Effie Yeaw Nature Center

Hello new badge! Partnering with Girl Scouts Heart of Central California we are helping Brownies and Juniors get their next badge! Brownies Bugs Badge: Wednesday, April 14 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.... https://www.girlscoutshcc.org//-interactive-webinar--bugs- Juniors Flower Badge: Wednesday, April 21 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. https://www.girlscoutshcc.org//-interactive-webinar--anima

Join us this Friday on our Facebook Live as discover the lives of Aquatic Invertebrates! Commonly found at ponds is alga, bringing us to our Wordy Wednesday! Alga is a non-flowering, typically aquatic plant that contains chlorophyll, but no stems, roots, or leaves.

Another month, another chance to win Trivia Night!! Virtual Nature Trivia Night is back again this month on Thursday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m. Click here to register your team of up to four players!... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/149235771209 See more

There is still room! Bird and Breakfast Virtual Lectures: Wednesday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. Rich Howard - Discover the Sounds of EYNC & The Fun of e-Bird Thursday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m.... Ed Harper - Discover the Beauty of EYNC Birds Friday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m. Tony Kurz - Birds of Humboldt County Purchase all three and save! Register here: https://paybee.io/quickpay.html?handle=eync#optionList

TOMORROW! Join us as Billy Krimmel, Ph.D. presents Native Landscapes Tell Stories and gives us insight on the value of a native landscape and how it supports nature. Tuesday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m.... Register here: https://www.sacnaturecenter.net//adult-p/nature-of-things/

Update: Due to the storm, the Nature Center has been without power and closed the past two days. There were no serious damages to the Nature Center and we are still able to provide the necessary care for our Resident Animal Ambassadors. If you do spend time outside, please be prepared for changes in weather and stay safe.

At first glance, ravens and crows look very similar and are often mistaken for each other. Though closely related, they are actually two different species of bird. Learn how to tell the difference between these two black birds! https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

Life On Earth - 100 Piece Puzzle! This Discovery Shop featured item is a great activity to exercise your brain on your own or with someone in your pod! This item is available online and in store!... To shop online: https://effie-yeaw-nature-center.myshopify.com/collecti/all All items are curb-side pick-up only.

Bees are a lifeline for our ecosystems. As pollinators, bees are critical to the survival of plant species. Learn the threats they face and what you can do to help protect them! https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

Take the time to relax. Bundle up in your favorite warm blanket with a tasty hot beverage and enjoy the cold, crisp air. Use that moment to slow down time, to clear your thoughts, and drift into state of comfort to recharge your mind and spirit.

Wordy Wednesday! This week's word is Lichen! Lichens come in many colors, sizes, and forms. They are long-lived and grow relatively slow. Lichen look and grow like moss but are not related to moss or plants in any way as they do not have roots to absorb water and nutrients like plants do. However, they can create their own nutrients by using photosynthesis, the process which plants uses sunlight to produce its own food from carbon dioxide and water.... On your next visit to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, check out all of the wonderful lichen in the Nature Study Area. Remember to stay on the trails!

Join us this Friday at 11 am to virtually explore the river with us! We'll be keeping an eye out for any salmon carcasses to examine so please be mindful of that when watching if you're a bit weary about looking at dead animals.

Go with the Flow Learn how the flow of the river changes every season, where the water goes in the winter, what causes rivers to flood in the Spring, and more! Discover how water (and pollution) moves throughout a watershed and why flooding is beneficial to certain habitats. This week, Tuesday - Thursday on Discovery Nature Community, Virtual Programs, Go with the Flow. Join Us!... This month, January, Members can get free access to the program! Not a member and want free programs? Get a membership with us! Non-Members will be $6 per login/screen. Pre-registration is required: Call ahead to pre-purchase and receive the Zoom link. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/events/discover-nature/ Tuesday January 19th - Friday January 22nd Starting at 2:30p.m.

Wordy Wednesday! This week's word is Fungus (Fungi)! A fungus is a spore producing organism that feed on organic matter. Types of fungi include molds, yeast, toadstools, and mushrooms!... Both fungi featured in this photo can be found in the Nature Study Area! Let us know what you can find!

Brownies Bugs Badge Day! Tuesday, January 26 from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Learn about their buggy life cycle and virtually encounter insects/invertebrates!... To learn more: https://www.girlscoutshcc.org//-interactive-webinar--bugs- To register: https://mygs.girlscouts.org/event-detail?id=634-12142020-NJ9

During your visit to the Nature Center, you may have noticed signs prohibiting the release of pets into wild spaces such as our village pond. Learn why you shouldn't release pets into the wild and how doing so can help protect vulnerable animals like the western pond turtle. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

This week's Discovery Shop featured item is..... Life On Earth - Memory and Matching Game! Test your memory skills with this brilliant game you can find online and in-store!... To shop online: https://effie-yeaw-nature-center.myshopify.com/collecti/all All items are curb-side pick-up only.

Trivia Night is this Thursday!! January 14 at 6:00 p.m. Register your team of up to four now: https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/events/other/event.html True or False:... All moths are nocturnal. See more

Great Migration! Dive into the incredible movement of migration! Explore various species of migrators and why they travel such long distances. Then, meet an animal ambassador whose species migrate 6,000 miles to South America and then make the same trip back! This week, Tuesday - Friday on Discovery Nature Community, Virtual Program, Great Migration. Join Us!... Pre-registration is required: Call ahead to pre-purchase and receive the Zoom link. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/events/discover-nature/ Tuesday December 15th - Friday December 18th Starting at 2:30p.m.

Do you sometimes think about the Turkeys at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center? They are always found walking around the village and on the trails, but have you ever seen them fly? Here's a Monday Moment where you can see a turkey fly and land on a tree in the back! While not often or for long distances, turkeys can fly. In fact, they do so every night to roost (to sleep where it's safe from most predators). "We learn to fly not by being fearless, but by the daily practice of courage." - Sam Keen

With their small body and colorful plumage, an American Kestrel may seem like a bird that forages for plant-based foods. But don't let their size fool you. American Kestrels are, in fact, a type of raptor; a bird that eats meat! EDIT: Please note that the article shows an image of a female and male American Kestrel. There is an error in the blog article. The female kestrel is on the LEFT (sitting on the line) and the male is on the RIGHT (taking flight). The males are charact...erized by their blue-grey slated wings whereas the females are more brown. Unfortunately, we are unable to edit the blog article at this moment, but we hope to be able to soon! Sorry for any confusion. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

The Holiday Sale is on! Items are available online for purchase and curbside pick-up, just call when you are ready to pick up your purchases! Discovery Shop Online: https://effie-yeaw-nature-center.myshopify.com/collecti/all... Until Wednesday, December 16, Members get 20% off! Members, call to get your discount code. Not a member? Sign up today and save! Some Holiday Sale items are available in-store only! Gourd Ornaments Knit Clothing Used Books and Non-ARNHA Published Books Discovery Shop appointments are available on the top of the hour from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. until December 16. Call to reserve your shop spot! **All weekend shop appointments must be made by 2:00 p.m. on Friday**

Many think of dolphins as only ocean-dwelling mammals. While most dolphins do live in saltwater habitats, there are species that live in freshwater streams such as rivers. Learn about the world's freshwater dolphins, why they're at risk, and why salmon and steelhead trout conservation is an important part of their survival. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

Girl Scouts Heart of Central California and Effie Yeaw Nature Center are teaming up! Join this virtual and free event on Thursday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m. to learn more about becoming a Girl Scout and experience a virtual nature encounter with one of our very own naturalists! This event is at no cost and is geared towards non Girl Scout members!... Stay tuned for more announcements about the event! Learn more at girlscoutshcc.org/JOIN

Good information if you are going to get outside!

Mystery Monday! We zoomed in on an object from nature. It’s very hard, can have many points, and sheds every year. Hint: It may look like wood, but it does come from an animal! Post your guesses in the comments below! Check back at 5 pm for the answer in a new post!

Hoping today offers you a moment to take notice of the beauty in the little things. Pictured: dew on California Poppy leaves during a foggy morning in the Native Plant Garden at the Nature Center

Tomorrow's usual Facebook Live will be a brief Live Drop-in by the American River to discuss any happenings on the rocky banks. There will also be important Nature Center updates regarding the mandated stay-at-home order for our region and how you can still enjoy nature as well as continue to support us during these difficult times! "See" you online tomorrow!

Check out our first Wordy Wednesday where we define a nature science word! Our first word is: Ovoviviparous! It's also known as aplacental viviparity, describing the development of an embryo inside the parent (viviparity) that does not involve the use of a placenta (aplacental) to provide nutrients to the young via the parent. Instead, the only nutrients the offspring acquires is from their egg yolk. Formation, incubation, hatching, and development all occur inside the parent... leading to a "live" birth once the young is ready for the outside world! Because of this delayed birth after hatching, ovoviviparous offspring have this time to complete development within their parent's body. This means after live birth, they are at a more advanced stage of development (e.g. sometimes larger size, more capable of feeding and defending themselves) compared to oviparous animals hatched from externally laid eggs and viviparous species. Ovoviviparous animals include certain species of snakes, certain species of sharks and fish, stingrays, and certain insects! You can learn more about ovoviviparity in our Ask a Naturalist blog post "Do all snakes lay eggs?" here: https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

Tracks and Scat Whose scat is that? who left that track? This week we are dividing into the world of identifying animals simply by what they leave behind. This week, Tuesday-Friday & Sunday on Discovery Nature Community, small group in-person programs, Salmon Run. Join Us!... Pre-registration is required: https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/events/discover-nature/ Tuesday November 10th - Friday November 13th Starting at 2:30p.m. Saturday November 14th & Sunday November 15th Starting at 9 a.m. Raccoon Tracks Photo CC by lostinfog https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Holiday Sale items are now available on our online store! Those who have already shopped with us, thank you! If you'd like to do more shopping, or have not had the opportunity to shop online with us yet, we now have more items up on our online store. Online purchases are curb-side pick-up only. Please call when you are ready to pick up your purchases. We are now offering appointments to shop in our store at the Nature Center for exclusive items including:... Gourd Ornaments Knitted Clothing Used Books and Non-ARNHA Published Books Appointments are 30 minutes at the top of the hour from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Appointments can be made by phone at (916) 489-4918 and are available Wednesday, December 9 through Wednesday, December 16. Online Discovery Shop: https://effie-yeaw-nature-center.myshopify.com/ Members get 20% off during the Holiday Sale and 10% off year-round! Call for discount code. Not a member? Join today!

Have you registered for our Corvids of California program? Join today to learn all about this family of birds from crows to magpies to jays with Christy Berger from Gold Country Wildlife Rescue. Meet a crow animal ambassador both virtually (and in-person if you register for the field study as well). Check our website for more details and where to enroll today! https://www.sacnaturecenter.net//adult-p/nature-of-things/

Unleash Generosity: Giving Tuesday, December 1st! Every year on Giving Tuesday, millions of people mobilize across the globe to show up, give back, and change their communities. The goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day and touches every person on the planet. All of us here at Effie Yeaw Nature Center will see you there!... #GivingTuesday #UnleashGenerosity #EffieYeawNatureCenter

Registration for Fall AND Winter camps is now open! Kids ages 5-11 discover the wonders of nature in each season. Learn more: https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/education/nature-camps/

It's rutting season! Join us tomorrow at 11 am to learn why bucks clash and collide their antlers! Photo credit: Canva

However you think of grasshoppers, it can't be denied that they are very helpful in maintaining an ecosystem. Learn how grasshoppers support their habitat as well as other animal populations! https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visi/nature-blog/news.html

What's that? Wednesday! We love it when people ask us to help them identify something they saw or heard while on a hike. Photos and videos are always a great help! Recently we were asked which gull this is. Gulls can be hard to identify, especially when juveniles are in the mix! When identifying gulls it helps to have a field guide handy. Be ready to note the size and the color of the legs/feet, the color(s) of the bill, the colors of the eye, and the color(s) on the back, w...ings and wing tips. It's hard to tell in this photo, but this gull has pink legs and feet, a yellow bill with a red spot near the tip of the lower mandible, and yellow eyes. This species is not often noted in our area because it usually sticks closer to the coast. But this individual has been noted in the Effie Yeaw section of the American River in the fall-winter seasons for at least the past 10 years. If you are walking the trails today be sure to go down to the river to see if you can spot our Western Gull visitor! If you want to bone up on your gull species identification we recommend visiting the Nimbus Fish Hatchery this time of year. You will have lots of opportunity to observe several gull species at several ages.

Get ready! The annual Effie Yeaw Nature Center Holiday Sale is coming, Saturday, December 5th. Stay tuned for more info!

We're often asked what should be done if you find an injured animal. Like you, we want to help that animal, but there are a few things to be aware of when approaching a wild animal in need of help and ways to keep both the animal and yourself safe. Check out our latest Ask a Naturalist to find out what to do if you find an injured animal. https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/visit-us/nature-blog/

Mystery Monday Answer! This snag was being consumed by a colony of dampwood temites. Unlike the common subterranean termites that often damage homes and make their nests in the soil, dampwood termites live entirely within wood. Dampwood colonies include a queen who lays the eggs; some soldiers with large, fierce-looking mandibles; and lots of smaller nymphs, which are the workers. In late summer, winged male and female reproductive may be produced, but these move on to mate a...nd create new colonies once mature. The individuals you see here are the workers. They carry out all the maintenance work of the colony, expanding tunnels and chambers, feeding the queen and soldiers, grooming each other and their nest, tending the eggs and managing the microbial reserves of the colony. Although they grow larger, most worker nymphs never become reproductive adults. As they become weak, injured or sick, older workers are consumed by younger ones as a source of protein. Very few animals can digest wood, and termites are very important in recycling wood in the forest ecosystem. Termites have many tiny bacteria and protozoa in their guts that breakdown cellulose in wood into sugars that the termites can digest. It is estimated that one-third of a termite’s body weight is made up of these microorganisms. The termites are gradually turning this rotting log into a pile of debris. Look carefully and you may be able to see the cylindrical fecal pellets that distinguish dampwood termites from other termite groups.

Mystery Monday! Along the pathway to the Nature Center building one of the snags fell over. We stopped to inspect the stump and became fascinated with all that we could notice and observe. How many different things are you noticing in the photo below? Who made that hole? Please share your ideas below and check back at 5pm for the answer and more information.

It's Salmon Run Season! What does that mean? How is the Salmon Run important? Learn about why salmon migrate between fresh and salt water with a Naturalist! Discover why these fish are so amazing! This week, Tuesday-Friday & Sunday on Discovery Nature Community, small group in-person programs, Salmon Run. Join Us! Pre-registration is required:... https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/events/discover-nature/ Tuesday November 3rd - Friday November 6th Starting at 2:30p.m. Saturday November 7th & Sunday November 8th Starting at 9 a.m. Photo CC by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - PNNL https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/