WildCare
Rainbow Sandals Foundation in partnership with WildCare is providing access to outings and activities that connect children and families to the natural world in a meaningful and inclusive way. This program continues the inspiring legacy of Zeva Longley, a passionate and renowned environmental educator. It is designed to help under-represented children and families in the Canal District of San Rafael, CA overcome barriers to first-hand experiences in the outdoors and in our region’s parks and open spaces. The first hike of the summer was held at Devil’s Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park on Saturday, June 22. Here is a summary of the hike from WildCare’s bilingual (Spanish/English) nature educator, Cecilia: We had a fantastic day at Devil's Gulch! We had 30 people attending (10 families) and lots of interesting wildlife to see. We started our hike crossing the road like a quail family. As we circled up again we started identifying the plentiful poison oak and walked along the trail as kids pointed it out to practice their ID. As we continued I spotted a western fence lizard posing on a sign with a bright blue belly. One of the kids could identify the lizard because he had its card so he posed next to it. Another kid had a squirrel card so he was searching for squirrels in the trees. We then took the trail along the creek and walked under the beautiful green tree canopy shade. We stopped by the redwood tree and kids and parents explored it. Some kids went on the bridge and looked down the creek searching for creatures in the water. They spotted lots of little fish which I later explained were baby salmon! I explained the natural history of salmon and how they go to the ocean and spawn in the creek, and can even change their bodies to match salt or freshwater. The kids also spotted a rough-skinned newt in the water and got very excited talking about amphibians, frogs, and axolotls. We distributed zines and explained how they can be used for nature journaling. We shared an example and some of the adults were very into it. They started sketching the trail and wildlife encounters and continued using the notebooks the entire time. After lunch we spotted some scat and a team of kids identified rabbit, coyote and mouse scat. We then headed over to the creek and played Slippers for Salamanders. The creek was a great spot to discover new creatures and learn about the importance of respecting a natural habitat, even though it just looks like rocks and dead leaves, it is the home for many tiny animals.