threatened and Endangered Species. You must register them ahead of time by calling (818)591-1701 x181. From 9:30am – 12:30pm.

And for all of our other Valentine cherubs out there, head over to the L.A. County Arboretum from 1 -3pm where your family can learn to make Valentine’s Day cards, starting with making the paper itself out of plant materials! Register by contacting Colleen Biles at 616-821-4623 or emailing colleen.biles@arboretum.org . There is a fee. Afterward you can go check out the Root’s and Shoot’s Children’s Discovery Node in their gardens!

Sunday 2/15 the Great Backyard Birdcount will be in full swing at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens! Adults and three to twelve year-old children can come participate in their “Winter Birdfest” from 10am – 4pm. Fee.

Headwater’s Corner will also be hosting a Great Backyard Birdcount event from 8am-10am. Pre-registration is required; 818-591-1701.

Week of Monday 2/16 through Friday 2/20

I offer two suggestions of places to take your family this week.

First, Chavez Ravine Arboretum in Elysian park is an informal arboretum of sorts. Lacking a clear boundary this arboretum founded in 1893 by the Los Angeles Horticultural Society is set between the Grace E. Simmons Lodge and picnic areas. Don’t worry, with the help of a tree identification map (found at the above link), you and your child will know where to uncover over a thousand species of trees planted in this arbor oasis.*

Second, there is a little known place called the Devil’s Punchbowl, set along the San Andreas Fault just on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The “punchbowl” consists of a range of elevations from a canyon floor set at only 300 feet above sea level to peak reaching the great height of 8,000 feet. Along with much geological wonder there is also a nature center, open Monday through Saturday from 8am – 4pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm, hiking trails, rock climbing, flora and fauna galore, telescope programs, meteor shower viewing parties, fault tours, school programs, and more, all set on over 1,300 acres in Pearblossom, California. Have you ever been there? Well then, it’s time you go!*

Weekend

Saturday 2/21 your child can put on those wings and let their imagination soar through the lush canyon known as Ferndell in Griffith park as they search for the Faery Queen. It is time for another Griffith Park Faery Hunt from 10am – 2pm! You can finish the day off with a slice of incredible home-made pie or a vegan tart at (my absolute favorite cafe in Los Angeles) Trails Cafe set at the northern edge of Ferndell.*

For those with older children (ages 10 and up) there is Cause for Creativity at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. This installation of their on-going series linking arts and activism will be an exploration water color techniques with professional artists as they also learn more about what they can do to help with the global water crisis. $15; $10 SMMoA members. For more information: asuka.hisa@smmoa.org or 310-586-6488 x 118. Tickets available at http://www.smmoa.org

Sunday 2/22 your child can learn to create a traditional Native American dream-catcher and prayer stick at the Satwiwa Cultural Center. This fun program is offered both at 10am and 1pm. *

Week of Monday 2/23 through Friday 2/27

UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens and The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve are two mid-city gems I suggest for your week. The Botanical Gardens are open from 8am – 4pm daily. The Wildlife Preserve is open from sunrise to sunset. On my last visit to the Sepulveda basin I caught sight of several ducks, geese, a red-winged black-bird, a snowy egret, rabbits, and much more! Go see what flora and fauna your child can find!*

Weekend

Saturday 2/28 have “Fun with Nature” at the Malibu Creek State Park from 12:30- 2:30pm. Spend the afternoon creating crafts and playing games while enjoying the surrounding beauty of the park. *

Sunday 3/1 your family can celebrate the on-coming spring with your choice of two equinox-themed nature walks. There is a “Wildflower Hike” in Charmlee Wilderness Park from 10am – 12pm. Reserve a spot by calling 310-317-1364. $4parking fee. Meet at upper parking lot. Or you can enjoy an “Early Spring Walk” in Topanga State Park from 1pm – 3pm. Meet at the kiosk.*

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

Unplugged Schools? – Orion Magazine

This is an excerpt from an excellent article on the need for schools to provide a balance to the over saturation of technology children receive in their daily lives. To see the entire article please follow this link. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/334/ Please check out Orion Magazine itself while you’re at it. They provide a beautiful discourse on the philosophies of environmentalism.

– Ilana Gustafson Turner

See Our January Calendar of Outdoor Events for Los Angeles Youth

Is it Time to Unplug Our Schools?

by Lowell Monke

AN EXCERPT – See entire article here.

“THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN’S INNER LIVES, their civic engagement, and their relationship with nature all would be improved if schools turned down the thermostat on that technologically overheated aspect of American culture. Schools dedicated to that task—we might call them “unplugged schools”—would identify the values associated with technological culture and design curricula and an environment focused on strengthening the human values at the other end of the scale.

The most obvious thing schools can do in this regard is give children experiences with the real things toward which symbols are only dim pointers. Unless emotionally connected to some direct experience with the world, symbols reach kids as merely arbitrary bits of data. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but to a second grader who has held a squiggly nightcrawler in her hand, even the printed symbol “worm” resonates with far deeper meaning than a thousand pictures or a dozen Discovery Channel videos. ”

“So much daily communication is now mediated by machines that the U.S. News & World Report has estimated that youth graduating from schools today have had about one-third fewer face-to-face conversations than their parents had when they came out of school. Unplugged schools would compensate for this by creating an environment teeming with adults and older students conversing with, telling stories to, and working directly with younger students. Resources and time spent by other schools to integrate technology into the classroom would be spent integrating community members.”

“he efforts to label and sort children while constantly seeking technical means to accelerate, enhance, and otherwise tinker with their intellectual, emotional, and physical development are acts of mechanistic abuse (there is really no other name for it) committed against children’s nature. There is no more critical task for schools than to counter this unfolding tragedy. Schools can make headway simply by patiently honoring and nurturing each child’s internally timed, naturally unfolding developmental growth, by abandoning anxious efforts to hurry children toward adulthood, and by giving these young souls time to heal from the wounds inflicted by a culture that shows no respect for childhood innocence. As Richard Louv and others have argued, nature is a particularly effective antidote for this condition. Eliminating the clock as the means of governing everything is another more modest but important move. However it is undertaken, what is important to recognize is that compensating for the dominant view of children-as-mechanisms is, at its core, spiritual work. It acknowledges that some facet of a child’s inner life must remain sacred—off-limits to our machinations—to be viewed not as new territory for scientific investigation and technical manipulation but simply with awe and reverence and our own best, most human, expressions of support. To grant the dignity of that inner core is perhaps the most important gift unplugged schools can give children in the technological age. And, in turn, to foster within children those once universal but now nearly extinct childhood qualities of awe and reverence is spiritual education in its most elemental sense.”

January WDCP Best of L.A.

JANUARY

WDCP Best of L.A.

Calendar of Events

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. - Bradley Millar / Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So, as we all embark on this new year together we may find ourselves standing in front of a door wide open to new opportunities. We set our resolutions. We dream. We plan.  For many people this includes ways to better our relationships with our children, our partner, our parents. One relationship we can improve upon that will directly enrich our experiences with our loved ones is our connection to nature. Let’s share more moments in nature with those we love in 2009! I think we will all be better for it!

NOTE: L.A. Zoo has wonderful nature classes for children of all ages, but you have to register ONE MONTH PRIOR to the start of the class in order to reserve a space. Get a spot for your child in the upcoming February classes before it’s too late!

Weekend

Saturday 1/10 your 8-12 year-old can learn about the importance and  intrigue of the wetlands of the Sepulveda Wildife Preserve with the Young Naturalist meeting from 9:30am – 12:30pm. Bring binoculars (if you have them), sturdy shoes, lunch, water and your curiosity! There is a fee and pre-registration is required. (818) 591-1701 x 181

Just Added! In the evening head over to the beautiful Whittier Narrows for their monthly Night Hike at 5:30 pm, suitable for all ages. This park has native gardens, ponds, lakes, birds galore, and other natural beauty that can only be appreciated if seen in person. Get there early to see their Nature Center Museum open from 9am – 5pm daily.*

Sunday 1/11 explore the wondrous tide pools of Leo Carillo State Park with a park ranger on an easy one hour hike from 2pm – 3pm.*

Week of Monday 1/12 through Friday 1/16

Tuesday 1/13 toddlers age 2-4 are invited to participate in Tykes on Trails at Headwaters Corner in Calabassas. Creek side, they will explore nature, make crafts, and listen to stories from 9:30 am – 11:30 am. There is a fee and pre-registration is required.  (818) 591-1701 x 181

The rest of the week – Visit a park! Go to a museum! We have a list of places to see on the right. Pick one and see what natural wonders you and your child discover!*

Weekend

Saturday 1/17 Deb’s Park is hosting their monthly Family Nature Hike from 9:30 am – 11am. Your family will be astonished at the beauty hiding in these urban hills.*

In the afternoon you can head over to the Sooky Goldman Nature Center in Franklin Canyon Park where your family can learn to “Speak for the Trees!” from 3pm to 5pm. It is a “fun, interactive program” devoted to everything “woody”. For ages 8 and up.*

Sunday 1/18 learn from a naturalist how the winter solstice has transformed our mountains with a Winter Nature Walk at Charmlee Wilderness Park from 10am -12pm. Reservations required (310) 317-1364. There is a $4 parking fee.

Week of Monday, 1/19 through Friday, 1/23

This winter week is another chance to explore what nature our city has to offer! May I suggest a visit to the mountains of the Angeles National Forest? Yes I may! Every season these majestic beauties have a new treat, be it swimming holes in early spring along the Switzer trail, wildflowers on the Gabrielino Trail in the spring, rust-colored Sycamore leaves bustling across the road in the fall, or snow at Mt. Waterman in the winter! There is always a reason to escape to our local paradise.*

Weekend

Saturday 1/24 Deb’s park is having another adventure, this time in Spanish.

“Para familias con niños de 4 años en adelante. Venga y acompañe a un
naturalista de Audubon en la búsqueda de aves en el parque Debs.
Esta caminata le enseñará como identificar aves que viven aquí. Traiga
sus binoculares o use unos de los nuestros. Se servirá café y pan dulce
a las 8:30 am; la caminata empieza a las 9:00 am. Este programa será
presentado en español.” *

Sunday 1/25 your budding birdwatcher can join in a Birdwatching for Young Children and Parents at Malibu Lagoon State Beach from 10am -11am. They will generously provide the binoculars!*

Week of Monday, 1/26 through Friday, 1/30

Vista Hermosa Park is a new kid on the block and the first park built in it’s downtown neighborhood in over 100 years! Go see this much needed natural playground and celebrate it’s existence!*

Weekend

Saturday 1/31 spend “Saturday in the Forest” at the Mount Baldy Environmental Education Center from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

“Learn about the Curve and Williams Fires of 2002. See the location of Eldoradoville, an 1870’s gold mining camp. Look for birds and other wildlife along the San Gabriel River and surrounding canyon, study the geology of the San Gabriel Mountains Range. A new and different program will be offered every month.”

There is a $5 fee and they ask you to wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, bring binoculars, sunscreen, a camera, and your lunch.

Sunday 2/1 what could be a better than a combination of hiking and creating? Well, if this sounds like the right match for your artsy, outdoorsy 3-8 year-old, head over to Sooky Goldman Nature Center in Franklin Canyon from 10am – 12pm for their “Hike and Craft” adventure.*

*FREE/GRATIS

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

WDCP Best of L.A. December Weekend Guide (part 1)

WDCP Best of LA

Los Angeles in Winter

Two Week December Weekend Guide

Saturday 12/6

There is plenty to do under the stars this evening. Vista Hermosa in Downtown is having their Family Campfire Night! Hear stories, sing songs, roast marshmallows, and enjoy a chilly evening  with fellow community families from 5pm – 6:30pm. *

It’s all about starts at Malibu Creek’s Young Naturalist meeting too! Bring a shoebox and a flashlight along and explore the wonders of Astronomy with experts equipped with telescopes. Pre-registration is required. Call (818) 591-1701 x 181. For ages 8 – 12, from 6pm – 9pm.

If you can’t make it out to Malibu to show your children the night sky,and you don’t want the camfire at Vista Hermosa to obstruct your view you can take them over to Griffith Observatory for their monthly “Star Party” from 2pm-9:45pm. *

Sunday 12/7

Satwiwa Cultural Center is celebrating the coming Winter Solstice with an artist show and sale, Native American storytelling, and music from 10am – 3pm. *

Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in neighboring Claremont is offering a chance for children to make Native American toys using natural materials in their “Toys Grow on Trees” workshop. $18 for children, accompanying adult free.

Saturday 12/13

Franklin Canyon’s Sooky Goldman Nature Center is hosting their monthly “Speak for the Trees!” interactive and entertaining class all about… you guessed it… trees, from 2pm – 4pm, for kids ages “8-88”. *

What happens in the L.A. Zoo at night? Well, children 7 and up can find out for themselves by taking part in the “Zoopendous Night” from 6pm Saturday to 9am Sunday. For a fee of $45 – $55 children will get food, fun, games, animal trivia, and a chance to have the zoo all to themselves. How often do you get the chance to wake up to a howler monkey in Los Angeles? I can say I never have – not even once.

Sunday 12/14

Descanso Gardens is kicking into the holiday spirit with their “Winter Weekend”. Children can meet santa, ride the train, listen to music, make crafts, all while they stroll the beautiful wintery gardens! From open to close. (On Saturday also)

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

WDCP Best of L.A. November 4th-16th

WDCP Best of L.A.

November 4th – 16th

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright

Week of Tuesday, November 4th – Friday, November 7th

Tuesday 11/4 take yourself and the family on a moderate election day hike in Malibu Creek State Park and soothe your voting nerves. From 9am – 1pm, call 310-822-6848 for more info.

Wed 11/5 – Friday 11/7 head to a new park each day! Here are my recommendations; Whittier Narrows has a nature center that is open every day from 9:30am until 5pm, a community garden, hiking trails, bicycle trails, picnic areas, an equestrian center and more on it’s 1500 acres of parkland. Echo Park Lake is a great place for a picnic, some bird watching, and a stroll around it’s namesake. Another recommendation is a walk through Eaton Canyon to see the Sycamore trees show off their fall color.  Now, I know these are all located on the “Eastside”, but you will notice that most of the parks that typically hold events are located in the Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu.

Weekend

Saturday 11/8 your child can train to be a Young Naturalist at Headwaters Corner. Every 2nd Saturday of the month children ages 8-12 can learn about the ecology and natural history of the area from 9:30am – 12pm. Registration required, $15 per child. Call 818-591-1701 x 181 for more info.

Sunday 11/9 is “Ape Awareness Day” at the L.A. Zoo! Spend the day learning more about these incredible creatures through demonstrations, games, crafts, and a firsthand look at the primates themselves, from 10 am to 4pm.

Later in the day you can enjoy the autumn evening during a hike through Elsmere Canyon in the Santa Clarita Woodlands from 3pm – 5pm.*

Week of Monday, November 10th through Friday, November 14th

Monday 11/10 there are no events planned so I suggest a walk to your local park or backyard, find some mulch, weeds, or a patch of thick grass and have your young one set out on a bug search. Check here for a list of common local bugs. *

Tuesday 11/11 again, no events are planned so I suggest a walk through the neighborhood collecting colorful fall leaves – they DO exist in Los Angeles – and then have your toddler practice identification by asking him or her to seperate them into color groups when you get home. *

Wednesday 11/12 take your child on a “bloom hunt” at The Arboretum of Los Angeles County. The Arboretum website regularly updates their “What’s in Bloom” page. See if your little nature buff can find the dwarf pomegranate or Brugmansia as you wander their garden paths.

Thursday 11/13 it’s time for another Full Moon Hike! Howl at our faithful satellite on a moderate hike through Charmlee Natural Area from 5pm – 7pm. Reservations req. (310) 317-1364, $4 parking, meet at the upper parking lot.

Weekend

Saturday 11/15 the wildlife rescue “zoo” and environmental center known as Star Eco-Station is hosting a Trash to Treasure Kids Fair from 11am to 2pm. There will be games, costume contests, and information about how to reduce, recycle, reuse our trash for our youngest stewards of the Earth! $8 adults, $6 children $7 seniors.

Sunday 11/16 you can begin the morning learning the meditative moves of nature-inspired Tai Chi at Deb’s Park from 8:30 – 9:30am. Then head over to Satwiwa Native American Cultural Center where your child can hear BigStone-Cree Nation member Tom McCormack share native songs and stories from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. *

*FREE

-Ilana Gustafson Turner