Advice From Owlie – Smart Irrigation Month

Q: Dear Owlie,

I heard that next month is Smart Irrigation Month. Can you help me understand what Smart Irrigation Month is and how I can participate? Thanks, Owlie!

Sincerely,

Water-Wise Wonderer

 

A: Dear Water-Wise Wonderer,

I am so glad you asked! Smart Irrigation Month is celebrated throughout the month of July and recognizes water-wise practices in our lawns and gardens and celebrates the technologies, products, and services that allow us to do so.

Not only is practicing smart irrigation beneficial to help alleviate our current drought, it’s also easy! Encourage your family and friends to celebrate Smart Irrigation Month by implementing smart irrigation practices such as adjusting sprinkler heads so that they hit the desired area, upgrading your sprinkler controller to a weather-based controller, repairing leaks, planting California natives, using mulch instead of grass, and grouping your plants by similar watering needs. My friends at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency also offer free water-use efficiency rebates and programs to help with all of the above! Be sure to tell them Owlie sent you 😉.

Thanks for the great question! I’ll talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice from Owlie – Mallard Duck

Q: Dear Owlie,

I recently visited the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park and noticed two ducks that looked very similar but were different colors! One was all brown, while the other had green on its head. Can you help me figure out what ducks these are? Thanks, Owlie!

Sincerely,

Dabbling Duck

A: Dear Dabbling Duck,

I would be happy to assist you in figuring out what type of ducks these are!

It seems that you have come across one of the most popular duck species in the wetlands, the Mallard Duck! Mallards are large ducks with hefty bodies, rounded heads, and wide, flat bills. The reason the ducks looked very similar but had different colors is due to something called sexual dimorphism. This is when there is a difference in appearance between males and females in the same species.

For the Mallard Duck, males have iridescent green heads, bright yellow bills, and brown and black bodies. Female Mallards are a light brown color with orange and brown bills! Now you may be wondering…what is the reason for this difference in color? Let’s find out!

Male Mallards are a bright color because they want to attract mates, while female Mallards are a dull color because they want to camouflage in order to protect their babies during nesting season!

Keep an eye out for the Mallard Duck on your next visit to the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice from Owlie – What’s an aquifer?

 Q: Dear Owlie,

This week in school we learned more about aquifers. I think aquifers are really interesting and I want to teach my brothers and sisters about them at home! Do you have any resources that can help me demonstrate how an aquifer works? Thanks Owlie!

Sincerely, 

Amazing Aquifers

A: Dear Amazing Aquifers,

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed learning about aquifers and want to teach your family about them. First, I’ll start by giving a brief introduction to what an aquifer is. An aquifer is an underground layer of rocks and soil holding water. Aquifers can be just a few feet under the soil or can sit hundreds of feet deep.

 We have an At-Home Activity that will demonstrate how an aquifer works. Our Edible Aquifer activity is a perfect way for you to learn all about aquifers and make your own yummy aquifer that you can eat after! This activity can be delicious, but please get permission from your parents or guardians before using any food products. It can be found here, on our YouTube page.

For this activity, you will need:

• 
  Edible aquifer visual aid
• Vanilla ice cream
• Clear soda
• Crushed chocolate cookies
• Sprinkles
• Gummy bears
• Drinking straws
• Spoons
• Clear cups
• Trash bags
• Paper towels

The cup represents the basin. The materials that go inside of the cup represent rainwater, grass, gravel and soil, clay, rock, and water! Watch our YouTube video to see how it all comes together to demonstrate how an aquifer works.

I hope you enjoy this tasty activity while you teach your family about aquifers!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice from Owlie - Education Newsletters

Hi friends, I have an exciting announcement!
We started an Education Newsletter! The CCW Quarterly is the official education newsletter released quarterly by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. Each edition includes education program updates, water awareness activities, blog posts, educational resources, and more. The CCW Quarterly Newsletter can be found on the IEUA website. We now have three editions for the months of July 2021,  October 2021 and January 2022.

We have many fun activities, including word scrambles, word searches, a coloring sheet, and more! You can download each one on our website. Don’t forget to send a picture of your completed activity to @ieuawater on Instagram to win a prize!

I hope you enjoy our newsletters and all the activity sheet inside!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice from Owlie – Black Crowned Night Heron

Q: Dear Owlie,

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,

 I would be happy to teach you about one of the many birds we have at the park! Today, let’s learn about the Black Crowned Night Heron! If you want to learn more about the other birds we have at the park, check out our previous blog posts or our Instagram @chinocreekwetlands.

The Black Crowned Night Heron is one of the few species of Herons that can be found at the park. While visiting the park, you may see not only the Black Crowned Night Heron, but the Great Blue Heron or Green Heron too! To tell the difference between this heron and other herons, remember this species has black on their heads and down their back, like the name “Black Crowned” says. These are shorter birds and often can be found sitting perched in the ponds. When Black Crowned Night Herons fly, they tilt their head which makes it look like they do not have a neck. This species of heron can be found in wetlands throughout North America.

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

Advice from Owlie – California Buckwheat

Q: Dear 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

 

Advice from Owlie –What’s a watershed?

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:

• Aluminum foil
• Different sized cups
• A medium sized plastic container
• 2 different colored Kool-Aid mixes
• Chocolate sprinkles
• A spray bottle
• Markers
• Paper towels

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