Eagle Scout project at the Chino Creek Park

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park hosted an Eagle Scout project organized by Jonathan Hagman. The goal of the project was to create a small food forest within the Park near the Garden in Every School demonstration garden. This area of the park was originally a grassland area, but unfortunately, due to all the rabbits it has been diffculit to keep the grass alive. Some of the grasses like the native Deer Grass and the Red Pennisetum don't get eaten by the rabbits, so it was decided to leave those there to grow with the food forest.

A total of 14 volunteers came out to support Jonathan by planting numerous fruit trees and installing drip irrigation at the root zones of each of the plants. Jonathan learned how to install drip irrigation before the project was organized so that he could teach his volunteers how to properly install drip irrigation.

Jonathan with his father Curt Hagman, (assemblyman for the 60th assembly district).

Volunteers planting trees

Everyone hard at work.

Volunteers installing drip irrigation



Volunteers Fixing the last drip emitter.



 Thank you Jonathan for your leadership and choosing IEUA to help with your Eagle Scout project!

Night 4 of Summer Nights in the Park

Night 4 was a great night with well over 30 participants from the surrounding communities in attendance. The Santa Ana Watershed presented information on water conservation, the Santa Ana Watershed,  had crafts tables, a movie on the watershed and provided a scavenger hunt into the park. Inside the Outdoors and Inland Empire Resource Conservation District was also in attendance.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the event!

The Summer Night in the Park Program was a great success, this being the first year ever providing the program at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. Over the 4 nights an estimated 260 participants from the surrounding communities were able to take part in the free educational program.

We hope to see you next year for the Summer Night in the Park!!

 

Final Summer Night in the Park

Summer Nights in the Park

FINAL Night  -  August 9^th

Bring the whole family to the park for an evening of outdoor fun.

This Thursday,  August 9^th  will feature information on Water!!

Presenters, a movie showing, activities and crafts are included.

FREE ADMISSION!!!

5:30PM – 7:30PM

Contact Carrie Raleigh for more information at

 carrie@sawaedu.org or (909) 280-1120

Event Flier!!

Night 3 of Summer Nights in the Park

Night 3 was a great night with well over 50 participants from the surrounding communities in attendance. The Santa Ana Watershed presented information on astronomy, had two crafts tables and provided a scavenger hunt into the park. Inside the Outdoors was also in attendance with a table with a few friends...Snakes for the participants to interact with.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the event!

We hope to see you out at the next Summer Night in the Park on Thursday, August 9th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm for some fun with Water!!!

 Event Flier

IT'S FREE!!!

For more information please contact to Carrie Raleigh at carrie@sawaedu.org or (909) 280-1120





SAWA's Interpetive Center



SAWA check-in table

Carrie from SAWA checking in guests

ITO's table

Summer Nights in the Park! Night 3!!

Summer Nights in the Park

Night 3  -  July 26^th.

Bring the whole family to the park for an evening of outdoor fun.

This Thursday,  July 26^th  will feature Astronomy!!

Presenters, activities and crafts are included.

FREE ADMISSION!!!

5:30PM – 7:30PM

Contact Carrie Raleigh for more information at carrie@sawaedu.org or (909) 280-1120

Event Flier!!!

Night 2 of Summer Nights in the Park

Night 2 was a great success with well over 100 participants from the surrounding communities in attendance. The Santa Ana Watershed presented information on bats, had a crafts table on bats and provided a scavenger hunt into the park. Inside the Outdoors was also in attendance with a table on nocturnal animals and a few friends for the participants to interact with.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the event!

We hope to see you out at the next Summer Night in the Park on Thursday, July 26^th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm for some fun with Astronomy!!!

IT'S FREE!!!

For more information please contact to Carrie Raleigh at carrie@sawaedu.org or (909) 280-1120

Carrie from SAWA

Carrie from SAWA demonstrating the bat craft

Kids making their own bats

ITO staff

ITO staff member Bob answering questions from the kids

The bat booth

Boeing Volunteers at the Park!

On Saturday, July 14th we had about 15-20 volunteers from Boeing participate in a volunteer event in partnership with Inside the Outdoors (ITO). Staff from Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and ITO coordinated and planned the 4 hour volunteer event. Volunteers helped remove dried out vegetation, invasive species and trash. They completed the morning by having a lunch and cool down session in the Interpretive Center with the Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA).

A big THANK YOU to all the staff and Boeing volunteers that came out to support the overall health of the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park!



Weed removal near the Interpetive Center



Boeing Family proud of their work!



ITO staff member Kari



Boeing staff working on removing invasives



Summer Nights in the Park!!!

This Thursday will be the 2nd night in the park for the summer.

Bring the whole family to the park for an evening of outdoor fun.

This Thursday,  July 12th  will feature Nocturnal Animals “BATS”!!

Presenters, activities and crafts are included.

FREE ADMISSION!!!

5:30PM – 7:30PM

Contact Carrie Raleigh for more information

at carrie@awaedu.org or (909) 280-1120

Event Flier!!!

Cooper Hawk Family!!

Photos from John Mellin an IEUA staff member captured a rare moment last week of a Cooper Hawk Family outside the Agency's main headquarters just north of the Chino Creek Park.

Nest Description

Males typically build the nest over a period of about two weeks, with just the slightest help from the female. Nests are piles of sticks roughly 27 inches in diameter and 6-17 inches high with a cup-shaped depression in the middle, 8 inches across and 4 inches deep. The cup is lined with bark flakes and, sometimes, green twigs.

Nesting Placement

Cooper’s Hawks build nests in pines, oaks, Douglas-firs, beeches, spruces, and other tree species, often on flat ground rather than hillsides, and in dense woods. Nests are typically 25-50 feet high, often about two-thirds of the way up the tree in a crotch or on a horizontal branch.

Nesting Facts

Clutch Size

2–6 eggs

Number of Broods

1 broods

Egg Length

1.7–2 in
4.4–5.1 cm

Egg Width

1.4–1.6 in
3.5–4 cm

Incubation Period

30–36 days

Nestling Period

27–34 days

Egg Description

Pale blue to bluish white.

Condition at Hatching

Covered in white down and weighing just 28 grams or 1 ounce, but able to crawl around nest.

Information from allaboutbirds.org

Why are wetlands important?

Reasons why we should care about wetlands:

• Wetlands help to filter our water, ensuring cleaner, safer drinking water for our communities.
• Wetlands act like giant sponges to trap water to reduce floods and ease drought.
• Wetlands can help to keep our groundwater clean.
• Wetlands along the shores of our Great Lakes, as well as interior lakes and streams, provide important spawning, feeding and nursery habitat for many species of fish including minnows, perch, bass and pike.
• Wetlands provide essential habitat (food, water, cover and breeding area) for much of Ontario’s wildlife.
• Wetlands provide recreational, educational and important scientific opportunities throughout Ontario.
• If you want to see nature at work, wetlands provide the best opportunity, whether you’re interested in birding, viewing wildlife, reptiles or amphibians, or seeing a fascinating and seemingly endless variety of bug-life.  
• Wetlands help to store carbon, reducing the its impact on our atmosphere.

Information from:  http://www.downatthepond.ca/whats_a_wetland.html

Free 2-day Educator Workshop

Learn new ways to teach about the Santa Ana River Watershed at SAWA's Educator Workshop hosted by Inland Empire Utilties Agency.

Register online for this free two day workshop!!

Contact carrie@sawaedu.org for more information.

Arbor Day!!

Today is Arbor Day. It's a time to celebrate the wonders of nature, and to plan for an even greener future by planting and caring for trees. http://www.arborday.org/arborday/

What did you do with the plants and trees you received on Earth Day? Did you plant them in your backyard?

The Park in the news!!

Daily Bulletin: City News Earth Day - Chino Creek Park April 27 2012

Please see the article (linked below) in today’s Daily Bulletin City News section featuring the Chino Creek Park Earth Day Event.

Daily Bulletin

Earth Day Event Exceeds Expectations

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) co-hosted, along with the City of Chino and the Santa Ana Watershed Association, an Earth Day Celebration at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park on Thursday, April 19, 2012. 

The Earth Day Celebration was open to schools that had scheduled field trips between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Over 1,200 students, teachers and parents attended the event from 9 different schools within the IEUA service area. All students received pre-event packets that contained t-shirts, backpacks, educational materials and other green related giveaways. The Earth Day Celebration was also open to the public between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Thank you to the 1,000 community members that joined us in celebrating Earth Day at the Chino Creek Park.

If you are interested in participating in next years Earth Day event please contact Lucia Diaz at ldiaz@ieua.org or Andrea Carruthers at acarruthers@ieua.org. 

Wally the Water Drop welcoming students

Students learning about soils and gardens

Meeting the Great Horned Owl "Archimedes"

Enjoying the various booths throughout the park

Students at the Plant Factory activity - understanding all the parts of a plant

Students at the Water Cycle activity - understanding each element in the water cycle

Ally the Owl welcoming students to the park

Students enjoying the Environmental Magic Show

Students at the SAWA booth

Students at the Wonders of Wildlife booth

Students at the Enviroscape Model - understanding the watershed

On the train tour through the wetlands

Walking through the Watershed bridge

 

Earth Day Event 4.19.2012

Earth Day Event 4.19.2012

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency will be co-hosting, along with the City of Chino and the Santa Ana Watershed Association, an Earth Day Celebration at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park tomorrow Thursday, April 19, 2012. 

The Earth Day Celebration will be open to schools that have scheduled field trips between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  The Earth Day Celebration will be open to the public between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Come out to the park and enjoy a fun afternoon!!

Featuring:

Environmental Exhibits!

Environmental Shows!

Hand-on Earth Friendly Activities!

Giveaways (including COMPOST!!)

Food Trucks!

Free Family Fun!

And much more!!!

Native Plant Week!

Native Plant Week History 

Second Annual California Native Plant Week, April 15 - April 22, 2012.

The first California Native Plant Week (CNPW) in 2011 would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Mike Ross, Barbara Wolf, Nancy Morin, Mark Naftzger, Diana Ruiz, the CNPW Committee and chapter members. The contributions by many volunteers has transformed California Native Plant Week from text in a bill, to a wonderful program that will promote, educate, and conserve California's rich native flora for future generations.

The California State Assembly and Senate approved Resolution ACR 173 establishing California Native Plant Week, which proclaims the 3rd week of April, each year, as California Native Plant Week and encourages community groups, schools, and citizens to undertake appropriate activities to promote the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of California's native plants.

The resolution (ACR 173) was introduced by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D – Napa) and sponsored by the California Native Plant Society, while it garnered the support of horticulturalists, conservation organizations, and nurseries throughout California.

ACR 173 recognizes the vital historical, artistic, and economic contributions California’s native plants have made to our State, and points out that California native plant gardening and landscaping have tremendous positive impacts to our watersheds, to habitat recovery, and to curbing catastrophic wildfires. In particular, the resolution recognizes that home landscaping and gardening with native plants can cut residential water use from 60 to 90% over conventional gardening.

For more information and to find events please click here: Native Plant Week!!

For information on events, landscape workshops and plant sales click here: IE Garden Friendly

Earth Day: What are you doing?

Each year, Earth Day -- April 22 -- marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

For more infromation about the History of Earth Day please go to http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement

Chino, CA – The Inland Empire Utilities Agency will be co-hosting, along with the City of Chino and the Santa Ana Watershed Association, an Earth Day Celebration at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park on Thursday, April 19, 2012.  The Earth Day Celebration will be open to schools that have scheduled field trips between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  The Earth Day Celebration will be open to the public between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

This Event promotes environmental awareness to the community and provides ways for the community to take action and support environmental stewardship.  It will include environmental exhibits, free giveaways, hands-on earth-friendly activities, environmental show performances, and much more.

“The Annual Earth Day Celebration is an opportunity to reach out to the community and offer ways to protect the environment.  It is a time where one can learn about the earth’s precious natural resources and how to practice efficiency and sustainability,” stated IEUA Board President Terry Catlin.

What:             Annual Earth Day Celebration

Where:           Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park

                       6075 Kimball Avenue, Chino

When:            Thursday, April 19, 2012

                       Open to schools: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

                       Open to public: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.    

Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park was partially funded by a grant from the State Water Resources Control Board. The Earth Day Event is partially funded by a grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency covers 242-square miles, distributes imported water, provides industrial/municipal wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services to more than 850,000 people. 

National Volunteer Week!!

What is National Volunteer Week?

A time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service. "Celebrating People In Action" captures the meaning behind this signature week - honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. National Volunteer Week is April 15 - 21, 2012.

What are you doing for National Volunteer Week? Need places to volunteer?

Click here: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/nationalprograms/signatureevents/nvw

Earth Day Event!!!

The Earth Day Event will be hosted at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park located within southern California’s San Bernardino County (County).  The Earth Day Event is designed to meet the growing need of integrating communities and school groups with the natural world by using the wetlands to create real life experiences. The Earth Day Event invites students to learn about the natural enviroment in the natural world via the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. The wetlands park offers sanctuary not only to plants and wildlife but to the community in need of safe, natural space.

The Earth Day Event also offers students and other visitors the opportunity to directly learn about environmental issues pertaining to their own neighborhoods. Problematic issues such as urban runoff, erosion, groundwater contamination and natural habitat loss is common within the County and the Earth Day Event will address these matters by providing visitors the necessary information through a variety of activity and informational booths. Children and adults lacking natural environments near home will be able to experience wetlands ecosystems firsthand.

Please join the City of Chino and Inland Empire Utilities Agency annual Earth Day event on Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. For more information please contact Lucia Diaz at ldiaz@ieua.org or check the Agency website at Annual Earth Day 2012 link.