See Common Dolphins and Brown Pelicans Fishing!

Crossing back to Ventura Harbor from visiting Santa Cruz Island, we came upon a wide feeding group of brown pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis and common dolphins.

 

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See the common dolphins and the Brown Pelicans diving for fish in their own way!

 

For more videos of Santa Cruz Island..

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Visit Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, CA
Summer Visit to Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, CA (island fox, common long-beaked dolphins)
 

Take a Stroll Under the Oaks - November in Rocky Oaks Park

We took an early stroll the day before Thanksgiving, 2015 in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area through a little 200 acre gem of a park.

 
Rocky Oaks Park is a short drive away from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

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 Sunlight in the early morning plays through the oaks, pines, and rocks of the park.

Rocky Oaks Park is located in the 31500 block of Mulholland Highway west of the Kanan Road intersection. The entrance is on the north side of Mulholland Highway.

Take the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) to Kanan Road. South on Kanan Road to Mulholland Highway. Turn west (right) on Mulholland Highway and right again into the parking lot.

GPS Coordinates: N 34.0967 W -118.8141

Nice, well maintained trails.
Dogs allowed on leash.
Water available.
Meeting circle, ranger area under the oaks. 

 

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See these posts and Videos! 

Close-up with a Red Jumping Spider (California)

Visit Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park (endangered Channel Island fox)  

Yucca Blossoms on Angeles Crest Hwy  
Leaves on CA Native Plants Fight Drought
How Tall is a Redwood Tree?   

Look Closer at Malibu Creek State Park

Look Closer at Malibu Creek State Park.

 

Although at first glance the California chaparral may seem devoid of color - look closer and the bright colors shine through in the details!


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Take a walk in Malibu Creek State Park along the walking trails. 

Look closer at the contrast of the dandelion!

Look closer at the bee on the native sage blossom!

For more on the park, visit us at TheEarthMinute.com
 See our post.

Malibu Creek State Park  is located four miles south of Highway 101 on 

Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road. 

Or 6.5 miles north up Malibu Canyon Road from Malibu and Pacific Coast Highway {California Highway 1}.

Bees Buzzing in the Lemon Tree

Southern California is having early warm days this year, and the trees and the bees are making the best of it.

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Our Meyer lemon tree burst into bloom in early February.

 

Take a look at her feet - sticky from the bright

yellow citrus pollen. 

With the help of these little ladies, we should have a very good crop of sweet lemons later this year!

Keep pesticides away from your garden and help provide food sources for these important pollinators.

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Visit Conejo Valley Botanical Garden - Hidden Gardens L.A. #4

On a recent trek to Thousand Oaks, CA, we happened upon the Conejo Valley Botanical Garden. This Hidden Garden is slightly west of Los Angeles, but definitely a local hidden treasure.
 
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Maintained by community efforts, this quiet hillside Botanical Garden encompasses 33 acres of different garden areas and wildlife habitat with views of Thousand Oaks’ rolling hills. The large area provides space for a variety of oaks and bird species that depend on these magnificent trees. We saw acorn and Nuttall’s woodpeckers, as well as a northern red-shafted flicker.

Look For:

• Fifteen specific garden areas: including rare fruit, bird habitat, oaks, sage, native and drought tolerant species
• Water features: a small stream and waterfall in the bird garden which attracts a range of birds
• Wildlife: not only does the area attract birds, look for mammals as well, like the introduced eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), and local reptiles like the western fence lizards (Sceloporus occitentalis)

Special Opportunities: The vistas are beautiful and the range of vegetation offers flowering plants even in winter. Native plant areas provide an example of how you can create wild California habitat in your own yard. Plants are well labeled and well-established specimens show plant size.

The Specifics:

• Open - Daily, except holidays, 8 AM to Sunset; Free to the public.
• Parking - Ample free parking
• Restrooms - Adjacent at the park community center
• Kid Friendly - In general a wonderful “wild” place to explore. There is also a "Kid’s Adventure Garden" and a play area in the adjacent park.
• Accessibility - Pathways vary from wide with minimal grade to narrow trails with steps. A varied stroll through the garden is possible on the wider path and signs do note “slope.” Pushing a wheelchair through the garden is possible with effort.
• Dogs - Dogs are welcome on a leash. Make sure to clean-up after your pet and be respectful of wildlife.
• Restrictions - Parking may be less available on weekends as the park is used by local picnickers and sporting groups.

For More Information: Conejo Valley Botanical Garden website

Find out about more Hidden Gardens in the Los Angeles Area

• Visit Pierce College Botanical Garden
• Visit Malibu Legacy Park
• Visit Orcutt Ranch Park
• Discover Southern California

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Visit Pierce College Botanical Garden - Hidden Gardens L.A. #3

The S. Mark Taper Foundation, Life Science Botanic Garden on the campus of Pierce College in Woodland Hills is a gem of a Hidden Garden. Tucked between classroom buildings, it demonstrates how native plants and creative people can transform a barren lawn into habitat even in the middle of a college campus.

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red mountain sage

I remember taking a class in the computer science building bordering, what was then, a large grassy area with a few trees. Now the two acres of land seem twice the size as planted landscaping and trees break-up the views. Anna's hummingbirds dive and swoop over bright blooms of red mountain sage (Salvia darcyi) and red-eared sliders lounge on water lilies. 

The Pierce College Botanical Garden is a showcase of plants from climates like our own that have hot dry summers and cool, typically wetter, winters. It is a wonderful place to see the beauty of California native plants and how important they are to wildlife. And, like any quality botanical garden, plant species are identified with signage so you can search out species for your own garden. 

This garden in a living laboratory and classroom. Students wander in and out observing the dragonflies for a moment before continuing on to class. Some stop to talk in quiet alcoves or study on the numerous benches. 

An extra attraction is the "Evolution Walk." The main walkway through the garden, the "Evolution Walk" measures out time from the Cambrian to the present. Each six inches represents a million years. Have a hard time remembering what plants and animals lived when? Here is a visual representation with the imprint of animal and plant life in the walkway for the period in which it lived. I love this walkway.

Definitely a Hidden Garden worth seeking out.

bog sage

 Look For:

• Native California and Channel Island plants, as well as additional drought tolerant species from other Mediterranean Climate Zones
• Water features: a pond and sculpture with bog plants
• Variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, dragonflies and butterflies (Including California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi); Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna), western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica), introduced red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), multicolored darner (Aeshna multicolor), white checkered-skipper (Pyrgus albescens) and monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
• "Evolution Walk" with fossil and other life form traces imprinted into the walkway for each time period

Special Opportunities: It surprised me, but I spotted California quail (Callipepla californica) in the garden. The pond and native plants create an island of abundant life despite the human activity. This is a place of discovery right off the Metro Orange Line, an opportunity for anyone to experience wildness in the San Fernando Valley.

The Specifics:

• Open - Daily, 8 AM to Sunset; Free to the public
• Parking - Ample, but there is a fee weekdays: $3 for all day from the self-pay dispensers or $2 with a visitor pass obtained at the Sheriff's office on campus. Parking is Free on weekends or holidays. The Metro Orange Line runs just north of the campus. The Winnetka stop will put you closest to the Botanical Garden. 
• Restrooms - Adjacent in the public campus buildings
• Kid Friendly - This is a wonderful outdoor classroom space. Visitors should keep in mind, however, that during the week classes are taking place in the surrounding buildings.
• Accessibility - The main pathway is wheelchair friendly, however some unpaved areas may be a challenge to navigate.
• Dogs - Dogs are not welcome on campus
• Restrictions - Parking can be limited when semesters begin, especially in the morning. Ongoing construction can make it appear that entrance to the garden is fenced off. It is not. You can reach the garden by following the signs.

For More Information: Visiting the Garden webpage

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Visit other Hidden Gardens
  Hidden Garden of L.A. - Orcutt Ranch Park
Hidden Garden of L.A. - Malibu Legacy Park