Back to Natives

Back to Natives teaches campers at Audubon Summer Camp!

2010-08-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

Reggie leading campers on a Riparian Plant Scavenger Hunt!

Narrow leaved milkweed.

Feel the fuzzy leaves!

False Indigo.

Seed collecting at Mason Park - we "released" the seeds in our restoration site there.

Brownie Girl Scouts earn their "Plants" Try-it

2009-04-05T10:36:00.001-07:00

Building a tree!

Discussing how animals use plants.

Planting natives to provide habitat for birds and butterflies in our yard.

Hiking thorugh the El Dorado Nature Center.

Making our "seed" grow.

Hiking through the El Dorado Nature Center - discussing non-native invasive weeds - a monoculture of them!

San Juan Elementary Native Plant Garden in the Fall

2008-10-05T10:23:00.001-07:00

This school garden was planted last December & January, and it has filled in nicely!

The yarrow has turned a chocolate brown in time for Fall!

This is my favorite view - a row of aster chilensis, followed by a row of California Sagebrush, followed by a row of buckwheat. Once the coyote brush behind these plants fills in it should look marvelous! Especialy NEXT fall when the coyote brush goes to seed and it looks like snow! Deergrass is in the foreground.

A blue butterfly stops for nectar on one of the last remaining buckwheat flowers.

The milkweed was successfully pollinated and has gone to seed - there will be lots more next year!

Can you believe this was the same spot just last year?

Harvesting Seed in Mason Regional Park

2008-08-17T22:22:00.001-07:00

How appropriate that on the day after the August Full Moon - the Grain Moon - we took a few hours to collect seed at Mason Regional Park in preparation for our Service Learning restoration project that will begin in September.

Harvesting buckwheat seed, just as the Tongva and Acjachemen did for throusands of years before the Europeans arrived. I wonder if they had any better luck finding the seeds?
Encelia seeds

harvesting deerweed
Prickly Pear Cactus

California Fuchsia

August Full Moon Walk in Crystal Cove State Park - the Grain Moon

2008-08-17T22:16:00.001-07:00

The August Full Moon was called the Corn Moon, Barley Moon or Grain Moon by ancient peoples. August is a time for harvesting. Each culture had its staple grain, so that grain was celebrated as a symbol of life. As we hike through CCSP on the evening of the Grain Moon, we took a look at some of the plants the native people would have harvested at this time of year, and tasted cherries, currants, poppy seed and chia seed.

Midsummer Morning in Mason Park

2008-06-21T19:17:00.001-07:00

Habitat Gardening Workshop at the Road Less Traveled

2008-05-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Delilah at the Road Less Traveled in Santa Ana was kind enough to host a Habitat Gardening Workshop at her store!

After a brief presentation inside, participants joined us under the canopy outside to see, touch and smell some of the native plants we would be planting in the garden.

Director of Restoration, Reginald Durant, demonstrated his special way of planting a native plant.

Later that week - on a MUCH cooler day - Reginald returned to assist Delilah and friends with planting the plants.

The result! Check out the demonstration garden for yourslef, AND be sure to do some shopping in the Road Less traveled store. Directions and hours can be found on their website: http://www.roadlesstraveledstore.com/

A Wild, Wild, Wildflower Day!

2008-03-30T16:00:00.001-07:00

Yucca in bloom at Caspers Wilderness Park.

Toad scat and tracks.
Toad flax at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Wild allium at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
Wishbone plant.

Plantain
Red rocks at Caspers.
Reggie takes a shot.
Sanicle
Soap Root nestled between rocks covered with lichen

Johnny Jump Ups
Lace pod
Lupine
Mariposa Lilly
Owl's Clover

Clover
Deerweed
Dudleya
Fiddleneck
Indian Paintbrush

Bob Allen shows off the new plant species named after him this morning at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Chris Barnhill gets a shot of the new species.

An impressive cholla

Full Moon Walk - Maple Sugar Moon (March 08)

2008-03-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

Cub Scout Wildlife Conservation Program

2008-03-16T08:17:00.001-07:00

USFS Restoration Volunteer Training - removing Scotch Broom!

2008-03-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

A thorough presentation in the San Juan Fire Station to learn about invasive sub-shrubs.

Sanitizing our shoes and tools so that we do not introduce weeds or harmful microorganisms into the ecosystem.

Bird of Prey Talk & Hike

2008-03-02T19:37:00.001-08:00

Ranger Donna shows us Star the red tailed hawk.
Witches hair, a parasite.
Checking out the poison oak under the oak trees.
Popcorn flowers.
Wild hyacinth.
Wild lilac.
Fuschia flowering gooseberry.
Honeysuckle.
Lemonade berry.
Lupine. Manzanita.
Deer grass.
Deerweed.
Earth star mushrooms.
Fiddlenecks.
Bladderpod & harlequin beetle.
Bush poppy.
the Butterfly Garden trail.
Deer bones.

Dolphin & Whale Safari Fundraiser

2008-02-25T21:43:00.001-08:00

Migration, migration, my my my how far those gray whales go!

A pacific white sided dolphin. Hopefully Reggie has better pics, but I guess you had to be there. They are FAST!

Sea lions have ears.

Our Naturalist.

Baleen.

Blue whale vertebrae.

Thar she blows!

Fluke (photo by Mary)

Mary & Johnny

at Peace.

Tidepooling at Dana Point

2008-01-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

What a spledid low tide! As I took this picture I think I heard the ghost of Richard Henry Dana collecting hides from the beach behind us!
a blurry but artistic picture of Dejan!
Don't know what this is. I'll have to check my favorite tidepool field gruide, Beyond the Beach Blanket.
Maggie and Danielle climb out of the cave.
A Great Blue Heron fished for lunch.
The kids scramble over rocks to explore another cave.
Nicholas IS looking older!
Thanks for telling us there was an Octopus, Erika! We looked for another hour!
A bed of mussells. Ouch!
A sea anemone.
A limpet with 2 wee limpets taking a ride.
A turban snail.

A wavy turban snail.

Winter Eco-Tour - Santiago Park & the Road Less Traveled

2008-01-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Although it did not rain, we still had a fabulous time hiking with our Naturalist Joel Robinson at the Santiago Park Nature Reserve.

We observed the following bird species:
Snowy Egret
Turkey Vulture
Band tailed pigeon
Anna's hummingbird
Black phoebe
Cedar waxwing
California towhee
American goldfinch

The staff at Santiago Park do biological monitoring within the Reserve, including this "herp" trap, which captures reptiles and amphibians for observation and release.

Always on the look out for animal evidence, Joel points out coyote scat along the trail. It was fresh!

Boards are places along the trail to offer shelter to small critters - and to give Naturalists an opportunity to observe what is hanging out beneath.

Hundreds of walknut shells covered the ground like confetti after a squirell party.

A track station lures predators in with scent applied to a rock. Their tracks are left behind in gypsum powder, and Natralists return in the morning to see what is frequenting the area.

Searching for aquatic organisms along Santiago Creek.

Pausing beneath an oak to observe the carpet of acorns. Native Americans once ground these seeds in mortars within rocks, then leeched them to make flour. Oaks are good shade trees. Next time you stand beneath an oak, notice the difference in size between the leaves in the understory and the leaves at the top of the tree. Why are they different?

Allison observes an oak gall. Wasps deposit their eggs into oak stems, which causes them to form a protective ball around the young arthropods. When they emerge, they chew their way out! Galls were once used to make ink. Leonardo da Vinci wrote his notes using iron-gall ink. Bach composed with it. Rembrandt and Van Gogh drew with it. The Constitution of the United States was drafted with it. The black ink on the Dead Sea Scrolls was found to be iron-gall ink.

This tiny oak may one day be as large as the one we rested under today! Come back in a couple hundred years!

These oak and sycamore trees have been friends for a VERY long time!
A snowy egret gives us a show, as it searches for food in Santiago Creek.

An elderberry makes it's home in the elbow of a sycamore tree.

This wall behind Reggie shows the sedimentary layers often exposed along the banks of the Santiago Creek.

A horse skull in the wall.

We headed back and the ladies found another excuse to wade through the mud.
A visit to the Road Less Traveled Store to meet Delilah and explore her store filled with sustainable items. Visit http://www.roadlesstraveledstore.com/ for more info!

Starving, we all sat down for a meal at the Olde Ship. I had Beans on Toast... Hmm... Reggie's Vegetarian Cottage Shephard Pie tasted GREAT! Visit http://www.theoldeship.com/ for more info.

Judy's drawing said it all. It's FUN to "go green!"

Join us for our 2nd hike in the "Around the County in 18 Hikes" series, tidepooling at Dana Point Marine Life Refuge on January 20, 1:00PM. Join BTN for a fun Scavenger Hunt (NO collecting!). We’ll hike to the point at low tide, explore a cave and search for intertidal creatures. We’ll be keeping track of the number of times you join us, because at the end of the year those who have attended THE MOST hikes will be entered to win a fabulous prize! Visit www.backtonatives.org/specialevents.html for details on all 18 hikes and events. RSVP to info@backtonatives.org – we’ll send you directions.

Winter Solstice Walk 2007

2008-01-06T15:18:00.001-08:00

USFS Restoration Volunteer Training - December

2008-01-06T15:15:00.001-08:00

San Juan Elementary Habitat Garden

2008-01-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

BTN started this Fall by doing Traveling Naturalist programs for EACH CLASS in EACH GRADE LEVEL at San Juan Elementary.

While the K-2nd grade students grew plants from seed, the 3rd - 5th grade students participated in an outdoor program -in the future garden - where they tested the abiotic factors of the ecosystem (temperature, amount of sunlight, percolation of water through the soil, soil pH, etc.) The students took core samples and observed the soil, measured the area of the garden plot and monitored the animals already present in the garden. These tests will be repeated in the Spring, once the garden has had a chance to mature.

Volunteers from the community gathered to put 15 tons of DG (decomposed granite) in the habtat garden, to create the trail. Future students will use the trail to observe nature, and use the garden for art, writing, and even math activities!

Volunteers from UCLA, UCI, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton helped dig the holes.

BTN staff and Interns (Yuki, our intern is pictured here) assisted students in planting over 560 plants in the garden.

Planting Oak Trees at Caspers Wilderness Park

2008-01-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

We began by constructing gopher baskets, so that our little oak trees would have a better chance at survival!

Nicholas and a new friend visited each oak, and wrote down the GPS coordinates of each, so we can monitor them and know which survived and which did not!

Theres always time to have a little fun - as long as we don't step on any native plants!

Buy Nothing Day Hike

2008-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Back to Natives was thrilled to have Bob Allen along! Mr Allen is SO knowledgeable, and luckily he was willing to share some of his knowledge with us along the trail.

An OLD Earth Star mushroom.

Peering at Red Shanks in the distance - it's ALMOST in Orange County!

Sycamore leaves contrasting with the blackened bark of Oak trees.

Full Moon Walk at Crystal Cove State Park

2007-11-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

Jeronimo Creek Restoration Day!

2007-11-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

USFS Restoration Volunteer Training at Caspers Wilderness Park

2007-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

A reminder of why we care.

Paddle for a Plastic Free Ocean Event

2007-11-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Back to Natives presented a booth at the Paddle for a Plastic Free Ocean event at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Tom Jones, professional athlete, who is paddling the coast of California to raise awareness of ocean plastic pollution.

Native American Plant Uses Hike

2007-10-07T14:03:00.001-07:00

Lori led participants down Serrano Creek - and into the past - to learn about the native plants and the ways the Tongva and Acjachemen once used them to survive.

Upon our retun Reggie took a few participants on a quick tour of the lake Forest Nature Park, to see the ways native plants are used there in the landscaping. This picture shows datura in the foreground...

and here is prickly pear and coffeeberry in fruit...

Guests enjoyed a sampling of native foods...

USFS Restoration Volunteer Training Day 1

2007-09-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

The United States Forest Service & Back to NativesRESTORATION are presenting a Volunteer Restoration Training Program on 9 Saturdays in 2007 & 2008. (Double click on a picture to make it larger)

Members of the Cleveland National Forest Fire Crew demonstrated traditional tools, and how they are used to move soil quickly to create trails and fire breaks.

Ecological restoration is a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing healthy ecosystems. The day began with introductions and a presentation entitled "Why we should care" about biodiversity, threats to biodiversity (especially non-native plants) and what we can do to help. The presentation can be viewed online at http://www.backtonatives.org/btn_biodiversity.pdf

Successful habitat restoration ensures that native species are protected while non-native species are removed efficiently, and with minimal human impact to the site. This program will acquaint participants with non-chemical, low impact weed removal methods.

Reginald Durant demonstrated low impact weed removal tools that do not disturb the soil crust. Disturbing the soil would only cause more weeds to grow, inhibiting native plants which native animals depend on for survival.

For more information or to RSVP call 949-509-4787 or restoration@backtonatives.org This training is free.

Full Moon Hike at Crystal Cove

2007-07-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Native Americans consider July the “Buck Moon”. July is normally the month when new antlers push out of bucks’ foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. Antlers are made of true bone that is fed by blood, which is carried in the outer velvet covering. Velvet antlers are hot to the touch, with brushy hair and a waxy feeling coating. This is in contrast to horned animals whose horns are made of keratin (like fingernails), which do not shed. Guests felt real antlers before embarking on a slow paced walk to enjoy the “Buck Moon.” We strolled through the backcountry listening to the call of nocturnal insects. As the sky faded to black, we searched for the darker silhouettes of bats and owls, as they soared across fields of stars.

NEXT: Harvest Poetry Walk at Mason Park
Friday, August 3, 2007, 6-8PM
Join Back to Natives for a harvest poetry walk at Mason Park in Irvine. Enjoy the changes around you as the days grow visibly shorter. We’ll enjoy Nature’s gifts at this traditional time of the first harvest, and write and enjoy each other’s gift of poetry as the sun sets and the sky turns from blue to gold. We will meet at the Ralph's Parking Lot on the corner of Michelson and Jeffrey in Irvine. For more information or to RSVP: 949-509-4787 or education@backtonatives.org

Summer Solstice at Crystal Cove State Park

2007-06-23T07:35:00.001-07:00

On June 21 we celebrated the longest day of the year at the continent's edge. People around the world – throughout time – have celebrated the summer solstice. European traditions refer to the Summer Solstice as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season. Summer was a joyous time of the year for the people who lived in the northern hemisphere: The rain and cold had disappeared; Warm temperatures had returned; Flowers were blooming; Leaves had returned to the deciduous trees. Some herbs could be harvested, for medicinal and other uses. Food was easier to find.

Before walkng down to the beach we paused on the bluffs to read When Clay Sings by Byrd Bailor. "Every piece of clay is a piece of someone's life," they say. And the children try to imagine those lives that took place long ago. Clay has its own small voice, and sings. Its song has lasted for thousands of years.

Each solstice and equinox, when we do our traditional walk down to the beach, we do a “renewal ritual.” This year we made “power pots” to carry our hopes in for the coming season. We used salt water from the ocean to smooth our clay. Salt symbolizes the Earth, and the Earth symbolizes fertility and overall abundance. Water cleanses and purifies, it represents movement and transformations. We burned some incense to symbolize the Air. Air is the sign for communication. Air gives you clarity of thought. We set our pots out to collect the Summer sun’s “Fire.” Fire represents passion and emotion. It is helpful in destroying bad habits and burning away those things we don't need in our lives. It brings purity, enlightenment, power and vision. Many of us made symbols on our pots using items from the beach. I filled mine with feathers, shells and seaweed – and left it for someone to discover.

Join us for July Full Moon Walk at Crystal Cove State Park!
July 29, 7:30PM

Join us for a quiet, slow paced walk to enjoy the “Buck Moon.” We’ll stroll through the backcountry listening for the song of tree frogs and nocturnal insects. As the sky fades to black, we’ll search for the darker silhouettes of bats and owls, as they soar across fields of stars. Call 949-509-4787 or email lori@backtonatives.org to RSVP. Meet at the CCSP Ranger Station. This event is free.

Blue Moon Drum Circle at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

2007-06-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the recent Blue Moon Drum Circle at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park on 5-31-07. According to some, a blue moon occurs when a second full moon occurs in a calendar month. The evening began with a blessing given by an Acjachemen woman, who brought her grandmother, whose name was "Blue Moon." Then the drumming and dancing began and we were happily surprised to be in the company of many friends - new and old. The scent of mulefat filled the air and the night was filled with positivity and hope.