Bird Festival!!!!

Looking for a fun, educational and free event that will get you outside?

Come out to the Chino Creek Park on November 5th and experience

the Annual Bird Festival hosted by SAWA!!

Bird Festival 2011 Flier

Virginia Rail and Green Heron on the same day!



Photo taken by John Mellin

On September 2, 2011 one of IEUA's avid bird watchers, John Mellin saw a Virginia Rail in the late afternoon from the covered bridge looking south at the cattail island. This was a life bird for him!! That same day he saw a Green Heron. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

Virginia Rail

 A secretive bird of freshwater marshes, the Virginia Rail most often remains hidden in dense vegetation. It possesses many adaptations for moving through its habitat, including a laterally compressed body, long toes, and flexible vertebrae.



Photo taken by John Mellin

Cool Facts


• The forehead feathers of the Virginia Rail are adapted to withstand wear from pushing through dense marsh vegetation.
• The Virginia Rail can swim under water, propelling itself with its wings. It swims in this way probably only to flee predators.
• The Virginia Rail and other rail species have the highest ratio of leg muscles to flight muscles of any birds.
• The Virginia Rail builds numerous "dummy nests" in addition to the one where eggs are actually laid.

Green Heron

A small, stocky wading bird, the Green Heron is common in wet spots across much of North America. It can be difficult to see as it stands motionless waiting for small fish to approach within striking range, but it frequently announces its presence by its loud squawking.

Cool Facts

• The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers.
• The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons that sometimes are considered one species. When lumped, they are called Green-backed Heron. When split, they are the Green Heron, the widespread Striated Heron, and the Galapagos Heron.
• As is typical for many herons, the Green Heron tends to wander after the breeding season is over. Most wanderers probably seek more favorable foraging areas and do not travel far, but occasionally some travel greater distances, with individuals turning up as far as England and France.

EduGrants! From WEWAC



Earth Day 2011



 What is WEWAC? Water Education Water Awareness Committee

The purpose of the WEWAC EduGrant program is to improve and supplement academic instruction by providing financial support to teachers seeking to do creative classroom projects that increase students' awareness of the importance of water in Southern California. 

Amount

Awards will be granted in amounts up to $750 per project. WEWAC may award up to $11,250 in total grant funding during 2011-2012. 

Focus of Projects



Projects must specifically focus on drinking water issues. They may involve sources of water, environmental issues, water treatment, water quality, water conservation, political or government issues, etc. Creative and unique approaches to water education are highly encouraged.

Earth Day 2011



How to Apply



Complete the grant application form provided. Please limit proposals to three (3) pages. Describe the project in detail, including supportive activities, objectives, and overall benefits to the students. Applicants must show how the EduGrant will help you achieve your goal. An itemized budget must be included for grant consideration. The signatures of both the principal and the teacher are required for all proposals. Grant Application Form

Deadline

The deadline for the 2011-12 EduGrant is Thursday, November 3, 2011, 5 p.m.

 This can be used for the Chino Creek Wetlands Earth Day Event!!



Earth Day 2011





Water Discovery Open House

Thank you to all of the educators who visited the Santa Ana Watershed Association's interpretive center on Saturday, August 27 for the Water Discovery Open House.   Teachers from 6 school districts in the area visited and learned about the Water Discovery Program in the park.    

What is the Water Discovery Program?

The Santa Ana Watershed Association, in a partnership with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, offers a free education program focusing on water conservation, wetlands, and watershed issues.  By incorporating hands-on techniques in an outdoor setting, Naturalists engage students to learn about water ecology and conservation.  The program consists of stations placed throughout the park encouraging observation, imagination, and critical thinking.  Programs are aligned with state science standards and are customized to meet the needs of each grade level.  

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.

Water Discovery Open House

Saturday, August 27 
10:30am-12:30pm


Want to learn more about the Water Discovery Field Trip Program at the park?  Visit the Santa Ana Watershed Association's Interpretive Center in the park at 15975 El Prado Road this Saturday.   Education staff will be on hand to answer questions about the Water Discovery program, give park tours, and demonstrate activities.   Hope to see you there!

Fruits Ripening in Our Demonstration Garden.

The GIES blog has an update on some of their garden friendly fruits in our park, take a look!

Beautiful bright red pomegranates and purple grapes underneath.