How amazing is it when our children can learn from the community? These individuals are so educated in their area and they have all the equipment needed. I enjoy learning along side my children and sometimes I want to be the student myself. East Bay Regional Parks have so many programs available for the public. We were so shocked that hardly anyone showed up to these free programs. These programs or events happen usually during the weekend but a few of them happen in the evening, after school, during the week.
Incredible Edible Insects Del Valle
How many of you would actually eat an insect? I sure thought I would never try one but my kids encouraged me to give it a try. So I thought why not? I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I think it is a taste that I will have to get used to. Our older two loved the experience and were putting cups full of crickets and locust in their mouths.
This was a really educational experience. We first walked around Del Valle Regional Park and looked for local insects in the area. Constance (educated Naturalist) placed a white cloth on the floor and used a stick to gently shake insects out of the tree.
We learned that eating insects is a cultural thing. Many cultures embrace eating insects because insects are packed with protein. Americans do not embrace eating insects.
Did you know that a pound of crickets costs $40? My husband thinks that maybe we should start our own cricket farm!!! Who knows maybe it will catch on and more will consume insects.
Have you ever tried eating an insect? If yes, did you like it? Would you try eating an insect? Before you try one you want to make sure you are not allergic to shellfish because the two are closely related.
Located at 7000 Del Valle Rd, Livermore, CA 94550.
Nature Journaling: Spectacular Skulls Del Valley
We actually plan on doing a unit study on skulls in a few months so we were so excited to learn more. We tried nature journaling a few times but we never got into it. If you have never tried nature journaling then we highly recommend you to give it a try. When you look at nature up close and then draw what you see you actually notice all of the details. By drawing what you see you remember more and you start questioning why one skull has more teeth and the other has less. In other words you start to compare things. By drawing different skulls we learned how to narrow down which animals the skull belonged to. We learned that herbivores ( those that only eat plants) have wider and flatter molars. some herbivores may not have canine teeth. Carnivores ( only eat meat) have sharp canines may have less or no molars. Omnivores (eat meat and plants) have incisors, canines, bicuspids, and molars.
Located at 7000 Del Valle Rd, Livermore, CA 94550.
Testing the Water at Big Break
Every Saturday from 9am until 10am Big Break test the water of their pond, and two different locations of the delta (one near the pier and the other near the kayak launch area). We got to record the pH, conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Our kids took turns collecting the water and recording the data. The cool thing is that this data will go into a regional database.
These kind of experienced will not be forgotten. By participating in this my husband and I are letting our children see that there are so many amazing things to learn and career choices. After we did this I wish I went to college to be a naturalist. Who knows maybe I will some day.
Located at 69 Big Break Rd, Oakley, CA 94561.
Knap-in: Stone Tool Making at Coyote Hills and Main Marsh Hike
Have you ever wanted to make an arrowhead but had no idea where to start? Now from watching my children learn I realized that it isn’t as easy as it looks. You first have to hit the stone correctly and as you knack you could hit it in a way where your arrowhead cracks in half and you have to start all over again. You have to place your wrists between your legs and use the strength of your knees to knack. Like all things in life it takes repetition and time to master anything. The instructors were so patient and knowledgeable. These are individuals from the community who have a passion for knap-in. We left with two arrowheads that our older two children made and a large appreciation for primitive ways.
Located at 8000 Patterson Ranch Rd, Fremont, CA 94555.
There are beautiful wetland trails that you can enjoy at Coyote Hills Regional Parks. There is so much to see and learn at this park. We look forward to coming back here.
Historic Merry-Go-Round at Tilden Park
After all this learning and amazing programs time on the merry-go-round sounds like a great way to end the day. In 1948 Tilden Merry-Go-Round was built. It is one of the few antique merry-go-rounds in America. It was originally built in 1912 in San Diego but then it was moved and rebuilt in Tilden. You won’t only find horses on this merry-go-round but boars, zebras, goats, chickens, and more unique animals. If you love merry-go-rounds then you don’t want to miss this one because it is so unique and beautiful.
Located at Central Park Dr. & Lake Anza Road, Berkeley, CA 94708.
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