Sunol Heritage Festival This Saturday
The diverse history of the land that is now Sunol Regional Wilderness will be celebrated during the Sunol Heritage Festival, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.Native Americans, Mexican land grant holders, European homesteaders, and cattle ranchers are all part of the story. Activities at the event will include games, live music by The Polka Cowboys, and a special performance, “The Life of Juana Briones,” by Olga Loya. The program will begin with a welcome and land acknowledgement by Muwekma tribal members from 10 to 10:30 a.m. The Polka Cowboys will play from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1 to 2 p.m. Olga Loya will perform at 11:45 a.m. The festival is free of charge. Sunol has a parking fee of $5 per vehicle. Carpooling is encouraged. Food will not be available for sale, so bring a picnic to enjoy in the park. Sunol Wilderness is located at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road, about five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. For information, call 510-544-3249.
Owls take center stage during Family Nature Fun Hour from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15 and 16, in Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Beach, Alameda. Learn all about the night hunters and dissect an owl pellet to find out what they eat. The program is free of charge. The center is at 1253 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Trees so large and visible that they served as a navigational aid for ships entering San Francisco Bay once stood in the grove at Roberts Regional Recreation Area in the Oakland hills. Naturalist Michael Charnofsky will lead a 1½-mile walk at the park from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 15, while discussing theories, mysteries and controversies surrounding the biggest trees in the world. The program is free; parking fees apply. Roberts Recreation Area is located on Skyline Boulevard a mile up the hill from the intersection with Joaquin Miller Road in Oakland. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in the Oakland hills is the locale for one of the Hikes for Tykes excursions, from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. A naturalist will guide the group on a hike of a half-mile or so to explore the park’s geologic features. Parents should bring water and a snack. Strollers are not recommended for this walk. No registration is required and there is no fee. Just show up. The park entrance is on Skyline Boulevard a short distance south of the intersection with Grizzly Peak Boulevard. For information, call 544-3187.
If you like sampling apple cider, the Environmental Education Center at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley is the place to be from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. That’s when you can help naturalist Melissa Fowlks squeeze the juice from apples, learn some cider history from around the globe, then taste a sample of the product. The program is free. The center is at the north end of Tilden’s Central Park Drive, accessible via Canon Drive from Grizzly Peak Boulevard. For information, call 510-544-2233.
And if you are uncertain about in-person activities with spiders, but still would like to know more, there’s a virtual program on both Instagram and Facebook scheduled from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 with Tilden naturalist Trent Pearce. It’s a chance to learn about arachnid anatomy, identification and other spider lore. The Instagram address is https://www.instagram.com/tilden.nature.area/?hl=en. The Facebook address is https://www.facebook.com/tildennaturearea.
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline in Point Richmond is the venue for the next Monday birding walk, from 8 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 17 with naturalist Anthony Fisher. It’s free and no registration is required. Meet at the north parking lot on Dornan Drive. For information, call 510-544-2233.
These programs are just a sample. There are lots of others scheduled in coming days. For the full list, visit the park district website, www.ebparks.org, and click on “Things To Do” at the top of the home page.