In between the raindrops, I found a dry space to spend time in during a visit to Fall Creek in Henry Cowell State Park.
Walking down the trail through a grove of silver-leaf manzanitas, I looked to my right and spied a ruby-crowned kinglet assessing me from a nearby limb. The little bird is so light, she can graze for insects on the tips of conifer needles. I took in her olive beauty and her telltale white-rimmed eyes as long as she would let me before she flew off to safety in the inner grove.
Making my way down the slope to the creek, I crossed the bridge and followed Fall Creek Trail down the watershed, watching the water tripping over boulders and weaving through canopy shadows and sunbeams.
Lost in my own personal park, I suddenly realized I was not alone. Coming up the trail was a group of students, and someone said, “Hi, Carol!”
Sure enough, it was Erin Mongiello and one of her sixth-grade science classes from San Lorenzo Valley Middle School. She and her fellow science teacher, Rebecca Cress, and I have been working on enhancing their science program by finding an environmental education grant for them.
We have the proposal, but we still need a grant.
When I was in sixth-grade science class, we sat in boring classrooms reading about nature, rather than getting out and actually experiencing it.
Not so now. Students get down and dirty — and definitely wet.
We walked to the bridge, and Erin and one of her students put on their black rubber boots. Here, the creek was quiet and shallow, and the little girl entered with her measuring equipment.
Because Erin and her classes visit Fall Creek frequently, I knew I was dealing with professionals. The fledgling scientists carried clip charts and, as the measurements were announced, they took notes on the water’s velocity, temperature, depth and more.
Each student keeps a science notebook with notations on everything from field etiquette to stream flow graphing to seasonal changes in the San Lorenzo Valley watershed.
Students writing about their experiences have said:
“I’ve learned enough science that I think I might want to become a scientist one day. … I learned so much about our watershed system. Actually, I was thinking I might want to do my own field study over the summer at my river.”
“My favorite thing we did this year was the hikes. It was fun, good exercise, and we got to learn a lot about the stream and river. It was also cool to look at the healthy stream and the unhealthy stream.”
“All the hikes were so fun. We got to test the water temperature and the soil, and best of all, we got to get some fresh air.”
If you were to ask the class, they could tell you what the largest watershed in the county is. Answer: the San Lorenzo Valley.
We said goodbye, and I walked back up the trail.
Perhaps it was the same kinglet I had seen earlier that now flitted through the dark undergrowth by my feet. After summering in places like the boreal forests of Canada or the high Sierras, the little winter visitor has found better foraging at Fall Creek.
• Carol Carson has a master’s in education and has been a docent for Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and taught courses on Big Basin State Park for UCSC Extension. She is an environmental advocate and educator and writes a frequent nature column for the Press-Banner. Contact her at
ca****@ca*********.com
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