Placer Nature Center
Events & News April 2010
Happy Earth Month !
 
The sun is shining and everything is growing! Our bee hive is doing fantastic again - we're hoping to compile a series of time-lapse images as the honeycomb is being built up. If you are planning a visit during in April - try to schedule it during one of our weekend events or come after 1:30 PM Mon.-Fri. to avoid school bus traffic. If you wish to update your email preferences or unsubscribe, you can do so through the links at the bottom of this e-mail.
 
Nature News:

Earth Day and Children & Nature Awareness Month!
Come celebrate the benefits of nature experiences for children, and for all ages! Please visit us and have fun during one of the many Earth Day Festivals happening this month. From Roseville to Loomis and Sierra College and Cosumnes River College, there will be lots of live music, fun, food and more! Read more about each festival here!

Win $500 Shopping Spree at Macy's & Benefit PNC!
Buy your $10 Community Shopping Day ticket from Placer Nature Center and you benefit by receiving a 10-20% all-day/all-store Savings Pass, a $10 coupon and a chance at winning a $500 shopping spree! Placer Nature Center keeps 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales and if a large number of our ticket holders attend the event, we could get a percentage of the sales from the Shopping Day! Read more about it here and get your ticket!

Register for Summer Camp!
That's right, summer's just around the bend. information on this year's camps is now online. We have a new camp this year for 8-12 year olds: Starlight, Sunlight & Orbs! Also, thanks to R.E.I., we have 30 camp scholarships to award!  Info and registration...

EWaste Drive Update
The total net weight collected during our E-Waste Recycling Event was just over 11,800 lbs! Of that weight approximately 7,200 lbs was potentially toxic CRT material which will generate a donation to Placer Nature Center of $0.10/lb.! Thank you to everyone who recycled your old electronics at our March drive! And thank you to our partners who helped make the drive possible: Sims Recycling Solutions, OneBigBin.com, Recology, Auburn Journal and 49er Printing & Copy Center. Also, when you have a question on local recycling and disposal check out our new resource page:
Upcoming Events!
 
4th Friday Lecture Series

Friday, April 23

7 pm to 9:30 pm

at
Unity of Auburn

1212 High St.
Downtown Auburn, 95603


"Imagine a grassland so full of flowers that you can't see green, then ask me why I like vernal pools," Dr. Bob Holland remarks.

More than just over-sized, seasonal puddles, vernal pools are an important part of the Californian ecology, supporting numerous rare plants and animals.

As the pools dry, beautiful displays of wildflowers bloom in brilliant and dramatic circles of color.  These concentric circles of color follow the receding shoreline of the pools. Dr. Holland will lead the audience through a journey of natural beauty as he reveals the mysteries of this phenomenon. 

Dr. Holland will also take participants into the life of the tiny creatures that make themselves at home in the vernal pools.
Read more..

Great for ages 15+
Door open with live music at 7 PM; after the lecture stay for Q&A, meet & greet the speaker, and a raffle!
Students $5, Members $8, General Public $10

Special thanks to our partners who made this series possible:
Bank of the West, PG&E, Gold Country Media and Auburn Journal, Marion Friedman, 49er Printing & Copy Center, and Unity of Auburn.
Buggy Expedition
Friends & Family Day
Saturday, April 10
Drop-in anytime between 11am - 2pm
at PNC

Did you know ladybugs eat ants? Or that dragonflies are capable of flying sixty miles per hour? For every person on the earth, there are two hundred million insects. This Saturday, borrow a Nature Center net and set off along the trail to see what you can find! Learn what makes a bug a bug, where they live and what they eat. Also, try to find the Queen Bee in our see-though bee hive!

Great for ages 3+; Nature Shop open
Free to members and children, General Public is $5/adult.
Free Class for Tots, Preschoolers & their Family
Our Day Outside, focus on Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!

Saturday, April 17
9:30am - 11:30am
at PNC

Explore the wonderful world of bugs and wiggle, sing, hike, do crafts and more with your 0-5 year old child. This special class engages the family in strategies to use nature play to aid in your child's physical, mental and emotional development. Class made possible by a grant from Placer First 5.
*Spanish interpreter is always in attendance!
Read more here about this series...
The workshop is a free event brought to you in partnership with the Placer First 5.
Learn to Use a Telescope!
Saturday, April 17
6pm - 9pm
at PNC

Just how do you use these darn things anyways!?
Get all your questions answered, learn what to look for when buying a telescope and how to tune them.

Following the workshop - put the telescopes to use and receive one-on-one instruction with Don Machholz.!
Read more about Don, the class and get tickets....

Great for ages 10+; Class is $15 per person.
Native Plants - Save Water, Time & Money!
Free Green Gardening Workshop Series
with local Placer Master Gardeners

Saturday, April 24
10am-11:30am
at PNC

Beautify your landscape while saving time and money with native plants. Native plants generally prefer little to no fertilizer, less water and require less effort in controlling pests than non-native plants; plus they support 10-15 times more native species of wildlife than non-native plants. Native pant gardening is simply overall better for the environment! Learn how to get started, how to add to your current garden or if you have a native landscape already, bring your questions and get some pointers.

Great for beginners and those who have already started their own native landscapes! *** Remember: if you are bringing in a plant clipping with a problem, please safely store it in a ziplock plastic bag!

Great for ages 10+; Free
The workshop is a free event brought to you in partnership with the UCCE Placer County Master Gardeners.
Star Gazing!
Saturday, April 24
7:30pm-9:30pm
at PNC

Learn about the basics of astronomy from a world-renowned comet hunter! You will also get to practice your new skills by searching the night sky using a telescope! Read more about Don, the class and get tickets....

Great for ages 9+; Class is $6 per person.
Naturally yours,
 
Founders Leslie and Linda, and all the docents, volunteers, and everyone at Placer Nature Center!
Questions, comments, suggestions? Give us a call!
530-878-6053
Upcoming Events!
Vernal Pools
Buggy Expedition
Free class for Tots
Learn to Use a Telescope!
Native Plant Gardening
Star Gazing!
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List
Get your ticket!
Get your ticket!
Special Thanks to our 4th Friday Lecture Series Partners!

Without them, we wouldn't be able to bring the lecture series to the community each year!

Be sure to let them know you how much you appreciate their support!

Bank of the West

PG & E

Gold Country Media and Auburn Journal


Marion Friedman


49er Printing
& Copy Center

(530) 885-2481
11806 Kemper Rd
Auburn, CA 95603


Unity of Auburn
(530) 888-6489
1212 High Street
Auburn, CA 95603

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the largest organized environmental education event in the United States. Placer Nature Center is a proud partner!