The Creek Crier Malibu Creek Docents P.O. Box 4790 Winter 2013
West Hills, CA 91308
A Cooperative Association with Malibu Creek State Park Website: www.malibucreekstatepark.org
Spring Continuing stronger than I have ever experienced and I speak for all Education of the Rangers by saying you Flowering Plants of volunteers make us better and Malibu Creek State make us want to accomplish more. I look forward to the Park Summer BBQ as Hayden and I To be able to call the plants by will cook some Tri-Tip, name makes them a hundredfold Hello All, (Hayden confirmed). more sweet and intimate. It was so nice to see all of Thank you again for all the - Henry Van Dyke you at the Holiday Party and kindness and education that you Doug Allan, Peggy occasionally in our beautiful bring to our visitors! Burhenn, Nellie Cusworth and park. This winter has been Fred Nuesca will use a mix of special with beautiful (but cold) classroom and outdoor activities days and more than usual for the Spring Continuing visitors and familys enjoying Education Training on March Malibu Creek. The picture I 23, 2013. took below was after a quick
Spring is the perfect season rain lifted and a suspect could Business Meeting to plan some intimate time with not be found (A long story that March 16, 2013 the many plants in our beautiful cannot be told in this space). 10:00-12:00 AM park. Please join us on this Visitor Center spring day to learn about MCSP Spring Continuing flora, some surprising botanical Education facts, and hear a Chumash guide March 23, 2013 to medicinal plant use. There 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM will be lectures and interactive Administration Building adventures. Please join us for Earth Day – Volunteer this fun filled and educational Activity event on March 23, 2013 from April 13, 2013 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM in the 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Administration Building at Lower Parking Lot MCSP. Bring your lunch. As always, a giant thank you Field Ecology Weekend goes out to you volunteers who April 13 &14, 2013 make the "Malibu Creek" Group Campground experience special. All of the Cost: $50/adult 15 & older Rangers appreciate what you do $25/child 6-14 and appreciate all of the help. Contact Doug Allan at We are all looking forward to [email protected] this spring and summer. The (310) 579-7667 excitement for campfire and Photo: Rick Montgomery other interpretive programs is O Malibu Creek tuned for more details in the next few weeks. Docents Get Grant Anyone who would like to for Two Park work on the planning process, Improvement Projects please email or call Sue Jennings at Malibu Creek Docents just [email protected] or received notice that we are a 818.716.7572. recipient of a 2013Earth Day grant from the California State Parks Foundation for $5,500. Indian Paintbrush
The grant will fund two We are working closely with projects: The first project Tom Dore, Associate Parks and focuses on the entrance to the Recreation Specialist, who main trail to the back country planned and designed both (across the street from the lower projects, and Angel Alba, Park parking lot). The extensive Maintenance Supervisor, who erosion around the stairs leading helped us to create the budget. from the lower parking lot will Both will continue to work with be repaired and a new drainage us on the projects. -Marcia Balbus system will be installed. Then a As with last year’s Earth Aptly named and easily new deck with benches and Day grant project, work on both identified, Indian Paintbrush is a signs will be constructed. See projects will be shared among perennial in the Santa Monica draft sketch below. docents, park staff and Mountains that blooms volunteers on Saturday, April primarily from February 13. We will need lots of through May among grassy docents and other volunteers to areas in coastal sage and complete the work on both chaparral. It grows from 1- projects and do a park litter 2&1/2 feet tall from a woody clean up with teams competing root-crown, with bright red or for prizes for the most trash red/orange tips that resemble a collected and the oddest object brush dipped in paint. The found. brightly colored “brushtips” or fingers are actually the leaves, The second project will be the called bracts, while the true installation will be a Kid Shack flowers are minuscule and can in the campground. This be seen with a magnifying lens. construction project will be a The botanic name is Ramada for Junior Ranger and Castelleja affinis, and there are other educational programs for Photo: Fred Nuesca – from last trash three other plants in the same children. See design below. pick up Castelleja genus growing in our There will also be local area, with about 200 opportunities to volunteer prior annual and perennial species to April 13. More details to growing in the Americas and come. The Foundation will Asia. All species in this genus provide lunch for all of the are described as hemiparasitic volunteers. This will be lots of because they send out suckers to fun – ask anyone who the roots of other plants for volunteered last year. Stay sustenance. The genus is named in honor of Domingo Castellejo, φ The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O a botany professor in Cadiz, with entries for each arranged Training Corner Spain. alphabetically by author. On the Unlike almost all other website, there will be six up-to- Jerry Rosen native plants in the Santa date lists of the collection and We’d like to welcome our Monica Mountains, there is no the books are arranged into the new members: Socorro recorded use by the Chumash same six categories on the Gamboa, Jeannine Lewis, Indians for Indian Paintbrush, shelves in the Visitors' Center Michael Sadeghi, Christopher according to Chumash library room. However, within Jones, Maryann Hammers, and ethnobotany researcher Jan each of these categories, the returning member Lena Timbrook. However, two books in the library are not Alexander and her daughter Chumash tribes came up with arranged alphabetically -- at Nicolette. Socorro and Jeannine some picturesque names for this least not yet (and even then, have completed their Visitor plant: “Coyote’s headdress-pin” probably not for long!). Copies Center training and are eagerly in Barbareno and “Coyote’s of these same up-to-date lists awaiting our Spring Continuing rectum” in Inseno. appear with the books in the Education Interpretive training Sources library. We will try to periodically submit updated day in March. Nancy Dale, Flowering Plants collection lists for both website Milt McAuley, Wildflowers of and library shelf purposes. the Santa Monica Mountains The books are arranged into Jan Timbrook, Chumash six categories: (1) Fauna; (2) Ethnobotany Flora; (3) History: Natural and Human; (4) Recreational Use & Wikipedia Preservation; (5) Malibu Creek
State Park; and (6) Filming at Malibu Creek Library Park. Photo: Wasim Muklashy
Collection Field Ecology Weekend produced by the Topanga State Chris May Park Docents will be held once The Visitors’ Center in Welcome Walk again in our group campground Malibu Creek State Park has a February 24, 2013 the weekend of April 13 and small collection of books and March 30, 2013 14. Camping is encouraged and videos that are currently April 27, 2013 the weekend offers a full agenda available for docent use. The May 26, 2013 of speakers covering a wide collection is located in the June 29, 2013 assortment of interesting topics. backroom of the Visitors’ 10:00-12:00 There is a poster in the Visitor Center in what is a cozy study Lower Parking Lot Center with a schedule of topics with table and chairs. The Yoga & Hike for anyone interested. If you books are shelved in wooden March 9, 2013 would like to attend, please cabinets with pull-down glass 9:30-12:00 contact Jerry Rosen for doors so as to keep the park’s Lower Parking Lot registration forms and more mice and other four-legged Bring Yoga Mat information. Cost is $50, which creatures from feasting on the Rain Cancels includes both days, camping for collection. In the not too distant Malibu Creek State Park 2 or 3 nights in the group future we hope to make the Wildflowers & Birds Walk campground, and attendance of collection available to members April 6, 2013 the topical events of your of the public as well, for use in 8:00-12:00 choosing. the Visitors’ Center only. Ed Paramount Ranch
Costello and I divided the Picnic after hike collection into six categories, χ The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O For the new docents in training, thing about our program is 1) Bobcats: Living on the remember that attendance at the it’s free to our docents as an Spring Continuing Education entertaining continuing Urban Edge event counts as one of the three education program and 2) it required interpretive training provides training opportunities day and the Field Ecology to new docents without having Weekend counts as 2 of those to wait for the September days. So attendance at both Topanga Docent program. The events can complete your Topanga Field Ecology required interpretation training Weekend in April and the Fall for elevation to full active Training program in September docent status. Remember to are still options for meeting our register via Jerry Rosen to get interpretive training credit for the events. requirement.
For continuing docents, the Malibu Creek Spring Continuing Education Docents Provide Photo: Rick Montgomery event at no cost is a benefit of being a volunteer at Malibu Vital Support for Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are Creek State Park. It is an Malibu Creek State small robust cats that inhabit enjoyable way of socializing Park much of North America. They with your fellow volunteers and can range in color from tawny
picking up some tidbits of brown to reddish, and can vary Malibu Creek Docents as knowledge you can share with in their in their degree of cooperating association with our park visitors. spotting. In southern California Malibu Creek State Park have to they weigh between 12-25lbs deliver a report to the state (5.5-11.4kg), with the males every year (this is why Jerry generally being about 4-7lbs hounds you to fill out your time larger than the females. Their sheets). In our 2012 Volunteers tails are shorter than those of in the Park Report to the State most cats, about 10in (24cm), we reported 1,786 docent hours but not absent as is sometimes on Administration, 1,286 hours thought, and their tails can often on Interpretation events such as easily be seen from a distance. Photo: Rick Montgomery Welcome Walks, Geology The National Park Service Walks, School hikes etc., 452 (NPS) has been continuously Kudos go to Linda Elden, hours on Maintenance, 1,941 studying and radio-tracking who has developed and hours staffing the Visitor Center bobcats in the area since 1996, conducted 3 very successful and 330 hours on Special one of the longest bobcat studies Interpretation Days this year. Events. We reported a total of ever. From this long term study, Since Topanga Docents have 5,846 docent hours for 2012. If They have found that bobcats not been able to conduct their you do the math – this is over are still present in many of the Fall training, we have offered 146 weeks of work or the remaining habitat fragments our own Fall training to allow equivalent of 3 full time throughout the Simi Hills from our docents to complete their employees. Thousand Oaks to Calabasas interpretive training and surrounding communities. requirement. It was so Congratulations to all the Prior to 2002 they had relatively successful, that we will continue Docents for their hard work high survival rates in these to offer at least 3 interpretive and Support of Malibu Creek areas. Bobcats mainly reside in training days a year; but spaced State Park! the natural areas, although some out over the year. The best ψ The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O individuals will visit the mange, a disease caused by surrounding neighborhoods microscopic mites in the skin. Backbone Trail Trek occasionally and a few will do Since 2002, more than 30
so frequently. This may be in collared bobcats have died with The 2013 Backbone Trail part due to animals passing mange infections. In addition to Trek is tentatively scheduled through residential areas having mange disease, all of for May 4-11, 2013. attempting to link habitat these individuals also tested Registration will begin in fragment together that on their positive for exposure to the February and fills quickly. If own have become too small to anticoagulant chemicals you are interested, the web support a bobcat home range. commonly found in some types site is: of rodenticides (rat poisons), www.smmtc.org/bbtrek/ and most of them had relatively
high levels of the compounds. Further evidence of the impact Campfire Programs at of this mange disease epidemic Malibu Creek State has been seen in the NPS scat Park surveys. By the fall of 2002, the number of bobcat scats collected dropped by about 70%, indicating a steep decline in the
Photo: Aurelio Albaisa bobcat populations of the area. The number of scats has However the lush landscapes remained low since this time. of residential areas also attract many types of smaller animals which provide a great food source for bobcats. Bobcats are strict carnivores. The NPS has Perhaps one of the oldest found through scat studies that camping traditions is the camp bobcats in this area mainly prey fire. Originally used as a tool for on rabbits, but also consume survival in the wilderness, now other small animals such as campers gather around a camp woodrats, squirrels, pocket fire in the night to enjoy gophers, and mice, all of which camaraderie, music and songs can be plentiful in urban areas. and marshmallows gently Photo: Aurelio Albaisa Although these bobcats in the toasted & not a cinder cone if NPS urban study area are To prevent secondary you are skillful in your roasting. occasionally killed by human poisoning of bobcats and other Campfires have a magical way related events such as vehicle wildlife, the NPS suggest of bringing people together, strikes, and dog attacks, these residents and business owners inviting them to laugh, sing, and events are relatively rare, and try to use other types of rodent enjoy the outdoors. The likely don't affect the control such as rodent-proofing sparkling golden hues of the population. However starting in buildings and food storage areas fire, the crackles of the wood the spring of 2002 the NPS and using wooden snap traps or popping, the bright witnessed a disease epidemic in rat-zappers. If rodenticides must constellations above, and the urban bobcats, and their be used, avoid ones with warmth of people gathered numbers decreased dramatically anticoagulant chemicals such as around. The summertime in the following months and bromadialone, difethialone, or campfire grabs you by the hand years. Animals were dying with diphacinone. and asks you to sit and relax… severe infections of notoedtric together. ω The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O The cool evenings under the What is location as more than just stars, enjoying the outdoors and another mountain, river, or good times has been a part of Interpretation? forest. For the past 50 years, the camping way of life, and we Tilden's principles have want to give visitors to Malibu remained highly relevant to Creek State Park the opportunity interpreters and docents across to experience that same the world. tradition. The MCSP Docents are planning to sponsor through New State Parks the summer a series of campfire Director Anthony programs that are designed for Jackson campers, but open to anyone who wants to stay in the park for the evening’s interpretative program. Our goal is to create a In 1957 a man called Freeman memorable and educational Tilden wrote a classic book event in the evening around a called, Interpreting our campfire and we need your help Heritage. Heritage to do it. Interpretation refers to the The plan is to have docents activities carried out by guides be the master of ceremonies for or docents whether they be in approximately 10 campfire stately homes or state parks. “In
programs this summer. We will most places the visitor is be working with the MCSP exposed, if he chooses, to a kind Major General Anthony L. Rangers and other naturalists of elective education that is who will be providing the Jackson is the 19th Director of superior in some respects to that California State Parks, and was interpretative content for the of the classroom, for here he programs, while the docents will appointed by Governor Edmund meets the Thing itself- whether G. Brown on November 13, be setting up, introducing the it be a wonder of Nature’s work, naturalists and rangers, and 2012, and sworn-in by Natural or the act or work of Man.” Resources Agency Secretary cleaning up after the event. Tilden explains. So what can If you are interested in John Laird on November 16, we learn from Tilden? Probably 2012. Major General Jackson working on this program – you the most important thing that we only have to commit to 1 or 2 has a Master’s Degree in history can learn is that we must let our from San Jose State University Saturday nights this coming passion for nature and Malibu summer, email Joel at (1973). Jackson is also a Creek State Park shine through graduate of the Armed Forces [email protected]. us to the visitors to our Park. Staff College in Norfolk, Tilden’s six principles of Virginia, and the U.S. Army interpretation can help us be War College in Carlisle, more effective as docents – not Pennsylvania (1998). Before his to say that we aren’t already retirement from the Marine doing a pretty good job – just Corps in 2012, Jackson served we can always try to improve as Commanding General Marine what we do. Corps Installations West. Interpretation is to help people The retired Marine and his gain a sense of place and to wife were among the outdoor respond to the beauty of their enthusiasts who dug into their Photo: Rick Montgomery environment. An interpreter pockets last year to save a helps visitors to recognize a beloved local park after Gov. ϊ The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O Jerry Brown's administration Mr. La Kretz, conservation announced there was no money science in the classroom will to keep dozens of them open. now be expanded to He is now charged with Bill Selby, famed weather conservation practice in the managing 280 facilities across speaker at Topanga Docent field. 1.3 million acres with a $500- trainings, has a new website:
million budget. A Sierra Club http://www.rediscoveringtheg official calls him 'the right oldenstate.com/ man at the right time.' He Installation of new trail said he is currently talking to markers will be happening supervisors within State Parks to soon & we need a few good figure out what are the top strong docents who want to financial needs within parks, pound something into the particularly when it comes to ground with a sledge. the system's long backlog of Contact Joel at deferred maintenance. He also [email protected] to join noted the warm reception he has the work crew. received from Parks staff and said he was excited that his official uniform will have five stars, compared to the two he earned in the Marines. UCLA Dedicates La Kretz Center Field Station Photo: Rick Montgomery
The new La Kretz Center for Conservation Science was dedicated on January 22 in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation The Creek Crier Area, as a part of UCLA's Send us stuff for the Crier by Institute of the Environment and the press date listed below - Sustainability. The National Park Service made the property available to UCLA through a Edition Press Date joint-use agreement, with Spring April 6, 2013 financial support from Summer August 3, 2013 philanthropist Morton La Kretz. Fall November 2, 2013 The Center, located on Photo: Rick Montgomery Mulholland Drive west of Kanan Road, will be working in partnership with the NPS, California State Parks and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, to conduct critical research and scholarship, and provide overnight accommodations for visiting researchers. Thanks to the exceptional generosity of ϋ The Creek Crier Winter 2013
O Malibu Creek Docents Officers Photo: Wasim Muklashy
President Sue Jennings Vice-President Rick Montgomery Secretary Jerry Rosen CFO Barbara Bowersock Treasurer Avril Allan Past President Kathy Julian Liaison Ranger Lindsey Templeton
Malibu Creek Docents Media
Creek Crier Editor Joel Kallich [email protected] Malibu Creek Docent Webmaster Brian Rooney [email protected]
www.malibucreekstatepark.org
Malibu Creek Docents 2013 Spring Hikes
We will continue our tradition of Spring hikes for docents, especially the newcomers, who want to explore the park. Approximate times and difficulty, listed below. We hike fairly slow so we can smell the roses on the way.
Hike Date Rain Date Hike Difficulty
the Valley Floor, Lost Cabin trail, Forrest trail and Malibu Saturday February 16 Saturday February 23 Lake dam moderate, pretty level
Lookout trail, Yearling trail, Deer Leg trail, Reagan Ranch, Sunday March 17 Sunday March 24 Cage Creek trail fairly strenuous, hills
Saturday April 20 Saturday April 27 Backbone trail, West of Corral Canyon moderate, mostly downhill
Sunday May 19 Sunday June 2 Backbone trail, East of Corral Canyon moderate, steep down hill
Saturday June 15 Saturday June 22 Stunt Road to Tapia moderate up and down hill
Reservations for all hikes required by 6pm the Thursday before the hikes. No reservations: no hike. All hikes start at 9 am in the lower parking lot. Wear sturdy shoes. Bring water and lunch or snack. A forecast of rain at 6pm the night before a hike, indicating substantial rain, postpones the hike to the rain date. Same for fire closure. Call Tom Kaplan at 818-216-7696 or email at [email protected], leave your phone number!!
ό The Creek Crier Winter 2013