I have been really interested in learning about birds lately! Can you teach me about a bird that can be found at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park? Thanks, Owlie!
Sincerely,
Blue
Bird
A: Dear Blue Bird,
Keep an eye out for the Black Crowned Night Heron on your next visit to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
I recently visited the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. There were so many really cool plants, but one specifically stood out to me. It was red AND white, and it had what looked like little bunches of flowers. The last time I was at the park, I remember seeing it, but it was only a dark red color.
Now, it looks a little different, but I know it is the same plant. Do you know what plant this is Owlie?
Sincerely,
Plant
Power
A: Dear Plant Power,
I agree, there are so many amazing
plants in the park! We have 1.7 miles of trails with about 22,000 various water-wise
plants throughout the park.
The one
you are referring to sounds like California Buckwheat! California Buckwheat is
a water-wise plant species that is native to
California. As you mentioned, this plant can look different in each season.
In the
summer and fall when it is hot and dry out, it can be seen looking mostly dark
red (pictured in the top left circle). Sometimes it will have a
few white flowers, but not as many as it has during the spring. Towards the end
of fall and winter, it can be seen as dark red and white, just as you described
(pictured in the middle circle). During the end of winter and through spring,
it can be seen looking mostly white and pink (pictured in the top right circle).
Butterflies
and bees love California Buckwheat! You can find them on California Buckwheat
throughout the year, but will see a lot of them during the springtime when its flowers
are white and pink.
This is a
really cool plant to keep an eye out for as you visit the park throughout each season
to watch it change colors!
Talk to
you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
Q: Dear Owlie,
I recently learned a little bit about what a watershed is! I found it so interesting to learn about, but I am having a little trouble fully understanding them. Do you know of any activities I can do at home to help me understand watersheds better? Thanks Owlie!
Sincerely,
Watershed
Wonderer
A: Dear Watershed Wonderer,
I am so happy that you learned what a watershed is and want to know more! For our friends who may not be too sure what a watershed is, it is any area of land that drains into a lake, river, or ocean! Watersheds also include all of the people, houses, farms, roads, factories, animals, mountains, and deserts. Here at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park, we are part of the Santa Ana River Watershed.
We have an At Home Activity that teaches all about watersheds. Our Enviroscape activity is a perfect way for you to learn all about watersheds and make your own! It can be found here, on our YouTube page.
This activity will guide you through how pollutants, anything that is added to the environment and can be harmful, move through our watersheds.
To do this
activity, you will need:
You can find a printout of a watershed to color and label on our website if you would like to follow along this way instead.
Did you know that everything that we do impacts our watershed? That’s why it is so important to pick up our trash and keep harmful chemicals out of our water to keep it clean!
I hope you have lots of fun doing this activity and learning about watersheds!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
Q: Dear Owlie,
My family and I are planning another trip out to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park soon! I am so excited to spend time outside, and I love seeing all of the plants and birds in the park! What is your favorite part of the park Owlie?
Sincerely,
Eager
Explorer
A: Dear Eager Explorer,
I am so happy you and your family are going to visit the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park! There is always so much to see while visiting.
My favorite part of the park?
That’s definitely a hard one! I agree that I love seeing all my animal friends
in the park and all the beautiful plants too, but I also enjoy relaxing in
different areas of the park! Some of my favorite spots are the Pipe Garden, Observation Tower and Watershed
Bridge. Today I am going to tell you about the 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). This is a perfect spot to stop and watch the birds and ducks from afar!
Did you know that September 25 is National Public Lands Day? That would be a perfect day for you and your family to visit the park!
I hope you enjoy your visit, and say hi to all of my animal friends for me!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
I just went back to school, and we are learning about wetlands! My teacher taught us that wetlands can help make water clean. I really enjoyed learning about this, and wanted to ask if you can tell me more about it?
Sincerely,
Wetland Warrior
A: Dear Wetland Warrior,
I love talking about wetlands! I am excited to hear that you are learning about them in school. Before we talk about how wetlands keep water clean, let’s remind our friends what a wetland is. A wetland is an area characterized by the existence of water, soil and vegetation (plants). Wetlands can be both wet and dry.
It’s perfect timing that you bring this up because August 23-27 is World Water Week! Wetlands provide many services that help our environment such as providing a habitat for wildlife, act as a resting point for migratory birds and storing floodwaters. For now, we are going to focus in on how they help keep our water clean.
Wetlands act as natural filtration systems. They can trap and neutralize sewage waste as well as help break down toxic substances. The plants found in wetlands absorb nutrients and make sure the environment does not reach toxic levels. This helps keep a safe and clean environment for us and the wildlife that live in wetlands.
Another way wetlands help our water supply, is by acting like a big sponge. Wetlands soak up water and slow the water flow to prevent flooding. This also helps silt settle out of the water.
Now when you visit our Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park, you can tell your friends and family all about how wetlands help keep water clean!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
Q: Dear Owlie,
My family and I have been having a lot of BBQs this summer! It is so fun and I always enjoy having a yummy cheeseburger! There are so many ingredients that make up a cheeseburger, but I started thinking... it must take a lot of water to make everything that goes inside! Can you please tell me about the amount of water it takes to make a cheeseburger? Thanks Owlie!
Sincerely,
Cheerful Cheeseburger
A: Dear Cheerful Cheeseburger,
You are correct! It does take a lot of water to make a cheeseburger. When making a cheeseburger, there are many ingredients that require a specific amount of water. For example, we have the bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and the hamburger patty.
Before I tell you, do you want to guess how many gallons it takes to make a cheeseburger??
*Drum roll*… It takes about 698 gallons of water to make a cheeseburger! That is a lot of water! The item that takes the most amount of water to make is the hamburger patty. This is because the meat comes from cows, and cows need to drink a lot of water to live.
Since cheeseburgers are so yummy and popular, we created an at home activity all about them! In this activity, you’ll get to color your own cheeseburger while you learn about the amount of water it takes to make one.
You can watch our Hamburger At Home Activity Video on YouTube and access the corresponding worksheet on the IEUA website!
I hope you enjoy your summer! Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
A friend of mine told me about a water-wise garden their
class recently applied for as part of the Garden in Every School® Program. I’d love to learn
more about that program and see if it’s something my class can apply for too!
Thanks Owlie!
Sincerely,
Garden Guru
A: Dear Garden Guru,
The Garden in Every School® Program is one of my favorite educational programs
offered by my friends at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. I’d be happy to
give you some more information!
Since 2004,
IEUA has reached over 19,000 students with its award-winning Garden in Every
School® program. This program educates students about water-wise usage through
a beautiful garden landscape filled with water-wise plants and efficient
irrigation!
In order to
apply, applicants must first participate in a mandatory introductory workshop.
Then, selected applicants are awarded a grant for IEUA to assist in the
installation of their water-wise garden! The garden is designed, created and
installed through a series of hands-on work sessions with teachers, parents,
students, and program staff.
In fact, my friends at St. Joseph School in Upland recently held
their own garden dedication ceremony to celebrate the installation of their
first water-wise garden! Check out photos of their garden below! It might even
give you inspiration for a garden of your own! 😉
I highly encourage you to talk to your teacher about applying for this awesome program. Interested applicants can visit IEUA’s website for more information!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie
A couple months ago you taught us about one of your favorite
animals at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park – the American Coot!
Can you please tell us about another animal we might expect to see at the park?
I’m looking forward to visiting again soon! Thank you Owlie!
Sincerely,
Wetland Fanatic
A: Dear Wetland Fanatic,
I’d love to! This month let’s talk about a duck called the
Cinnamon Teal!
Like Mallard ducks, male Cinnamon Teals look visibly
different than female Cinnamon Teals. Males are a cinnamon color with red eyes
and a black beak while females have brown colored feathers in order to
camouflage with her surroundings- something that helps protect herself and her
babies. In fact, females are so protective of their offspring that they may put
on something called a “broken wing act” to distract prey from their young.
While Cinnamon Teals do not migrate very far, they may migrate to new locations
daily. However, they love being close to water so the Chino Creek Wetlands is
the perfect spot for them!
Last school year, my class and I took a really fun field trip to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park! Since we are currently doing virtual learning, is there a way for my class to take a virtual field trip instead? I would love to share this information with my teacher!
Sincerely,
Park Pro
A: Dear Park Pro,
I am so glad you asked! Yes, IEUA offers virtual field trips
through Owlie’s Virtual Adventures!
Scheduling a virtual field trip is as easy as scheduling one
of our in-person field trips (which are not currently offered). First, visit
the Owlie’s Virtual
Adventures webpage on IEUA’s website and scroll down until you see the
option to book a virtual
field trip. From there, you will be redirected to a survey where your
teacher can choose the type of field trip (fully pre-recorded or a hybrid of
pre-recordings with a live Q&A), the activities that best fit their
curriculum and grade level as well as the date and time. Once they click
submit, a member of our team will reach out to them with any materials or
information they might need and then they’re good to go! How coo(HOO)l is that!
I hope to see you and your class in a virtual field trip
soon and be sure to come back and let me know how it was afterwards!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
The Water Scout Badge Program is a fun way to learn all
about our water resources, water conservation methods, environmental
stewardship, native plants, and even takes you on an exciting scavenger hunt
through the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. (My favorite part of the
book!) Plus, once you’ve completed the workbook, you’ll receive your very own
Water Scout badge and become a certified Water Scout!
To take advantage of this new program and earn your Water
Scout badge, download the Water Scout Workbook from IEUA’s website. Be sure to check out the other programs offered
through Owlie’s Virtual Adventures, too!
I can’t wait to see all of your smiling faces at the park!
While you’re there,
please be sure to stay safe by adhering to local safety
guidelines.
Have fun on your journey to become a Water Scout and I’ll
talk to you soo(HOO)n!
Q: Dear Owlie,
What is your favorite plant at the Chino Creek Wetlands?
Mine is the sage because of its refreshing scent! Do you have any of those at
the park?
Sincerely,
Petal to the Metal
A: Dear Petal to the Metal,
Sage is actually quite interesting. Did you know white sage
is part of the “mint” family? Many Native American tribes in the region
considered it to be a sacred plant that cleanses, purifies and provides
protection. The leaves of the plant are whitish-green and when you rub them between
your thumb and forefinger, a refreshing, cleansing scent is released, which is
the same scent you mentioned! Native Americans used this to make medicines for
many illnesses and to ward off negative energy.
Who knew one plant could have so much history? Thank you for the
great question!
Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!
Owlie