Fishing lessons? Bat watching? East Bay Parks have something for everyone
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — You can find a full schedule of activities both online and in person during August in the East Bay Regional Park District. To register for the programs that require it, call 888-327-2757, and select option 2.
Check out some of the possibilities:
Neophyte anglers will enjoy learning fishing basics during a program from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14 at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch.
Topics covered include rigging, knot tying, bait and gear selection, and catfish habitat and behavior. After that you can get hands-on fishing time in the lake.
The program is for ages 12 and older, and an adult must accompany those 12 through 15. Participants ages 16 and older must have a state fishing license. You can get one at sporting goods stores. The program costs $25 for those 16 and older ($29 for non-district residents). You must register for this activity.
Nature journaling workshops
Down at Sunol Regional Wilderness in southern Alameda County, two nature journaling workshops are planned on Saturday, Aug. 14 with naturalist Erica Stephens.
The first is a live virtual broadcast from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sunol Regional Wilderness Facebook and Zoom. A Facebook account is not needed to watch on the Facebook link. However registration is required with your email address in order to receive Zoom access information. Zoom is limited to the first 100 participants. The recorded program will be available to watch on Sunol Wilderness’s Facebook page after the program.
The second nature journaling workshop is in-person with Erica from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. the same day. You’ll need paper or a journal, watercolors or other color medium, and closed-toed shoes. Covid-related protocols will be in effect.
Sunol has a parking fee of $5 per vehicle. You must register for this free program.
And there’s more. Sunol’s naturalist staff will preside over “Wild Wonders” from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 14. It’s a free session of games, activities and explorations geared for families and all ages.
Sunol Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road about five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol.
Geology hikes
If you like geology, take a self-guided hike from 2 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 14 starting at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore. Find out how heat, pressure and time all change the nature of a rock.
Meet naturalist Kristina Parkison at the visitor center on the west shore of the lake for self-guided hike instructions. You do not need to register for this free activity.
After the geology hike you can take a beach break from 3 to 3:30 p.m. The naturalists will set up a lakeside exploration station near the visitor center with games, crafts and other activities.
And there’s s’more – While supplies last, the naturalists will be giving away free s’more kits, in family-size bags, from 4 to 5 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Del Valle campground. For those who don’t know, s’mores consist of a cracker, chocolate and marshmallow concoction guaranteed to give you an enormous sugar rush. It’s been a campfire treat since the Girl Scouts invented it in 1927.
You can find Del Valle Regional Park on Del Valle Road off Mines Road about nine miles south of Livermore. Parking costs $6 per vehicle.
Bats at Black Diamond
For something completely different, you can become a community scientist and help gather data on the bat population at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch.
The program starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14 and lasts 2¼ hours. Led by naturalist Virginia Delgado, the group will hike a half-mile uphill to monitor the bats as they emerge from the mines into the evening sky.
Meet in the parking lot at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. All participants must be seven years or older and parent supervision is required. We recommend flashlights, water, snacks, a jacket and sturdy shoes.
You must register for this free activity. Black Diamond Mines has a parking fee of $5 per vehicle.
From bats to bees
Sunday, Aug. 15 is National Honey Bee Day. In observance, naturalist Alex Collins will lead a “Honey Bee Mine” program from 9 to 10 a.m. that day at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Pleasanton.
Find out about the lives of honeybees, hear a story, learn a bee dance, and meet a few bees. This is a family friendly program, stroller accessible. You must register for this free activity. Shadow Cliffs has a $6 parking fee per vehicle.
For information on the programs at Del Valle, Shadow Cliffs and Sunol, call 510-544-3249.
Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.
