Orange County Coastkeeper Gardens

Located behind Santiago Canyon College near Jamboree and Santiago Canyon Road is a fantastic little place called the Coastkeeper Gardens. Opened in the late Spring of 2013, the demonstration garden displays a selection of vignettes featuring native, drought tolerant plants and irrigation applications. The Coastkeeper Garden was developed with the hope that visitors will become educated about ways to landscape their own homes with the intent to preserve the native plant species and wildlife of Orange County, reduce urban runoff, and conserve water with drought-tolerant plants.

In addition to the beautifully displayed vignettes, there is a natural playground area for kids. You'll find archways with treestump paths, (currently dry) river beds, bridges, a tube that tunnels through the hillside, a "mountain climbing" area with large rocks to navigate through, old fallen tree trunks to climb and so much more. When we visited we had the place to ourselves, and both my 2-year old girl and 5-year old boy got sweaty and dirty exploring all the nooks and crannies of this adventure-inspiring environment. There is so much fun to be had in nature and the Coastkeeper Gardens do a fantastic job of proving that. Every neighborhood should have a location like this!

Some of the children's play area is rocky and rough, but there is a packed-dirt pedestrian path that is easily walkable, and stroller and wheelchair accessible. There was one port-a-potty near the greenhouse, but no other restrooms were available. If you live in the Orange County area this is a great location to take advantage of. Parking and entry is free but there is a donation box on the shed near the entrance for visitors - please make a contribution to help keep this fantastic park open to the public.

The Coastkeeper Garden is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The entrance is a small driveway near the corner of Jamboree and Santiago Canyon Road. The driveway is under construction and is marked by a banner on the fence pointing to the garden. I did not find any parking available on the college campus that conveniently accesses the garden.

The Coastkeeper Garden is in need of volunteers so please contact them if you are interested!

For more information, visit their website or call 714-850-1965.

100 Years of Natural History

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles opened its doors 100 years ago. On June 9th, they'll reopen their doors for their Centennial Celebration showcasing updated favorite exhibits and new and exciting features both indoors and out. The 63-foot fin whale skeleton now hangs mid dive from the glass cube housing the new Otis Booth Pavilion, complete with a sound system that sends out whale calls at different frequencies and thousands of programmable LED lights to simulate waves, shadows and other undersea images. Three and a half acres of the Museum lawn have been transformed into walking paths and nature gardens for learning and interactivity. Listen to water move through tree cells at the Listening Tree, explore soil, compost and roots in the Get Dirty Zone and see plant and bug life in action at the Living Wall. The dioramas and many other popular exhibits are still intact, but thanks to generous time and money, nearly 60% of the museum has benefited from the renovations. In 1913, the Natural History Museum was a very different place than it is today. The inclusion of updated technology and new exhibits that explore the growth and evolution of the city of Los Angeles make this Centennial Celebration a milestone not to be missed. The Museum will be closed on June 8th in preparation for Sunday's celebration.

For more information follow the link below to visit the Natural History Museum's website.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: (213) 763-DINO

The Front Lawn, pre-renovation.

A Golden Opportunity for Family Fun

I like getting my kids out to the park, but I get tired of going to the same one. And every now and then, it's nice to find a place to go where you get more out of your park trip than just a few minutes of fun on the play equipment. If you live in or near Huntington Beach, California, Golden View Elementary School has just what you need to add a little life to your ordinary playtime.

Located just outside of Golden View Elementary is Golden View Park. It offers a 2-structure playground with sand and a field for playing tag or soccer. But venture on-campus, just past the basketball courts and you’ll find another play structure, a field, and a 2-acre fenced farm, the Student Environmental Learning Facility (SELF). You won’t be able to go inside like a petting zoo, but the magical moment when you and your kids are approached by 20-plus curious bunnies sniffing inquisitively at your fingers through the chain-link fence will definitely give you the giggles. And then you’ll meet a multitude of chickens, musical geese, and the monstrously large turkey you just can’t look away from. Be careful with fingers though. The animals seem friendly thanks to the interaction they get from the kids who attend school there, but they may still nibble and peck which can hurt if you’re not careful! 

The SELF is home to birds, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks, geese, turtles and rabbits and holds a garden bed for each classroom. The teachers include trips to the farm in their curriculum where students get a hands-on opportunity to care for plants and animals and learn about planting and caring for their gardens throughout the seasons.

Golden View Park and Elementary School is a great place to have fun with your family but visit on a weekend or holiday so that you won’t be in the way of the students when class is in session.

Golden View Park and Elementary School are located at 17251 Golden View Lane, Huntington Beach, CA.

 

 

 

 

**Reprinted from Heidi Deal's Yahoo! Voices Contributor Page**