From the category archives:

Nature hikes

SB Natural History Museum: Where The Rattlesnake Rattles On

February 21, 2010

The Santa Barbara Natural History Museum is more than a museum to me. It embodies my childhood. I was there when the museum acquired the blue whale that washed up on the shore. In the newspaper and on separate visits, I followed how they prepared the animal for exhibit outside the museum. My sister, cousin [...]

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OC Explorer Guest Blog: OC Hiking Trails for Families

January 1, 2010

If you’re looking for Orange County hiking trails for families, Joe Anzenberger from OC Explorer is the one to ask. Joe covered Nature Preserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries, as well as Nature and Interpretive Centers for us last year. Here are some trails to help you “Get Outside and Explore Nature More“ in 2010. Happy New [...]

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Aldrich Park Exploration at UC Irvine

October 26, 2009

Aldrich Park is the natural centerpiece of UC Irvine, but most outsiders don’t even know it exists. University students use it to shortcut to classroom buildings set on a ring road which organizes the campus. On quiet weekends, Aldrich Park is a dream for adventurous OC kids and families. We spent our $8 on [...]

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Nix Nature Center at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

October 13, 2009

Our unplanned visit to Nix Nature Center on the westbound side of Laguna Canyon/SR 133 turned out to be a pleasant surprise and an awesome family outing. The rangers were exceedingly helpful and informative. I wanted to spend all day there. The Laguna Canyon Foundation is a non-profit “dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the [...]

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Ojai Hike on Shelf Road: June Gloom Getaway in Ventura County

June 29, 2009

A good friend and I recently escaped for a weekend away. My favorite mini-outing was hiking in Ojai. We found the hike on this Hiking Ojai/Finding Ojai website.
Many times, when it’s gloomy in Ventura, folks head inland to Ojai for a bit of sun. We tried, but got rained on. The rain didn’t stop [...]

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Play Adventure at Niguel Botanical Preserve

June 15, 2009

Took these photos at Niguel Botanical Preserve in the heart of Laguna Niguel at Crown Valley Community Park. We saw lots of lizards and a few rabbits. We spent a fun afternoon adventuring and letting the kids lead the way. Looks like the preserve is a work-in-progress since the early 80’s and they are [...]

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Magnifying Nature

April 14, 2009

Magnifying nature is a great reason for a simple walk. We love taking walks together as a family. We took lots of them, with my kids joined by their cousins, over the long weekend. Three magnifying glasses for $1 at the Dollar Store distracted the kids from the “walk” and focused all their [...]

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Oso Creek Trail: Turn at the Tunnel Slides to Explore Nature

April 13, 2009

Oso Creek Trail runs along Oso Creek below Oso Viejo Park playground in Mission Viejo. Our first visit to the trail was magical. We arrived late on a cool Sunday evening. No one was at the playground – so we all had a good play and then let the kids lead us down [...]

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Family Nature Clubs: How to Start a Wild Play Group

April 7, 2009

Introducing:
The Children and Nature Network

QUICK FACTS

The C&NN is a non-profit with the vision and mission “to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature’s joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty.”
Richard Louv is Chairman and author of “Last Child in the [...]