Cherry Trees in Bloom at Schabarum Park

The cherry trees at Schabarum Park in Rowland Heights are still relatively young, but their blossoms are no less stunning.  The first blooms have already started to appear along both sides of the mile-long walkway in the pristine park.  Pack your kids, your family and a picnic and hurry to the park to take a storybook stroll alongside the iconic beauties.  The cherry trees bloom for just a teeny bit of time, maybe two weeks, each year, and once they are at their peak, only mother nature and her winds and rain will determine how long they will stay.  If luck and nice weather are on your side, you may have until April to enjoy the views.

Schabarum Regional Park

17250 Colima Road Rowland Heights, CA 91748;(626) 810-4229
Hours: October through March 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
April through September 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parking: FREE on weekdays; $6 on weekends

Habitat Restoration Volunteer Days

Ballona Wetlands
7740 West Manchester Avenue, Playa Del Rey
303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey, 90293 (This is the meeting place)
Every Fourth Sunday of each month (call to confirm)
Sundays, February 27, March 27, April 24, 2010
9:30 a.m. – Noon
Ages: All (Kids under age 15 must be accompanied by adult but are welcome)
Cost: FREE
Website

Enter from parking lot behind Gordon’s Market at 303 Culver Blvd in Playa del Rey.
Try a different sort of family outing by helping nature and the local community. Volunteer together and help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands restore the last coastal wetland habitat in Los Angeles County. Volunteers get hands-on experience while learning about wetland ecology. The Friends provide gloves and tools. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Salt Marsh and Sand Dunes Tours

Ballona Wetlands
211 Culver Blvd., Ste. K, Playa Del Rey
303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey, 90293 (This is the meeting place)
Every Second Sunday of each month (call to confirm) (310) 306-5994
Sundays, February 14, March14, April 11, 2010
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
Website

Meet in the parking lot behind Gordon’s Market at 303 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey.
Join the Friends of Ballona Wetlands for an informative nature tour of the salt marsh and dunes. Learn about our coastal ecosystem and explore the wonders of nature right in the middle of urban Los Angeles.

Whale Watching Boat Excursions

Malibu Pier Whale Watching
23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu;(310) 456-8031
Saturday and Sunday, January 23 & 24, 2010
Boat trips 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Ages: 7 and up (not recommended for toddlers)
Cost: $45 Adults; $30 Children; Special Family Pack Price: $100 for 2 adults and 2 kids
Website

It’s a great time of year to see whales making their annual migration. The Malibu Pier Whale Watching trip offers an opportunity to see California grey whales and pilot whales as well as dolphins, California sea lions, cormorants, California brown pelicans and other marine animals. Malibu Pier Whale Watching excursions are led by California State Park Rangers or naturalists and are family friendly, but it is not recommended for toddlers.

The California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights

As the rest of the country experiences cold winter weather, our 70-degree temperatures in Los Angeles are cause for celebration and motivation to offer our kids more outdoor time connecting with nature. Today’s kids spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. As author Richard Louv identifies in his best selling book Last Child in the Woods, this “nature-deficit disorder” is a real phenomenon that we must try to avoid because “direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.”

To help us in our New Year’s resolution, we are adopting the California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights: A list of 10 things each child should have an opportunity to do before the age of 14 that encourages children to participate in outdoor recreational activities and discover their heritage. Developed by the California Roundtable on Recreation, Parks and Tourism and endorsed by numerous organizations including the California State Park and Recreation Commission and the Governor, it’s a good guide and an even better wake up call.

How many of the things on this list have your children experienced? Here’s our first set of suggestions on how to live up to the California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, which states that every child should have the opportunity to:

1. Discover California’s Past

Placerita Canyon (Oak of the Golden Dream)
Placerita Canyon Natural Area is not just a place that offers a beautiful, environmentally conscious nature center, museum, wild animals and hiking trails, it’s also legendary for the first place that gold was discovered in the state of California and the location of the Oak of the Golden Dream. The location is a registered State Historic Landmark and also houses the historic Walker Cabin, where early pioneer Frank Walker raised his family. Stop into the nature center and ask one of the knowledgeable staff for a quick and fun history lesson; they’re always ready to share a bit of California’s past. (MORE)

2. Splash in the water

Annenberg Community Beach House
California’s only public beach club with no membership fees, the Annenberg Community Beach House opened last summer as an answer to many people’s wishes. Currently the pool is closed for the winter, but the splash pad is still open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m and Santa Monica beach is literally just a few steps in the sand away. (MORE)

3. Play in a safe place

Skirball Cultural Center Museum (Noah’s Ark)
Skirball Cultural Center’s permanent exhibit Noah’s Ark is not just an award-winning destination for the family, but a safe place where your kids can explore and make believe. Designed for multi-generational play, the 8,000 square foot gallery is an activity and a journey for the entire family. The wooden ark as tall as the ceiling is filled with animals, climbing, arts and crafts and science opportunities. (MORE)

4. Camp under the stars

Camp Seely Family Outings
One of the best ways for novice campers to experience the outdoors is by pitching a tent right in your own backyard! If your kids are young enough, the sheer adventure of sleeping under the stars will negate the fact that the house is just a few steps away. If you’d rather get farther out of the city and really see the stars you’re sleeping under, try the Camp Seely Family Outings offered four or five times a year by the City of Los Angeles Parks Department. A fun weekend of camping at beautiful Camp Seely in the charming town of Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains awaits the entire family. Camp Seely Family Outings are especially designed for novice campers, and for others who prefer a few of the comforts of home. (MORE)

5. Explore nature

Franklin Canyon Park
More than 600 acres of natural open space in Franklin Canyon Park and at the William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom and Sooky Goldman Nature Center is a perfect way to explore nature right in Los Angeles. The park includes a three acre wildlife pond, chaparral covered slopes, shady grassland meadows and a wide variety of trees including California live oak, black walnut and sycamore. The lake is home to many birds and waterfowl. Explore the area on your own with a hike or take advantage of the numerous free programs offered by the Center. A Turtle’s Race Around the Lake this weekend is a guided leisurely walk around the lake that’s a great introduction to Franklin Canyon and its local eco­system. (MORE)

6. Learn to swim

Rose Bowl Aquatic Center
The Rose Bowl Aquatic Center at Brookside Park in Pasadena has a swim class for just about any age and level. From a Parent-and-Me class for ages 6 months and up to beginning adult and teen classes to private lessons, there’s an opportunity for everyone to learn how to swim. Classes are offered year-round with water temperatures remaining a comfortable 86 degrees! Group lessons come out to a very affordable $11 per class. (MORE)

7. Play on a team

American Youth Soccer Organization
Kids in junior high school will have an opportunity to participate in team sports though their physical education classes. For the younger set, or to involve your older kids in extracurricular team sports, try the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). Anyone can join AYSO and all kids are guaranteed to play 50% of the time, so you don’t have to worry about your child warming the bench! (MORE)

8. Follow a trail

Ernest E. Debs Park
Lucky for us, Los Angeles the city still offers many proximate opportunities for hiking and following a trail. Many of the Nature Centers and Natural Areas we list HERE will have hiking trails, as with the organized hikes we regularly list for the Children’s Nature Institute that will take you from the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Gabriel Mountains. Follow a trail next weekend on a Family Nature Hike with the Audubon Society at Debs Park, more than half of which is covered in walnut-oak woodland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub. (MORE)

9. Catch a fish

Pier Fishing in Los Angeles
The State of California requires a fishing license for everyone age 16 and up, but not if you’re fishing at a pier. So grab your poles and your beach chairs and spend quality time with your kids casting a line at one of the many piers in Southern California. (MORE)

10. Celebrate their heritage

Chinatown Golden Dragon Parade
Los Angeles is home to people of ethnicities from around the globe, and each child has a unique opportunity to celebrate their heritage as well as the heritage of their classmates, neighbors and friends. Traveling in and around metropolitan Los Angeles will bring you in touch with virtually any ethnicity, many firmly settled within their own geographical communities. Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Koreatown, Filipino Town, Olvera Street, Thai Town, Little Ethiopia, Little India, Little Armenia are just a few of the areas both well-known and indicative of the diversity.

2010 is the Year of the Tiger, so this February check out the Golden Dragon Parade and Festival in Chinatown to help our Chinese friends celebrate their heritage. The Chinese lion and dragon dancers promise to be vibrant and spectacular as usual, while booths with Asian food and goods and other entertainment will illustrate a rich cultural history. (MORE)

Catch a fish at a Southern California Pier Fishing

The State of California requires a fishing license for everyone age 16 and up, but not if you’re fishing at a pier. So grab your poles and your beach chairs and spend quality time with your kids casting a line at one of the many piers in Southern California. Here’s a list of a few of them.

Belmont Pier fishing at Belmont Shore in Long Beach
Burton Chase Fishing Platform in Marina del Rey
Hermosa Beach Pier at Hermosa Beach
Huntington Beach Pier at Huntington Beach
Malibu Pier in Malibu
Manhattan Beach Pier at Manhattan Beach
Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach
Redondo Beach Pier at Redondo Beach
San Pedro Pier in San Pedro
Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica
Venice Pier in Venice, Los Angeles

For more information on beach/pier fishing, visit this resourceful site: Beach California

Follow a trail with the Audubon Center at Ernest E. Debs Park

Lucky for us, Los Angeles the city still offers many proximate opportunities for hiking and following a trail. Many of the Nature Centers and Natural Areas we list HERE will have hiking trails, as with the organized hikes we regularly list for the Children’s Nature Institute that will take you from the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Gabriel Mountains. Follow a trail with the Audubon Society at Debs Park, more than half of which is covered in walnut-oak woodland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub.

Ernest E. Debs Park

N. Griffin Ave. At Ave. 43, Los Angeles, 90032; (213) 847-3989
Days/Hours: Daily Dawn to Dusk
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
Website

Explore nature at Franklin Canyon Park

More than 600 acres of natural open space in Franklin Canyon Park and at the William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom and Sooky Goldman Nature Center is a perfect way to explore nature right in Los Angeles. The park includes a three acre wildlife pond, chaparral covered slopes, shady grassland meadows and a wide variety of trees including California live oak, black walnut and sycamore. The lake is home to many birds and waterfowl. Explore the area on your own with a hike or take advantage of the numerous free programs offered by the Center. A Turtle’s Race Around the Lake this weekend is a guided leisurely walk around the lake that’s a great introduction to Franklin Canyon and its local eco¬system.

William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom and Sooky Goldman Nature Center

Franklin Canyon Park
2600 Franklin Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills 90210; (310) 858-7272 ext. 131 or
310-858-3834
Days/Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
Website

Camp under the stars at Camp Seely Family Outings

One of the best ways for novice campers to experience the outdoors is by pitching a tent right in your own backyard! If your kids are young enough, the sheer adventure of sleeping under the stars will negate the fact that the house is just a few steps away. If you’d rather get farther out of the city and really see the stars you’re sleeping under, try the Camp Seely Family Outings offered four or five times a year by the City of Los Angeles Parks Department. A fun weekend of camping at beautiful Camp Seely in the charming town of Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains awaits the entire family. Camp Seely Family Outings are especially designed for novice campers, and for others who prefer a few of the comforts of home. Each person pays an affordable price that will include a single family heated cabin, four family-style meals (Saturday lunch through Sunday lunch), and outdoor activities such as hiking among giant pine trees, hanging out by a campfire, roasting marshmallows and more. All you have to do is get you and your family to and from the camp.

Camp Seely Family Outings

Camp Seely
San Bernardino Mountains (85 miles outside of Los Angeles); (213) 485-4853
Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14; April 17-18; May 15-16; September 11-12; October 16-17, 2010
Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon
Ages: All (Children must be accompanied by an adult)
Cost: 13 and up $45; 7-12 $37; 2-6 $30
Website

Discover California’s Past at Placerita Canyon (Oak of the Golden Dream)

Placerita Canyon Natural Area is not just a place that offers a beautiful, environmentally conscious nature center, museum, wild animals and hiking trails, it’s also legendary for the first place that gold was discovered in the state of California and the location of the Oak of the Golden Dream. The location is a registered State Historic Landmark and also houses the historic Walker Cabin, where early pioneer Frank Walker raised his family. Stop into the nature center and ask one of the knowledgeable staff for a quick and fun history lesson; they’re always ready to share a bit of California’s past.

Placerita Canyon Natural Area and Nature Center

19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, 91321; (661) 259-7721
Days/Hours: Park is open sunrise to sunset; Nature Center open Tuesdays-Sundays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
Website