Friends Of Ocotillo Wells

FYI. But please be safe. This was posted because some had asked questions. Please no political statements. Thank you.

Check out what we caught on one of our many game cams an American Badger! These elusive little beasts are relatives of weasels, otters, ferrets, and wolverine...s, and they typically spend their nights digging ferociously to extract mice, rats, squirrels, and other animals from their dens in order to dine on a midnight snack. Interestingly, coyotes do not dig nearly as well as badgers, so they tag-along in the hopes that when a small mammal darks from its den in order to evade the badger, the coyote can snag a snack, as well!

Desert Season is starting up and want to post a few reminders! We are still dealing with COVID-19 so remember to keep your groups small and to social distance. From the Park website - Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park to allow for the required physical distance.... Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash. Restrooms will be temporarily closed in order to keep up with cleaning schedules. Stay Covered: The state now requires you to wear a face covering in most indoor settings and public outdoor spaces when you cannot maintain physical distancing of six feet or more from people outside of your immediate household. For details, please visit CDPH’s guidance here. Visitors should also abide by their local county health orders. Remember - Fireworks are illegal in the Park. Please keep your pets on a leash. It doesn’t matter how well they are trained, you never know what will scare them and make them run away. If your dog gets lost post on the Ocotillo Wells Lost and Found Desert Dogs Facebook page. Have fun and stay safe!

Hello OHV Enthusiasts! Are you coming out to ride this weekend? If so, we urge you to be prepared! While the park is open, our temperatures will be somewhere be...tween 105 and 110 degrees during the day. Bring plenty of water, always ride with a buddy, and always let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Stay safe out there! See more

FROM THE PARK SUPERINTENDENT- The Restrooms/CXTs/Shower Buildings now open include: o Headquarters Combo Building (300-building), Discover Center Day Use Area Restroom (100-building), Main Street Combo Building, Holmes Camp Showers, 4x4 Training Area, Holly Road, Crossover Camp, Poleline Road (Southern & Middle), Cahuilla Trail (Both), Holmes Camp (Both), and Main Street (All).... The Restrooms/CXTs that will remain closed (due to limited staff and cleaning/sanitization requirements) include: o Mesa, The Cove, Benson Lake, County Line (Both), Shell Reef, Pumpkin Patch, Gas Domes, and Denner Training Track (Toner). Also....please bring your own quarters for showers as Discovery Center is not open!

Earthquake Swarm! Since September 30, 2020 over 600 earthquakes have been recorded in the Brawley seismic zone. This swarm of quakes is expected to continue fo...r the next 7 days, according to USGS Seismologists. The largest quake so far, was a magnitude 4.9, recorded at 5:31pm on September 30, 2020 southeast of the Salton Sea near Westmorland, CA. Similar earthquake clusters in this area have occurred in 1981 and 2012. 0 This area of California is known for its widespread geologic activity. The Brawley seismic zone lies between two faults, the infamous San Andreas Fault and the Imperial fault to the south. The San Andreas Fault spans 750 miles through California. This fault zone forms the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. USGS Earthquake Forecast for the Westmorland Swarm Beginning September 30, 2020 https://www.usgs.gov//earthquake-forecast-westmorland-swar See more

Overnight camping now permitted.

The Park is open for OHV use. Not camping or group gatherings. Here’s the info. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1217

Our resources team recently found the den of a family of Desert Kit Foxes! The kits are almost full grown, but we can see that they are still playful! It almost... seems like they have the zoomies much like your pets at home. Kit Foxes are an important part of your desert ecosystem, keeping the rodent and small animal populations at a healthy size so everything can thrive. They can be curious and approach campsites at times, so make sure you have all food put away since human food is not good for them. Have you seen a Kit Fox at Ocotillo Wells SVRA? Music Attribution: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eddy

Ocotillo Wells was the high in the Nation yesterday! So not a problem with the temporary closure! Hopefully the Park will be up and running when the October riding season starts! Stay safe everyone, wear a mask, sanitize & wash your hands!

Park is temporarily closed again. UPDATE (July 2, 2020): This park unit continues to be temporarily closed. The full closure means there is no public access at these public outdoor spaces on a temporary basis to protect public health from the COVID-19 pandemic. All restrooms are closed, and there are no parking facilities open for visitors, recreational boats or off-highway vehicles. No form of activities is permitted (including sunbathing, walking, jogging or watersports). ...Statewide, many parks and beaches are temporarily closed or have very limited access to ensure Californians are abiding and practicing physical distancing. The goals are to make sure people are safe and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. To view the list of closures and what they mean to the public, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1217

Do you want to be Ocotillo Wells SVRA famous? Well now’s your chance! The Interpretation Department is giving the OW Visitor guide a re-fresh and we are looking... for some of the excellent photos that you might have taken while out recreating in your the park. If you have any photos that you think will fit into our Visitor Guide, please send it in an e-mail to [email protected] with a high quality version. We are looking for the following: Recreation Friends and Family in Camp Friends and Family Recreating Animals Plants Desert Oddities Sunsets/Sunrises Landscapes Etc If your photo one of those chosen, we will contact you with a few simple instructions, and you will be credited as the photographer. Thank you in advance for helping make the OWSVRA Visitor Guide an informative and fun tool for your fellow riders. Ride Safe, Stay Hydrated! See more

Ocotillo Wells is open for vehicular recreation with some restrictions in place! Please check the website for details. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1217

Your weekend #CAStateParks read is here! This week's Weekly Digest includes: https://bit.ly/3gAxDVw It may not be obvious at first blush, but there’s a s...trong connection between the Statewide Museum Collections Center and emergency management. Monterey SHP gets a deep cleanand masks for trains? What a pane! Which park got some new window treatment. Plus check out the flowers still blooming in the Postcard section!

Join us today at 2 PM for a special program at Angel Island State Park celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! State Parks Interpreter Casey will... be speaking with Ed Tepporn, the Executive Director of Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF). The foundation raises awareness of the experience of immigration into America through the Pacific and collects and preserves the rich stories and personal journeys of thousands of immigrants. Here is our schedule for today: . 9 AM: K-2nd grade Desert Life at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park . 10 AM: 3rd-5th grade Southern Sea Otters at Morro Bay State Park . 11 AM: 6-8th grade Jellyfish: Sensational Stinging Survivalists at San Elijo State Beach . 12 PM: 9-12th grade Marine Protected Areas at Morro Bay State Park . 1 PM: 3rd-5th grade Dig into the Past at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park . 2 PM: All Ages Celebrating Asian and Pacific Island American Heritage Month at Angel Island State Park . . . #asianandpacificislanderheritagemonth #california #asian #pacificislander #american #history #culture #heritage #distancelearning #homelearning #homeschooling #homeschool #googleclassroom #remoteclassroom #virtualfieldtrip #science #scienceteacher #historyteacher #socialstudies #socialstudiesteacher #teachingresources #K12 #education #PORTSfan #CAStateParks See more

It's Friday! And wow - what a week it has been! We're so stoked to be able to deliver our PORTS Home Learning Programs to students as classrooms have shifted fu...lly into the digital realm. Whether your young learners are interested in California history, curious animal adaptations, or how climate change is impacting different ecosystems, we have a variety of programs that will help them explore their world through California State Parks! Here is our schedule for next week - please feel free to pass it along to anyone you know who has a student learning from home!! See more