We kicked off our Memorial Day weekend with a great hike with friends from our Nature Time! playgroup. The kids had fun on the trail, playing in the tall grass, and stopping to check out insects (mostly stink bugs). The weather was breezy and cool, but the children didn’t seem to notice. It makes meContinue reading “Nature Time! Hike, Dublin Hills”
Readership Appreciation Award.. Thank You!
Thank you to FeyGirl at Serenity Spell, one of my absolute favorite blogs, for passing along the Readership Appreciation Award to me! If you are interested in wildlife and photography, I highly recommend you check out Fey’s blog. It’s gorgeous! Now, for the six blogs, each nature-inspired, that I’d like to pass the Readership AppreciationContinue reading “Readership Appreciation Award.. Thank You!”
Backyard Wildlife… The Squirrel
We’ve had this one bird feeder in the backyard for almost two years now, without any problems with squirrels. But that changed this week. We now have a small red squirrel who visits us daily, cleans up the seeds dropped on the ground by the birds, and has, unfortunately, begun to raid the bird feederContinue reading “Backyard Wildlife… The Squirrel”
Huh? It’s Raining!
The second we noticed it was raining, my boy rushed outside to play in it….
Great Climbing Structures, Creekside Park, San Ramon
A friend recommended that I check out this park, and we finally made it there a few weeks ago. Creekside Park in San Ramon is a fun little park, with two play areas; one for little kids, one for older kids. This is one of the few parks around that might actually be challenging forContinue reading “Great Climbing Structures, Creekside Park, San Ramon”
Birding with Kids, Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton
Since the week my son turned three, we’ve been attending the East Bay Regional Parks Outdoor Discoveries program, a naturalist-led class designed specifically for three-five year-old children. Each outing includes a hike and plenty of time for observation, exploration, and play. To make the classes even more fun, I always invite friends from my NatureContinue reading “Birding with Kids, Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton”
Ten Fun East Bay Parks with Free Water Play Features
The weather is warming up, so it’s time to find fun outdoor activities for the kids that incorporate water play. Kids love to play in water… any kind of water! The play areas I’ve included in this list are all free and are located within local community parks. If the features aren’t already on inContinue reading “Ten Fun East Bay Parks with Free Water Play Features”
The Little Brown Bird
This little bird is my son’s favorite visitor. He says the bird has “cool creature powers,” as the bird can jump along vertically up our back fence. I believe this is an oak titmouse. All I know is it’s cute, and my son loves it. Also, I’m looking for some suggestions. For bird identification, I’mContinue reading “The Little Brown Bird”
“Awesome”… “Wow!”…
Quotes from my son while viewing the solar eclipse last evening at the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley hills… I figure he’ll be seventeen for the next solar eclipse… have to experience these moments while we can!! Related articles 40 Awesome Photos Of The Solar Eclipse (buzzfeed.com) Trans-Pacific ‘ring of fire’ eclipse wowsContinue reading ““Awesome”… “Wow!”…”
Learning About Bees: The Great Sunflower Project
We’ve been making progress in planting our butterfly garden, and now we’ve moved onto the next phase… bees! I’ve been researching citizen science programs that might be fun for me and my son to do together. I love the idea of being a citizen scientist, helping in our own way to assist real scientists byContinue reading “Learning About Bees: The Great Sunflower Project”
The Kora… Outdoor Music at the Farmer’s Market
We try to attend at least one of our many local farmer’s market weekly. While our primary reason for a visit to the market is to purchase fresh, seasonal, local fruits and vegetables, what my son likes the best is the music. Each of the markets seems to have a different musician or band playingContinue reading “The Kora… Outdoor Music at the Farmer’s Market”
Fossils, Flowers, and Fun! Dublin Hills
I thought we’d head to a museum today, but my son asked if we could go hiking instead. Great! When I asked him where he wanted to go hiking, he said, “Dublin Hills!” I liked that answer, as the official trail head (Donlon Point Staging Area) is only a few miles from our home. Easy!Continue reading “Fossils, Flowers, and Fun! Dublin Hills”
Backyard Wildlife… Scrub Jay
I’ve finally figured out who is living in the nest high up in our oak tree. I can hear the babies chirping, but I haven’t been able to spot the parent bird feeding them. But I’ve finally had success! It’s a scrub jay family. I should have known.. the birds are so territorial, but IContinue reading “Backyard Wildlife… Scrub Jay”
Paleontology Play! Dinosaur Digging
We’ve been staying home a lot this past week while my son’s been sick with a cold. One afternoon, he asked, “Can I dig for dinosaurs in the backyard?” We have a section of the yard that isn’t landscaped, so that was perfectly fine with me. Dinosaur digging can be done in a patch ofContinue reading “Paleontology Play! Dinosaur Digging”
The Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz
For Mother’s Day, I wanted to explore someplace new with my husband and our son. I reviewed my “to-see” list, considered outings in the Marin Headlands and San Francisco, and decided, instead, that it would be a great day for a visit to The Arboretum at the University of California Santa Cruz. And I’mContinue reading “The Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz”
“Mommy, look! A deer on the hill!!”
Multiple times a day, ever since my four-year-old son could talk, he exclaims, “Mommy, look! Mommy, look! There’s a deer on the hill!!” Of course, he won’t let up until I take a look. Today, his shouts were slightly different. “Mommy, look! Mommy, look! A teenage boy deer on the hill!!” Here’s what my sonContinue reading ““Mommy, look! A deer on the hill!!””
Bring on the Butterflies…
After tons of research, I finally decided what to plant in our yard to attract butterflies. As you may know, we’ve been creating a backyard wildlife habit, following the guidelines set forth by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). My first goal in creating our butterfly garden was to add plants to our yard that willContinue reading “Bring on the Butterflies…”
The Hill Before Weed Abatement
The grasses on the hill behind our home are beginning to dry out. That means it’s weed abatement time. We live in fire country, and it’s required that all flammable and combustible growth within thirty feet of our home must be removed each spring. I completely understand the necessity of this requirement, but it makesContinue reading “The Hill Before Weed Abatement”
Spring Nature Activities!
I’m always on the lookout for fun things to do with my son. Today I came across the Spring 2012 Nature Rocks Spring Activity Guide, which is filled with tons of fun nature activities. Coincidentally, it includes a couple activities I recently recommended (take favorite toys outside and do messy art activities outside), but alsoContinue reading “Spring Nature Activities!”
Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland
One of our favorite parks for play is Roberts Regional Park in the Oakland Hills. This park, nestled in the redwoods, has something for everyone. First, if you have a child, the play structure here is among the best in the Bay Area (and it’s barrier free / wheelchair accessible). But other than that, theContinue reading “Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland”
Suburban Nature Explorations 