By Audrey F. Baker
As Mission Trails Regional Park transitions into spring, the search is on for early-blooming favorites. Some evoke long-cherished memories. Others represent new finds. All exhibit variation as colorful as a painter’s palette.
Sticky Monkey Flower makes its statement. Its trumpet-shaped florals cleverly house nectar guidelines to assist its pollinators. Resinous leaves and a lipped corolla bearing the face of a smiling monkey define its name.
Rivaling the Monkey’s show, California Sun Cups, with arrowhead-shaped leaves, and sunshine petals dabbed with red markers at their base add to the celebration of color.
The slender arced branches, puckered leaves and compact flowers of Winter Currant demonstrate the benefits of winter’s rains.
Bicolor Everlasting, with dense, papery-scaled flower clusters, stands prepared for visiting American Painted Lady butterflies.
In delicate contrast, Nuttall’s Snapdragon offers diminutive, short-lived lavender-blue presentations that feature a handy platform for bees to land upon.
Discover our smart and colorful plants!
Our MTRP Trail Guide walks are an opportunity to learn more about natural Southern California, with its unique landscapes, habitats, local history, plant and animal life. The walks are free, interesting, fact-filled, and geared to all ages and interests. Grab sturdy shoes, that comfortable hat, water bottle and sunscreen and hit the trail!
Morning walks are offered every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, from 9:30 — 11 a.m. You’ll start from the park’s Visitor and Interpretive Center, 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos. The walk beginning from the Kumeyaay Lake Campground Entry Station, 2 Father Junipero Serra Trail, at the San Carlos-Santee border, gives a different perspective of the park and its diverse habitats. These walks are offered from 8:30 — 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and take in historic Old Mission Dam. We meet by the flag poles.
Wildlife Tracking reveals the presence of lesser-seen animals inhabiting the park. MTRP Tracking Team Guides identify, examine and interpret critter evidence and bring insight into their survival techniques and habits. Join us at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 5 in front of the Visitor Center for a two-hour tracking adventure.
Discovery Table: Animal Tracks presented by MTRP Trail Guides combines hands-on-science fun with learning about local wildlife by examining paw prints. You’ll learn to identify “the baby’s hand,” the top predator of chaparral and more. See you Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. inside the Visitor Center.
Star Party Marvels is a sparkling evening of solar exploration with MTRP Resident Star Gazer George Varga. We’ll be focusing on the Little Beehive Cluster (M44), Open Clusters in Auriga (M36-38), the Crab Nebula (M1) which is a remnant of a supernova explosion, and more! Saturday, March 12, from 6 — 9 p.m. (Rain/cloud cover cancel.) Meet at the far end of the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Parking Lot.
La Mesa Walk ‘n Talk invites you to experience early spring at Lake Murray. After a brief discussion on plants presented by MTRP Trail Guides, were off to share in the invigorating effect of new growth on birds, animals and pollinators. On Tuesday, March 15 join us from 9 — 10:30 a.m. We start from the boat docks, Lake Murray, 5540 Kiowa Drive, La Mesa.
Bird Lake Murray with MTRP Birding Guides Jeanne Raimond and Millie Basden and observe the antics of migratory and local species. Binoculars and bird book are recommended. See you Saturday, March 19, 8 —10 a.m. on the north side of the lake at Murray Park Drive and Belle Glade Ave. Park in dirt lot by baseball fields.
Conceptos básicos de observación de aves enhances your nature experience by identifying birds “at a glance!” MTRP Bird Guide Winona Sollock’s class explains five simple techniques and gives tips on field guide use. Bring yours along if you like. Join us Saturday, March 26 from 1 — 2:30 p.m. inside the Visitor Center, Classroom A.
Family Discovery Walk examines the magic of spring in nature as a family experience. Our interactive outing for parents and their children focuses on memorable moments in nature, fun and childhood enrichment as we explore spring-time regeneration. Meet inside the Visitor Center on Sunday, March 27, 3 — 4:30 p.m.
Visita mtrp.org for more information and our events calendar, or call 619-668-3281. Special walks can be arranged for any club, group, business or school by contacting Ranger Chris Axtmann at 619-668-2746 or at [email protected].
––Audrey F. Baker is a trail guide at Mission Trails Regional Park. Reacher her at [email protected].
