Christmas at Ocean Park

After you open your presents and are waiting for your food to cook, I highly recommend a visit to the Ocean Ave Park Butterfly Sanctuary. These brilliant migrants are actually pretty hardy and successfully survived the monsoonal rains we received. I stopped by the park on the 23rd to witness hundreds of butterflies dancing in the sun. They are extremely active right now and with the cool clear air, it is an incredible sight. Enjoy the holidays AND your local nature!

A beautiful day at the park!

It was a gorgeous day at Ocean Avenue Park in Ventura. I arrived with my two year old son and we watched as hundreds of Monarchs flew around tanning their wings in the bright California sun. The toys were free of graffiti (thanks to a call made to the anti-graffiti squad) and my son was thrilled to show his skill on the slides. A neighbor arrived with his 13 month old daughter and we enjoyed casual conversation about the beauty of Ventura and the value of migratory wildlife (of all sizes).

Later in the day, I received a call from a neighbor who is from Santa Cruz. She says she believes that Ocean Ave. Park has more butterflies right now than she has seen this year at the Sanctuary in Santa Cruz. She too has signed on to help with the cause! (thanks to the helper her left her a flier)

Next Tuesday we will do this gathering again, from 10 am to 12 pm. We hope to see you and your family then, along with the thousands of butterflies who are now calling our Ventura neighborhood home.
-Sarah

p.s. I must admit the dog feces in the park is an issue, and so next week I promise to bring the pooper scooper and go to work before our little ones get dirty.

Playdates

Please join us each Tuesday in December for a playdate at the park!
Bring your sand toys, balls, blankets and snacks, and don't forget binoculars for Monarch viewing. We'll be at Ocean Ave. Park each Tuesday from 10-12. All are welcome!
(Please note that there are no restroom facilities at the park.)

Canceled

The butterfly counting training and park clean up are, sadly, canceled for today due to heavy rain. This event will be rescheduled in the very near future, so please check back for updates.

Updated Info For Monarch Event!

Please make note of two important updates to our event scheduled for November 20th.

First, the butterfly counting training has been moved to a new time and location. It will take place early (around 6:30 a.m.) in Goleta. For more information and to take part, please call 377-1794.

Secondly, rain is in the forecast for Ventura on Saturday. We plan to go ahead with this event except in the case of heavy rain, so please check the blog on Saturday morning if the weather is in doubt.

See you soon!

They're HERE!

The Western Monarch migration is in full swing and monarchs numbers are up across California. Just look at the latest trends in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties, provided by Monarch Alert at Cal Poly

We want to know what is happening to the Monarchs in Ventura County, but must learn to properly count butterflies first. Join us at 8 am at Ocean Park in Ventura, CA to learn methods for butterfly counts and to find out how you can help the recovery of Monarch Butterflies in Ventura.

Movement For Monarchs Event!

Join your neighbors on “National Family Volunteer Day” and be part of a

Movement For Monarchs and Families

Saturday, November 20th

8 am -- 10 am: Train to become a butterfly monitor and help count clusters. Training led by biologist and “Monarch Alert” Coordinator Jessica Griffith. Wear warm clothing. Binoculars required for training.

10 am -- 12 pm: Family-led park clean-up, child-friendly lesson on monarch migrations, and a discussion on the vision for a Butterfly Sanctuary and center for family recreation. Please bring:
•Rubber gloves and trash bags
•Binoculars for Monarch viewing
•Picnic blankets
•And a Potluck dish to share

For more information:
venturamonarchs@gmail.com
or call Sarah at 805-641-0420

Help us to reclaim Ocean Park for migrating monarchs and for families.

*Note: restroom facilities are not currently available at this location.

Migration Photo From National Geographic

Check out this photo from the National Geographic special Great Migrations. Incredible.

National Geographic Airs "Great Migrations"

National Geographic Channel is airing a program on animal migrations featuring Monarchs Sunday, November 7th. Check it out!



The accompanying article is available here.

Monarchs As Healers

Scientists reported recently that Monarchs are their own doctors, seeking out medicinal plants to treat their young for parasites. Check out the story here.

Save The Date!

Save the date!

We have an event in the works for Saturday, November 20th, 2010 at Ocean Avenue Park. Bring your families out to help clean up the park and view the visiting butterflies. We will discuss plans for revamping our park, and creating a long term sanctuary for Monarchs in midtown. Please check back often for details.

Where to see the Monarchs

HERE is a great article from the LA Times about where to see the Monarchs in Southern California

Camino Real Park in Ventura is listed there, but we know that the butterflies at Ocean Avenue Park far outnumber the quantity at Camino Real Park.

Come see for yourself! 

Be sure to bring your binoculars and look carefully at the eucalyptus trees in the City Maintenance Yard; there are many monarch clusters. They look like brown leaves at first sight.

Photo Credit: Mike Baird