Cold Creek Docent Programs

Available programs are suitable for all grade levels, including college-age students. Teachers can request a specific focus within each category listed below. Programs can be customized to suit the needs of a particular curriculum. Progams begin at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. including lunch. Teachers will receive a packet of background materials and activities. Student groups of 10-12 maximize the learning experience and hands-on training.

Chaparral Ecology

Basic ecological concepts such as diversity, adaptation, competition and fire ecology are demonstrated during a one-hour trail walk that includes grassland, chaparral, oak woodland and streamside habitats. Students will see first hand the integration of living things in a watershed. Students will learn about indigenous animals, make bookmarks from chaparral, learn about chaparral, pollination methods, photosynthesis and unique plant adaptations and natural systems.

Geology

Students will see and experience various geological features of the Cold Creek landscape during a one hour hike. Upturned sedimentary sandstones, volcanic basalts, clay soils, mountain and stream formations, and fossil formations and numerous erosion features offer a unique look at geological forces that shaped our planet. Students learn about sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rock cycles, faulting, effects of local earthquakes, plate tectonics, and the broad geologic history of the Los Angeles region.

Early Chumash Culture

During a one hour trail walk, students will experience the landscape as did the early Chumash people. They will learn how the Chumash thrived in this diverse environment long ago using bedrock mortars, taste chia (sage) seeds, and use plants to make cordage, clothing and tools. Students will learn about indigenous animals, take part in simulated cave-wall painting, grind acorns and play Chumash games.

SHRUB Program

SHRUB, a free program (MRT even supplies the bus to  transport students) for grades 5 through 8, encourages students to steward the environment by restoring natural habitats.  Two student teams adopt a plot of land in a designated area.  They plant either seeds and/or small native plants and remove any non-native plants that grow in their designated area. More... 

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