May - June 2013 East Bay Regional Park District www.ebparks.org Healthy Parks Healthy People Festival See page 2 Inside: Swim Lessons and Jr. Lifeguards • page 4 Fishing and Kayaking • page 5 Day Camps for your Kids • page 7 Sand Mine Tours • page 10 Butterfl y and Bird Festival • page 11 Swim Season Opens at Regional Parks Lakes, see page 2. Contents HEALTHY PARKS HEALTHY PEOPLE Aquatics/Jr. Lifeguards .........4 Recreation Programs .......... 4 IS A COLLABORATIVE BAY AREA PROGRAM Kayaking & Fishing ...........5 A MESSAGE FROM GENERAL MANAGER ROBERT E. DOYLE Bicycling .............................. 6 am pleased that our Park District public lands in their own communities likely fi nd a park that offers a healthy Day Camps ........................7 is part of a growing number of and value those places as safe, fun program on the fi rst Saturday of the Ardenwood ................. 5-7, 10 I partner agencies collaborating to areas where they can get outdoors to month. It could be a group stretching improve the health and well-being of maintain and improve their health. exercise in the morning, or perhaps a Big Break ..............................10 all Bay Area residents by encouraging • Health care providers and sunset hike in the evening. Black Diamond ...................10 regular use and enjoyment of parks. community partners can recommend Reading this activity guide is a good Botanic Garden ..................10 Our work with hospitals, doctors close-to-home outdoor activities that fi rst step toward exploring your sense and various health care organizations, new users will fi nd welcoming. of adventure and getting outside for Coyote Hills ...................10-11 as well as community partners and • Bay Area public lands agencies some safe, healthy fun. Just look for Crab Cove ............................11 other regional, local, and federal will better support each other in the Healthy Parks Healthy People park agencies, will produce some icon to see what healthy programs are Sunol ..................................... 12 serving both outdoor recreation and very positive outcomes for Bay Area community health needs. happening at a park near you. Tilden Nature Area ......12-13 residents including: What will this look like? Wherever HPHP Bay Area Programs .. 12 • More people will be aware of the you go in the Bay Area, you will Other Regional Parks ...13-14 HEALTHY PARKS HEALTHY PEOPLE FESTIVAL • SATURDAY, JUNE 22 • QUARRY LAKES • FREMONT Volunteer Programs ..........14 Registration & Fees............ 15 Visitor Centers/ Areas ..................................... 15 SWIM SEASON OPENS AT Who goes there? REGIONAL PARK LAKES Learning to Read General Information / Free Swim season offi cially opens Memorial Day weekend, Brochure ..............1-888-EBPARKS May 25-27, at East Bay Regional Park District lakes and pools. Camping & Picnic Reservations ...... Animal Tracks Swim at Lake Anza (Tilden), Contra Loma (Antioch), Cull ................................1-888-EBPARKS Canyon (Castro Valley), Del Valle (Livermore), Don Castro he East Bay Regional Parks are home to a wide Naturalist & Recreation (Hayward), Quarry Lakes (Fremont), Roberts Pool (Oakland), array of wildlife—from raccoons to bobcats and Programs ..............1-888-EBPARKS T Shadow Cliffs (Pleasanton), and Lake Temescal (Oakland). coyotes to mountain lions. But these critters do a TDD ...........................510-633-0460 Also, Castle Rock pool at Diablo Foothills (Walnut Creek) great job staying out of sight, so you hardly ever seen Website ..............www.ebparks.org is open to the public Thursday through Sunday during swim them. Luckily, the Park District is also home to some season. Visit www.ebparks.org and click on “Activities” for great naturalists who can teach you to read the signs EBRPD Board of Directors more information about swim locations, swim lessons, our that animals leave behind. In the latest issue of Bay Whitney Dotson ........................Ward 1 enhanced Junior Lifeguard program, and for swim safety tips. Nature magazine, you can tag along with naturalists John Sutter ..................................Ward 2 Cat Taylor and Anthony Fisher and Wildlife Services Carol Severin ..............................Ward 3 Coordinator Steven Bobzien as they show us how Douglas Siden .............................Ward 4 to read tracks, scat, and sign. Read the story at Ayn Wieskamp ...........................Ward 5 Beverly Lane ...............................Ward 6 baynature.org/tracking. Ted Radke ....................................Ward 7 Robert E. Doyle ......General Manager Visit us at www.ebparks.org Photo: Bay Nature Bay Photo: SALT MARSH HARVEST “MOUSEKETEERS” Health BY AMANDA DWYER, SUMMER WILDLIFE INTERN, AND DAVE “DOC QUACK” RIENSCHE, A CERTIFIED WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, THE WILDLIFE RESOURCE ANALYST FOR THE EAST BAY Matters REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND A BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY INSTRUCTOR AT LAS POSITAS COLLEGE. rom their big round eyes and ears to their thick reddish tails, the salt marsh East Bay Fharvest mouse is the cutest animal you may ever see. Watching this magnifi cent Regional Park District mouse munching on pickleweed will melt your heart! However, seeing them AND is quite diffi cult, unless you’re a member of a group of wildlife volunteers, the “Mouseketeers,” who are helping study their distribution and abundance. Because of massive loss of salt marsh habitat in the San Francisco Bay, this species ARE PROUD PARTNERS is on federal and state lists as endangered. Prime salt marsh harvest mouse IN 2013 WITH THE MUTUAL GOAL OF PROMOTING HEALTH AND FITNESS. Photo: Joe DiDonato Joe Photo: locations contain a majority of pickleweed interspersed with salt grass, which may be found along our 40 miles of East Bay Regional Park District shorelines. Keep Summer Another diffi culty in positively identifying this mouse is distinguishing it from its Safe and Fun closely related cousin, the western harvest mouse. Both are smaller-bodied mice with grooved incisors, but the salt marsh harvest mouse has dark colored fur and Summer is the season for outdoor feet, and a short, thick tail, all one color; in contrast, the western harvest mouse fun – swimming, biking, and has lighter coloring on its back and feet, and a thin, long tail. boating – and family vacations. Thanks to the Mouseketeers, a number of these endangered mice have been Kaiser Permanente would like to found as part of a long-term effort to study them. There is a giant need for remind everyone that simple safety passionate people like you who are willing to aid in the recovery of this rare, precautions can help all of us avoid reddish rodent. For more information on how you can participate or donate, health troubles during the summer. Above: A salt marsh harvest mouse and the call or email “Doc Quack” at 510-544-2319 or [email protected] and For example: volunteer team in Coyote Hills Regional Park. check out more volunteer opportunities at www.ebparks.org. • Limit sun exposure. Avoid sun at peak times (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before heading outside. • Beware of hot cars. Never leave EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY a child or pet unattended in a vehicle even for just a few minutes. CAN ENJOY TRAILS CHALLENGE Temperatures inside the car can quickly cause heat stroke or death. • Have a “designated observer.” lthough 2012 was the fi rst year my family turned in our Never assume someone else is logs and offi cially completed the Park District Trails A watching the kids in the water. Challenge, we’ve been hiking together for many years, mostly in our nearby Diablo Foothills and Las Trampas. Now completing Name a “D.O.” and make sure the Trails Challenge is one of our annual family goals. We use that person remains within arm’s the challenge as a springboard to discover new things, more length of young swimmers. treasures in our own backyard like waterfalls in Sunol or the • Use your head. Make helmets historic sites at Black Diamond. required equipment for biking and When I am out on the trails, multiple times each week, boarding. Set a good example by Chris Abess is a resident of Danville and serves on the I love to see the wide variety of park users. You see horses, wearing your helmet, too. Regional Parks Foundation board. He hikes the trails dogs, cyclists and trail runners like me – people of all Summer is also the perfect time to with wife Mary, daughter Brooke, 9, and dog Jiminy. ages and interests. take a CPR and fi rst aid class. And we have other family traditions in the Regional Parks, KAISER PERMANENTE IS A MAJOR SPONSOR like going to the carousel in Tilden Park during the holidays. I’m OF THE PARK DISTRICT’S 2013 TRAILS pretty sure when my daughter grows up and recalls good family CHALLENGE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT memories, she’ll remember being outdoors on the trail with us. GETTING IN SHAPE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, VISIT WWW.KP.ORG (YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF KAISER TO RECEIVE INFORMATION). RECREATION LLAMAS – MYSTICS OF ANDES SWIM LESSONS Redwood LAMAS Outfi tters RIDGETOP SHUTTLE RUNS 11am-2:30pm, Sat, May 18 #2682; Swim Lessons are a great start Pleasanton Ridge Recreation Staff 10am-1:30pm Sun, May 19 #2683; 11am- to a safe fun summer. We of- Sat, May 4, 9am #2755; 10:30am #2670; 2:30pm, Sat Jun 1 #2684 fer a wide range of ARC swim noon #2671 The Quechua Andeans refer to llamas as Wed, May 15, 9am #2675; 10:30am “Speechless Brothers.” A Llama Michie levels for ages 6 months to #2676; noon #2677 adult. Sign up before they fi ll with over 25 years’ experience caring Sat, Jun 1, 9am #2672; 10:30am #2673; for, training, and packing llamas. Under up. Scholarships are available. noon #2674 his guidance, learn how to groom, feed, Go to our URL or QR code Wed, Jun 19, 9am #2678; 10:30am lead and interact positively with these listed on the picture for more #2679; noon #2680 specially trained animals.