My Sycamore Canyon
Volunteer!
Volunteering with the City of Riverside can be a fun and rewarding activity. The nature center is always happy to have volunteers help staff various educational events. For more information, please contact Jessica Ochoa at JOchoa@riversideca.gov
We’re looking forward to working with you!
Discovery Days at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum
Every 3rd Wednesday of the month the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (the Ameal Moore Nature Center’s parent site) hosts a free family friendly event called Discovery Days. Each event is themed, loaded full of information, and has a fun craft activity! This past Discovery Days event, the topic was the Sycamore Canyon! The staff at the nature center was happy to be at the museum to educate visitors about the park, the animals in it, and provide safety information as well as upcoming event information.
If you missed this event, don’t worry! The museum does this every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 1:30-4:30pm! Future topics include:
September 16, 2015: Desert Tortoises
October 21, 2015: Skeletons
November 18, 2015: Acorns: Let’s Get Nutty
December 16, 2015: A Natural History of Christmas Trees
Discovery Days is hosted by the Riverside Metropolitan Museum located at 3580 Mission Inn Ave in Riverside, CA. For more information, visit the website or call at (951) 826-5273
Fourth Fridays: Insect Rave!
The Ameal Moore Nature Center is all set for summer! This past Friday we had our first of two evening events for the summer season- the Insect Rave! The center partnered with students from the Entomology Department at UCR for a fun evening filled with black lights and bugs! Visitors were invited to come out and participate in fun neon bug crafts before heading up the hill after dark with our fantastic UCR students to see what sorts of insects they could attract with a black light courtesy of UCR. Although we didn’t find any scorpions, we did find some of the other insects that you can find in the park!
If you missed this fun, free, evening event don’t worry! We’re having another one! Our next Fourth Fridays event will be on Friday, August 28th from 8-10pm. We’ll be focusing on star gazing and partnering with the Riverside Astronomical Society (RAS). Visitors are invited to join us for stargazing on the hill and arts and crafts in the center. Please wear comfortable walking shoes as you will have to hike up the hill to the telescopes and bring water with you. The center will have flashlights on hand, but visitors are also encouraged to bring their own for the hike up the hill.
Second Saturdays: Composting 101
July’s Second Saturdays event was all about composting! With the help of special guests the Master Composters, from the Riverside County Waste Management Department, the Ameal Moore Nature Center hosted a free composting workshop. Visitors were able to learn about the different kinds of composting, why it’s a good idea, and how they can get started. Visitors were also invited to create their own mini compost piles with plastic bottles and supplies provided by the nature center to see the decomposition process that takes place inside of compost bins.
The center would like to thank Riverside County Waste Management and the Master Composters who donated their time to educate us on the ins and outs of composting! The center was proud to partner together with you and looks forward to a good relationship in the future!
If you missed this fun, free, and family friendly event, be sure to join us next time in August, on Saturday the 8th from 11am-2pm as we talk about water conservation!
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- Master Composters talk to visitors about composting with worms.
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- Master Composters show visitors worm composting.
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- A visitor makes his own small compost bin to see the process at home.
Second Saturdays: Rattlesnakes!
This past Second Saturday event the Ameal Moore Nature Center invited visitors to join with us in a day all about rattlesnakes!
Visitors came in to hear about rattlesnakes, and were able to get up close to specimens on loan from a local college! Crafts included rattlesnake pattern decoration and small replica painting.
Rattlesnakes are fascinating creatures! They scare many visitors, but we at the nature center love them and understand that they are an important part of the park’s ecosystem.
If snakes scare you, try learning about them- they won’t be so scary once you understand them a bit better!
For upcoming Second Saturday events, check out our events page HERE.
Second Saturdays: Native plant uses
This past Second Saturdays event, the Ameal Moore Nature Center discussed uses of native plants. Humans use plants for a variety of purposes, including medicine, clothing, dyes, tools, and furniture. On June 9th the nature center invited visitors to explore two different uses of plants: dyeing and weaving.
The morning of the event, the center prepared a bright purple dye made with a red cabbage. Various plants can be boiled down to create dyes in a multitude of colors. Though not a native plant within the park, the red cabbage was used because it provides such a vibrant array of colors. By adding white vinegar to the dye, the center produced a bright pink, and by adding baking soda, the center produced a teal green.
Visitors were invited to dip dye strings into the jars of dye before using them to create necklaces and bracelets. While visitors worked, they learned about the dye process, the various kinds of dyes, and the possible colors.
The left over dye was used to dye wool yarn that the center will use for future crafts. Creating plant dyes is a fun, inexpensive, and easy project that can be done in the home and enjoyed by the entire family!
In addition to dyes, the center also talked about basket weaving. Special guest Blossom, a weaver who educates others on the art, tradition, and joys of weaving, attended the event and shared her knowledge with visitors. Plants can be soaked and used to create wonderful baskets that have been used for collection, food preparation, and decoration. The Cahuilla peoples used them to cook in with heated stones. Some baskets were even used to carry water! Visitors were able to sit and talk with Blossom as she walked them through how to create their own baskets.
The nature center was happy to welcome visitors and looks forward to the next Second Saturdays event on June 13th when we focus on rattlesnakes!
Keep pedaling with the nature center & Jenson USA’s help!
The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park is a great recreational area! Joggers, hikers, pet walkers, bird watchers, cyclists, and more enjoy the park. Recently, the Ameal Moore Nature Center had the opportunity to communicate with Jenson USA, a company located by the park, that carries top quality bike brands, provides bike services, and advocates trail etiquette and goodwill between trail users. Knowing that many of their customers enjoy the park on a daily basis, Jenson USA offered to provide the center with some basic bike repair supplies.
Thanks to Jenson USA, the nature center can now provide basic help to cyclists! The center is now stocked with a bike pump, basic tools, and patch kits that cyclists in need of an emergency fix while in the park are welcome to use. If you’re a biker on our trails be sure to stop in and get to know our staff!
The nature center and staff would like to thank Jenson USA for their enthusiastic support of the nature center and our efforts to provide services to the park’s cyclists! You can visit Jenson USA online at http://www.JensonUSA.com. Be sure to watch our EVENTS page for a partnered day with Jenson USA in the park!
The nature center hopes that all cyclists continue to enjoy the park. As Jenson USA would say, ‘keep pedaling!’
Jackie from Jenson USA and Kim Cobb, nature center staff
SISTERS comes to the nature center
The SISTERS (Success in Science & Technology: Engagement with Role-models) Program is a UCR program that pairs girls with role models to encourage them to attend college and to go into a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field of study. CNAS (College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences) Science Ambassadors from UCR undergraduate programs in STEM majors act as mentors who meet with the girls monthly. Each month different themes are discussed including, self-confidence, overcoming barriers, bullying, and STEM majors. The Ameal Moore Nature Center was fortunate to be one of the locations that the program visited.
On Thursday, April 23, 38 girls and their mentors arrived to take a hike through the park, aiding the Citizen Science Program in its species counts with a bioblitz before coming inside the center to hear scientist, Dr. Helen Regan, speak on California habitat, endangered species, and what her job entails.
The center was thrilled to have the girls in attendance and looks forward to doing more events in the future. All forms of education are important and the center supports and applauds UCR’s efforts to encourage students to reach for their goals.
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- Riverside Metropolitan Museum Education Curator leads a group of SISTERS participants on a bioblitz
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- SISTERS participants hear from a role model inside the center
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- The SISTERS group outside of the nature center
Second Saturdays: Invasion of the Invasives!
The Ameal Moore Nature Center always enjoys hosting educational days. This past Second Saturdays event was all about invasive species (which can be classified as a sort of living pollution) in honor of Earth Day.
During the event visitors were able to learn about what makes a species invasive, why they’re a negative thing, and how private citizens can make a difference in the battle against invasive species. Specific invasive species within the park and throughout California were focused on and discussed. Visitors were also invited to make origami paper frogs while learning about the American Bullfrog (an invasive frog to the West coast but native to the East coast and parts of the Mid-West), and invasive stink bug rings while learning about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (native in East Asia but invasive to the USA).
For future events please check our calendar! Our next Second Saturdays event will be May 9th, and will focus on native plants and their uses! We look forward to seeing you here with us!
In case you missed it, here’s a brief overview of what visitors were able to learn about!
What is an invasive species? A species is invasive when it is not from a local area and is damaging to its new environment.
How do they get here? In the case of plants, seeds can be dispersed by animals, people, or even the wind. With insects and animals, they are often introduced into a new environment due to human help (sometimes we purposely bring them into a new area, sometimes accidentally).
Why are invasive species bad? Invasive species often unbalance the ecosystems that they are introduced to. They do not always have a known predator in their new environment. This can mean that they will grow in population and out compete or out number and over hunt the native species in an area which may lead to native species extinctions. Invasive plants can actually cause something called landscape transformation, which can include increases in soil erosion and even fire hazards.
Are all invasive species bad? No! A species that is non-native but also not damaging is called non-invasive, alien, and or exotic. Not all non-native species can survive in their new habitats either. If there is no food source or way for them to reproduce, then they will not be able to survive or multiply. This does mean, however, that a species can be exotic in one area and invasive in another if it can cause damage to one area but not the other.
What can I do to help? There are many ways to help maintain balance to our ecosystems. Below is a list of five things that you can do!
- Plant native plants in your yard and around your property.
Native plants not only help maintain the ecosystem, but are also good because they are drought tolerant (in Southern California) and therefore water wise, have their own defenses against native pests, and are good for the good insects (such as local honey bees). You can find native plants at local nurseries that specialize in carrying them. - Do not release pets into the wild, parks, or preserves.
Some people buy tadpoles as pets but release them once they turn into frogs. Many of the tadpoles for sale are actually invasive (to California) American Bullfrogs. People think that they are providing a new home for their old pets when in reality they are unbalancing an ecosystem! - Be careful of what you dump in waterways.
Dumping plants into waterways can be dangerous as water plants native to one area can flow down river and be invasive to another area. Invasive species can take hold and destroy a waterway’s ecosystem or clog it! - Do not purchase invasive animals or plants.
Many invasive plants and animals are actually available for legal purchase. By doing a small amount of research you can determine if an animal or plant is invasive to your area and can make the choice to help keep them out of your area. - Do not purchase illegal animals or plants.
Some plants and animals are illegal because they are invasive to an area. It is important to pay attention to the laws surrounding these species and to follow them to ensure that your environment stays protected.
Greetings from Riverside!
This last week 15 high school students from Riverside’s sister city Sendai, Japan visited Riverside. These students are studying at Tohoku University in Sendai in a very specialized STEM program. As part of a the Young Scientists program, these students visited the Riverside STEM Academy (RSA) and stayed with local host families associated with it. Professor Akira Ando, an electrical engineer from Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Engineering, accompanied the students and spoke at the STEM Symposium on Monday about his research and Tohoku University’s opportunities.
As part of their visit, the group made their way to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park and Ameal Moore Nature Center! Coordinated by Sarah Simpson, a volunteer at the Riverside STEM Academy, the students toured the center with local volunteering high school students and met Teresa Woodard, Education Curator at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum in downtown Riverside. The group took a hike in the park and conducted a bioblitz, the results of which will be used by Riverside scientists to develop a better idea of the current life in the park.
The nature center was pleased to be a part of the visiting students’ experience here in California and looks forward to hearing updates about their progress with their studies. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM schools have a heavy focus on these key four subjects, preparing students for a career in the sciences. Science is an important sector that the center is proud to promote in the lives of visitors and in Riverside culture.