Bay Area Older Adults is hosting virtual tours of two Bay Area parks for those who want to get back to nature without worrying about air quality or airborne viruses. Each tour includes a live interactive discussion followed by a video walking tour of the park.
On Sept. 21, virtual hikers can take a walking tour of Uvas Canyon County Park in the Santa Cruz mountains. This park is known for its six waterfalls—some of which flow perennially—and for its sprawling, dense redwood forest. The pre-tour discussion starts at 1 pm. and will focus on the park’s wildlife, generally unseen by human visitors.
The tour will follow Uvas Creek trail, exploring the most scenic areas of the park where native birds, butterflies and lizards can be found. There will be time for Q&A afterward.
A “Lunch and Learn” session, co-sponsored by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, is set for Oct. 8 at noon and will explore Ravenswood Open Space Preserve in East Palo Alto. This preserve features raised redwood boardwalks and observation decks for easy viewing of sensitive wetlands and birdwatching.
The pre-tour discussion will cover the history of the restored salt marshes, the resident and migratory shorebirds and waterfowl it attracts, varied flora this habitat supports and how to easily identify the birds one might find here.
The virtual walk will be along easy-access levee trails for an up-close view of the native plants and birds found in the restored tidal marsh wetlands and shoreline, and will be followed by a Q&A session.
Register for the virtual tours at https://www.bayareaolderadults.org/bao-hikes.
