Kids' Corner — Sacramento Audubon Society

Mary Forrestal

California Biodiversity Day for Kids

From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

September 7th is California Biodiversity Day, a time to inspire discovery and connection to the nature of California. There are over 180 virtual and in-person events happening between September 7th - 15th, 2024! Please visit their website to learn more and find a local event near you, such as guided nature walks, art and family-friendly games, cultural demonstrations, restoration efforts, bioblitzes, and more.

Connect kids to their local nature

Kids of all ages love learning about animals, plants and the nature around them that they can touch, smell, and see. Parents and educators have the power to foster the next generation of environmental stewards by bringing the wonders of the outdoors into their homes and schools and sparking curiosity and experiential learning.

Celebrate California’s biodiversity with your students

We have curated a list of resources to help make it easy for classroom teachers and parents to foster connectivity with nature in fun, simple ways. All of these activities are rooted in STEAM principles and don’t require purchasing of any supplies. These activities can easily be scaled to accommodate various learning abilities and grade levels. Check out our educator’s resource folder and keep reading below to find an activity:

Nature Journaling
Go outside with notebooks and pencils, find a comfy place to sit, and watch the magic happen! Setting aside a dedicated period of time to slow down and tune in with the natural world around you, even in urban areas, can have many lasting benefits to physical and mental health while fostering written communication and art skills. Use this Nature Journaling Guide to discover the nature around you with your students.

Check out this short video with tips on how to facilitate a nature journaling session at your school or local greenspace(Credit: John Muir Laws and Kate Rutter).

Nature Exploration Activity Guide
This Student Activity Guide  contains printable activities to enjoy with kids and guide them through fun nature exploration lessons on the school yard. Credit: Ian Bernstein, California State Parks

Lead a nature scavenger hunt or formal bioblitz on your school yard
A bioblitz is a fun event where people are asked to document as many species that they can find in a certain period of time, in a certain location. Consider a schoolyard bioblitz event to encourage students to take a closer look at nature around their schools, neighborhoods, or nearby green spaces. Document your observations, tally your findings, and display them for all to see and wonder!

Observations can also be collected digitally using the free iNaturalist OR “Seek” by iNaturalist apps. Please read more to learn about when and how to use iNaturalist with students: Educators Guide to using iNaturalist.

Coloring books of marine life
These were designed by California State Park Interpreters to teach about wildlife and outdoor recreation in an exciting, interactive way for students! Download any of these free coloring books by the Marine Protected Area Collaborative Network. https://www.mpacollaborative.org/kids/

Continue discovering!

  • Discover native pollinators around your school and neighborhood! Find your region and download these colorful and fun handouts about the pollinators local to your area

  • Discover California’s Native Marine Wildlife!  This website includes colorful scientific illustrations and fun facts about hundreds of ocean dwelling species! Use as inspiration for art lessons or as a digital database tool to empower students to discover and learn more about these fascinating marine species. (Credit: CA Dept Fish and Wildlife Marine Region)

  • Explore Nature in and around your home with this guide by the iNaturalist and California Academy of Sciences teams!

  • Take a virtual adventure through California with the State Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) program. Check out the PORTScasts Calendar to tune into a virtual program during California Biodiversity Week (Sept 7 - 15).

  • Visit the California Environmental Literacy Initiative. Learn how you can continue to increase access to impactful environmental-based learning for all of California’s TK - 12 students.

  • Becomeacommunityscientist!Learnhowtocollectnatureobservations onto platforms like iNaturalist and eBird and contribute to our collective knowledge of nature for California Biodiversity Day.

With your help, this year's statewide events will continue to connect people of all ages to the nature of California.

Please visit our website to learn more!

Questions? Please contact: californiabiodiversityday@wildlife.ca.gov

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Discover Your Family’s Next Nature Adventure

Birds and bugs, creeks and streams, what will your family discover on their next nature adventure? Here is a list of great places, organizations, and websites to help you discover that next adventure.

Outside Adventures

  • California Raptor Center is an educational and research center affiliate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and authorized by The Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the US Fish and Wildlife Services to rehabilitate injured and orphaned birds of prey (raptors). Its museum, open to the public weekdays and Saturdays, houses a permanent collection of living, non-releasable raptors.

  • Cosumnes River Preserve is located just south of Elk Grove and a great place for family walks along accessible trails and boardwalks. Once a month “Nature Walks,” seasonal “Ducks in Scopes,” fall and winter Sandhill Crane viewing trips, and a very informative Visitor Center provide great nature-related experiences for all ages. 

  • Effie Yeaw Nature Center is an award-winning environmental education center located in the American River Parkway in Carmichael, CA. Situated in 100 acres of riparian woodlands the nature center offers weekend programs and events for children and their families.

  • Nimbus Fish Hatchery is located in eastern Sacramento County, the hatchery raises Chinook Salmon and Steelhead for release to the American River. Visitor Center offers fun and educational activities for children and adults. On-site nature trail along the American River to view wildlife. Check website for hours, tour reservations.

  • Koobs Nature Area is a nearly 4.7 acre parcel of native trees and plants from a diverse ecosystem, with a creek, three ponds, a bird sanctuary, butterfly gardens and walking trails. Located at 5325 Engle Road in Carmichael, it is open to the public one Saturday each month, March through October, with activities for kids.

  • Sacramento Splash while primarily working with local elementary schools, Sacramento Splash offers several public vernal pool tours every spring in addition to providing self-guided tours and loads of information on their website.

  • Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is located between Elk Grove and Cosumnes River Preserve. With wide, level cement trails, this area is suitable for families with children as well as those with disabilities. In the large marshy area and surrounding fields a variety of bird species can be spotted, including Sand Hill Cranes in the winter. A native plant garden and interpretive kiosks along the trailways add to any visit.

  • Yolo Basin Foundation hosts bat tours in the summer, public tours at the Davis Wetlands and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and the CA Duck Days in February and other fun activities.

  • Maidu Regional Park is located east of Roseville on Maidu Drive. This is 152-acre park off Rocky Ridge Drive. The park complex includes a museum, rose garden, walking trails, picnic area, historic site, and sports fields.

Inside Adventures

  • The Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) opened in late 2021 and has interactive hands-on exhibits and programming that explores the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math.

  • Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis has the seventh largest insect collection in North America, with many California insects on view.

At Home Adventures

  • Project Wild and Flying Wild are online resources designed primarily for educators, with on-line and printable resources for kids and their parents.

  • ColorBird.org The world of birds is diverse and colorful. At ColorBird.org you can download bird illustrations to color, crosswords to do, and more! These activities were created by Michael Erb, an Arizona birder who wanted to combine the wonder of birds with his love of science and learning. Just click on a page that you like, print it, and get coloring.

At ColorBird.org you can download bird illustrations to color, crosswords to do, and more.

Forrest is a Great Horned Owl, one of the animal ambassadors at the California Raptor Center.

Bohart Museum of Entomology has the seventh largest insect collection in North America, Varigated Mothhawk, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Wild Turkey are often seen strutting around the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Image be Daniel Lee Brown

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Great Backyard Bird Count for Kids

Sacramento Audubon Society is partnering with State Parks and Effie Yeaw to host a Great Backyard Bird Count for Kids on February 17th and 18th. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an opportunity for people all over the world to contribute to our scientific understanding of bird populations by recording the birds found in their neighborhood. On Saturday, February 17th, we will contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, located on the shores of Lake Natoma in historic Folsom. On Sunday, February 18th, our count will move to Effie Yeaw Nature Center, farther downstream along the American River.

Dates and locations:

  • February 17th at Folsom Powerhouse SHP (9980 Greenback Ln, Folsom, CA)

  • February 18th at Effie Yeaw Nature Center (2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael, CA)

Time: 9am - 1pm  (volunteers are asked to arrive at 8:30)

Ages: 7+ (children must be accompanied by an adult the whole count)

Please bring: Your kids or borrow someone else's, warm layers in case of chilly weather or rain, sturdy shoes, binoculars if you have them (or borrow some from us), a bagged lunch, and your observational skills for spotting birds!

What to Expect: Start the count day by borrowing a pair of binoculars and learning how to use them during a binocular boot camp. We will then have a quick chat about why it's important to count birds, before splitting into small groups and exploring along the trail. Adults are expected to bird alongside their kids and each group will have an experienced bird leader to help identify what we find. After counting, we will gather back together for lunch and short presentations from each group to share their findings. 

Young birders over the age of 7 and their beginner or experienced level adults are all welcome to join. Parking at the Folsom Powerhouse SHP is $10 for the day or covered with an annual State Parks pass. Parking at Effie Yeaw is $7 per car, payable at the entrance. Both locations have easily accessible options for flat, paved trails, as well as ADA parking. Please let us know of any accessibility requirements when you register.

Registration: Registration is required. Please complete a separate registration for each child that wishes to attend. Registration is limited to the first 20 children registered for each location. If your child is one of the first 20 registered you will receive a confirmation email from folsomlake@ports-ca.us. All others will receive an email informing them they have been added to the waitlist. Click the button below to register.

for the Great Backyard Bird Count for Kids

Interested in volunteering?  Email Nicole.

For more information about the GBBC and other ways to participate, visit birdcount.org.

An Acorn Woodpecker is one of the birds we hope to see and add to our counts. Image by Ray Rozema.

The Pacific Flyway

Multitudes of Snow Geese spend their winters in the Sacramento Area, migrating along the Pacific Flyway from their Artic breeding grounds. Image by Daniel Lee Brown.

Each year in late summer and fall billions of migrating birds travel south along the Pacific Flyway. They travel 1,000s of miles from breeding grounds to wintering grounds to find food, mates, and more hospitable conditions. They cover seemingly impossible distances stopping to rest in wetlands, forests, and even neighborhoods (maybe yours) all along their route.

The Pacific Flyway is one of four regional flyways in the United States. It extends from Alaska down to South America all along the Pacific coast. It is 10,000 nautical miles long and reaches inland to the Rocky Mountains. Some birds travel nearly the entire distance. The Olive-sided Flycatcher travels up to 7,000 miles between its breeding grounds in Northern British Columbia to its southern wintering grounds in South America. Others such as Snow Geese only travel a portion of the flyway. Some of them stopping in the Sacramento Area to spend the winter.

Some Rufous Hummingbirds travel nearly 3,000 miles along the Pacific Flyway, traveling between British Columbia and Mexico. Image by Ray Rozema.

Not all migrating birds use a flyway or the same flyway in spring and fall. Some songbirds travel one route going south and another when heading north. Waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans), however, tend to use the same flyway year after year. They use these routes because of the wetland habitats located along the flyway. Here they stop, rest, and find partners for the next breeding season.

Sadly, these wetland areas are in jeopardy. In California, 90% of historic natural wetlands are gone due to human development or intervention. Instead, waterfowl now largely rely on flooded rice fields, National Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Areas, and privately managed lands.

You Can Help

  • Support those organizations that support this wetland habitat: the National Audubon Society, the Pacific Flyway Council, and the Central Valley Joint Venture are just a few. Read more about the work of these organizations here.

  • Buy a Duck Stamp. 98% of the purchase price of each stamp goes directly to help acquire and protect wetland habitat.

  • Share your love of these birds with others. There are many wonderful places in the the Sacramento Area to visit during the winter. Cosumnes River Preserve, Yolo Bypass Area, and Gray Lodge Wildlife Area are just a few of the wonderful places to see many of the migrating waterfowl.

A Few of the Pacific Flyway Birds

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Ducks in Scopes at the Cosumnes River Preserve

Saturdays, December 17 and January 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2023. Come any time between 10am and 2pm.

Wintering waterfowl and cranes are here! Don't miss this chance to see them in the seasonal wetlands at the Cosumnes Preserve. CRP docents have a row of of spotting scopes set up, including lower ones for children, giving you excellent views of the many colorful ducks, other waterfowl, shorebirds and more.

Microscopes and hand lens provide close-up looks at “Duck Soup”, dishes of water dipped from the pond full of water fleas, rat-tailed maggots, scuds and other squiggly things that provide the protein the birds are feeding on.  

The Preserve is a quick drive from Sacramento – south on I-5 to Twin Cities Road; left (east) on Twin Cities for 1 mile; then right (south) on Franklin Blvd. The viewing area is in the first parking lot on your right as you drive into the preserve. Steady rain or flooding cancels event. 

Northern Shoveler, Image by Dana J. Miller-Blair

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Effie Yeaw's NatureFest

After a two year hiatus, NatureFest is back!

Effie Yeaw’s largest family event of the year, NatureFest promotes science & nature education and is an excellent opportunity to learn more about local organizations that support our community. Held at Effie Yeaw Nature Center, this family-friendly event includes live animal presentations, kids activities, demonstrations, guided nature hikes, and more.

Date: Sunday, October 9th
Time: 10am – 3pm
Price: $7 for Adults (12+) | $3 for Kids (3-11) | Ages 2 & Under Free

Sign up for Effie Yeaw Nature Center’s email list HERE to receive updates on NatureFest and more!

Congratulations to NatureFest 2022 Logo Winner, Liam S. Age 11!

Effie Yeaw Nature Center is located at 2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael, CA, 95608.

Sacramento Audubon Family Friendly Field Trip: Beals Point

Rock Wren, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Join Sandra Steurer on Saturday, June 4 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm at Beals Point, part of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, for a Family Friendly Field Trip.

This is a great spot for family members of all ages, and this is a good time to find a nice variety of birds. Join Sandra on a 2 to 3 mile walk in the oak woodlands with views of the lake. Recently, in addition to expected species, specialty birds such as Phainopepla, Rock Wrens, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow have been found. There could be some patches of uneven trail. The trip will end before noon. 

Meeting Location: Meet in the parking lot of the Beals Point unit of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area (turn left as you enter the parking lot, to park near the first row).

Directions: The entrance to Beals Point is on Oak Hill Drive off Auburn-Folsom Rd, about 2 miles south of Douglas Blvd and about 3 miles north of Greenback Lane. This is a great trip for beginning birders. 

Parking & Fees: The entrance fee is $12 per car, or you may use a state (not county) park pass.

COVID 19 Precautions:

  • All participants, including field trip leaders, must be vaccinated.

  • Field trip participants should maintain adequate social distance.

  • Field trips leaders are authorized by the Sacramento Audubon Board to cancel field trips stated precautions are not met.

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What To Do If You Find a Baby Bird

House Sparrow Fledgling, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Have you every seen a baby bird in its nest? It is that time of year when, if we are lucky, we get to see baby birds. But what should you do if you find a baby bird out of its nest? The answer may surprise you, but most of the time, you should not do anything.

Fledglings are larger baby birds, with feathers, and the ability to hop. You will often see them fluttering their wings and begging for food. For many species of birds, fledglings leave the nest before they are fully capable of flight. The parents remain nearby helping the young bird. For this reason, if you find a fledgling out the nest, the best practice is to leave it alone. It is doing what it’s supposed to do by trying to leave the nest. If the fledgling is in a dangerous spot, it’s all right to move it. However, don’t move it too far as the parents are probably close by.

Fledgling California Quail with Mother, Image by Ray Rozema

If you find a nestling, it may need your help. Nestlings are small, typically naked, and can only drag themselves on the ground. First look for the nest and try to return it. It’s a myth that baby birds won’t be accepted back by the parents. If a the nest is too high to reach, National Audubon recommends placing “the baby in a shoe box or hanging basket in the tree or shrub that holds the nest. The parents can hear the chick's calls from a relatively long distance”. If a nest can’t be found, a wildlife rehabilitation center is your next step.

 

Stellar Jay with nestlings, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

 

For more information and ideas on what to do if you find a baby bird, check out these resources:

California Raptor Center: What You Should Do If You Find a Baby Raptor
National Audubon: When You Should - and Should Not Help A Baby Bird
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: I Found a Baby Bird - What Should I Do?

Common Merganser with Fledglings, Image by Ray Rozema

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Nature Bowl 2021: The Family Challenge Edition!

Nature Bowl Flyer Picture1.jpg

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Announces

Nature Bowl 2021: Family Challenge Edition

Your challenge is to work together as a family to complete fun and educational nature-themed games and activities. Enjoy a scavenger hunt, find and become native species, invent a family game, figure out nature snapshots and create a nature commercial!

The Nature Bowl 2021: Family Challenge is open to all Californian families with school-age children. The contest runs from March 15 through May 14, 2021.

For more information, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/2/Nature-Bowl

Sign Up Today by contacting genelle.treaster@wildlife.ca.gov

Nature Bowl Flyer Picture2.jpg
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Kids' Christmas Bird Count

For more than 100 years, birders all over the world have looked forward to December, the time of the Christmas Bird Counts. Data gathered from these counts, or CBCs as they are known, is enormously valuable to scientists and other researchers regarding the abundance and distribution of the world’s bird species.

Read more about last year’s Kids’ and Teen CBCs.

Read more about last year’s Kids’ and Teen CBCs.

This year, the pandemic has changed this long tradition. The Kids’ and Teen CBCs for the Sacramento Area have been cancelled. However, while disappointing, this does not mean that children and their families must give up counting birds this winter. Instead, your family can choose a site: a backyard, a nearby park, a school yard, a nature center such as Effie Yeaw, and count the birds you see at that site. There are many options where one might find wintering birds in the Sacramento area.

To be consistent with past CBC dates, you’ll want to count birds the first weekend in January, that is January 2nd or 3rd. Count all the birds you see and keep track of them. This can be for half an hour or all day. Hopefully, you will want to enter them in the citizen science database, eBird. Check out the videos below to learn more about eBird. And if you need help identifying the birds you see, we recommend Merlin Bird ID. You can learn more about Merlin below as well.

Participating in this year’s Christmas Bird Count is a great way to engage with nature and spend some fun time outside. Enjoy!

Introduction to eBird

eBird Tutorial

 

Merlin Bird ID

 
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Exploring Nature from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Laura Drath, Nature Bowl Coordinator, has provided the pdfs below. These pdfs include several activities to encourage students to stay connected to nature in their neighborhoods.

Activities and Resources

Life Forms

Human Life Forms

Students are encouraged to send their completed activities, photos of their nature journals and observations, or anything else they’d like to share. They can email these directly to the CDFW. With permission, CDFW will share some of their work on their website. CA Fish and Wildlife are eager to see what students come up with and how they are learning about and enjoying nature in their neighborhoods!  

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4th Annual Teen Christmas Bird Count Jan. 5, 2020

Twenty teens, parents, and leaders eagerly trekked the trails of William B. Pond Recreational Area in search of birds in the fog - a perfect time to learn how to listen for birds. 

As the walk wrapped up, the fog was burning off and we found we had a total of 59 species of birds, 11 of them being new to this count. 

Thank you to Teen Leaders/Mentors:  Craig DeMartini, Cliff Hawley, David Rosen, Sandra Steurer, and Jane Van Kessel, who made the bird world very engaging to our teens and their families. 

We ate lunch at our traditional Mexican restaurant and had our drawing for door prizes.  Thank you to the SAS membership for donating so many exciting items to choose from.  What a good way to get our teens started in the study and appreciation of birds. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Image by Larry Hickey

Trip highlights mentioned by participants included:  seeing a Cooper’s and Sharp-Shinned Hawk for comparison, flashy color on Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, very cute Bufflehead, and seeing deer swimming in the river as they crossed.  Notable finds were:  Greater White-Fronted Geese and Pine Siskins flying over, a lone Gadwall, Yellow-Billed Magpies, a Hermit Thrush, and Phainopepla.

Bufflehead, Image by Ray Rozema

Bufflehead,
Image by Ray Rozema

by Wendy Warren Money

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Jan 4, 2020 - Kids' Christmas Bird Count

Saturday morning dawned with a thin band of rain and fog going through the Sacramento area and apparently, this discouraged some families from showing up. Thankfully, the weather cleared by the time the families arrived.

Cliff Hawley, Lynne Tweten, Dan Williams, Craig DeMartini and Larry Hickey took two teams out who were able to find 50 species. Everyone’s favorite bird was a cooperative Merlin perched for long enough that everyone was able to look through the scopes and see this beautiful falcon. Children always enjoy the turkeys and they did not disappoint with more than 20 seen by the teams. Deer, especially a stag with large antlers were also fun for the kids to see.

Merlin,
Image by Larry Hickey

Wild Turkey Image by Daniel Brown

Wild Turkey
Image by Daniel Lee Brown

There were so many raffle gifts that all children were able to pick three gifts from the tables – this, of course, is always a hit. After the raffle, Rachael Cowan, the Volunteer Coordinator for Effie Yeaw, brought out Orion, a Swainson’s Hawk who can fly but sadly, is so imprinted on humans we would not be safe, so now he will be cared for permanently by Nature Center staff. He was very calm, and everyone was incredibly impressed with how beautiful he was.

All in all, the children, their families and the SAS leaders all had a grand time!

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