Page 68 - North State Parent March 2023

NATURE & SCIENCE NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 2023
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Geology&Rockhounding CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Nature&WildlifeCenters,
Organizations & Rescues
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Planetariums,Observatories& Astronomy
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Science&Technology CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Spelunking(Caves)
GEOLOGY & ROCKHOUNDING
BUTTE COUNTY
Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society; Oroville. This club promotes & encourages the pursuit of all types of lapidary & jewelry art,
as well as all aspects of collecting & studying rocks, minerals & fossils. Monthly meetings & field trips, rock shop for lapidary & silver- smithing, classes & lectures. Hosts the annual Chico Gem, Mineral and Jewelry show. info@ featherriverrocks.org. featherriverrocks.org. Gem & Mineral Club; Paradise. Fun group
of rockhounds promoting & advancing the appreciation of rocks & minerals. Meetings, annual picnic, annual show & field trips
for those interested in the earth sciences, lapidary techniques & general rockhounding. facebook.com/paradisegemandmineralclub. (530)343-0894.
SHASTA COUNTY
Shasta Gem & Mineral Society; Ander- son. A nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge of gem, mineral & lapidary arts programs through reading, classes, workshops & field trips. Work- shops. Includes jr. division for ages 8-17. shastagemandmineral.org. (203)645-0703.
TEHAMA COUNTY
Gaumer’s Mineral & Mining Museum; Red Bluff. Educational & entertaining for visitors of all ages. Gold mining, fossils, Native American artifacts, rocks, crystals & fluorescent minerals. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. School tours available. gaumers.com. 78 Belle Mill Rd. (530)527-6166.
ONLINE
RocksForKids.com. Canadian-based rock- hounding website with good information for kids of all ages. Includes rocks list & pictures. rocksforkids.com.
NATURE & WILDLIFE CENTERS, ORGANIZATIONS & RESCUES
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Altacal Audubon Society; Serving Butte, Glenn, and Tehama Counties. Free public field trips. Beginners are always welcome,
since our trip leaders are eager to instill a love of birds in anyone. We provide indoor and outdoor education for primary and secondary school classes. Getting kids out in nature where they learn about birds, their habits and habitats, and how they
fit into the ecosystem is important work altacal.org. (530)345-9356.
California Native Plant Society, Mount Lassen Chapter; Butte, Glenn, Tehama & Plumas Counties. Year-round field trips, native plant seeds, monthly meetings & annual events, rare plant conservation & educational outreach programs to schools & groups. mountlassen.cnps.org.
BUTTE COUNTY
Barry Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary & Edu- cational Center; Oroville. This education & preservation center is home to a wide variety of non-releasable endangered & exotic live animals. See tigers, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, leopards, hawks, owls, African lions, servals, a lemur, wallaby, reptiles & much more. kirshner.org. 4995 Durham-Pentz Rd. (530)533-1000.
Butte Environmental Council; Chico. Edu- cates & advocates for the environment. Infor- mation about current land, air & water issues, classroom education programs & resources for community action. Waste education
thru RARE program (Recycling and Rubbish Education). Hosts the annual Endangered Species Faire each spring in Bidwell Park & the annual Bidwell Park & Creeks Clean-up Day in September. becnet.org. 313 Walnut St., Ste. 140. (530)891-6424.
Chico Creek Nature Center; Chico. The official information & education center for Bidwell Park. Classes for youth & adults,
day camps & field trips. The center is home
to more than 15 species of living animals. chicorec.com/chico-creek-nature-center. 1968 E. 8th St., in Bidwell Park. (530)891-4671. Feather River Fish Hatchery; Oroville. State-of-the-art facility features underwater viewing windows to observe migrating salm- on (mid-Sept through mid-Nov) & steelhead trout (mid-Dec through mid-Feb). Learn about the life cycle of fish & view spawning operations. Offers educational programs & tours & hosts the Annual Salmon Festival
in Sep. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. Free admission. Check website for hours. wildlife. ca.gov/Fishing/Hatcheries/Feather-River. 5 Table Mountain Blvd. (530)538-2222
Feather River Nature Center & Native Plant Park; Oroville. An original river rock bath house used by gold miners. This is a great place to enjoy family picnics or just relax by the river. Nature Center: daily from sun- rise-sunset. Bath House Museum: Apr-Oct; Sat-Sun, 12-4pm; guided tours by appt. Mu- seums link at cityoforoville.org. Montgomery St. & Old Ferry Rd. (530)538-2401.
Gateway Science Museum, CSU; Chico. Inspiring the exploration of science & natural history in Butte County & beyond. Hands-on, minds-on exhibitions, Discovery Room for kids, native plants gardens & ongoing STEAM projects. csuchico.edu/gateway. 625 Espla- nade. (530)898-4121.
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area; Gridley. Year- round wildlife viewing in a 9,100-acre wet- land area. In fall & winter see vast numbers of migratory waterfowl. A museum, paved trail to a viewing platform & seasonal guided
tours Oct-Feb. Annual events include a children’s fishing day. Open sunrise to sunset. wildlife.ca.gov. 3207 Rutherford Rd. ,along the Pacific Flyway. (530)846-7500; Sat-Sun (530)846-7505.
The Worm Farm; Durham. Family farm featuring 9,600 linear ft of windrows of redworms. Learn how vermicomposting pro- vides gardeners with a means of producing healthy plants while positively affecting the environment. Hands-on group tours year- round by appt. Wear gardening clothes when visiting. Call for appointment. thewormfarm. net. 9033 Esquon Rd. (530)894-1276.
Wild Things. Let Wild Things share a fun- filled and energetic experience with your school, library, or private event. Wild Things brings rescued exotic and native wildlife to you and utilizes the animals’ personal stories to teach natural history, unique adaptations and a conservation message. Wild Things
has something for everyone with topics such as: the Amazing Amazon, North American Wildlife, Beasts of the Backyard, Animals of the World, and Scaly Wonders, among others. In-person & live or recorded virtual programs. Wildthingsoutreach.org. programs@wildth- ingsoutreach.org. (530)878-2618.
GLENN COUNTY
Orland Honeybee Discovery Center. Aiming to advance the public’s understand- ing of honeybees and to create and promote a culture of bee awareness. North State families can learn how easy it is to be good stewards of bees, their habitat and their tasty contributions to our food supply. Visitors
can learn the history of honey, discover how honey is produced, see a bee’s anatomy
up close, watch bees at work, taste honey from different nectar sources and learn the benefits of honey. Group tours available.
First Fri & Sat every month. Fri 3-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm. honeybeediscoverycenter.org. (530)805-2899.
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge; Willows. Five national wildlife refuges & three wildlife management areas, comprising more than 35,000 acres of wetlands & uplands in the Sacramento Valley. Auto tours, hiking trails, visitor center, bookstore & educational programs. School & group tours available. fws.gov/refuge/Sacramento. (530)934-2801.
SHASTA COUNTY
California Native Plant Society, Shasta Chapter; Redding. Field trips, workshops, monthly events with presenters, annual plant sales, shows & information. Serves Shasta, Lassen, Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. Edu- cates the public about native plants in their natural environment & for use in the garden. shastacnps.org. shastacnps@gmail.com.
City of Anderson Water Pollution Control Plant. Students of all ages can learn what happens to sewage water in a field trip that shows the steps of sewage wastewater treatment before it is released into the Sacra- mento River. Students will view the microor- ganisms used in a natural biological process that treats the water. ci.anderson.ca.us. 3800 Rupert Rd. in Anderson River Park. (530)378- 6665 or (530)378-6664.
Coleman Fish Hatchery; Anderson. Largest Chinook salmon & steelhead hatchery in the
lower 48 states. Open daily for informative self-guided tours 7:30am-dusk. Nature trail, annual Return of the Salmon Festival (3rd Sat in Oct), school & youth group tours (Oct & Nov).Check website for current hours. fws. gov/coleman 24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Rd. (530)365-8622.
Redding Reptiles Exhibit Room; Redding. More than 50 reptiles from around the world on display in the exhibit room. Volunteers on hand to provide information about the animals. ExhibitRoomWeds-Satnoon-6pm. reddingreptiles.com. 74 Lake Blvd. (530)338- 2446.
Shasta Land Trust. Learn about our local ecosystems, wildlife, and the natural wonders of our biodiverse region. Events include fami- ly-friendly hikes, bike rides, movie screenings & more! All events support local land conser- vation efforts in protecting wildlife habitat, recreational lands, and working agricultural farms and ranches. Visit Shastalandtrust.
org to sign-up. (530)241-7886
Shasta Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation; Anderson. A nonprofit organization that rehabilitates sick, orphaned & injured wildlife to release back into the wild. Volunteer op- portunities in spring & summer. Tasks include feeding baby birds & helping rehabilitate old- er birds so they can be successfully returned to the wild. shastawildlife.org. 3752 Rupert Rd. (530)365-9453.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park; Redding. Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a fun, 300-acre, non-profit, gathering place, featuring the Sundial Bridge, museum, forestry and wildlife center, arboretum, and botanical gardens. Attractions and educational programs for
all ages including animal shows, traveling exhibitions, towering playgrounds, indoor aquariums, an immersive Parrot Playhouse, and more. Turtle Bay also offers education-
al resources to the community including school field trips, Discovery Camps, teacher/ classroom support, and Turtle Bay TV, a free distance-learning show on YouTube. Mem- berships available. turtlebay.org. 844 Sundial Bridge Dr. (530)243-8850.
Wild Horse Sanctuary; Shingletown. This 5,000-acre preserve is dedicated to pro- tecting & preserving America’s wild horses
as a living national treasure. Provides them sanctuary in an ecologically balanced environment. Visitors welcome for free wild horse viewing. Trail rides, horse adoptions
& sponsorships available. Check website for hours. wildhorsesanctuary.org. 5796 Wilson Hill Rd. (530)474-5770.
Wintu Audubon Society; A chapter of the National Audubon Society serving Redding and the Shasta County area. The mission of the Wintu Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biologi- cal diversity. We promote enjoyment of the natural environment through education and interactive programs. wintuaudubon.org. (530)276-8854.
SISKIYOU COUNTY
Mount Shasta Audubon Society. The Mount Shasta area offers outstanding op- portunities to view more than 300 species of birds. The varied landscape, with its nu- merous creeks, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and wildlife refuges, attracts birds throughout
68 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Spring/Summer 2023 • www.northstateparent.com