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 The most popular of our free seminars, "How to Identify and Avoid Poison Oak" has been reorganized, updated, and revised. The seminar helps you understand the mechanism of poison oak exposure, learn how to identify poison oak, and learn what to do in the event that you or your kids are exposed. Be sure to take the Trailmix.Net Poison Oak Challenge at the end of the presentation.
Here is a summary of what you will learn:
The Mechanism of Poison Oak Exposure
The rash associated with poison oak is caused by contacting an oily resin found in the roots, leaves, or stems called urushiol. It takes only 1 billionth of a gram to trigger a rash. Urushiol oil does not evaporate and can remain active on clothes and outdoor equipment for up to a year.
In most people (roughly 90%), contact with urushiol triggers an allergic reaction. The cycle of poison oak exposure lasts about 10 days. Within two days of skin exposure to urushiol, a rash will begin. The symptoms will peak in intensity at or around day five. After about ten days, the symptoms will begin to decline.
A common myth is that poison oak is contagious. Although it is possible to transfer residual urushiol oil from one area to another, you can manage the problem by managing the urushiol oil.
How to Identify Poison Oak
Poison oak is found all along the Pacific Coast of North America from Canada to the Baja Peninsula. It also happens to be the most abundant shrub in California.
The first thing that you look for when identifying poison oak are the three leaves. Remember the saying "leaves of three, leave them be..." Once you have identified the three leaves, examine the edges. Poison oak has a distinct scalloped or toothy edge.
Poison oak leaves will change color as the season progresses from green in the spring, to yellow in the summer, and bright red in the fall. The morphology can vary and poison oak can be found growing as a vine, bush, or shrub.
What to do if You are Exposed to Poison Oak
The best way to manage poison oak risk is to focus on prevention.
Learn to recognize the three Poison Oak leaflets and avoid contact. If you know you will be hiking near poison oak, wear shirts with sleeves and long pants. Commercially available prevention cremes such as Ivy Block can be helpful in binding up the urushiol oils before they penetrate the skin.
You should also wash any gear that you suspect has been exposed to poison oak. It has been demonstrated that washing gear or clothing with a detergent will remove urushiol oil and prevent a subsequent re-exposure.
If you suspect that you have had contact with Poison Oak, wash your skin with cold water. Be sure to use cold water and be thorough. Special poison oak soaps such as Technu can be helpful in removing the urushiol. These are most effective if used between 2-8 hours after contact.
If you are exposed and have a rash, there are a number of commercially available Over the Counter products that can help with itching and swelling.
Severe cases of poison oak exposure require medical attention. Call a doctor immediately in cases where an adult or child has trouble breathing, the rash is affecting the face, eyes, lips, or genitals, or the rash shows any signs of infection. The presentation should not be used as a substitute for medical consultation. If there is any doubt, see a doctor.
A poison oak rash is the price that many people pay to enjoy the outdoors. But you really don't need to. Understanding the mechanism of exposure, how to identify and avoid poison oak, and understanding what to do if you or your children become exposed can save you ten days of obsessive scratching.
We are always trying to make our seminars more useful. If you watch the seminar, please leave a comment to let us know what you thought of it (registration isn't necessary). Also, if you want to share it with a friend, youth group, scout troop, etc. the direct link to the presentation is http://poisonoak.trailmix.net/ .
Related Posts:
Geocaching with Kids: The Free Trailmix.Net Online Seminar
Inspired by toxidendron diversilobum
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 Over the last week we've been exploring the concept of "creating a stomping ground." Your stomping ground is the public land nearest to your home that you can turn to for quick, easy, and dependable outdoor activities with kids. Establishing a stomping ground is a strategy for managing time and prioritizing family outdoor recreation.
As I mentioned before, our stomping ground is the American River Parkway. There is nothing like a 25+ mile trail and park system for a base of operations, in our opinion. So, if you were looking, how would you find one of these gems?
A hat tip to Squidoo user Mulburry for creating a very cool Squidoo lens about the Rails to Trails conservancy:
"...A rail trail is simply an old railroad bed that is no longer used and has been converted into a path for people to use for recreational purposes. Actually some rail trails can provide functional transportation for one point to another in some instances. A rail trail is not used for vehicular traffic. Instead traffic on a rail trail consists of runners, walkers, inline skaters, and bicyclists....
Finding a rail trail is very easy. The Rails to Trails Conservancy has a website that allows you to simply input your destination and the type of trail you prefer to locate trails in the area...."
Related Posts:
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 It's not exactly the same as fishing for mahseer in the Himalayas, but a backyard bug safari is different only in scale.
When we started stocking the Trailmix.Net Store with science and nature toys we didn't expect our bug jugs to become one of the most popular items. Maybe it's because Take a Child Outside Week is right around the corner or maybe its just because creatures with more than four legs are strange and interesting.... Whatever the reason, when it comes to outdoor activities with kids, catching bugs in the garden is a great sport.
After an enthusiastic and detailed description of a roly-poly playground safari by one of our customers (Thanks Kyla!), we decided to get into the action. One ladybug playground, raisin, and drop of water later and we were ready to roll film...
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Ladybug Playgrounds, Roly-Poly Playgrounds, Frog Habitats, Ant Farms, and many other toys that require an outdoor expedition or indoor scientific evaluation are available in the Trailmix.Net store.
If you are a parent that enjoys this type of thing (kids, science, exploration, expeditions, etc.) be sure to check out The Trail Guide, the Trailmix.Net Newsletter.
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The other day I wrote a post about establishing your Stomping Ground on the public lands nearest to your home. Today's post is about supporting your Stomping Ground.
If you didn't read the post, here's the gist. Your "Stomping Ground", from a Trailmix.Net prospective, is your home turf. It's the place that is most accessible. It's the dependable standby. The place that you go to get the kids on the trail when they have cabin fever and there isn't time for an elaborate plan. It's quick, it's convenient, and it has enough space and activities to keep little (and big) explorers engaged for hours on end.
We consider the American River Parkway in Sacramento our stomping ground. A short distance from home, we can always find something new in this 23 mile chain of trails and interconnected parks bordering the American River. It's a gem and in our opinion, the coolest thing about living in Sacramento.
As we walked along the trail on Sunday, I started to think about how many memories we had created as a family walking, biking, and geocaching along this trail. As far as the American River Parkway goes, we have taken much, much more from it than we have ever given.
Soooo.... After a quick online search for organizations that support the American River Parkway, we are now proud members of the American River Natural History Association. The ARNHA is a nonprofit organization started in 1981 to support educational and interpretive activities in the American River Parkway.
I share this thought not to brag, but rather to persuade others to do the same. Identify your stomping ground, find the group that keeps it clean, organizes the volunteers, and builds exhibits to educate the children, and support them in some way. Perhaps (as in our case) it's just a basic membership and subscription to their newsletter, I can tell you from experience with other non-profits that every little bit helps.
If this post compels you to support your stomping ground, please leave a comment below. It would be cool to create a little momentum of giving..... Of course, if you have the bug but can't think of a cause to support, please feel free to donate to one of ours.
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 Have you ever been stuck in traffic and found yourself mentally escaping with the kids to long trails, green trees, and mountain lakes. Just when you think that you can smell the pine needles somebody honks and before you know it you are rushing off to the next thing on your to-do list.
I have spent the last couple of years conducting informal studies on the subject of work-life balance. Sometimes my experiments worked wonderfully, and sometimes they failed dismally. I can tell you from experience that the common element in each of the successful outcomes was great planning and time management.
If you are one of the many millions of parents who are trying to use family outdoor recreation to balance your life, here are three tips to help you carve time out of a busy schedule.
Tip #1: Buy 1-3 Guide Books about Family Outdoor Activities in Your Immediate Area
Go to your favorite bookstore. Find the "local" section. Select a couple of guidebooks that list hiking, biking, paddling, or any other outdoor activities that your family enjoys that are located within a two to three hour radius from your home.
I'm a big fan of online discount bookstores, but in my opinion the procurement of good outdoor literature is a case where the brick and mortar business model has the online model beat. Thumb through several examples side by side and select 1-3 that cover a range of activities in your radius.
Over time you may want to build a library of diverse guidebooks, but these "close to home" guides will become the cornerstone. This will set you back fifteen to forty dollars, but it's money well spent. We have a copy of California Hiking that we have been using for over ten years. If you divide the cost by the number of times we have referenced the book, we are talking pennies per use.
Tip #2: Develop a "Stomping Ground" in a Nearby State Park, National Park, or other Public Land
Find the closest National Park, State Park, or other public land near your home and make it your "stomping ground". Your stomping ground is the place that you visit frequently enough to develop a strong familiarity. More importantly for the calendar-challenged, the stomping ground is the perfect alternative destination when the elaborate plans just can't be met.
Here's a hypothetical that illustrates the need for a stomping ground. Imagine that you have a plan for a big family hike three to four hours from home. A project at work runs you ragged all week. By the time Saturday rolls around you are exhausted, you oversleep, and one of the kids isn't feeling well. Before you know it, the original plan has broken down and can not be salvaged.
Rather than abort the plan and sacrafice the day to cable television, you can quickly turn to your stomping ground for an easy to implement alternate activity. Because of your familiarity with this area and its accessability, pulling together another plan is simple. You can reschedule the elaborate plan for another time and still salvage the day.
Prioritize a Single Activity- Block out Time
Over the course of this year, our family has been lucky enough to go on some hiking, biking, rock climbing, geocaching, animal watching, and tidal pool expeditions. It's fun to mix it up, but each activity requires a little different skill set, equipment, and learning curve. If you are a beginner or introducing young children to the outdoors, avoid taking on too much at once and burning out.
If outdoor recreation as a family is something that you are transitioning into, I recommend selecting one activity to get started. Over time feel free to mix it up but as with any new routine or habit, selecting something that you can start and develop into a routine is the key.
If you are like most people, time is scarce. I know people whose weekends are booked months in advance. It's a classic catch-22: if you don't prioritize and set aside time for recreation and leisure, you miss the benefits. This, in turn, causes you to feel like you have less time for recreation and leisure. The way out of this trap is prioritization.
Block out time in your calendar with the diligence of a doctors appointment or job interview. Consider the following:
"Parents already feel besieged by the difficulty of balancing work and family life. Understandably, they may resist the idea of adding any to-dos to their long list of chores. So here is another way of viewing the challenge: Nature as antidote. Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life - these are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into children's lives."
-Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods
Implementing these simple steps can make a huge difference in the frequency and quality of your family outdoor recreation time. When you feel like there just isn't any time to pack up the kids for that hike, turn to your local guidebooks for inspiration, head to your stomping ground for convenience, and block out your time with diligence and inflexability. Before you know it the smell of pine needles will be real.
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We are happy to announce that the Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt is now available in the Trailmix.Net Store. For those who are just joining the conversation, or who might not yet have subscribed to The Trail Guide (our quarterly newsletter), here is a rundown on what it is and why you might want one ...
What is the Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt Kit?The Trailmix.Net scavenger hunt helps parents create memorable educational experiences with their children while visiting the park. The kit consists of a booklet of riddles, and online tools and information. The scavenger hunt leads families to seven locations in Yosemite valley. At each location, the family is presented with a riddle. When all of the riddles are solved, a unique code is generated that can be uploaded later at the Trailmix.Net website. Uploading the code triggers shipment of a collectible prize.
Why go on a Scavenger Hunt in Yosemite National Park?The Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park scavenger hunt is the best way to introduce your children to the Yosemite Valley. While working through the hunt, children learn about the geology of Yosemite, about plants found in the Sierra Nevada Region, about Yosemite Falls, the history of the National Parks System, how to identify wildlife in Yosemite, and how to shoot a postcard perfect photograph.
Go to the park, solve the riddles, upload the code, and we send you a prize! Learn more here...
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Have you ever had the desire to exchange your day to day routine for one of extended travel? Do the words "Road Trip" conjure up magical images of National Park hopping, sunsets, and long stretches of time to reflect?
 For most of us, there is a gap between the utopia of extended, uninterrupted world exploration and our actual day to day routine. The dream of the open road is brought back to reality when faced with the responsibilities of feeding the dogs, PTA meetings, and paying the bills. As with most big ideas, the key to actually doing something of this magnitude lies in proper planning and goal setting.
Photo By DennisSylvesterHurd
If a major road trip is your goal, Live Your Road Trip Dream should be on your reading list.
Live Your Road Trip Dream is the work of Phil and Carol White. They're experts on the topic of yearlong travel. After careers in business they "opted for the road less traveled", so to speak. After a significant amount of research and planning, they packed the essentials into a 19 Foot Chevy Class B van and hit the open road for a year. In their travels they drove from the West Coast to the East Coast, and everywhere in between including more than 35 National Parks.
Live Your Road Trip Dream is both a blueprint that explains how to plan an extended road trip, as well as a chronicle of their trip.
How they did it.
The first half of the book focuses heavily on planning. They systematically consider the logistics of financing an extended trip, transferring important responsibilities, constructing a realistic budget, and planning an itinerary. As they dissect these topics, they share their approach and specifics about how they solved each problem. In addition to discussing things and places, they also spend a fair amount of time exploring the "people" element such as breaking the news to family members, missing important events, and, of course, the obvious issue of getting along with a traveling companion 24-7-365. One of the most valuable elements of the book, in my opinion, is the detailed planning worksheets that are found in the appendix. These include sample budgets, to-do lists, a list of supplies, and even a primer for RV systems.
Their Trip
The White's make a point early in the first chapter that the purpose of the book is to help the reader build a plan for their own adventure. The second half of the book, a journal of the White's trip, is offered as a guide to spark the imagination. Although I appreciated the planning techniques, it was the journal that I enjoyed the most.
Since they started their trip in the Pacific Northwest and immediately started working their way south to Yosemite, most of the journal entries early in the second half are places that I am very familiar with. I enjoyed seeing these places through their eyes. Our family recently drove through Eureka California, a topic in one of the "Phil-osophies" sections of the book. Although Phil's story about a summer job in Eureka is only a couple of paragraphs long, it seems like this could easily be the topic of a prequel novel. The journal entries were also the subject matter of a column in their local newspaper called "On the Road with the Whites". As their adventures began to unfold, it quickly became the most popular column in the paper. I can see why.
Setting a big audacious goal always carries an element of risk. The proper response to risk is to make a plan. When you have a big goal and proper planning, wonderful things can happen. At its core, Live Your Road Trip Dream is a book about doing just that: Turning a dream into a plan, and turning that plan into reality. If your big goal involves a long road trip, Live Your Road Trip Dream should be on your reading list. You can pick up a copy of LYRTD at Amazon.com or you can buy directly from Phil and Carol White by visiting their website at http://www.roadtripdream.com/.
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I love nature photography. I love to look at and shoot photos of plants, animals, mountains and seascapes. This week I have been practicing sunset photography on the Oregon Coast. As I tend to do when I am having fun with a hobby, I was completely immersed in the moment and in this case was searching for the right light to silhouette my subject, Haystack Rock. A very big mistake, I would learn a short five minutes later.
   
The sunset last night was alright. It wasn't bad, but it didn't have the strawberry cotton candy pinks that I was hoping for. At one moment I heard some excitement from the people behind me. I was fumbling with my camera settings and completely focused on the reflection from the water that I ignored the movement on my left.
When I finally got around to looking at the disturbance, I was just in time to watch a bald eagle take flight..... on Cannon Beach..... at sunset...... with Haystack rock as a backdrop.... Less than 150 feet away... And my camera was attached to a tripod pointed in the wrong direction.
I think that I could have pulled this shot off. The light was intense and it is possible that this magnificent bird would have been washed out from the intense sun, but I am pretty sure that minimally I could have caught a silhouette shortly after take off. Instead I left with a big fish story about the one that got away.
Lesson learned:
Don't get so focused on shooting one subject that you miss the obvious. One thing that I love about nature photography is that, like fishing, you can have good days and bad days. Some days you won't return home with anything remarkable and other days you will not believe how lucky you are. But once in a great while you will be presented with a rare opportunity and to capture something spectacular. And as they say about fishing, a bad day shooting sunsets is always better than a good day at work.
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Have you been wanting to take up the sport of Geocaching but were intimidated by the terms, jargon, and technology? Check out our new free seminar: Geocaching 101- Caching with Kids.
As readers of this blog and long time subscribers to the Trail Guide know, we discovered Geocaching while doing research for Trailmix.Net. That was over a year ago and in that time we have developed a love for the sport. Because of its suitability for children and sometimes technical jargon, it made perfect sense to add an introductory geocaching seminar to our portfolio of outdoor e-learning courses for parents.
This e-learning seminar is divided into three sections: what to do before you find a cache, when you find a cache, and when you return from your hunt.
Before You Go
The Before You Go section of the seminar covers how to prioritize the selection of technology, how to set up your Geocaching.com account and profile, and provides some guidance on how to identify and load your first Geocache into your GPSr.
What to do when you Find a Geocache
The What To Do When You Find a Cache section of the seminar provides some guidance on finding your first cache in the field. This section provides a couple of tips for parents who are planning to Geocache with their kids including setting expectations for fair trade, what to do when you are looking for a cache, and where (or where not) to look for your first find.
When You Return
This section covers the art of signing the log, uploading photos, and provides some guidance on managing trackable items such as geocoins or travelbugs.
If you are a first time Geocacher and are planning to Geocache with kids, this seminar will provide an orientation to the sport.
Download Geocaching 101: Caching with Kids for free here.
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As luck would have it, the granddaddy of all geocaching events happened right in our backyard this weekend. The sixth anniversary of GeoWoodstock, an event that draws thousands of Geocachers from around the world, took place in Wheatland CA. We have never attended a Geocaching mega event and had no idea what we were in for. We found that it was well planned, family friendly, and loaded with fun.
  
Kid Friendly Activities
We discovered geocaching while we were doing research for Trailmix.Net and have always found the sport to be well suited for children. The largest Geocaching community event in the world was no different. After spending five minutes at GeoWoodstock VI it was obvious that great care and an enormous amount of planning had gone into making sure that there were activities that would appeal to younger age groups.
Our kids spent much of the day panning for gold, petting farm animals, riding a train, exploring barns and playhouses, and listening to music. In fact, we were having so much fun we missed the magic show.
Seminars and Demonstrations
For parents and older kids there were a set of seminars and demonstrations. This alone was worth the trip in and cost of admission (free). Topics included compass and map navigation, using GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), tips and tricks for using Google maps, GPS basics, and managing risk on hikes.
One really interesting display was of an original can of beans that was included in the first geocache. To me, the reverence during the unveiling of the OCB is a perfect snapshot of the fun and usually quirky atmosphere you will find in the Geocaching Community.
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Youtube video of the revealing of the OCB (Original Can of Beans)
Geocaching Online has a great post with more about the seminars and demonstrations.
Geocaching
Obviously, no world class Geocaching convention would be complete without a healthy dose of geocaching. A number of cache runs were coordinated through the event and there were countless informal cache runs. People were caching 24/7. We actually met a group from Denmark that found over 300 caches in a marathon midnight-to-midnight caching extravaganza. They weren't the only ones geocaching into the late evening. One of our in Roseville caches was found 1-3 times an hour all night long until the event started.
GeoCoins, and Travelbugs
Near the entrance was the largest gathering of travelbugs that I have ever seen. There were trackable bugs, trackable dogs, even trackable people. A tent and several tables were dedicated just to managing the drop off and pick up area. We were able to log a new favorite: "Jenny", the green Volkswagen bus the Old Hippy and Granny drive from event to event.
 
Once the main event was wrapped up, a secondary event broke out in a nearby hotel. I was amazed by the number of travelbugs at Geowoodstock VI, but the number of geocoins at the Geocoin Swap Meet event after Geowoodstock VI really blew me away. People came out of the woodwork and completely took over the conference area, lobby, and patio. It was amazing. About 150 people brought their own collections in boxes, albums, and fishing tackle boxes. Several custom coins were also on display. Geocaching mayhem.
GeoWoodstock VII, Bell Buckle Tennessee
Next year, Geowoodstock will be held in Bell Buckle Tennessee. We are going to make every effort to attend. If you are a geocacher, have kids, and have the opportunity, we highly recommend a GeoWoodstock event. This was an adventure that our kids will remember for a long time.
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The year was 1852 and Augustus T. Dowd was tracking a grizzly bear that he had wounded. As he walked through the unfamiliar forest he was stunned to find a tree larger than any he had ever seen. He returned to his mining camp and told his tale. After a fair amount of ridicule he was able to convince others to come to the giant trees that he had found. One hundred and fifty years later you too can visit the grove of trees that Dowd discovered.
 
For those of you who might be reading this blog for the first time, our family likes to track down giant trees. It was a hike to Merced Grove in Yosemite National Park that we sparked the idea of creating Educational Expeditions. This was a follow up visit to continue our exploration of sequoia groves and development into amateur botanists.
The North Grove Trail: Distance and Trail Conditions
While in Calaveras Big Tree State Park, we hiked the gentle 1.5 mile North Grove trail. This trail has minimal elevation gain and is perfect for families with young children. In fact if you are in the process of calibrating the hiking capabilities of your kids, this is a near perfect starting point (click here for a tutorial on setting realistic expectations when hiking with kids).
The trail begins at the parking area. For $0.50 you can pick up a booklet that identifies a number of trees by name and provides an excellent orientation to the sights you will see along the way including illustrations of other trees such as sugar pine, incense cedar, and dogwood. Alternatively, you can order this guide by mail from the Calaveras Big Trees Association.
After a short walk from the parking lot, you will find The Big Stump. This is the remains of that first tree that Dowd discovered. Unfortunately, there are a couple of examples along the North Grove Trail where a complete lack of foresight by our ancestors resulted in the destruction of truly amazing specimens. The big stump is the first.
The conditions of the North Grove trail are excellent. If you have a jogging stroller, you should have no trouble getting around.
Go here for an overview of other trails in the park.
Action Scenery:
Whenever you select a hike for kids, you want to orient them to the local action scenery. Action scenery can include waterfalls, wildlife, or other points of interest. Unfortunately, trees don't move nearly as much as waterfalls. Luckily, since each of the trail notes on the $0.50 park guide are clearly numbered along the way, younger children will have fun racing ahead to find the next sequentially marked sign.
 
Getting There:
From SF Bay Area
Take I-580 eastbound over Altamont Pass to I-205 toward Manteca, to US 99 North. Take the exit for State Hwy 4 Eastbound (Angel's Camp) to the Park Entrance. Hwy 4 makes a jog to the right in Angel's Camp along State Hwy 49, then jogs left just before leaving town. Calaveras Big Trees is about 35 minutes driving from Angel's Camp.
From Southern California
Take either I-5 or US 99 North. From I-5 you can cross to the other side of Stockton on State Hwy 4 to 99/4 South a few miles, then follow Hwy 4 towards and beyond Farmington to the Park. Hwy 4 makes a jog right in Angel's Camp, then jogs left just before leaving town. Calaveras Big Trees is about 35 minutes driving time from Angel's Camp.
From Sacramento
Take US 99 South to Stockton, turning off onto State Hwy 4 towards and beyond Farmington to the Park (through Angel's Camp). Driving time to the Park from Stockton is approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes. An alternate route is to take State Hwy 16 southeast to State Hwy 49 South through the goldrush towns to Angel's Camp, making a left turn on the far side of town on State Hwy 4 to the Park. Driving time from Angel's Camp is approximately 35 minutes.
From Nevada
Take US 395 to State Hwy 89 West to the terminus of State Hwy 4, up over Ebbett's Pass to the Park. The road is closed in Winter. It's very scenic, but so steep and tortuous that trailers and large motorhomes are ill-advised to use it.
Reference: Calaveras Big Tree State Park website.
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Looking for a new spin on an educational expedition? How about whale watching? Here is a brief tutorial on how to get started, resources, locations, citizen science projects, and some other special topics for kids.
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I have blogged periodically about bird and other animal watching with kids, but one subject that I haven't written about yet is whale watching. The primary reason for this lapse in blogging is because... well.... I don't know much about it. Using the magic of the World Wide Web I was able to contact some people who actually know quite a bit about the subject (credits below).
The product of that discussion is here for all to enjoy.
Whale Watching: Background and Getting Started.
Whale watching as an organized activity began in the early 1950's in San Diego when people began to visit Cabrillo National Monument to observe the migration of Gray Whales. In New England, organized whale watching gained traction in the mid 1980's but instead of the Grey Whale (extinct in the Atlantic), the Humpback whales are a focus of attention. To find out what species are near your geographical location, go here.
Where the Whales are: Whale Watching Locations
Humpbacks feed in the Gulf of Main from late April to September. In the winter months they travel south to the Caribbean to feed and calf.
Gray Whales travel north to south between October and January. They are usually seen in California around mid-December to early January. They begin to return North in March to mid April.
A simple Google search for whale watching at an east or west coast location will pull up numerous commercial whale watching tours. If you do decide to charter a boat, find a reputable company associated with organizations like WWF, or groups actively engaged in research such as CRESLI or Allied Whale.
While there are some places where you can watch whales from shore in New England, a boat tour that will carry you out to the banks and ledges where the whales feed is recommended. If you plan to watch whales from shore in California, here are some recommended locations:
MacKerricher State Park
Bodega Head
Point Reyes National Seashore
Chimney Rock
Muir Beach Overlook
Point Bonita
Julia Pfiefer Burns State Park
San Simeon State Park
Point Dume State Beach
Cabrillo National Monument
Resources for Whale Watching:
On the web:
Journey North: Gray Whale tracking.
Center For Coastal Studies: A research group from Provincetown Mass.
Whale Center of New England: A humpback research group.
Allied Whale: Holds the catalogue for whale identification.
Gray Whale Census: Surveying the northbound migration of gray whales
The Marine Mammal Center: Marine Mammal Information
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Underwater maps of Monterey Bay.
Ocean Alliance: Videos, audio, and scientific reports.
It is a good idea to read up on the whales you are watching. Here are some guidebooks to get you started:
On the trail of the whale
Whale Watcher: A Global Guide to Watching Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises, in the Wild
Citizen Science Whale Watching Projects:
The term citizen science is a used to describe a research project where volunteers help scientists collect data. Citizen science projects are an almost perfect complement to any educational expedition. If you are planning to watch humpback whales and have a camera, the Flickr.com humpbackflukes group uses photos uploaded to Flickr to build a catalogue of humpback whales and track their activity.
Photo: Humpback fluke, credit: ahisgett via flickr.com
Special Tips for Whale Watching with Kids:
Dress right, wear warm clothes in layers, bring sunscreen, and if you are going to be on a boat wear some rubber or slip proof shoes.
"The perfect whale-watcher, we decided has 360 degree vision (since the whales can appear anywhere, even if you see them dive, they can change direction under water), 3 legs (for stability on a rocking boat) and 4 arms (two to hold your camera steady, one to hold on to the rail of the boat, and one to hold your hat on when the wind picks up!"
-Tim Ellis
If you aren't watching whales from shore, be prepared for motion sickness. Stay out on deck, sit in the center of the boat and focus on the horizon, and bring a supply of Dramamine. There are also some alternative cures for seasickness that include pressure point bracelets, ginger pills, and or ginger ale.
Special Credits:
As I mentioned earlier, I got a lot of help with this post from the people at the All Whales Discussion forum on Flickr.com. Specifically, Yeimaya, Tim Ellis, and Nikki and Jason. If you like, you can read the full thread here.
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In this weeks roundup we have a Digital Photography course for shooting sunrise or sunset photos, a plug for a new film of Yosemite National Park set to premier on the Travel Channel, and a podcast from the University of Minnesota about curing Nature Deficit Disorder.
<![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/MesymjGwuHo">http://www.youtube.com/v/MesymjGwuHo</a></p>]]>
View original media here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MesymjGwuHo&feature=related
Digital Photography Tips for Shooting Sunsets
We have an extensive collection of sunset photos. There is something awe inspiring about watching the sun on the horizon and taking in the colors that are produced. In this six minute video, photographer Rick Sammon provides some tips for taking your sunrise or sunset photos to the next level.
Yosemite in HD
The film "Yosemite - Americas Treasure" is going debut on the Travel Channel this Sunday (April 13th, 2008) at 7:00 PM ET/PT. The film is one hour long and will be broadcast in HD.
I understand that I have been a critic of watching television about National Parks rather than visiting national parks and have even been motivated to write an e-book on trading cable documentaries for real family expeditions... but I've always advocated balance.... And it's Yosemite.... on Sunday night.... And in HD....
More Information
Yubanet
National Parks Traveller
The Cure for Nature Deficit Disorder
Here is a one minute podcast published by the University of Minnesota that advocates a "green hour" to relieve the symptoms of "Nature Deficit Disorder", a term coined by Richard Louv in the book Last Child in the Woods:
In lives filled with cartoon characters wearing square pants, video games and shrinking backyards, many American children are suffering from "nature deficit disorder," a condition associated with kids who spend less time outdoors. Marti Erickson, director of the Harris Programs at the University of Minnesota, says connecting kids and the outdoors has a positive impact from head to toe.
You can learn more about Nature Deficit Disorder here.
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Writing and developing a scavenger hunt in Yosemite National Park has provided our family with a number of opportunities to visit and explore the valley over the last couple of years. If you are planning a visit and have children in tow, here are five quick tips to maximize the fun.
Photo Credit: James Gordon
- Do Some Research Before You Go
One of the first steps that we recommend when developing an Educational Expedition is to create a vision of your expedition project. Usually this involves gathering the kids and talking about what you plan to see, photograph, or visit. If you are planning a trip to Yosemite, here are some great links to review before you leave:
The Flickr Yosemite Photo Pool
The Flickr Yosemite National Park Photo Pool
Yosemite Blog
The NPS Kids Site
- Utilize the Free Yosemite Shuttle System
Riding the free shuttle is something that we avoided for a long time, irrationally it turns out. We associated the shuttle with crowds and our agoraphobia kept us away. Once we had kids and couldn't walk and/or carry them to all of the places that we needed to go we bit the bullet and jumped on board. We haven't looked back.
The shuttles are timely, clean, and filled with pleasant people. If you are pushing a stroller you may need to fold it up, so be prepared at the stop. Other than this, the free shuttle system is a great way to move around the park with children.
Here is a link to the shuttle map and schedule in PDF format.
- Stamp the National Parks Passport
Most of the tips in this post are free, but the NPS Passport Book will cost you a few bucks upfront. Once you buy the book, your up-front costs are paid and it's well worth it. The e-parks National Parks Passport is a passport booklet that contains a list of all of the national parks sites. When you visit a National Park Visitors Center, you have access to a cancellation station where your kids can stamp the page of their passport that corresponds to that particular park. It is a great way to track your visits. The book costs $7.95 and should last a lifetime.
- Keep Your Eyes Open for Animals
Even in the valley, busy as it may be, we have seen a number of different species of wildlife including deer, bear, bobcat, and various birds including woodpeckers and stellars jay. Animal watching is a fun and educational activity and in our experience the highlight of the trip. If you are new to animal watching, here are some tips and safety guidelines on Animal Watching with Kids and an excellent post on responsible wildlife photography.
- If You Have The Opportunity, Visit the Yosemite Valley in the Off Season
The Valley has a reputation for extraordinary beauty, but it can also draw traffic and crowds. We made more than a few visits this winter and were amazed at how easy it was to access the areas that we were interested in. In fact, in our opinion, fall and winter are the best times to visit the park.
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New subscribers to the Trail Guide, the Trailmix.Net quarterly newsletter, have access to our e-book: Educational Expeditions. The book is a collection of ideas that Trailmix.Net is being built upon. One of the ideas in the e-book, and an idea that I would like to break down further here, is the concept of converting a day hike or other outdoor activity into an imaginative wilderness expedition. In this blog post, we will look at the simple idea of the Educational Expedition and its implications.
Outdoor Activities for Kids: The Educational Expedition
The idea of building an Educational Expedition originally began with an article that was written at SFgate.com by Peter Fimrite. I wrote on the Trailmix.Net blog about a very interesting statement made about schoolwork and the pursuit of an education. Specifically, one of the families interviewed by Fimrite identified the pursuit of an education as the biggest obstacle to taking the time (three hour drive from the SF Bay area) to visit Yosemite National Park.
National Parks and Education
To me, the irony of this statement was that the park is an abundant source of learning opportunity for children. In fact, I truly believe that it is impossible to visit Yosemite without learning something about geology, the Miwok (Native Americans who originally lived in Yosemite), the history of conservation, the origination of the National Parks System, wildlife biology, and any number of other topics. It was in this post that the fundamental concept of the Educational Expedition began.
An expedition is a journey or voyage made for some specific exploratory purpose. Watch any program on one of the Learning or Discovery channels and you will see the same story unfold over and over. It is a simple formula: there is an identified vision for a research, adventure, or a learning topic, some sort of antagonist, challenge, or unknown that needs to be solved, and the attainment of specific goals in order to achieve the vision.
It occurred to us on a subsequent visit to Yosemite that with a little planning (you can find a template in the e-book), it is easy to convert a day hike or visit to an outdoor place like this into a family expedition of your own that rivals those broadcast by the cable channels.
Less Television, More Outdoor Recreation
That's the basic idea, here are the implications. First, with a little planning your family can build expeditions that are better than any you see on television. Obviously, they are better because you and your family get to experience them first hand. It's like traveling vs. watching the travel channel. It isn't hard to do and requires a little bit of vision and goal setting. Once you know what you want to do and set the goals to get there, you are on your way.
Outdoor Based Learning and Education
Second, and this gets back to the original article that spawned the idea, the educational value of building your own expedition is enormous. Think of it as high yield learning. Rather than the structured question and answer that is provided in formal education system, an educational expedition is by definition loosely structured and requires broad use of problem solving skills to answer a real world (and if you build it right, engaging) question.
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