Advice From Owlie - American Coot

 Q: Dear Owlie,

Do you have any fun facts to share about the animals I might see at the park? I’m planning to visit with my family soon and want to be able to share some of this information with them!

Sincerely,

Animal Lover

A: Dear Animal Lover,

I can’t wait to see you and your family at the park! The Chino Creek Wetlands is home to a wide variety of animal species, but one of my favorites is definitely the American Coot.

The American Coot is easily distinguished from other ducks and birds due to its dark black feathers and white beak. While you’ll likely spot the American Coot swimming in one of our ponds, the American Coot is not a duck, it is actually a bird! We know this because unlike ducks, the American Coot does not have webbed feet. Instead, they have long toes which help them effortlessly paddle through the water.

During the warmer months, you can find the American Coot snacking on the duckweed floating on top of the ponds, but in the colder months when the duckweed tends to sink to the bottom, American Coots may be seen feasting on other plants or insects.

Let me know if you or your family happen to spot an American Coot on your visit to the park and be sure to follow safety guidelines while you’re there!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Bird Bingo At-Home Activity

Hello everyone! I am very excited to announce that my friends at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park have posted yet another at-home activity video on IEUA’s YouTube channel. And I must say, it’s one of my favorites!

This new video is the perfect tool to guide you through the Bird Bingo at-home activity that you can find on IEUA’s website. It’s a great way to learn about the different types of birds you would encounter at the wetlands and the different traits and distinguishing characteristics of each bird. Plus, you might even see a special guest appearance from yours truly!

If you haven’t had the chance to check out our Plant Factory at-home activity video, make sure to do so while you’re there and leave a comment letting IEUA know that I sent you. Keep an eye out for more at-home activity videos coming very soon!

Happy gaming to all! I’ll talk to you soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - All About Plants

Q: Dear Owlie,

Lately, I’ve been really interested in learning about plants. In fact, my family and I want to start a garden of our own in our backyard! Are there any cool facts about plants that you can teach me? Thank you Owlie!

Sincerely,

Sunflower Power

A: Dear Sunflower Power,

I love the idea of growing a garden in your backyard! While plants may not seem complex, there are a lot of interesting facts about plants that most people might not know. For example, did you know that a plant is made up of five parts? The first part are the roots. Each plant has roots that absorb nutrients from the soil. A plant also has leaves that supply the plant with food through a process called photosynthesis. Yes, even plants need to eat! Next, each plant has a stem. The stem ensures that the plant stands upright and has the important job of delivering any nutrients absorbed by the roots. On top of each stem sometimes sits a flower. However, not all plants have flowers! Flowering plants produce seeds within a fruit and are the reproductive organs of the plant. For a plant to reproduce, insects and birds must first pollinate it. Finally, we have the seeds. When pollinated, seeds produce yummy fruit for humans and animals to enjoy.

For even more information on plants, be sure to check out IEUA’s Plant Factory video on YouTube! Their team shares some really great information about our flowery friends and guides you through the Plant Factory at-home activity available on their website.

Hopefully this information is something you can share with your family while you plant your garden! Also, talk to your family about planting water-wise plants such as lavender, poppies and sage since they’ll survive much better in California’s warm weather and require a lot less water!

 I’ll talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

 Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Wastewater Treatment Process

Q: Dear Owlie,

Since school is back in session, I’ve been thinking about the Water Discovery Field Trip my class and I took last year to IEUA’s Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5. Would you mind giving me a recap of the wastewater treatment process? I’d love to share this information with my new classmates.

Sincerely,

H20 Hero

A: Dear H20 Hero,

Welcome back to school! I’d be happy to recap the wastewater treatment process for you and your classmates. In fact, with August being Water Quality Month, I can’t think of a better time to do so!

Wastewater is treated through a five-step process. The first step is the preliminary treatment. In this step, wastewater collected from various households travels via underground pipes to our water recycling plants. However, wastewater doesn’t just consist of used water from our toilets, it can also come from showers, sinks, washing machines and more. Once it gets to our recycling plant, large rakes are used to separate any trash and large debris from the water.

From there, the water heads over to the next step- primary treatment. Once all the trash and debris are separated from the water, it is treated with a substance called ferric chloride. Ferric chloride is a chemical that helps solids (yes, poop!) settle to the bottom of the tank for removal. At the top, large rakes skim the surface of the water to remove any fats, oils and greases, also known as FOG.

After primary treatment comes secondary treatment. This is where tiny microorganisms eat away at the remaining solids in the wastewater. Don’t worry, they love it!

Following secondary treatment is tertiary treatment where the water passes through a filter to remove any solids the microorganisms may have missed.

Finally, sodium hypochlorite, a super charged bleach, is injected into the water to remove any pathogens. Once the water has been exposed to the sodium hypochlorite for at least 90 minutes, it is distributed into purple pipes for irrigation at golf courses, homes and for groundwater recharge purposes.

For a full behind the scenes tour of Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5, be sure to check out our YouTube channel. With all this information, you’re sure to be a recycled water pro!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Wally's Water Conservation Camp

Hi everyone! Owlie here to share an exciting message on behalf of my good friend, Wally the Water Drop. Wally and our friends at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency have teamed up to bring you Wally’s Water Conservation Camp! WooHOO!

This 20-day camp booklet is filled with amazing activities like making snow cones, building your own bird feeder, scavenger hunts and more! What’s so unique about this activity booklet is that each activity will teach you, your family and your friends about our water resources, sustainability and environmental stewardship.

To download the full activity booklet, visit Wally’s Water Conservation Camp webpage and get started! You can also check out some of IEUA’s other at-home activities while you’re there. Don’t forget to share your campsites and activity re-creations on social media by sending our friends @ieuawater a message with the #WWCC.

I hope you all have a HOOT participating in Wally’s summer camp and I’ll talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Great Outdoors Month

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

Happy Great Outdoors Month! To celebrate, my family and I want to take a trip to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. We’ve never been before and were wondering if you could share some of the awesome features the park has to offer. Thank you Owlie!
Sincerely,
Great Outdoorsman

A: Dear Great Outdoorsman,

Happy Great Outdoors Month to you too(Hoo)! I always love seeing new faces in the park and would be happy to share a few of my favorite features.

1. Pipe Garden. The pipe garden is a great place to walk around and learn about the different ways to conserve water inside and outside your home.
2. Storm Drain Pipes. Located throughout the park are large storm drain pipes visitors can walk through. They’re perfect for shade on a hot, summer day and even feature educational elements.
3. Observation Tower. What once was a giant funnel to filter wastewater, the Observation Tower gives the best view of the entire 22-acre park.
4. Upside-down Boat Clarifier. The upside-down boat clarifier located at the entrance of our park was also previously used at one of our recycling plants to treat wastewater. Be sure to check out the huge replica mammoth tusk hanging from the top!
5. Watershed Bridge. The watershed bridge is a demonstration of how water falls from the top of the watershed (mountains) to the end of the watershed into the ocean (water). It is the perfect place to see some of the many ducks and birds we have up close. Make sure you’re quiet or you might scare them away!
   

I hope you and your family enjoy your time at the park! Be sure to maintain health and safety guidelines while you visit, but most importantly have fun being in the great outdoors!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - At-Home Activities

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

I’ve been spending a lot of time at home recently in order to keep myself and those around me safe during this time, but I’m running out of fun activities to do around the house. Are there any fun activities you do that you can share with me? Thanks, Owlie!

Sincerely,

Safer At Home

A: Dear Safer At Home,

You’ve come to the right place! There are a lot of fun, safe activities that I’d love to share with you. To start, if you’ve ever been on one of our Water Discovery Field Trips, you definitely know how awesome they are. Luckily for us, a few of the education activities we do on the field trips are now posted on our website! So, even if you haven’t had a chance to experience a Water Discovery Field Trip yet, you can still take advantage of the fun activities that are offered. Learn about the different birds in the park with Bird Bingo, the parts and functions of plants with Plant Factory and all about aquifers and groundwater with Edible Aquifer (my favorite!) all from the comfort of your own home!

You can also unleash your inner artist by following this awesome new video for a step-by-step process on how to draw a sketch of me! It’s a great way to pass the time and is suitable for all ages, so definitely make sure to check it out and don’t forget to tag me in all of your masterpieces on our @ChinoCreekWetlands and @IEUAWater Instagram pages! But most importantly, remember to have fun and stay safe!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Earth Day

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

I love attending the Earth Day celebration at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park with my family and friends every year. Even though there won’t be an Earth Day celebration this year, I want to keep my pledge to be an environmental steward. Can you help me think of ways I can do so? Thanks Owlie!

Sincerely,

Eco Hero

A: Dear Eco Hero,

I love celebrating Earth Day at the Wetlands, too! I am so happy to hear you are still honoring your pledge. Here are seven easy ways you can keep your promise to be an environmental steward while still saying safe at home:

1. Properly recycle paper, plastic, glass and electronics.  
2. Use water wisely! Run only full loads of laundry or dishes, turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and fix any household leaks. 
3. Decrease your carbon footprint by walking or riding your bike as an alternate means of transportation. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise!
4. Conserve energy by turning off all lights and fans when leaving a room.  
5. Use reusable shopping bags for trips to the store.
6. Pick up after your pets to prevent any unwanted material from ending up in our oceans.
7. Spread the word! Encourage others to do their part to make every day Earth Day!

I look forward to seeing you at next year's Earth Day celebration. Until then, stay safe and don't forget to celebrate Earth Day’s 50^th Anniversary on April 22!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - National Skip the Straw Day

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

I heard National Skip the Straw Day is this month and I really want to participate! I want my friends to participate too, but they don’t know if they should. Do you have any information I could share with them to convince them to participate? Thank you!

Sincerely,

Straw Saver

A: Dear Straw Saver,
You’ve come to the right place! National Skip the Straw Day is an annual holiday that occurs on the fourth Friday in February. The holiday was founded in 2017 by a group of Michigan students called the Coral Keepers, and it’s a great reminder of the importance of eliminating the use of single-use plastic in our everyday lives.

Did you know each year the U.S. uses enough straws to wrap around the Earth 2.5 times and fill 127 school buses daily! Straws are also non-biodegradable and non-recyclable, and even if they’re burned, their plastic releases toxic chemicals into the air. However, most straws end up on the ground where they stay for around 400 years. This means that every straw that anyone has ever used still exists today, polluting beaches and rivers, and harming sea life such as turtles, fish and seabirds.

It’s so important to help by reducing the use of single-use plastic and picking up any litter and properly throwing it away. Reusable straws and bags are great alternatives, too. So, break free from plastic and tell your friends and family to remember to skip the straw on February 28!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Pollution

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

Happy New Year! I love going to the beach with my family, so my New Year’s Resolution is to do my part to reduce the amount of pollution in our oceans. Do you have any tips for me to do so? I’d love to share them with my family too! Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Pollution Solution

A: Dear Pollution Solution,

I’d love to help with your New Year’s Resolution. Did you know there are two different types of pollution? The first type is point-source pollution. Point-source pollution is easy to identify because it comes from a single place. The second type of pollution is nonpoint-source pollution. This type of pollution generally comes from runoff or rain, but its origin is hard to track down because it can come from many places, all at once.

To help prevent pollution, recycle whenever possible. Items such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, and straws are extremely harmful to our oceans and the animals in them, so remember to throw away your trash and recycle when you can. Reusable bags and straws are great alternatives! Another tip I have is to pick up after your pets. Animal waste (A.K.A. POOP!) can end up in the ocean after it rains, so always pick up after your pets to prevent dirtying our ocean water. The last tip I have is to spread the word! Just about anyone can contribute to a cleaner, safer ocean for ourselves and our oceanic friends.

I look forward to sharing more advice with you all in the upcoming year. Happy 2020!

Talk to you soo(HOO)n!
Owlie