Chochenyo Language Trail Markers at Coyote Hills
Visitors to Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont will find that 35 trail markers there will include a translation in Chochenyo, the language of the park’s First Peoples. The area including Coyote Hills is the ancestral homeland of the Tuibun Ohlone peoples, who have thrived with the land and spoken the Chochenyo language since time immemorial. “The new trail markers honor a request by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to restore original place names at Coyote Hills and integrate them into park signage,” said Park District Board Director Ayn Wieskamp. “The new trail markers are also an important interpretive feature that connects to the visitor center’s educational programming and Chochenyo language welcome sign.”
“We are grateful to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and their language committee for their translations and efforts to restore Chochenyo words to Coyote Hills,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “The Chochenyo language trail markers help advance the park district’s mission of preserving our parkland’s rich heritage of natural and cultural resources.” The first five trail markers were unveiled in November, coinciding with Native American Heritage Month. Remaining trail markers will be installed over the next six months. “Makkin Mak Nommo, which means ‘we are still here’,” said Monica Arellano, Muwekma Ohlone vice chairwoman and co-chair of the Muwekma Language Committee. “When people see the language and the land, they see the connection and realize that Muwekma are still present, alive, and thriving.” Ohlone People continue to practice their culture and traditions today, including relearning, restoring and re-teaching the Chochenyo language.
While you’re at Coyote Hills, drop in on the visitor center’s Discovery on Demand program. From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, the naturalist staff will lead a variety of hands-on activities, investigations and craft projects. All ages are welcome; parent participation is required. Programs and exhibits at Coyote Hills highlight the park’s natural and cultural history, including the park’s Ohlone cultural heritage. Coyote Hills is located at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the programs are free. For information, call 510-544-3220.
There’s a free “Woodland Wonderland” program from 3:30 to 5 p.m. every Friday in November and December at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore, featuring a different plant or animal each time. Coyotes are the topic on Friday, Dec. 16. All ages are welcome; children must have adult participation. Meet at the visitor center. Or you can discover your artistic talents with “Nature Crafts” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the center. Del Valle Regional Park is at the end of Del Valle Road off Mines Road about nine miles south of Livermore. There’s a parking fee of $6 per vehicle. For information, call 510-544-3146.
Beautiful views of San Francisco Bay, harbor seals, overwintering birds, and a historic warship will be the rewards of a free, naturalist-led Saturday Stroll from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, starting at Encinal Beach in Alameda. This is a flat, 3½-mile walk. Registration is not required. For information and directions, call Crab Cove Visitor Center at 510-544-3187.
Eggnog ice cream is on the menu during a program from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17 in the Environmental Education Center at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley. Naturalist Jenna Collins will preside as the group makes a frozen version of the traditional drink. The program is free and registration is not required. The center is at the north end of Tilden’s Central Park Drive. For information, call 510-544-2233.
Or you can find out how beavers engineer dams, learn why they are necessary for the Delta, then build your own edible beaver dam using treats provided by the visitor center at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. The program is from 11 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Dec. 18 at the visitor center. It’s free and registration is not necessary; parent participation is required. Big Break is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street. For information, call 510-544-3050.
There are lots of great programs offered at regional park visitor centers. For the full schedule, visit www.ebparks.org/things-to-do. Incidentally, all regional parks will be open on Dec. 25, although the visitor centers will be closed.
