Placer Nature Center
Events & NewsSeptember 2010
Happy Mushroom Month  !
 
No joke! September is National Mushroom Month. Ancient Egyptians believed mushrooms to be the plant of immortality - according to the hieroglyphics of 4600 years ago. The delicious flavor of mushrooms intrigued the pharaohs of Egypt so much that they decreed mushrooms were food for royalty and that no commoner could ever touch them. Luckily for us commoners, not only can we eat them to our heart's content - we can also learn more about them at this Friday's lecture: Fact, Fiction & Folklore -Fabulous Fungus! Also this month, you can learn how to be a docent at the nature center, learn about Oak Trees, bring the little ones to the popular Our Day Outside and a lot more!
 
Nature News:

Great Sierra River Cleanup (Download the flyer)
Join PARC at the Confluence on Saturday, September 25 from 8 AM to 1 PM to help remove trash and restore the health of the America River in the Auburn State Recreation Area.   This cleanup is an annual event coordinated in part by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and held in conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup Day to clean rivers and streams throughout the Sierra Nevada Region. Your efforts can make a huge difference in the health and safety of our American River! Call Eric @ 530-885-8878

Feed Your Brain & Your Belly! 
From mushrooms to outer space, the 2010-2011 lecture series promises to engage you with lots of food for thought! (and some yummy samples of local produce!) VIsit the website to see the line-up of presenters. This year's raffle will feature gift baskets filled to the brim with lots of great local goodies. Don't forget, when you pay for 5 lectures, you get 4 for free with the Season Pass! We are also offering a special 3 ticket package which gets you a 25% discount! 

Tell us what you think
Thank you to those who reviewed us last month! We still would love to hear from more people who have been to our programs and from those who have volunteered with us. Your opinion really does matter! Please write a review on Great Nonprofits! You can post 100% anonymously! Write a review...
 
Upcoming Events!
 
First Friday Lecture
Friday, September 3rd
downtown at the State Theater, 985 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603
 
Doors open at 7 PM with free samples of locally grown produce presented by Foothill Farmer's Market growers.
Lectures start promptly at 7:30 PM. Please arrive early as there are no seat reservations

From slimy blobs to cute little buttons, fungi come in all shapes, textures, colors and sizes. They can be deadly toxic with a just a bite or they can be life-saving medicine; used for everything from textile dyes to herbicides - fungus plays a large part in our every day lives. Dr. Micheal Davis will give us an inside look at how important mushrooms are as integral parts of a healthy ecosystem. Learn about edible and poisonous species and discuss why some fungi species are considered the largest organisms on earth!

$9 Members & Students; $12 General Public
Save 50% with a Season Pass! Learn more...
 
Meet an Oak - Draw/Write with Oak Gall Ink!
Friends & Family Day
Saturday, September 11
Drop-in anytime between 11am - 2pm
at
Placer Nature Center

You see them all around - but have you ever been up close and personal with an Oak? Did you know that the Declaration of Independence was written in Oak gall ink?  Oak woodlands provide food, water and shelter for approximately 350 species! They are also the basis of watersheds that protect drinking water for millions of Californians.
 
Oak gall ink and pens will be avilable to try - all attendees get to take home an Oak gall and easy recipe to make ink at home! Many other activities with leaves, acorns and bark will help you know, identify and care for our local oaks!
 
Great for ages 4+; Nature Shop Open!
Free to members and children, General Public is $5/adult.
 
Our Day Outside!
Saturday, September 18
9:30am - 11:30am
at
Placer Nature Center

Acorn Munchers:
Who eats all those acorns?
 
During Our Day Outside, families with young children (up to 5 years old) explore and play together. Through nature investigations with hand lenses, singing, crafts, make-believe, puppetry and much more children interact together and with their families, learning about the world around them while having lots of fun! This free class helps build a foundation of necessary skills needed for excelling in school.
 
Great for ages 0-5 & families; Nature Shop Open!
Free! Brought to you in partnership with First 5 Placer County's Children and Families Commission
 
Classes are every
Tuesday & Thursday
September 14th-30th
9 am - 12 pm
at Placer Nature Center

Along with fruits and vegetables, kids need a steady diet of rocks, worms, dirt, fresh air, trees, seeds and a caring teacher to lead them through nature...
 
Do you love working with children? Enjoy being in nature? If so, then a Nature Docent is the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! No previous experience necessary - we'll teach you everything you need to know!
 
 
Create lasting friendships as you learn the techniques to lead children into the natural   environment, encouraging wonder and new discovery.
 
The education we provide at Placer Nature Center focuses on using the environment to engage students in learning science through: awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its problems; experience in and understanding of the environment; establishing a sense of connection between and to the immediate environment and the student so that they understand that the nature of our lives and our environment are inseparable.
If you wish to update your email preferences or unsubscribe, you can do so through the links at the bottom of this e-mail.  
 
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!
Fabulous Fungus!
Meet an Oak!
Acorn Munchers
Docent Training
Health & Safety Fair
Other Festivals!
Paddle Safety Day
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List
Many Thanks to our 2010-2011 1st Friday Lectures Sponsors!
 
---------------------------
---------------------------
Gold Country Media
---------------------------
 
---------------------------
49er Printing
 & Copy Center
  ---------------------------
---------------------------
 
PCOE-ECE
 
CHILDREN'S HEALTH
& SAFETY FAIRE!
 
FREE!
9/24/10 Friday
10:00 am - Noon
Loomis Community Park
3550 King Rd, Loomis
 
Child Care Providers, Parents, Teachers and their Children Ages 0-5 are invited to attend!
A Morning of FREE Activities for Children Including:  Emergency Vehicle Tours, Personal Safety, Nutrition & Health Information, Fun Activities-Face Painting/Arts and Crafts, Community Resource Booths and Free Train Rides on the "Choo-Choo Express"
 Thank you to our newsletter sponsor:
 
Auburn Music Together
 Nurture your child's musical growth in our playful parent/child classes! Join us in Auburn & Granite Bay.
Everyone loves a Festival!
Come visit our booth!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sat., September 11, 2010
10am - 2pm    
 ** Free!**
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center, 1600 Eureka Road, in the courtyard
 
Arts and crafts, Music, Dancing, Healthy treats, and Health information! Kaiser Permanente is partnering with Roseville Arts to help your family grow with the arts and thrive. Kaiser physicians will put down their stethoscopes and pick up paintbrushes as they join families and local artists for a day of fun and creativity. Kids will have a messy and marvelous time. Imagine that.
For more information, call 916-783-4117
or visit rosevillearts.org
 
 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Placer Co. Honey Festival
Sun., September 19, 2010
10am-4pm      ** Free!**
Ron Feist Park, Elmherst Dr, Granite Bay
Lot's of family-friendly activities, inlcuding: Honeybear races, demos, kids coloring contest, tastings of honey and wine, crafts, the Honey Bee 3k/5k walk/run, rides, Honey Pancake Breakfast, contests, cornbread cooking contest,  and more! Listen to Aunt Bee, Ken Serrano, Reggie Ginn and the Thunderfoot Cloggers. Benefits Placer Grown.
  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sun., September 26
11am - 3pm
Upper-Lake Clementine
 
Event organized by PARC, please download a flyer for more information!
 Music Together