It is blue and it flies, but it is not a bluebird or a blue jay. Call it a Western scrub jay and you will become part of an elite group of bird watchers and regarded as a bird expert by all of your neighbors. What does “scrub” stand for? Scrubby plants that grow in the chaparral are perfect territory...

Its blood is used in witchcraft. You will die if one flies over your head. It is a bad omen. It is really a ghost, not a bird. All of this is superstition – but throughout history, the barn owl has had a spooky reputation. Its white face and its fixed black eyes staring at you can be intimidating. Because...

How is honey made? I know bees make it, but what do they do, exactly? My husband popped this question while we were driving on State Route 126 next to the orange, lemon and avocado groves, and we were passing a few groups of bee hives placed in the orchards. Beehives … honey … bees … all of this...

Monarchy is not taking over. No king, queen or emperor is in Coronado; I am referring to the large, migratory orange and black butterflies that are spending the winter there in the eucalyptus grove. I try to keep my articles about nature in Santa Clarita, but this is such a wonderful experience. It’s...

Sometimes children from the inner city come off the bus with some apprehensions. They have no experience with wilderness and aren’t sure what they’ll see on the trail. “Are we going to see bears?” We reply, “You will see a bear, but it is in the classroom. It is a real bear, but it...

January and February are times for adventure and special freedom on the trail. Because of the cold weather, you’re unlikely to meet the two enemies of the hiker – rattlesnakes and poison oak. Consequently, hikers who do not want to follow a trail – who want to investigate a new area –...

A teacher asked her class to list the seven wonders of the world. There were a few differences, but most votes went to the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the wall of China and so forth. While she was collecting the papers, the teacher noticed that one student had not handed in her...

For 40 years, the docents at Placerita Canyon Nature Center were told that the center was a “Natural Area.” Certainly the environment on the Canyon Trail, following the course of the stream, was a delicate area that needed to be preserved. It is an environment specific to certain plants not seen...

Docent? What’s a docent? That’s the first question most people ask. Although it’s a well-used term in museums, it’s not a common word outside of that world. A Google search says: “A person who acts as a guide, typically on a voluntary basis, in a museum, art gallery, or zoo.” Why are we docents?...

The last few weeks have seen many activities at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center. The first weekend of December is always the Holiday Craft Fair. It is a big event in our community, and people call weeks ahead to get all of the information. Sometimes, people stand in line before the door opens, garden...