Thursday, August 25, 2011

Check out what's changed at the Park!

Check out what's changed at the Park!

The Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA)  has made some changes to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park's Interpretive Center.


The Interpretive Center first open its doors in April of 2008 to the public and since has served as a starting point for the Park for the public to learn about the Santa Ana Watershed.


The Interpretive Center allows students to explore the watershed through several exhibits. They will have a hands on encounter with one of the native snakes housed in the nature center.   Topics included in the center are native animals, SAWA projects, and conservation methods.   


The Santa Ana Watershed

The Santa Ana Watershed catches stormwater from a 2,650 square mile region and channels it into the Pacific Ocean at the City of Huntington Beach. It stretches from the peaks of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, through the coastal plains in Orange County all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana River (River), flowing over 100 miles, drains the largest coastal stream system in Southern California including parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, as well as a sliver of Los Angeles County. The total length of the River and its major tributaries is about 700 miles, one of the largest River systems in California.

Education
There are a number of opportunities to learn about the watershed. Parks and Recreation Areas along the river allow people to experience pristine pockets of habitat firsthand, such as the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park and the Prado Wetlands. At these areas, visitors can find a variety of interpretive displays revealing the many interesting facts about the River.

To learn more about the Park and the Santa Ana Watershed please contact either Carrie at SAWA carrie@sawaedu.org or Lucia at IEUA ldiaz@ieua.org.