Photos taken April 20th, 2013 Stinson Beach, California *** Like ladybugs? Check out this post… Ladybug Clusters: Redwood Regional Park Continue reading »
Category Archives: Animal Fun
Milkweed: Caterpillar
It this actually a caterpillar crawling up the stem of a milkweed I planted in our backyard? It’s only about a half a centimeter long. But is it a butterfly or a moth? We planted the milkweeds to attract butterflies…. Photos taken April 11th, 2013 Continue reading »
Llamas: Redwood Regional Park
Ever wanted to learn how to groom, feed, lead, and interact with llamas?? You can take a class through East Bay Regional Parks and take a walk through the redwoods. During our bike ride earlier this week (Kid Bike Ride: Redwood Regional Park), the kids stopped to watch this, a line of people walking with … Continue reading »
Animal Fun / Fauna / Gardens
Turtles: Japanese Garden, Hayward
A great place to see turtles! Japanese Garden, Hayward Photos taken February 24th, 2013 Continue reading »
Animal Fun / Fauna / Museums
Beautiful Butterflies: California Academy of Sciences
Photos taken January 29th, 2013 Rainforests of the World California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Continue reading »
Silent Saturday: Explore! California Academy of Sciences
Photos taken January 29th, 2013 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Also see… The Living Roof: California Academy of Sciences Continue reading »
Ladybug Clusters: Redwood Regional Park
Photos taken January 27th, 2013 Redwood Regional Park, Oakland Interested in going? The ladybugs cluster at Redwood Regional Park between November and February. You’ll find them at the intersection of the Stream and Prince Trails. Look on, around, and behind the bench, as well as across the trail, near (and on) the sign. You can … Continue reading »
Citizen Science: FrogWatch 2013
As I sit here at my computer with the backdoor open to allow some fresh air into our home, I’m listening to the lovely sound of frogsong. The chorus is coming from the creek on the other side of our backyard fence. Up until today, we’ve only been hearing one frog at a time. Suddenly, … Continue reading »
Backyard Wildlife: Neighborhood Squirrel
Happy Sunday! Our Neighborhood Squirrel Photos taken January 19th, 2013 Continue reading »
Animal Fun / Fauna / Museums
Sleepy tiger + discount to the Oakland Zoo
During our Christmas Eve visit to the zoo, we mostly ran around and played, but we did check out a few animals along the way. We enjoyed watching this beautiful tiger napping (and waking up) in the warm afternoon sunshine. For anyone in the Bay Area who may be interested, I noticed this morning that … Continue reading »
Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center, located in Santa Cruz on the bluffs above the Monterey Bay, is a true gem. Don’t expect the grandeur of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but be prepared for a smaller, quieter, more intimate experience here. The location is phenomenal. On a clear day, the views can’t be beat. Inside the … Continue reading »
Explore the Tide Pools, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz
When the tide is low, head out to the rocky, north end of Natural Bridges State Beach to explore the tide pools. Look for sea stars, hermit crabs, sea anemones, sea urchins, and more. So fun! For more information about Natural Bridges State Beach, visit the California State Parks website… http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541 If you’re here between … Continue reading »
Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz
Within Natural Bridges State Beach, in Santa Cruz, you’ll find the Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve, a grove of eucalyptus trees where thousands of Monarch Butterflies spend the winter each year. The butterflies may be viewed by taking a short 0.75 mile Monarch Trail loop through the Preserve, or by simply taking the short, wheel-chair accessible … Continue reading »
Feed the Animals! Tilden Little Farm, Berkeley
The Tilden Little Farm, located within Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, is a favorite destination for just about every little kid I know. For over a week now, my five-year-old has been begging me to take him there to feed the animals, so we headed over today. Here’s a little history of the Farm, from … Continue reading »
Boo at the Zoo, 2012
Yesterday we attended the annual Boo at the Zoo event at the Oakland Zoo. Kids wear their Halloween costumes and participate in a bunch of fun activities. It was a hot day today (back into the 80′s), so I talked my son out of wearing his thick, black ninja costume. The highlight for my … Continue reading »
Animal Fun / Fauna / Gardens
The Newts are Back
California Newt, Japanese Pond, UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley… Please see… Newts in the Botanical Garden Continue reading »
Finch Fun
Yesterday morning, my son was quietly building with his Lincoln Logs when he happily exclaimed, “Look, Mommy, a goldfinch! There’s a goldfinch at the feeder!” Now I had to run to the window to check it out, because I honestly can’t remember ever having any yellow birds in our backyard. My son was correct. Two … Continue reading »
The Sky Ride, Oakland Zoo
On a busy day at the Oakland Zoo, it’s nice to escape the crowds with a trip on the Sky Ride. The ride take about twenty minutes, with beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay. Some animals can only be seen from here… the herds of elk and bison. They roam the hills behind the … Continue reading »
Oakland Zoo, August 2012
Butterflies, California Academy of Sciences
On Monday, my son and I enjoyed a fun visit to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. It was our last outing before his first day of school. I think the highlight of this visit was the baby ostriches! So many, and so cute!! My son also wanted to go into the Earthquake … Continue reading »
The Randall Museum, San Francisco
The Randall Museum in San Francisco was created to be a place where children can handle, see, and learn about animals and other living things through hands-on experiences, as well as be exposed to different kinds of arts and crafts. The museum has no entry fee, though memberships are offered to provide a discount on … Continue reading »
The Bee in the Zucchini
Luckily, my son is observant. I would’ve missed this if it weren’t for him. While at my parent’s house over the weekend, my son and I were sent down to the garden to pick a fresh zucchini. I asked my son to look in the plant to see if he could find the best one … Continue reading »
Playtime at the Oakland Zoo
As an alternative to the local park or nature area, one of our favorite places for some quality outdoor playtime is the Oakland Zoo. The weather today was much cooler than expected (in the 70s instead of the 100s, as it was a few days ago in the Bay Area). Perfect weather for a late … Continue reading »
My Little Birder… Loving the Chickadee!
My five-year-old son has a new hobby. Bird watching. About a week or so ago, once a day, he began telling me, “I’m going into the backyard to watch the birds.” Then he’ll proceed to sit quietly, completely still for 20-30 minutes, waiting for birds to appear. Well, a few days ago, he excitedly ran … Continue reading »
Monarchs! Butterfly & Bird Festival, Coyote Hills, Fremont
This morning we attended the 13th Annual Butterfly and Bird Festival, held at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. We’ve attended this event the past two years, too, and this just may be my son’s favorite festival. It’s kind of funny, since my son isn’t usually into doing crafty type activities, but he absolutely LOVES … Continue reading »
Animal Fun / Gardens / Museums
Earthquake! And More… California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
For months, my son has been asking when the new Earthquake exhibit will be opening at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Well, it finally opened last weekend, so I took him on Tuesday. How was the exhibit? I thought it was great! First, visitors are shown a short movie about plate tectonics. … Continue reading »
Birding with Kids, Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton
Since the week my son turned three, we’ve been attending the East Bay Regional Parks Outdoor Discoveries program, a naturalist-led class designed specifically for three-five year-old children. Each outing includes a hike and plenty of time for observation, exploration, and play. To make the classes even more fun, I always invite friends from my Nature … Continue reading »
Bring on the Butterflies…
After tons of research, I finally decided what to plant in our yard to attract butterflies. As you may know, we’ve been creating a backyard wildlife habit, following the guidelines set forth by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). My first goal in creating our butterfly garden was to add plants to our yard that will … Continue reading »
Creating our Backyard Wildlife Habitat: Step Four, Homes for Wildlife
We’re on the final step of creating our backyard wildlife habitat! For those of you who don’t already know, we’re following the guidelines provided by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in their Certified Wildlife Habitat program. So far, we have completed the following steps: Provide food Supply water Create cover The final step is to … Continue reading »
Creating our Backyard Wildlife Habitat: Step Three, Create Cover
Today was day three of working towards making our backyard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat, per the guidelines provided by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). So far, we’ve completed step 1 (provide food) and step two (supply water). Our focus today? Create cover for wildlife. This step in the certification process requires that a backyard … Continue reading »
