Four River Sector Welcomes Back Junior Lifeguard Program to Central Valley Youths
Story from: Thomas Cunningham, Central Valley District
 Four Rivers Sector welcomes back the Junior Lifeguard program at San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area. Photo from Lee Sencenbaugh, Central Valley District.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Valley District’s Four Rivers Sector brought back the Junior Lifeguard program to San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA).
The goal of the two-week program, held from July 18-29, is to educate the community’s youth about aquatic safety and create a high-quality outdoor recreation experience. This is done by extensive aquatic interaction, exploration and recreation. The San Luis Reservoir SRA Junior Lifeguards gain well-rounded experiences. With partners from around Merced County, Junior Lifeguards were able to train with California Highway Patrol, Merced County Dive Team and CALSTAR Air Medical Services.
This year, we had 10 Junior Lifeguards participate in the program. We look forward to years to come, building this program for Central Valley youth.
 Junior Lifeguards were able to train with California Highway Patrol, Merced County Dive Team, and CALSTAR Air Medical Services. Photos from Lee Sencenbaugh, Central Valley District.
Dramatic Horse Rescue at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Story from: Gregory J. Hall, North Coast Redwoods District
 The process was underway to rescue Addie, who had fallen off the trail into a canyon. Photo from Scott Stevens, North Coast Redwoods District.
A unique rescue on Saturday, July 30, was just another positive example of the kind of work State Parks rangers do. I received a call that day from a visitor who reported his horse had fallen 150 feet off the trail, into a steep canyon at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.
Ranger Scott Stevens and I met with the horse owner and some of his family members to attempt a rescue. The owner said that the horse was in the creek at the bottom of the canyon, bleeding and could not get up. I was expecting the worst, as we hiked into the canyon on the Lost Coast Trail. This area of the coast has some of the steepest terrain with very dense vegetation.
As we worked our way down into the canyon, we discovered the horse, Addie, a 16-year-old adopted mustang, standing in the creek. She had a deep laceration on her hind quarter and was breathing heavily. We made several attempts to get her out of the canyon and back on the trail. Each time, she would lose footing and we used a rope to ease her back down into the creek.
Stevens eventually found an elk game trail farther up the creek, and we were able to get her back on the trail by pulling and pushing her. Once Addie was back on the trail, she was determined to get out of there. At times, she was pulling me up the hill.
About halfway back to the horse trailer, we ran into a large bull elk and had a standoff until the elk eventually turned and walked back into the trees. After about five hours, we returned to our trucks, exhausted and amazed that we had saved Addie. Stevens and I talked on the drive home about how incidents like this make being a ranger such a great job.
 Left and bottom right: Rescue of injured horse, Addie. Top right: Rescue event included a standoff with bull elk. Photos from Scott Stevens, North Coast Redwoods District.
Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Staff Attend National Night Out Event
Story and photos from: Teri Pope, Inland Empire District
 Top left: Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area State Park Peace Officer Leslie Pina and Lifeguard Jackie Miranda ready to meet the public at the National Night Out event. Bottom left: A display of a lifeguard Jet Ski and equipment. Right: Smokey Bear couldn’t resist trying out our lifeguard Jet Ski!
Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area (SRA) staff attended the National Night Out (NNO) event on Thursday, August 4, in Crestline, California. While most cities hold their NNO events on August 2, this was held two nights later to coincide with the well-attended Farmer’s Market in Crestline, a small mountain community just a few miles from Silverwood in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Sponsored by the Twin Peak Substation of the San Bernardino Sherriff Department, State Parks staff attending the NNO event, who included a ranger, lifeguard, interpreter and senior park aide, let the public know about recreational and educational opportunities at Silverwood Lake SRA. Staff set up their display area that featured a lifeguard Jet Ski, brochures, recruitment flyers, photos and interactive displays. The highlight of the afternoon was having Smokey Bear climb onto our Jet Ski for photos!
Our staff and display were a hit with the visiting public and other law enforcement and community agencies in attendance, and we look forward to participating in future community events in Crestline.
The NNO was instituted in the 1980s as a crime prevention campaign to encourage people to get to know both their neighbors and local law enforcement.
Latino Outdoors Led Hike at Mount Diablo State Park
Story and photo from: Julio Ortiz, Diablo Range District
 Latino Outdoors hikers on the trail at Mount Diablo State Park.
This past Saturday, August 6, Latino Outdoors led a day hike at Mount Diablo State Park. Eleven participants attended the moderate 2-mile hike around Rock City. Latino Outdoors is a Latinx-led organization working in support of a national community of leaders in outdoor recreation, conservation and environmental education.
A State Parks ranger and Latino Outdoors leader discussed with hikers the geology, plant life, wildlife and the importance of California Native American history and culture in the area.
This hike is part of a growing partnership between Latino Outdoors and Diablo Range District, and we look forward to providing more hikes at more parks in the district in the near future.
Improvement Project Brings Palm Trees to Bolsa Chica State Beach
Story from: Michelle Figueroa, Orange Coast District
 Palm trees stand tall next to Bolsa Chica State Beach's lifeguard headquarters and entrance kiosk. Photo from Michelle Figueroa, Orange Coast District.
The entrance of Bolsa Chica State Beach (SB) may look a bit different as of late. As vehicles pull up to the center signal kiosks, they are greeted by towering palm trees that weren’t there a week ago. Question is, where did these trees come from?
Over at Huntington City Beach, the Bluff Top Park that sits between Ninth and Seapoint streets is undergoing an improvement project that started back in September 2021. The beach below this park sits on state-owned land, but the land has been leased to the city of Huntington Beach, California, for several years now. The restoration of the Bluff Top Park is meant to improve coastal access by improving biking and pedestrian structures. The enhancement project covers a range of improvements, including replacement of the park’s rusted railings, widening of the current bike path, overall landscape improvements and the addition of a new sidewalk.
Adding a new sidewalk has required the relocation of certain items, mainly the palm trees sitting atop the bluff that would obstruct its path. As a result, the city of Huntington Beach has graciously gifted 23 palm trees between 20 and 25 feet tall to the neighboring Huntington and Bolsa Chica state beaches. The trees were transported and planted over the weekend and into the morning of Monday, August 8.
Fourteen of the palms were added to Huntington State Beach’s existing collection of 94 palm trees; however, the nine that were transported to Bolsa Chica SB are among the first to be planted in its sand outside of its concession stands. Heavy equipment operators, an environmental scientist and park personnel worked tirelessly to bring these trees to their respective parks with minimal environmental impact. To account for the current drought status in Southern California, a low-flow bubbling irrigation system has been implemented. Their work can be seen at the center signal entrance of Bolsa Chica SB and the Magnolia Avenue and Beach Boulevard entrances of Huntington SB. Be sure to stop and admire these trees the next time you visit!
 Top: Heavy equipment operators excavate the sand to plant the donated palm trees at the entrance of Bolsa Chica SB. Photo from Kevin Pearsall, Orange Coast District. Bottom: Park Aide Hannah Buckley waves visitors through the Huntington SB Magnolia kiosk in front of the newly planted palm trees. Photo from Michelle Figueroa, Orange Coast District.
New Exhibits Showcase Wildlife and Plants at Crystal Cove State Park
Story from: Winter Bonnin, Orange Coast District
 Photographer Sasha Cahill and State Park Interpreter II Winter Bonnin celebrate after installing the new art exhibit at Crystal Cove State Park. Photo from Brian Flynn, volunteer.
Early on in the restoration of the historic district cottages at Crystal Cove State Park (SP), one of its most iconic cottages #46 the Art Studio was converted into a rotating visitor center and exhibit gallery. Over the years, State Parks staff and the Crystal Cove Conservancy have showcased many engaging interpretive exhibits to share the magic of Crystal Cove with the public, and because the cottage is directly across from Beachcomber Café and literally steps from the sand, drawing people in to view our captivating displays has never been a problem.
Some displays, like "Nature’s Jewels," focus on the flora and fauna, featuring some of the most attractive organisms found in the park from Anna’s hummingbirds with their iridescent emerald feathers, to the striking neon purple and orange Spanish shawl nudibranch. Others represent the cultural history such as the cottages of Crystal Cove SP in which illustrator Dorian Yarnelson, former Crystal Cove SP park aide and current seasonal interpreter at Angel Island SP, used pencil and watercolors to draw the cottages in various states from days of yore up to post-restoration. A fan favorite, "Nature’s Families,” showcased some of the unique families living within the park, including harbor seals, Virginia opossums and California quail.
The most recent exhibit, “The Seasons of Crystal Cove,” invites visitors to explore the changing park landscapes in winter, spring, summer and fall in a single year. Photographer Sasha Cahill (who began this volunteer project while still 16 years old and has just headed off to college at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt) returned to nine locations every season at approximately the same time of day and from the same point of view to photograph the changes in lighting, vegetation and wildlife. These images illuminate the diversity and life cycles of plants and animals specifically adapted to Crystal Cove’s Mediterranean climate and included plants going from dormant to verdant, or from flowering and fruiting. Sasha also captured different animals he saw, mostly birds, but also lizards, spiders and mammals and photographed behaviors, including feeding white-crowned sparrows, a cackling Cooper’s hawk and grasshoppers mating. This exhibit provides a closer look into the natural spectacle of seasonal change at Crystal Cove SP, and it was great fun to work with this budding photographer.
Planning the museum-quality exhibits is “part of the adventure.” We aim to develop exhibits to entice visitors to learn more about the park, gain an appreciation for resources, both natural and cultural, and motivate them to continue exploring the rich and diverse opportunities the park has to offer.
 Some of the flyers for the new exhibits at Crystal Cove State Park.
Reaching Children Around the World From San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
Story and photos from: Marcos Vizcaíno and Carlos Ramos, Diablo Range District
 State Park Interpreter I Marcos Vizcaíno leading the "Days of Alta California" PORTS program on Zoom. Senior Park Aide Carlos Ramos is behind the camera.
In March 2020, the hundreds of fourth grade students who had been visiting San Juan Bautista State Historic Park (SHP) for decades came to a stop. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down our park for the first time in memory. Senior Park Aide Carlos Ramos and I spent September 2020 creating new online programs for our fourth grade students who were stuck at home. For the first time in San Juan’s history, we became a Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) park.
Honestly, I barely had an idea what PORTS was; we, in San Juan Bautista, were never a park unit that had any strong Wi-Fi signal, as the adobe museum buildings are too thick for any strong signal to work well. But in a few months, Carlos and I found out what PORTS was all about. PORTS is California State Parks’ effort to provide interpretive opportunities online to thousands of students in California and worldwide. So, in a “normal” year, you would see me and Carlos running around with hundreds of students in the park. In 2020, you saw us talking into a camera with no students in sight.
We were lucky to have district staff and our cooperating association helping us get a tablet, keyboard, a tripod and a strong Wi-Fi signal, and then off we went. I was able to adapt an in-person program into a 30-minute PORTS program on Zoom. The program is titled “Days of Alta California” and students from all over California, America and sometimes from far away countries like Greece, discover Mexican Alta California with Jose Castro’s adobe. All our in-person programs at San Juan Bautista have an activity that students can focus on. With PORTS, we show the students how luxurious flour tortillas were made in Castro’s time. We do make them from scratch using a Mexican comal to cook the tortillas. I also lead this program fully in Spanish.
Flash forward two years, and we are still going strong with PORTS at San Juan. Since 2020, we have had 241 PORTS programs led by Carlos and me, with 9,435 students attending. We never thought we would have such a large audience.
Carlos describes his experience with PORTS:
“It is good to know that one thing has not changed: Kids are still kids. Distance learning has forced young students to learn from home, but their natural curiosity about almost everything around them remains intact, I assure you. I have now done the 'Days of Alta California' program we offer at the historic park so many times that I have begun dreaming about it (seriously), but it is still exciting every time I present because I know it is for a new batch of students. Although I do not see the kids, I can hear them in the earpieces I wear, and listening to their questions and comments keeps the mood light and fun, yet still, a good learning environment, which is the way we like it as interpreters. A student’s questions always lead to an opportunity to teach, and I always enjoy the Q&A portion of our program.
“'Why is there an igloo behind you?' One inquiring mind asked, referring to the horno in Mr. Castro’s ramada, which opened the door to the role of Ohlone women as food preparers and what types of food they would bake. Another student asked, 'Why does the vaquero have a gun?' This was a good question about one of our cardboard cutouts, which presents us with an opportunity to stress the importance of protecting cattle, the big moneymaker for Californios.
"Working with kids, albeit from far away, keeps everything fresh and exciting. I have already received emails from teachers who say they have learned about the program from other teachers, which means the word is getting out. Some of the teachers have brought classes to the park in the years past and others have never heard of the park or even the city of San Juan Bautista. This means that our little park is getting exposure through the PORTS program and perhaps even more visitors in the future as a result. Hopefully, we are getting through how important history is here at the park, creating good relationships with the public so they want to protect our resources.”
We hope you get a chance to join Carlos and me beginning on Thursday, September 1, for a PORTS Home on Demand program for the 2022/2023 school year and let us show you all about Alta California at San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.
 Top left: Interpreter Marcos at San Juan Bautista SHP. Top right: Senior Park Aide Carlos leading the "Days of Alta California" PORTS program on Zoom. Bottom left: Carlos cooking flour tortillas. Bottom middle: Marcos showing the various people of Alta California with Park Aide Mary Russell. Bottom right: Carlos showing the preparation of cornmeal with Mary.
Los Exploradores de Monterey 2022 Program at Monterey State Historic Park: A Summer Success
Story from: Julia Madden-Fulk, Ashley McCausland, Richard Fletcher, Monterey District
 Guide trainees Ashley McCausland and Julia Madden-Fulk and Guide I Aaron Gilmartin posing with the new Exploradores on graduation day. Photo from Richard Fletcher, Monterey District.
From exploring the local wildlife in our own backyard to delving into Monterey history, Los Exploradores Summer 2022 at Monterey State Historic Park (MSHP), was full of fun, discovery and adventure. A two-year pause in programs allowed park staff to reenvision the long-standing Los Niños summer day camp and expand it into a whole new action-packed program, which was rebranded Los Exploradores de Monterey. This summer's programs took place from June 6-17 and July 18-29.
The vision of Los Exploradores is to engage campers in Monterey’s history and to have them forge a deeper connection to nature and science. While many classic activities such as rope making, cooking tortillas and adobe tours had a historic focus, new activities such as whale watching, water-quality testing and nature journaling focused on science and nature discovery.
On the last day of camp, Los Exploradores had to use the knowledge they had gained to solve a treasure hunt through MSHP. Equipped with the experiences from camp programs such as map orienting and knot tying, Los Exploradores had to work as a team to solve riddles and puzzles and follow clues that led them to a treasure chest. “Next to the well, at the home of a spy, crack it open and the next clue you'll find” was the clue discovered at the beginning of the treasure hunt. With maps of MSHP, staff followed campers as they navigated their way. At the end of the hunt, they found the treasure chest full of the Los Exploradores summer camp patches, one for each camper.
We’d like to extend a thank you to our cooperating association, MSHP Association, for their support as well as the guest speakers and Los Exploradores staff. We’re excited for the adventure to continue next year as we grow this new program at MSHP and serve young explorers all over Monterey County!
 Learning while having a great time during Los Exploradores de Monterey summer day camp. Photos from Richard Fletcher and Aaron Gilmartin, Monterey District.
Trail Crew Goes to Work in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area
Story and photos from: Rich Lawton, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
 Trail crew who worked on the cleanup project Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area with their tools of choice.
Eleven volunteers assisted Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Stewards) Operations Manager Scotty Lawyer and Assistant Stewards Operation Manager Rachel Hallaway on Wednesday, August 10, with some much-needed cleanup around the wood-processing area and some tree hazard removal along the Pool Ridge Trail, which connects Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area.
Four volunteers lead by Stewards Volunteer Trail Crew Co-coordinator Tim Meyer headed up the Pool Ridge Trail from the Armstrong Tree to remove four trees that were blocking the trail. One tree was blocking the trail in three different locations—a long, straight tree over a section of switchbacks.
The rest of the crew headed up to the wood processing area for a Basic Chainsaw Safety Class, weed whipping the tall grass to reduce the fuel load, bucking up logs for the splitter and getting ready to process more firewood for the coastal campgrounds.
After a morning of hard work and lunch, we were treated to cookies from Flora Haluzakis, our “Cookie Lady” who bakes cookies for the Trail Crew, bringing in a batch once a month.
Over a half mile of the Pool Ridge Trail was cleared so hikers could enjoy the trail without ducking under downed trees or cutting a new trail to avoid the trees. Also, the ¾-acre wood-processing area was cleared of dry grass for fuel reduction and loads of logs were bucked up for future splitting into firewood for the state campgrounds.
 Top left: Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods Operations Manager Scotty Lawyer observing Trail Crew Volunteer Casy Marks as she makes her first ever cut. Top right: Stewards Volunteer Trail Crew Co-coordinator Bob Ahders working with Trail Crew Volunteer Bill Krawetz on how to sharpen a chainsaw. Bottom right: Scotty keeping the class on their feet. Bottom left: Trail Crew Volunteer Mark Anderson with his blackened shirt and pants.
 PARTNER NEWS
California State Parks Foundation Announces 2022 State Parks Improvement Grantees and 2022 Trails for All Grantees
Story from: Ashley Tittle, California State Parks Foundation
 Mendocino Area Parks Association (MendoParks) was one of recipients of a 2022 State Parks Improvement grant. MendoParks will work closely with California State Parks and representatives from local tribes to update brochures for multiple parks. Photo from Mendocino Area Parks Association.
California State Parks Foundation is excited to announce two grant rounds so far in 2022 that are supporting California State Parks and its partners across the state. We are excited to share information about the grantees below.
2022 State Parks Improvement Grantees
California State Parks Foundation’s State Parks Improvement Grant Round focused on investing in programs that improve parks and create innovative programs so visitors have meaningful and relevant experiences while visiting California’s state parks.
While there are barriers to visiting parks, there are also barriers in the way visitors experience a park once there. Visitors can experience hidden lessons that come to life through meaningful education and interpretation. This includes activities, presentations, publications, audio-visual media, signs, exhibits and more. For park visitors to have meaningful experiences, they must feel welcome, find it easy to orient themselves to park amenities and be able to easily access the stories that inspire, leading them to care for the park’s natural and cultural history.
We are thrilled to provide 20 amazing state parks and park partner organizations with grants for programs across the state. The 2022 State Parks Improvement Grant Round includes $182,303 in funding that will support programs in one or more of the following areas of focus: equitable access, honoring history and culture, and park experiences.
To read details on the projects, visit our blog, and to hear from staff and get the list of parks, read the press release.
2022 Trails for All Grantees
With 279 state parks and 5,200 miles of trails, California state parks contain the largest and most diverse recreational, natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation. We believe that the enjoyment of California state parks should be for everyone—and that includes having trails that are high quality and accessible to all kinds of visitors. Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or are just looking for a leisurely stroll, a trail leads the way—and between the state’s beaches, deserts, redwood forests and mountains, there’s a landscape for everyone.
Although many trails are present in parks, they may not be safe or accessible for all. Hitting the trail is also a chance to have a dynamic experience that allows for deeper understanding of a park, and all Californians deserve that opportunity. Through our Trails for All initiative, we are working to improve trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills and physical abilities. This initiative promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails, while also encouraging greater public access.
To read details on the projects visit our blog, and to hear from partners read the press release.
 Redwood Trails Alliance is a recipient of a 2022 Trails for All grant. Redwood Trails Alliance will hire a volunteer coordinator to recruit and organize volunteers to work on specific trail projects identified by California State Parks staff, as well as ensure volunteers are equipped with the tools and supplies needed. Photo from Redwood Trails Alliance.
 Email photos to the WeeklyDigest@parks.ca.gov.
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