Junior Ranger Discovery Guide

www.parkhere.org

Some Images ©2006 - www.clipart.com

Your may also download a full-color pdf versionof this guide at www.parkhere.org under the

Education and Jr. Ranger Program links.

www.parkhere.org

Some Images ©2006 - www.clipart.com

Your may also download a full-color pdf versionof this guide at www.parkhere.org under the

Education and Jr. Ranger Program links.

Junior Ranger Discovery Guide

1

Welcome! I’m Ranger Rufus the Bobcat, the mascot for Santa Clara County Parks and I’d like to guide you on a discovery tour of your county parks. County parks are located close to home, yet many are far enough away to make you feel like you’re deep in the wilderness. Where else can you find such diverse habitats as the majestic redwoods on the ridge tops of the Santa Cruz Mountains, ramble through the oak woodlands and grasslands of the Diablo range and wind up at the wetlands of San Francisco Bay without ever leaving your own county park system?

This guide is designed to help you learn about and explore some wonderful parks in the Santa Clara County park system. To earn your official Junior Park Ranger patch, complete as many of the activities on the following pages as you like (14 minimum). There is no deadline to finish. Then, ask an adult to review your work and place his or her initials next to the activities you completed. When you’re done, you have two ways to request your patch:

1. Fax this page (with your name, address, initialed activities, and park names) to 408-323-0943. 2. Mail the bottom half of this page (with your name, address, initialed activities, and the parks you visited

to complete this guide) to me at the address below.

Ranger Rufus, Casa Grande 21350 Almaden Road San Jose, CA, 95120

Cut along this line - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cut along this line

Be sure to fill out your contact information here so I know where to send your patch. By the way, names and addresses are used only for mailing the patch to you. Santa Clara County Parks will not share your information or sell it to any other party. Allow 2-3 weeks to receive your patch.

Your name: ____________________________________________________________

Street Address: _________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: ____________________________________________________

Junior Ranger Checklist — Remember to get an adult’s initials and complete at least 14 activities. (If you want to do more, that’s great!)

Activity Page # Initials Activity Page # Initials Park Activities 3 Food Chains and Owl Pellets 18 Running with the Rangers 4 Food Webs 19 Heads Up! 5 Visit a Real Ranch House 20 Habitats–Ridge Top to Bay 6-7 Park Wildflowers 21 County Park Habitats 8 Down by the Old Park Stream 22 Hidden Animals 9 The F.B.I.? In a Creek? 23 Redwood “5 Senses” 10 The Ohlone at Chitactac 24 Home, Sweet Log Home 11 Wetland Beaks 25 Oak Tree Condominium 12-13 California State Symbols 26-27 Animal Tracks 14-15 “Any Park” Scavenger Hunt 28 New Almaden Mining Museum 16 Program at a County Park 29 Oak Galls 17 Program at a County Park 29

Park(s) I visited to complete these activities are ______________________________________________

Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation

2

Finding Habitats in Santa Clara County Parks

Habitat Parks

Redwood Forest Mount Madonna, Sanborn Skyline, Stevens Creek, Upper Stevens Creek, Uvas Canyon, Villa Montalvo

Oak Woodland Almaden Quicksilver, Anderson Lake, Calero, Chitactac-Adams, Coyote Lake, Grant, Motorcycle, Rancho San Antonio, Santa Teresa, Uvas Reservoir

Grassland Chesbro Reservoir, Coyote Lake, Ed Levin, Field Sports, Grant, Lexington Reservoir, Motorcycle, Rancho San Antonio, Santa Teresa

Riparian Anderson Lake, Chitactac-Adams, Coyote Creek, Hellyer, Los Gatos Creek, Motorcycle, Penitencia Creek, Sanborn Skyline, Stevens Creek, Uvas Canyon, Uvas Creek, Vasona Lake

Bay, Estuary Alviso Marina, Sunnyvale Baylands


3

Park Activities

Use the chart above to answer the following questions.

1. Where can I…

ride my horse? _______________________________________________________________________

practice archery? ______________________________________________________________________

camp with my family? _________________________________________________________________

ride a motorcycle? ____________________________________________________________________

go power boating? ____________________________________________________________________

2. Circle the parks that you’ve visited before.

3. Put a star next to a park above that you haven’t been to yet, but would like to visit.


4

Running with the Rangers

As you explore some of your local parks, you may come across some of my PARK RANGER partners. Rangers have many RESPONSIBILITIES. Rangers PATROL their parks every day to make sure that everything is running smoothly. They may use a truck, horse, motorcycle, boat, bicycle, or their feet to patrol and will use a radio to REPORT conditions to other park staff. It takes a great deal of MAINTENANCE to operate a park. From picking up LITTER to posting SIGNS to keeping the TRAILS clean and safe, a Park Ranger does it all! A Park Ranger must also make sure that the NATURAL RESOURCES, such as the plants and animals, in the park are not disturbed. A Park Ranger acts as a TEACHER by giving park visitors INFORMATION about the resources so that they can help to PROTECT them too. Sometimes Park Rangers have to remind uncooperative visitors about the park rules with a TICKET. As anywhere, ACCIDENTS can happen in a park. Fortunately, Park Rangers are trained to deal with EMERGENCIES and provide FIRST AID. During the summer months when it is hot and dry, fires may occur in parks, so Park Rangers are also trained in FIREFIGHTING. If a park has a CAMPGROUND, Park Rangers check in campers, collect fees, and make sure that the overnight guests are SAFE. As you can see, Park Rangers do a VARIETY of things which is probably why they like their jobs so much.

Can you find the words in all CAPITAL LETTERS in the Word Search Puzzle below?

P A R K R A N G E R L T I C K E T O M R S VM C S D G J L H U R K L R L J F K L A T R FR C T J R E P O R T J K F A T V A R I E T YP I N F O R M A T I O N G K I G K R N O R LP D R H F K L U H F N U O F P L I T T E R DR E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S S M E L G BO N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S T N G L PT T F F J L Y O A R T O K S I G N S A U T AE S E M E R G E N C I E S T P A R T N L J TC A M P G R O U N D T O L A S T E A C H E RT S R M F I R E F I G H T I N G T J E F K OS R K L G O M T R O L G D D H O P G R E T L

See if you can find a Park Ranger or other Park employee and ask what part of his or her job they like the best.

Park Ranger/Employee Name

What does he or she likes the best?

If you were a Park Ranger, what part of the job do you think you might like best?


5

Heads Up!

Let’s talk about the need to be aware of some of the potential dangers or hazards when exploring our natural and wild areas. There are some things you may come across in our parks that could harm you. You can explore safely if you know what to avoid.

See if you can figure out what animal, insect or plant is being described and write its name in the blanks provided. Once you’ve filled in all the blanks, transfer the letters that match the numbers below and you will find an important message.

You may use this Word Bank to help you complete this page: ground, jacket, lion, mountain, nettle, oak, poison, rattlesnake, squirrel, stinging, tick, yellow This poisonous reptile is most recognized by its triangle-shaped head and tail rattle.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 12 20

This parasite feeds on blood. It waits in the brush and then hitches a ride on humans or animals as they pass by. Some species can transmit the deadly Lyme disease to humans.

__ __ __ __ 1

“Leaves of three, let it be,” is a common rhyme used to help identify this plant. Its oily leaves cause an itchy skin rash to develop on those who are allergic to it.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 3 13

This plant’s leaves and stems are covered with tiny hairs that contain formic acid. This toxin causes an immediate stinging feeling upon contact that lasts a few hours. (hint: rhymes with ringing kettle)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 9 17 18

This insect is found buzzing around picnic tables looking for bits of food and liquid. It is most known for its painful sting which can be given over and over, unlike a honeybee who can only sting once.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 5 6 4

This is the largest predator animal in Santa Clara County. It is usually seen alone and hunts during late night or early morning hours. Deer are its favorite food.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 10 2 15

This cute ground-dwelling animal is often seen searching for human handouts in picnic areas and campsites. In rare cases it can transmit rabies and carry plague-infested fleas.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 19 8 7 16 14 11

Your Important Message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20


6

Habitats – Ridge Top to Bay

If you’ve got your crayons or colored pencils handy, why not add some color to this sketch…


7

As we begin our exploration of our many wondrous County Parks, we’ll start high up on the ridge top of Sanborn Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains where we can see the Santa Clara Valley spreading out below us. The valley is home to many kinds of plants and animals and each animal needs his or her own special type of habitat to survive. A habitat is another name for where an animal lives. For example, a tree can be a habitat or a stream can be a habitat. But there are four things that can be found in all habitats! No animal, including you and me, can survive without these four things. Can you name the four things? Unscramble the words below to find out.

ODOF +

REWAT +

TERLEHS +

CESAP =

BATHITA

Each animal must find different things to meet its habitat needs. Assuming you and all the animals given have the correct amount of space, fill in the table below with the remaining habitat needs and where they would look to find them.

List the parts of a habitat below

For each of the things you listed explain how YOU meet those needs

Explain how a BOBCAT meets

those needs

Explain how a SCRUB JAY meets those

needs

Explain how a STEELHEAD TROUT meets those needs

eats small animals

sips from a stream or lake

sleeps in a hollow log

SPACE live in a

neighborhood lives in an oak

woodland

lives in an oak woodland,

riparian area

lives in a riparian area

Now head out into any park or other natural area of your choice and find an animal. Name that animal

and describe how its habitat meets its needs.


8

County Park Habitats We better get moving if we’re going to see all the habitats of Santa Clara County’s parks. Sometimes as we hike, we see only the green of the plants surrounding us. Have you ever noticed how many different trees there are in a forest? Use this mini-field guide to help identify some of the various trees you find. You should be able to find and circle at least three of the trees shown below. Did you know that you could tell what type of habitat you’re in by the plants?

Redwood Habitat Coast Redwood scale-like leaves, about ½” long, green above with two white bands below

Douglas Fir ¾ to 1½” long, flat needles, growing in two rows, cones are 2-3½” long with three bracts showing – look like mouse tails and feet

Big Leaf Maple 10-20” long, dark green on top, smooth edges, “helicopter” seeds

Tanoak 2½-5” long, shiny light green above, whitish or yellow hairs below, thick and leathery, produces acorns but not a true oak

Pacific Madrone 1-3” long, shiny dark green above, paler below, egg shaped, thick and leathery, bark is red and peeling

Oak Woodland Habitat

Coast Live Oak 1-2” long, holly-like leaves, shiny top surface

Valley Oak 3-4” long, deeply lobed, deep green above, paler below

Bay Laurel 3-5” long, slender leaf, peppery smell when rubbed

California Buckeye 5 leaflets on a stem, leaflets are 3-7” long, dark green, large round seed pods

Gray Pine needles are 7-14” long in clusters of three, gray-green

Riparian (water environment) Habitat California Sycamore 5-11” wide, light yellow-green, hairy beneath, mottled bark

Fremont Cottonwood 1½-3”, long, yellow-green, shiny and thick

California Black Walnut 9-17 leaflets on stem, leaflets are 8-15” long

Willow 18 different species, 2-6” long, narrow

Red Alder 2-6” long, deep yellow-green, paler underneath

Field Ruler (Inches) 1 2 3 4 5 6


9

The Redwood Forest – Hidden Animals Since we’re at the ridge top, let’s explore the habitat of a redwood forest. The coast redwood is one of the tallest and oldest trees in the world. It grows to nearly 300 feet in height and lives for over 2,000 years. Lots of animals live here. Can you find and circle them?

Find the 8 hidden animals and circle them…

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Now, head out into the park and take a look at the largest tree you can find. Make a list of all the animals (both large and small) that you see using the tree. Look both high and low.


10

Redwood “5 Senses” Did you know that sometimes it rains in the redwood forest without raining anywhere else? Coast redwoods release lots of water vapor from their scale-like leaves. When the water hits the cold air, it turns into droplets that fall to the ground like rain. Connect the numbers to find one of the creatures that thrives on this moisture.

You can find the bright yellow banana slug if you dig through the leaf litter (fallen and decaying leaves on the ground). If you find one, be careful! They’re very slimy; banana slugs move around on a thick trail of mucus that they make. It prevents them from drying out and protects them from sharp things like thorns, rocks or broken glass. The slime also tastes very bad and is hard to get off, so most predators leave adult slugs alone.

It’s hard to believe that this little creature is very important to the redwood habitat. You see, banana slugs eat almost everything on the forest floor, except for redwood seedlings. Without the banana slug, other plants might out-compete redwoods for food, water, and sunlight. Hooray for banana slugs!

Now, find a quiet spot to sit and take it all in. Look, listen, smell and touch/feel, to help you complete the following sentences. Then write down what the last thing you ate tasted like.

5 Senses Sentences

Can you name the 5 senses?

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

The colors of the trees look…

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

The birds nearby sound…

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________ The air today smells…

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

The clothes I’m wearing feel…

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

The last thing I ate tasted…

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

When you’re finished, color this creature yellow!

This image cannot currently be displayed.


11

Home, Sweet Log Home

Lots of other small creatures like insects don’t have the same “slime protection” as the banana slug. Luckily, a

lot of them can find shelter in dead trees and logs lying on the ground. In fact, a dead log houses more life than

the tree did when it was alive. Burrowing beetles and termites feed on the wood and create dazzling designs.

Spider webs fill every nook and cranny. Newts and centipedes hunt for insects. Birds and rodents are close by.

Can you follow the burrowing beetle as he makes his way past all these creatures?

Now, find a real downed log and investigate the life within and beneath. Remember to be gentle with the log.

It is home, sweet home for the creatures who live there. If you move it to look underneath, put the log right

back where it originally was so the creatures don’t dry out.

List or draw what you find – or do both!


12

Oak Tree Condominium


13

Moving down through the valley, you might not notice that your surroundings change. The evergreen forests of redwood, Douglas fir and madrone are replaced by many oak species and other deciduous (those that lose their leaves during the winter) trees. Many insects, birds, and mammals rely on these oaks as a food and shelter source while other animals feed on insects that are attracted to the oaks. Calero County Park is a perfect example of an OAK WOODLAND HABITAT.

On the opposite page, match each creature by placing its number in the circle placed where it uses the oak tree.

1. acorn woodpecker – pecks at trunk

2. bobcat – sleeps on branches

3. deer – forages on leaves

4. wasp – lays eggs on branches

5. owl – nests in medium trunk cavity

6. caterpillar – chews on leaves

7. salamander – hides in small trunk cavity

8. small bird – scratches in leaf litter for insects

9. hawk – perches on top branches to look for prey

Be a poet today and write a 5-line poem called a cinquain (pronounced SING cane). You might use any of the creatures shown on this page, an oak tree, a creek, or anything else in the park that interests you. Here’s how to write a cinquain using a caterpillar as the subject…

1st line—a 1 word title, the subject of your cinquain

2nd line—2 adjectives that describe your subject

3rd line—3 “ing” verbs that describe your subject’s actions

4th line—a phrase that gives more information about your subject

5th line—a synonym (word with same meaning) for your subject

caterpillar

leggy, colorful

crawling, chewing, growing

hint of future beauty

butterfly

Now it’s your turn. Give it a try – it’s easy!

1st _____________________________________________________________________________

2nd _____________________________________________________________________________

3rd _____________________________________________________________________________

4th _____________________________________________________________________________

5th _____________________________________________________________________________


14

Animal Tracks In canyons, where there is shade and usually water, trees and plants grow in abundance. Since they provide lots of food and shelter, there are lots of animals here too. We can’t always see them, but they do leave us signs that they’re around: feathers, bits of bones or fur, eaten leaves, animal droppings (called scat), and footprints (called tracks). To find the best tracks, look for soft dirt or sand. Use this guide to find out who’s been hanging around and circle the tracks you find. (Circle at least 2.) All tracks on these 2 pages are about half size so use the ruler to help you match tracks to the animal. Animal tracks can sometimes be hard to spot – if you can’t find 2 tracks to circle, draw at least 5 of the animals

next to their tracks.

Field Ruler (Inches)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mountain Lion 6½” X 5” actual size with

front and back feet

Bobcat 4” X 2 2/3” actual size with

front and back feet

Coyote 3 ¼” X 2 ¼” actual size

Gray Fox 2 ¼” X 2 ¼” actual size

Hey…these are mine!


15

Field Ruler (Inches)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Boar 3 ½” X 2 ¾” actual size

Deer 4 ½” X 2 2/3” actual size

Opossum 4” X 4 2/3” actual size with

front and back feet

Skunk 4 ½” X 3 1/3” actual size with

front and back feet Raccoon

4” X 4 1/3” actual size with front and back feet


16

New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum

Hidden within the oak studded hills of Almaden Quicksilver County Park lie the remains of a once bustling mining town. It’s also home to the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum that is located in Casa Grande, once the elegant home of the mine managers who worked here. So before (or after) you head out on the woodland trails for hiking, bicycling, riding horses and wildlife viewing, take a walk back into time and learn about mercury and the first official mine in the state of California. Visit the exhibits and displays. Listen to Sounds from the Mine and A Day in the Mine. These will all help you match the following words to their best description. Have fun! And if you get stuck, ask a Docent or Park Interpreter to point you in the right direction.

1. Ohlone

2. cinnabar

3. mercury

4. escalera

5. ore car

6. whale pot

7. thermometer

8. chalkboard

9. pagoda

10. St. Anthony’s

_____ also called quicksilver, it’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature

_____ scientific instrument that uses mercury

_____ large wheeled vehicle used to haul ore from place to place

_____ used for lessons in the New Almaden school

_____ long before the Europeans, they dug cinnabar from a cave and used it as body paint

_____ Catholic Church that still stands in New Almaden

_____ an early retort (or oven) used to process ore to extract mercury

_____ bright red-orange ore containing mercury

_____ gift to New Almaden from the emperor of China

_____ notched pole used as a ladder in the New Almaden Mine

Along the trails up in the park, miners and their families built houses, schools and churches into the steep hillsides. Many of these families came from faraway places and left friends in other states and countries. Imagine you are a small child living on “Mine Hill” and write a letter to a friend or family member left behind when your family moved to New Almaden.

______/______/1883 (month) / (day)

Dear ________________________________,


17

Oak Galls

The life of a California oak gall wasp begins in a hard, wood-like material that’s about half the size of a baseball called a gall. And, the oak tree makes the gall for the wasp!

Adult wasps lay their eggs on oak tree branches. When they hatch, the eggs ooze an irritating liquid onto the branch. In response, the tree starts to grow a shell around it. This shell becomes both a home and food source for the wasp larvae. As the larvae grow, they eat the pulpy material inside the gall. When they are ready to leave as adults, they tunnel out – if you look closely, you can see small, round holes where they leave the gall.

Help the larva travel through the “oak gall maze” so it can become an adult wasp.

See if you can find an oak gall lying beneath an oak tree. (Valley oaks are the best host plant of oak galls.) Pick one up and look for the telltale holes that a wasp has been there. Count the holes in the gall. How many did you find? _______ Next, using the box to your right, make a sketch of the oak gall you examined to take home with you. Remember, you can’t take any of the natural resources out of the parks.


18

Food Chains and Owl Pellets As we leave the cool canyon behind, the trees thin out and give way to grasses.

Ed Levin Park and Joseph D. Grant Park in the east foothills have mostly grassland habitat. These open fields

offer lots of hunting opportunities for animals, both big and small. These grasslands give us a great chance to

talk about food chains and food webs.

A food chain describes how some animals eat other plants or animals to survive. Here are the basics:

The sun is the

source of energy that

allows plants to

grow.

Decomposers convert dead plants and

animals to minerals and gases. Some

examples are fungi (such as

mushrooms, toadstools

and mold), bacteria and insects.

Producers are green plants that

use non-living things like minerals

and gases to create life. Some

examples are grasses, flowers,

trees, wild onions, carrots, etc.

Consumers—Carnivores (eat meat,

other animals.) Some examples are

owls, hawks, snakes,

mountain lions and foxes

Consumers—Herbivores (eat plants.)

Some examples are deer, insects such

as butterflies, turkeys, and

rabbits.

As an example of a food chain: the sun supplies energy for grass to grow a mouse

eats grass seeds a hawk eats the mouse mushrooms decompose mouse bones

into soil.

What’s an owl pellet? Well, it’s evidence of part of a food chain. Owls are

carnivores but don’t have teeth for chewing. Instead, they swallow their small prey

whole. Soft tissue passes into the digestive system but bone, fur, teeth and feathers

are compressed into a pellet that is later regurgitated or thrown up. These pellets are

often found under large trees where owls roost. There are many bird species that are

known to regurgitate pellets, such as hawks and eagles, but the barn owl is known to

produce one of the best pellets for dissection. Instead of your hands, use two twigs to open the pellet up and see

the remains of the owl’s last meal. See if you can find the skull in the owl pellet to the right…

Now, take a walk around the park you are visiting. Can you find any evidence of a food chain in the park? It

doesn’t have to be an owl pellet! Some of the things you could be looking for are chewed leaves, bones,

feathers, fur or an owl pellet. List what you find here.

1.

2.

3.


19

Food Webs A food web is a picture or diagram that illustrates the “eating relationships” of the plants and animals in a certain area. To be blunt, a food web shows who is eating what and whom. Now, examine the picture below. Connect each animal to its food source – there may be more than one. For example, a bobcat eats mice, and birds.

Look closely at this food web and list three animals that form a food chain: (Remember, we talked about food chains on page 18.)

1. 2. 3.


20

Visit a Real Ranch House (and Barn and Chicken Coop!)

Nestled among the rolling grassy hillsides of Santa Teresa Park is the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch

House. It was once home to families descended from the founders of Rancho Santa Teresa. Here’s a

crossword puzzle that uses words that are closely related to the rancho – complete the puzzle as you

visit the ranch house and learn more about the history of this fascinating place.

Word Bank: bear, blue, chamber pot, diseño, hacienda, Illinois, marl, pegs, pueblo, rancho, Singer,

spring, square, vaquero, violin.

1 2 3

4

5 6

7 8 9

10

11

12 13

14

15

Across Down

7. brand name of the ice box in the kitchen

9. clothes were hung on the bedroom wall with

these

10. a “toilet-in-a-bowl”

13. Spanish for cowboy

14. _____-and-bull fights were once held here at

the rancho

15. Spanish for town

1. source of water coming from the ground

2. musical instrument on the reed organ in

parlor

3. simple, hand drawn map or sketch

4. Spanish for large estate or farm

5. Spanish for ranch

6. shape of nails used to build the ranch house

8. brand name of the sewing machine in parlor

11. fertilizer once mined on ranch property

12. color of some eggs in the chicken coop

Once you’ve finished the crossword puzzle, ask a Docent or Park Interpreter

for materials and instructions to make a phenakistoscope, a toy that

children may have played with when they lived here. Which design did you

choose?

______________________________________________


21

Park Wildflowers Our changing seasons can be told by the beautiful wildflowers often seen along the trails in our County Parks. Color in the wildflowers on this page using the description. Then, hike along a trail and draw some of the wildflowers you see. If it’s not the right season for wildflowers, color these and then draw 2-3 other plants that you can identify.

Lupine (right): dark, purplish blue flowers, green leaves and stems

California poppy (left): bright orange flowers, gray-green leaves and stems


22

Down by the Old Park Stream Many of our County Parks have beautiful creeks and streams and trails that run alongside them. Sit alongside one of these creeks or imagine yourself there. The habitat in and around a stream is called a riparian habitat. If you sit very quietly you may see some others who’ve come to visit the stream for a cool drink or bite to eat. What do you see? Fish jumping? Ducks paddling in the water? Birds walking on the ground or flying overhead? A turtle sunning itself on a log? A frog hiding in the reeds? Draw and color the animals you see or hear. Add any plants you see as well.


23

The F.B.I.? In a Creek? Insects are an important link in the food chain. Not only do lots of animals rely on them for food, but they’re members of the F.B.I. of decomposers. F.B.I. stands for fungus, bacteria, and insects. Because of their small size, they are often overlooked, but without them we’d be in a heap of garbage – literally. Fungus, bacteria and insects break down dead things like logs, dried leaves and animal carcasses, so they can be recycled back into the habitat. Even some of the aquatic insects are decomposers. Without them our streams would be clogged and diseases would run rampant. But like everything else, even decomposers are part of the food we eat. Connect the numbers to see who eats some of the insects.

Once you’ve finished connecting the numbers, color the creature in browns, grays, reds or any other color you like.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

While insects work so hard to keep creeks clean and healthy, they, and even I, can’t do it alone. What are some things that you can do to help with this important job? List at least 3 things below.


24

The Ohlone at Chitactac Fish and other animals use the creeks flowing within Santa Clara County as their highways. If we follow the riparian habitat along Uvas Creek, we come to a place that was home to Ohlone Indians for almost three thousand years. Complete this Word Search by circling the words listed just below the puzzle. Then take a short hike along the creek to read the interpretive signs – discover how these things were used and why they were important to the Ohlone who lived at Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park.

A F V I L L A G E S T E S T R I N GC O O K I N G S T O N E O I B F O Z C L A M S Q U A E N S U B P N W I C L I J E R O I S F P H A S T B E N OA V D R A Z U V I L A G I A O B W P F E R F T O N O R W M X D E C O Y A G L I O H L O N E T A B I C B W P R P L L E K G A U M A N Z A N I T A R E A L W L V K H A T C D N A I D C OS U J D M Y S M K T Y E A D S R O WT E H I O C E F I O E A B O A T R S L D C X R H O B N O O G A H L Y N QE U E L T I B N G F P L L I M Z S T B C K E A A J I K Q U E O G O T R QS K R Q R N O F I S H I N G N E T U U S M P T R O U T R S L E U H V M A F C O S T A N O A N T X O C W K J I V T C O Y O T E B A S K E T S N R L

ABALONE COOKING STONE MANZANITA SALMON ACORNS COSTANOAN MORTAR SHAMAN ARROWS COYOTE OAKS SINEW BASKETS DECOY OBSIDIAN STRING BOAT DEER OHLONE TATTOO BOW DRILL OLIVELLA TROUT CHERT DUCKS PESTLE TULE HOUSE CHIA FIREMAKING KIT QUAIL VILLAGES CLAMS FISHING NET RABBIT

Complete the following sentences:

The park looks

I can smell

The creek sounds

When I touch the trail it feels


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Wetland Beaks If we were to walk downstream along the Guadalupe River or Coyote Creek we’d end up at Alviso Marina County Park on the southern edge of San Francisco Bay. Does the air smell different to you? Saltier maybe? Even muddier? That smell comes from the salt of the bay’s ocean water and exposed mud flats. Sometimes the wetland habitat is totally covered by water. Other times, the water moves out, leaving lots of muddy ground. Within this mud is a banquet of food for wetland birds. These birds have different beak shapes and sizes to help them eat the foods of the tidal flats. Can you match each of the birds below to its correct beak? Just place the correct numbers in the blanks below.

a. The American avocet’s beak is long, pointed and curves upward at the end. It uses its beak to quickly sweep side-to-side below the water’s surface to collect tiny insects suspended in the water.

_____

b.

The Northern shoveler is named after the shape of its beak that looks much like a shovel. The beak’s broad, flat shape allows it to strain small plants and insects from the water’s surface or from the muddy bottom.

_____

c. The brown pelican has a very large bill with a deep pouch to hold several fish at once. It flies over the water searching for schools of fish. When it finds a target, it dives headfirst into the water to collect its meal.

_____

d.

The great blue heron’s long, sharp beak is used to stab at its quick-moving prey. It is known for dining on meals of fish, frogs, mice and insects at the water’s edge. It stands as still as a statue and then strikes quickly.

_____

e.

The turkey vulture’s hooked beak is similar to those of hawks, eagles and other raptors. It is used to tear apart the flesh of large prey. This bird is a scavenger and feeds only on dead carcasses and road kill.

_____


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California State Symbols Santa Clara County Parks are part of the great state of California. Test your California State I.Q. below:

1. (this page) – Unscramble the name of each California symbol (state bird, state flower, state mineral, etc.),

2. (opposite page) – Match each symbol with the fact describing it.

3. When you’re finished unscrambling and matching, circle the symbols that you think you might find in a Santa Clara County Park.

Here’s a Word Bank to help: Bear, Butterfly, California, Desert, Dogface, Gold, Gray, Grizzly, Golden, Poppy, Quail, Redwood, Serpentine, Tortoise, Trout, Whale

1. PSNENRITEE

2. RAFCILNOAI DOOREDW

3. SEETDR TISTROEO

4. OLGD

5. LIRNAIAOCF POPYP

6. CEODAGF FUBTYRETL

7. LAONACFIRI LIQUA

8. LODNEG TUTRO

9. RAYG WEAHL

10. ZYGRILZ BERA


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Place numbers from the unscrambled words on the opposite page in the blanks below to match our state symbols:

_____ flower—brilliant orange, cup-shaped

flowers; bluish-gray leaves and stems

_____ marine mammal—weighs 30-40 tons; name comes from gray and white markings on its dark skin

_____ bird—small, brown-gray; lives on the ground; has curved feather on forehead

_____ mammal—brown; weighs up to 1,500

pounds; no longer found in California

_____ tree—tallest trees in the world

_____ mineral—shiny, yellow metal that doesn’t tarnish

_____ reptile—8”-15” long; has a domed shell

_____ fish—brilliant gold sides with a red band; lives in cold lakes and streams

_____ butterfly—yellow or yellow-and-black; its wing pattern is said to resemble a dog’s face

_____ rock—apple-green to black in color; usually shiny with a “soapy” feel and white markings on its dark skin


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“Any Park” Scavenger Hunt Let’s take a walk through the park (any park you are visiting) and go on a scavenger hunt. Put a check () in the box next to as many, but at least 6, of the following you can find. Then, if you know what kind of butterfly, bird, insect, animal track, etc., write out its name in the bottom of the square. For example, you may see either a gray squirrel or a red squirrel, a scrub jay or a robin, etc.

Please stay on the trail and don’t disturb any plants, animals or their homes. And remember a park’s golden rule: take only memories (or photographs) and leave only footprints.

Butterfly Acorn Bird Nest Spider Web

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Feather Squirrel Wildflower Bird

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Nature Sound Insect Litter Animal Tracks

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________


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Programs at a County Park Did you know that Park Rangers and Interpreters offer some great programs right at many of our county parks? Did you know that you may use up to 2 of these programs to count toward earning your patch? Pick up a Play Here brochure at a park visitor center or kiosk for current programs, their locations and times. If you’re already camping in a county park, check the postings for scheduled campfire programs. If you haven’t left for a park just yet, go online at www.parkhere.org for a calendar of events. To give you an idea of what you might expect, some typical programs are:

Nature walks and hikes

History walks and historic house tours

Movie nights and puppet shows

Star Party events where you can explore the night sky with a telescope

Wildlife talks

Program #1

What was the title of the program you attended?

Which park offered the program?

Date?

List 2 things you learned:

1.

2.

What did you like best about this program?

Program #2

What was the title of the program you attended?

Which park offered the program?

Date?

List 2 things you learned:

1.

2.

What did you like best about this program?


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Congratulations on completing this Junior Ranger Discovery Guide. Now you can help me keep our Santa Clara County Parks healthy for future generations…yours and mine! You can remember our time together by making the following pledge whenever you visit your local Santa Clara County Park lands….

“I will do my best to support and enjoy our Santa Clara County Parks. I will obey all park rules and not harm

any plants or animals that live there. I will leave only footprints and take

away only memories.” Remind your friends and family to: Pick up and dispose of litter Recycle whenever possible Stay on park trails Keep pets on leashes Take away photos and memories, but leave

natural objects in their place.

And best of all, Go Outside And Play!

Hope you had fun…and hope to see you soon!

5416 REV 6/14Printed on recycled paper. Printed with Soy Based inks.

Documents

Junior Ranger Discovery Guide