Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center

Fingers crossed, but it looks like we will have Summer Camp programs available for Summer 2021! Join us for lots of animal time, nature lessons, craft activities, and FUN! Sessions will be for campers ages 6-11 years old, and will run from 9am-3pm every other week. Our dates are as follows: June 14th-18th, June 28th-July 2nd, July 12th-16th, July 26th-30th, and August 2nd-6th. Contact Leslie ([email protected]) for questions or to reserve a spot early for your camper. Online Registration will be available soon. We hope to see you this summer! #elkusranch #bayareasummercamps #summercamp2021

Coastside Gives is a less than a month away. You can donate today https://www.coastsidegives.org/elkusranch

We’re super happy to announce that we’ve (almost) finished construction on our brand new compost bunker! This is our new designated spot that we will use to turn waste from our 60+ animals and uneaten veggies into nutritious compost! This compost will be used to help our gardens grow strong and healthy, and will be shared with the local community. We’re still working to get drainage and fencing around it, but it’s already in use here on the ranch. Special thanks to the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District (@sanmateorcd), as well as UCANR (@ucanr) for helping make this great improvement to Elkus Ranch possible. #elkusranch #compost #compostbunker

We are pleased to announce that we are again participating in the Coastside Gives 24-hour giving event. Early giving is now open. Visit our page to see how you can help https://www.coastsidegives.org/elkusranch

When you schedule a private tour with us, you’ll get a chance to check out all our exhibits in our lower barn, packed with cool info about nest building, predator/prey relationships, antlers vs horns, eye types, and the ever-popular scat science, as well as our giant table of bones! Hope you can join us soon! #elkusranch #agrotourism #ageducation Book at tour here: http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Family_Tours/

Need some time outdoors with the family? Contact us today to book a Private Tour or an Adventure Day! During the tour, you’ll meet all our animals at Elkus Ranch, learn about farm life, and plant your very own seedling to bring home and grow! We hope to see you soon! To book, please visit: http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Family_Tours/ , or http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Adventure_Day/

UC ANR brings the power of UC research and education to local communities across the entire state. Why do we do it? To improve the life of every Californian. Ou...r statewide network of UC researchers and educators create, develop and extend knowledge on agricultural and natural resource management, youth development, family and consumer sciences, community and economic development, STEM and more. Get to know more about #UCANR: https://ucanr.edu/

We’re excited to reopen for Private Tours and Adventure Days at Elkus Ranch! All the animals have missed hanging out with new friends, come say hi and spend some time in our beautiful outdoor classroom. To book a Private Family Tour, visit: http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Family_Tours/ To book an Adventure Day, visit: http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Adventure_Day/

We’re back open for Private Tours and Adventure Days! All the animals have missed having visitors for the past few months, but they’re eagerly awaiting some much needed attention! Schedule a Private Tour or an Adventure Day program before we book up. We have limited availability to make sure we’re keeping adequate time and distance between tours. -Visit http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Family_Tours/ for more information and to schedule your tour! -If you’re looking to reserve a spot for an Adventure Day, visit http://elkusranch.ucanr.edu/Visit/Adventure_Day/

Elkus’s two newest members! Momma goat Betty gave birth to two healthy baby boys last night during the solstice. They’re learning to walk and nurse from mom today #elkusranch

Over the weekend we said goodbye to a very special Elkus resident, Ozzy, one of our two horses. Ozzy was 30 years old (which is up there in horse years!) and will be fondly remembered as one of the friendliest members of the Elkus family. Horse’s legs and feet are incredibly important to their health and well-being, and Ozzy had been dealing with some mobility issues for the past year, which happens as horses age. Ozzy had been at Elkus since 2011 with his friend Pocahontas, ...who we’re making sure to give some extra love to over the next few weeks to help her grieve. The care we provide all our animals at Elkus, seniors or not, can be expensive. If you are able, we would greatly appreciate any and all donations that go directly to our animal care expenses. Visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/donate/?fund_id=158 and choose Elkus Ranch Fund in the designation box. Thank you for helping us provide the highest possible quality care for our animal family members. #elkusranch

Hello Elkus Friends, I'm sure It doesn’t need to be said, but 2020 has been rough. No school programs, no camp, no Sheep to Shawl or Preschool Days, so few people. Elkus relies on program fees to help support the Ranch, our excellent Educators and ground crew, livestock, and infrastructure. Please keep us in mind as you donate today on Giving Tuesday! All the very best, Elkus Ranch staff, (including our livestock, they are really missing all the attention) #elkusranch #givingtuesday

Ever seen a goat smile? Blossom is all cozy curled up with her mom, Cherry, in a hole! #elkusranch

Introducing: Adventure Day! A private outdoor day of fun for social bubbles of children and adults. Perfect for educational pods & preschools, babysitting groups, families, and anyone else who wants more quality outdoor time on the ranch. Participants can spend the day caring for our animals & gardens, making a nature-themed craft, going on hikes around the property, and so much more! Social bubbles can contain up to 10 children maximum (extra fees apply). Learn more: ucanr.edu/adventure #getoutside #outdooreducation #adventureday #elkusranch #socialbubble #halfmoonbay

Give the gift of adventure this holiday season with a gift certificate for one of our tour programs at Elkus Ranch! Contact [email protected] for more information.

Join us this November 22nd for a socially-distanced workshop! Our educators will help teach you to make 3 different crafts: an awesome pumpkin-planter for succulents, wool dryer balls (wool provided by our sheep here at Elkus), as well as some calendula oil with many different uses. We hope to see you there! Register today at: http://ucanr.edu/elkusworkshop

This is so true. Thanks to - How Wee Learn

Want to learn a little bit about goats from our wonderful Elkus staff? Watch this short educational video! They're always keeping us busy. :)

After 4 years at Elkus, we are sad to announce that Courtney Zimmerman will be leaving us to pursue a new position elsewhere! However, we all wish her the very best, and are grateful for all that she has done for Elkus. She will be missed greatly (by staff and animals alike)!

We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved miniature donkey, Pippi Staff noticed a loss of appetite and abnormal behaviors and we were working diligently with our veterinarian and an equine dentist to treat her for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, she passed over the weekend, leaving behind her BFF, Sassy. She received lots of love during her time at Elkus, doted on by children and adults alike and reached the ripe old age of 30 years! As you can imagine, the... cost of providing exceptional care for our animals can be expensive, particularly with our decrease in funds from programs during the pandemic. If you are able, we would greatly appreciate donations that can go directly to our animal care expenses. Visit ucanr.edu/sites/donate/?fund_id=158 and designate in the comment box Elkus Ranch Compassionate Animal Care. Thank you for helping us continue to care for our animals, which are an essential component of our educational programs. #elkusranch See more

Our miniature donkeys enjoyed some enrichment by grazing near our Ranch House yesterday Enrichment is great for stimulating the minds and bodies of our animals. While the donkeys seemed to enjoy it initially, they preferred returning to the barn after only an hour #animalenrichment #minidonkeys #elkusranch

Striking image of a recently burned tree, exposing its vascular tissue, the xylem and phloem. That’s the tree’s vascular tissue, the xylem and phloem. Yes, t...rees have a vascular system - it essentially carries water and minerals from the roots up to the leaves and the photosynthesized food back down to the rest of the tree. Interesting fact: trees have no muscles (or nervous system) so all of this movement is powered by turgor pressure, which is controlled by stomata in the leaves that open and close as needed. (via Reddit)

Our partners San Mateo/San Francisco County 4-H are hosting a Virtual Open House on Sunday 9/13 from 3-5pm. What is 4-H? How can I join? When do clubs meet? What projects are offered?... If you’re wondering any of these questions, join us for the Virtual Open House! 4-H is open to youth ages 5-18 years. Meet our youth leaders, adult volunteers, and 4-H staff. Register at tinyurl.com/y3m5skx2 See more

Here is a progression of the haze covering the ranch for the past 3 hours It has become darker outside and more orange. With poor air quality again, we are limiting outdoor programs and activities to keep everyone safe #elkusranch #halfmoonbay #california

Happy Monday from little Scarlet We’re still experiencing some smoke mixed with fog, especially in the mornings on the ranch. We’re hopeful to start up our educational programs again soon! #outdooreducation #babygoats #elkusranch

We’ve been experiencing several days of smoke on the ranch from the nearby fires, leading us to cancel educational programs and halting non-essential outdoor work. This video shows the mix of smoke with our typical fog. Luckily we have not had to evacuate and all of our staff and animals are safe. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the #czulightningcomplex fires. Stay safe everyone!

Stay safe everyone!

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you: our four-legged friends are adept at digging and created this hole that is filled with tadpoles in the spring and goats in the summer #goatshenanigans #sillygoats #animalsofelkusranch #elkusranch

Our baby goats are for sale! All are Boer or a Boer-mixed breed. These kids have been handled regularly by both adults and children and could make great pets. Ready to go home any time! Contact us for more information: [email protected] or (650) 712-3151 #goatsforsale #boergoats #boerkids #babygoats @ Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center

"Since the pandemic, many of us hunger for a stronger connection to the animals right outside our windows. A nurturing connection to the natural world should be considered a human right, particularly for children."