Busy Buzzy Bees and Other EBRPD Events
Bees, those ever-active pollinators, are the stars of several programs in the East Bay Regional Park District this coming weekend.
For starters, “Busy Buzzy Bees” is the theme of Family Nature Fun Hour from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, in the Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove in Alameda, with the interpretive staff. Crab Cove is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. The program is free, and registration is not necessary. For information, call 510-544-3187. Or you can join a “Hunt for Pollinators” from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, at Sunol Regional Wilderness with naturalist Kristina Parkison.
Learn how bees and other pollinators are crucial to fruit, flowers and more. The program is for ages five and older; parent participation is required. Registration is not necessary, but space will be limited. Sign-ups are at the visitor center on the day of the program on a first-come, first-served basis. Sunol Regional Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road, five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. The information phone number is 510-544-3249. Call before attending, to be certain the park is open and the program will proceed. As a result of winter storms, Geary Road has been closed occasionally due to rockslides.
Busy bees are also the focus of a program from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 30 at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, with naturalist Christina Garcia. Check out the beehive, learn the bees’ waggle dance, and taste some honey. Ardenwood is at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, just north of Highway 84. Ardenwood admission fees apply; the bee program and parking are free. For information, call 510-544-2797. And a series of naturalist-led spring excursions is underway in eastern Contra Costa County in search of flowers, bees, butterflies, birds and other aspects of nature. The programs are free, but advance registration is required. These programs are for ages nine and older with parent participation. Trails can be steep; average hikes are three to five miles. Bring water, snacks and hand lenses/binoculars. The next program in the series is from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, at Diablo Foothills Regional Park in Walnut Creek with naturalist Kevin Dixon. To register for the program, visit: www.ebparks.org/things-to-do or call 888-327-2757 and select option 2. Heavy rain may cancel. For information and closure notification, call 510-544-2750.
From ancient times to the present day, the Ohlone people have enjoyed games of skill and chance. Visitors can learn to play some of the games, win prizes, and make their own games to take home during a program from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29, at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, led by naturalist Erin Blackwood. The program is free, open to all ages (with parent participation), and no registration is required. Meet at the visitor center, which is wheelchair accessible. Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle. For information, call 510-544 3220.
Activities for visitors with all levels of ability are planned during All Abilities Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. The event is wheelchair accessible. Visitors will be able to travel along paved trails to stations where they can touch fur, listen to birds, draw wildlife, sit on benches to scan the water, or paint the view. There will be indoor and outdoor options. American Sign Language and Spanish interpreters will be available. The program is free of charge and registration is not necessary. Big Break Regional Shoreline is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street. For information, call 510-544-3050.
These are just a few of the programs scheduled in the Regional Parks in coming days. For full information, visit the website, www.ebparks.org/things-to-do. And be sure to check the “Alerts and Closures” item near the top of the home page to be sure the Regional Park or trail you wish to visit is open.