The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park is home to many animals, but recently, we’ve had a slew of new residents… the Pokemon!

Have you noticed the world wide craze of Pokemon Go?  People everywhere are transforming from every day citizens into Pokemon Trainers!  Social media has been flooded with posts about Pokemon- and we’ve noticed!  The hashtag #pokeblitz is one of our favorite new things!

As people get outside and play the game, they’re running into animals that peak their curiosity- has this happened to you too?  If it has, we can help!  Take a photo of it and hashtag #pokeblitz.  You may just get an answer about what you’re looking at from a member of the scientific community!  Pretty neat, right?!?!  If you like that, then you’ll love what we’ve got!  The nature center is a joint effort between several partners, including Riverside Citizen Science, an effort to engage the Riverside community in observing and documenting Riverside’s natural environment.  Our free Nature Spotter app lets you do the same thing.  Simply download the app and allow it to locate you via GPS.  Then start spotting things and snapping photos!  The app will email us your photo and we’ll help you identify it!

The Ameal Moore Nature Center is happy to welcome all Poketrainers to the park but would like to give everyone of a few safety reminders:

• Always pay attention to the weather report- extreme temperatures are dangerous
• Always bring plenty of water
• Always wear sun protection
• Always wear appropriate footwear and clothing
• ALWAYS LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING

The park is a wilderness preserve, so please remember that there are wild animals in the park, including coyotes, bobcats, and snakes.  It’s ok to catch Pokemon, but please, don’t try to trap or kill any of our other non-virtual critters (they’re all protected by law!).  We hope you enjoy your time in the park, and do so safely.

Happy catching, Poketrainers!