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<\/a>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!<\/p>\n
Morning walks<\/strong> are offered every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. You\u2019ll start from the park\u2019s 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 to 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, and take in historic Old Mission Dam.<\/p>\n Wildlife Tracking<\/strong> with MTRP Tracking Team members presents the world of tracks, scat, bedlays and other critter evidence that indicate the presence of lesser-seen animals inhabiting the park. It\u2019s two hours of dirt-time fun, so wear long pants for close-up observation. See you at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 7 in front of the Visitor Center.<\/p>\n Discovery Table: Kumeyaay Games and Toys<\/strong> is an opportunity to play and learn the traditional games that amused generations of Native American children and prepared them for life in natural San Diego. Make your own Staves\/Stick Dice game and try your skill at Ring and Pin, and more. Drop by the Visitor Center Saturday, May 14 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.<\/p>\n La Mesa Walk and Talk<\/strong> combines a stroll along Lake Murray\u2019s scenic shores with your MTRP Trail Guide and topics in nature. This month we chat up \u201cExplore Mission Trails Day,\u201d sampling many of the nature-related activities offered for all ages at our upcoming annual park-wide celebration. 9 to 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 17. Meet at the boat docks, Lake Murray, 5540 Kiowa Drive, La Mesa.<\/p>\n Bird Kumeyaay Lake <\/strong>with MTRP Birders Jeanne Raimond and Millie Basden for shorefront avian adventure. The area is active with newly fledged young and late-arriving May migrant species are actively engaged in nest building and incubating eggs. Join us at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Parking Lot for a two-hour exploration. Binoculars and bird book recommended.<\/p>\n Sunspot Viewing<\/strong> with MTRP resident star gazer George Varga investigates daytime sunspot activity on \u201cOld Sol.\u201d George\u2019s solar-filtered telescope permits safe viewing. We meet on the Visitor Center back terrace on Saturday, May 21 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.<\/p>\n Star Party Luminaries<\/strong> make their appearance as a full moon rises to replace the setting sun. Join MTRP\u2019s resident star gazer George Varga as he scopes Jupiter high in the western sky, and at evening mid-point, Mars and Saturn to the east. He\u2019ll focus on the Whirlpool (M51), Sunflower (M36), Black-Eye (M64) and Sombrero (M104) galaxies and more. Rain cancels. We gather between 7:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at the far end of the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Parking Lot.<\/p>\n Family Discovery Walk<\/strong> is an invitation to share in nature\u2019s spring magic as a family experience. With fresh blooms dotting the landscape, both the plant and animal worlds are enlivened, shedding winter dormancy for spring-time regeneration. Our Trail Guide-hosted interactive outing focuses fun, childhood enrichment, and memorable moments in nature. We meet inside the Visitor Center on Sunday, May 22, 3 to 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Conceptos b\u00e1sicos de observaci\u00f3n de aves<\/strong> enhance your nature experience by identifying birds at a glance. MTRP bird guide Winona Sollock\u2019s class explains five simple techniques and gives tips on field guide use. (Bringing one is optional.) Class meets inside the Visitor Center on Saturday, May 28 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Visita mtrp.org<\/a> 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 caxtmann@mtrp.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, come on out and enjoy the park!<\/p>\n