Garin Regional Park

Parks Are Essential: The Park District reminds visitors that spending time in nature is important for mental and physical health and wellbeing. During the stay-...at-home order going into Sunday Dec. 6, keep yourselves and our staff safe when visiting Regional Parks and trails: wear masks when within six feet of others and recreate responsibly. Keep parks safe for everyone by following all COVID-19 safety requirements. #ParksAreEssential #LoveYourParksSixFeetApart #KeepParksSafe #RockingTheMaskEBRPD See more

Lifelong Learners: Stewards of the Land Today is a holiday with many meanings to the multitude of cultures that now call this place home. On this day of reflect...ion we wish to recognize the original inhabitants and stewards of these lands. We strive to honor this land and the indigenous people of the East Bay through partnerships and preservation.

Creature Feature: Marsh Metaphors Join Naturalist Kristina to discover the wonders of the marsh. What does the marsh do? Why is it so important?

Lifelong Learners: Fundamentals of Flintknapping. Explore an ancient skill of shaping rocks through a process called lithic reduction. Join Naturalist Dino and... flintknapper, Ken Peek, as they take you on a journey to learn about traditional flintknapping tools to create flaked stone points, arrowheads and stone tools. See more

Read along with Naturalist Francis and learn about some "yucky" things animals do in their natural environment. Remember, don't say "ewww", say "ewww...interesting!"

Our friends at the Coyote Hills Nectar Garden encourage you to create habitat for monarch butterflies using native milkweed and other flowering plants. Remember, it is illegal to collect milkweed from our parks (Ordinance 38).

In this article from KQED, Naturalist Francis Mendoza mentions the pickleweed at nearby Hayward Shoreline, which turns bright red in the fall and winter. There are still "swaths of pickleweed that turn red, rivaling eastern forests in its changing foliage," says Francis. Come see for yourself! https://www.kqed.org//where-to-see-fall-foliage-in-the-bay

Naturalist Virginia Delgado-Martinez from Black Diamond Mines in Antioch shares her bat monitoring program from the perspective of an Afro-Latinx naturalist on this final day of #HispanicHeritageMonth.

As Hispanic Heritage month comes to an end (September 15 - October 15), watch Naturalists James and Claudia (aka Mimi el Bat Raya) talk about Bat Rays in Spanish at Crown Beach in Alameda.

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! Today, and every day, we celebrate the contributions, culture and ceremony that indigenous peoples have given us on turtle island since time immemorial. We acknowledge that we are on the unceded land of the Chochenyo and Ramaytush Ohlone, Bay Miwok and Delta Yokut people who have taken care of, offered songs, prayer and medicine to, and now are healing the land from centuries of colonization, degradation and injustices levied against their ancestors and descendants, who are still here today, and still thriving. https://youtu.be/5JYZu9oCVjw

Since flies have been in the news lately, here’s Mobile Education Naturalist Constance’s take on the order Diptera, with a hip hop beat to boot.

Dog rules have returned to normal effective October 2, 2020 in Regional Parks with dogs being allowed off-leash in designated areas once again. For the safety o...f all park visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting in March the Park District requested that all dogs be kept on-leash to prevent crowding and unsafe interaction between unrelated park visitors. Unleashed dogs tend to group together, making it difficult to maintain social distancing. The Park District is one of the most dog-friendly districts in the nation, with many parks allowing off-leash dogs in designated areas. Dog owners are also one of the District’s largest user groups. A recent survey showed that dog walking is the preferred activity for 39 percent of park users, second only to hiking. We thank dog owners for their understanding during COVID-19 and their cooperation with the temporary leash restrictions, said General Manager Robert Doyle. The restrictions have helped keep parks and trails open and safe. Regional Parks, now more than ever, play an important role in maintaining mental health and providing places where people and their pets can exercise in a safe, socially distant manner. To help keep trails and parks enjoyable for everyone, including pups and park-goers, the Park District has begun a new public information campaign promoting good dog owner behavior. The return of normal dog rules is a reminder that dog owners need to be responsible and share the parks with others, said Doyle. Dog owners need to bag and bin their dog’s poop, leash their dogs in designated areas, including parking lots, trailheads, and paved trails, and keep their dogs on-leash around cattle and horses. Cattle play an important role in reducing vegetation and fire risks. When off-leash, dogs must be kept in view and under voice control, and must return to owners when called. Dogs are not under control when they threaten, harass or chase other dogs or wildlife, display threatening behaviors, physically harm other people directly or indirectly by their actions, or touch or jump on park users who have not invited or engaged in interaction with the dog. Failure to control your dog is a violation of the Park District’s Ordinance 38. The harming or harassment of wildlife is also a violation of state and federal law and subject to penalties and fines.

Red Flag Warning in effect 9:00 p.m. Saturday to 9:00 p.m. Monday due to high temps, low humidity, and potentially gusty winds. Some parks may close if conditions warrant. TIPS TO BE FIRE SAFE IN PARKS: -Please do not smoke in the regional parks. This prohibition includes vaping. -Be aware of Red Flag Warning, fire danger levels, and fire safety rules. Abide by all posted or announced fire safety rules. -If you see a fire while in a park, call 911 immediately. Report the fire...’s location, size and direction of burn if possible, then leave immediately for your safety. -Practice situational awareness. Be alert for any potential fire hazards and report them by calling 510-881-1833. -During any emergency, park visitors must cooperate with all instructions from firefighters, police, and park rangers. See more

Our friends at Black Diamond Mines and Stewardship recently banded Prairie Falcon fledglings as they plucked them safely right out of their nest. This video highlights pictures of the delicate operation, and tomorrow they will be presenting a Facebook Live program on Prairie Falcons on the Black Diamond Mines Facebook page. Click on the event link below entitled "Prairie Falcons: Flying into the Future" for more information.

Join us live on YouTube for the UN International Day of Peace at 4pm today. If you miss it, you can watch the recording in the same link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKqZgn8HKgk&feature=youtu.be

Carter says it's your turn to wear a mask! #RockTheMask

Explore the apple orchard here at Garin with Naturalist Kristina Parkison. Did you know there are over 180 varieties of heirloom apples there? How ya like dem apples?!

Since we aren't able to host the Apple Festival this year, here is a video at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont in place of our live demonstration of a working blacksmith shop. Most folks think that blacksmithing is a profession of the past, but blacksmiths are highly skilled professionals still in demand today! Enjoy this video!

Join Naturalist Kristina Parkison this afternoon at 2pm as she makes ice cream for the Apple Festival that will not be happening this year due to Covid-19. It will be live on Coyote Hills Regional Park's Facebook page and will be available to view later. The recipe is in the original post.