OROVILLE — From art activities to gold panning to bug and animal identification, there’s some hot fun for kids and adults to be had at local state parks this summer and fall.
The Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Northern Buttes District is offering two free programs for kids including Art in the Park and Junior Rangers. There is also a Walk into Wellness program for adults and, in the fall, the district will be hosting a Biodiversity Day.
“Part of our mission at California State Parks is to create opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation and these programs meet that need,” said Amanda Sellers, State Parks interpreter. “California State Parks puts out number different programs like Art in the Park for local districts to pick up pick up and we’re excited to be part of statewide initiative.”
Art in the Park
There are two remaining sessions of Art in the Park scheduled this summer.
Both sessions are free for children ages 7 to 12.
The first session is on Wednesday and the second session is Aug. 14.
On Wednesday, children will get to make rock art by decoupaging pre-gathered, cleaned and painted rock. For the August Art in the Park, participants will be making friendship bracelets. Both sessions will take place at Discovery Hall at Bidwell Canyon Campground, 801 Bidwell Canyon Road. Parking is free for both events.
Junior Rangers
A little local history and a lot of gold panning on are the schedule for the final two Junior Ranger program sessions on Saturday and Aug. 10 at the Bidwell Bar Bridge in the Bidwell Canyon Campground.
Also free and open to children ages 7 to 12, Sellers said the hour-long programs, which run from 10 to 11 a.m., include a little local history about the Bidwell Bar gold mining town followed by the hands-on gold mining activity. The parking fee will be waived for these events.
“All the kids will get a gold-panning certificate,” said Sellers. “They’ll also get a Junior Ranger Adventure Guide booklet with self-directed activities to take home and continue their adventure in learning about nature.”
Walk into Wellness
For adults, the final session of the free Walk into Wellness program is scheduled for 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Loafer Creek Recreation Area located on Loafer Creek Road at 1 Loafer Creek Road off of Highway 162. Parking is free. Sellers described these walks as a time for “self care.”
“We incorporate meditation, expressing gratitude, aroma therapy, tapping and metacognitive drawing into these walks so it’s really a meandering into wellness,” she said. “I know it sounds woo-woo, very kumbaya, but it has hit a nerve with people and effecting them in a positive way.”
Biodiversity Day
On Sept. 14 the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Northern Buttes District is hosting a free Biodiversity Day from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Thermalito North Forebay, 930 Garden Drive. The parking fee will be waived for this event.
During this free family event attendees will have the chance to participate in creating an inventory of the plants, insects and animals at the forebay by learning how to use the iNaturalist app on their phones. There will also be a story walk for pre-kindergarten children.
“We’ve taken pages from a book, in this case “Yellow Time” because it’s fall, laminated them and will place them mini A-frames along the trail,” said Sellers. “So the story pops up along the trail so parents can read it to their children as they take the walk.”
There will also be a driftwood-based art project for children.
“This is the first year we’ve hosted Biodiversity Day,” said Sellers. “It’s just going to be a very fun and educational day for the whole family. We’re really looking forward to it.”
For more information about these events call Sellers at 530-538-2200.
