Page 106 - Family Resource Guide Fall/Winter 2024/2025

SCIENCE & NATURE NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE FALL/WINTER 2024/2025
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
and encourages the pursuit of all types of lapidary and jewelry art, as well as all aspects of collecting and studying rocks, minerals and fossils. Monthly meetings and field trips, rock shop for lapidary and silversmithing, classes and lectures. Hosts the annual Chico Gem, Mineral and Jew- elry show. featherriverrocks.org. info@ featherriverrocks.org.
Gem & Mineral Club; Paradise. Fun group of rockhounds promoting and advancing the appreciation of rocks and minerals. Meetings, annual picnic, annual show and field trips for those interested in the earth sciences, lapidary techniques and 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 and field trips. Includes jr. division for ages 8-17. shastagemandmineral.org. (530)945- 9225.
TEHAMA COUNTY
Gaumer’s Mineral & Mining Museum; Red Bluff. Educational and entertaining for visitors of all ages. Gold mining, fossils, Native American artifacts, rocks, crystals and fluorescent minerals. Mon-Fri, 9am- 5pm. School tours available. gaumers. com. 78 Belle Mill Rd. (530)527-6166.
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 in- door 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. Email director@altacal. org.
California Native Plant Society, Mount Lassen Chapter; Butte, Glenn, Teha-
ma and Plumas Counties. Year-round field trips, native plant seeds, monthly meetings and annual events, rare plant conservation and educational outreach programs to schools and groups. mount- lassen.cnps.org.
BUTTE COUNTY
Barry Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary
& Educational Center; Oroville. This education and preservation center is home to a wide variety of non-releasable endangered and exotic live animals. See tigers, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, leopards, hawks, owls, African lions, ser- vals, a lemur, wallaby, reptiles and much more. kirshner.org. 4995 Durham-Pentz Rd. (530)533-1000.
Butte Environmental Council; Chico. Educates and advocates for the environ- ment. Information about current land, air and water issues, classroom education programs anf resources for community action. Waste education thru RARE pro- gram (Recycling and Rubbish Education). Hosts the annual Endangered Species Faire each spring in Bidwell Park and the annual Bidwell Park & Creeks Clean-up Day in September. becnet.org. 313 Wal- nut St., Suite 140. (530)891-6424.
Chico Creek Nature Center. Quality ed- ucational programs to elementary school students and the public. Uses the natural systems of Bidwell Park as a classroom. chicorec.com/chico-creek-nature-center. 1968 E 8th St. (530)891-4671.
Feather River Fish Hatchery; Oroville. State-of-the-art facility features underwa- ter viewing windows to observe migrat- ing salmon (mid-Sept through mid-Nov) &andsteelhead trout (mid-Dec through mid-Feb). Learn about the life cycle of fish and view spawning operations. Offers ed- ucational programs and tours and hosts the Annual Salmon Festival in Sept. 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. Children’s programs in the summer and fall. Nature Center: daily from sunrise-sunset. Bath House Muse- um: Apr-Oct; Sat-Sun, noon-4pm; guided tours by appt. Museums link at cityofor- oville.org. Montgomery St. and Old Ferry Rd. (530)538-2401.
Gateway Science Museum, CSU; Chico. Inspiring the exploration of science
and natural history in Butte County and beyond. Hands-on, minds-on exhibitions,
Discovery Room for kids, native plants gardens and ongoing STEAM projects. csuchico.edu/gateway. 625 Esplanade. (530)898-4121.
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area; Gridley. Year- round wildlife viewing in a 9,100-acre wetland area. In fall and winter see vast numbers of migratory waterfowl. A muse- um, paved trail to a viewing platform and seasonal guided tours Oct-Feb. Annual events include a children’s fishing day. Open sunrise to sunset. wildlife.ca.gov/ Lands/Places-to-Visit/Gray-Lodge-WA. 3207 Rutherford Rd. ,along the Pacific Flyway. (530)846-7500; Sat-Sun (530)846- 7505.
Oroville Botanic Gardens & Education Center. Dedicated to the betterment
of Oroville, Butte County and California through education, research, propaga- tion and planting. Offers seed swaps, garden tours and an Arbor Festival in March. obgec.com/. 4790 Foothill Blvd. (530)649-4308.
The Worm Farm; Durham. Family farm with 5,000 linear feet of windrows of redworms. Hands-on group tours year- round by appt. Wear gardening clothes when visiting. Provides gardeners with a means of producing healthy plants while positively affecting the environment. Call for appointment. thewormfarm.net. 9033 Esquon Rd., 7 miles south of Chico. (530)894-1276.
Wild Things; Weimar. Let Wild Things share a fun-filled and energetic experi- ence 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 Worl and Scaly Wonders, among others. In-person and live or recorded virtual programs. Wildthingsoutreach. org. programs@wildthingsoutreach.org. (530)878-2618.
GLENN COUNTY
Honeybee Discovery Center; Orland. The Honeybee Discovery Center teaches the importance of pollinators, especially honeybees, in the environment. One out of every three bites we eat is thanks to a bee! Learn more about the history of bee- keeping and pollinators’ vital role in our food supply through our immersive bee experiences. Our NEW exhibit, BEE-NATO- MY 101 opens on September 13th, 2024. Please visit us on social media or our website at honeybeediscoverycenter.org for hours or to book a field trip or tour. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6-12, and Free for kids 5 and under. Located at 501 Walker Street, Orland. (530)805-BUZZ.
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge; Willows. Five national wildlife refuges and three wildlife management areas, com- prising more than 35,000 acres of wet- lands & uplands in the Sacramento Valley.
Auto tours, hiking trails, visitor center, bookstore and educational programs. School and 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, annu-
al plant sales, shows and information. Serves Shasta, Lassen, Modoc and Siski- you Counties. Educates the public about native plants in their natural environment and 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 Sacramento River. Students will view the microorganisms used in a natural biological process that treats the water. ci.anderson.ca.us. 3800 Rupert Rd. in Anderson River Park. (530)378-6664.
Coleman National Fish Hatchery; Anderson. One of the largest Chinook salmon and steelhead hatcheries in the lower 48 states. See the hatchery build- ing, rearing raceways, fish ladder, Battle Creek Trail, spawning operations (Oct- Feb) and more. Open daily for informative self-guided tours. fws.gov/fish-hatchery/ coleman. 24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Rd. (530)365-8622.
Redding Reptiles; Redding. Check out reptiles from around the world on display in the Reptile Exhibit Room, a sanctuary/ home to 50+ reptiles that have been sur- rendered. Pets, supplies and feeders avail- able. Store: Tues-Sat 11am-6pm. Exhibit Room: Wed-Sat 12-5:30pm. reddingrep- tiles.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 family-friendly hikes, bike rides, movie screenings and more. All events support local land conservation efforts in protecting wildlife habitat, recreational lands and working agricultural farms and ranches. Shastalandtrust.org to sign-up. (530)241-7886
Shasta Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilita- tion; Anderson. A nonprofit organization that rehabilitates sick, orphaned and injured wildlife to release back into the wild. Volunteer opportunities in spring and summer. Tasks include feeding baby birds and helping rehabilitate older 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 includ- ing animal shows, traveling exhibitions, towering playgrounds, indoor aquariums, an immersive Parrot Playhouse, and
106 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Fall/Winter 2024/2025 • www.northstateparent.com