Chico Kids » Chico nature

Tree Farm Fun

admin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:15:07 +0000

Before the much-needed rain came to Chico this week, Alec and I ventured out to the USDA Forest Service Genetic Resource Center’s Nature Trail, which most people just call the Tree Farm. It’s one of our favorite places to go, although we were scarce for a while when Alec went through a scared-of-dogs stage (the trail is popular among dog owners). Kids love the creek, bridges and, most of all, the bamboo forest. Alec kept looking for panda bears in there.

The demonstration forest was started as a plant breeding research center way back in 1904, and despite threats of budget cuts it remains one of the best-kept secrets of Chico, yet still popular enough among those in the know that managers have had to plead with dog owners and picnickers to respect the sensitive landscape or risk losing access to the area. There are picnic tables, benches overlooking Comanche Creek and signs identifying more than 130 tree and plant species from China, England and beyond.

The Tree Farm is near Skyway and Highway 99. To get there, take Dominic Drive off the Skyway to Morrow Lane and then Cramer Lane. Drive (or bike, or walk) to the end, where you can park and enter.

Snow Goose Festival

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:54:35 +0000

Last weekend, my husband and I took our 4-year-old out to Gray Lodge wildlife refuge near Gridley to check out the birds. But you don’t have to drive 40 minutes south (well, an hour if you overshoot and have to go through Live Oak like we did) to see and learn more about migratory waterfowl. There are a lot of kid-friendly activities scheduled for the 10th Annual Snow Goose Festival Jan. 23-25, as well as nearby bird-watching opportunities. You can see them all at the Snow Goose Festival Web site, and here’s a direct link to the youth activities page: http://www.snowgoosefestival.org/events/special.html.

Highlights include art exhibits, guided tours to wetlands and workshops for kids and grownups. There’s a carving workshop for kids, a raptor class (meet Checkers, the Great Horned Owl) and, on Sunday, Jan. 25, the children’s duck call competition. You can also see all of the California finalists in the Duck Stamp contest and meet Smoky Bear and the Blue Goose mascot.

I toured wildlife preserves as part of the first Snow Goose Festival back in 1999, and it’s great to see how much the Chico-based event has expanded over the years. Please, check out the Web site to see what you can do with your family, or call 345-1865 for more information on the festival.

Oskar the Owl at the Nature Center

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:30:32 +0000

We went to see Oskar the Western Screeh Owl at the Chico Creek Nature Center yesterday. Getting there on under-construction Eighth Street was an adventure in itself; Alec loved it. I failed to get a good picture of Oskar, as I was thrown off by the plastic barrier and the extremely bloody mouse lunch he was enjoying.

Alligator Hole

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:23:10 +0000

There may be some code against sharing the location of a great swimming hole, as there is with secret fishing holes. But Alligator Hole isn’t secret. It’s right in Upper Bidwell Park on the way to Bear Hole. It’s shallow (waist-level for adults at the deepest, I’d say). In fact, it’s so shallow you can let the kids play in the water near the shore without being a hovermom (or hoverdad). We took Alec yesterday for a preschool playdate, and the kids had a ball playing in the water, watching the little fish swim about and even a huge tadpole that was about to turn into a frog. It’s rocky and a little slimy in spots, but there’s a good-sized beach with both shade and sun. Alligator Hole is named for the rock in the (use your imagination, kids) shape of an alligator.