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Hi Friends,
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2014 Tide Booklets
Friends’ 2014 Tide Booklets are now available! From surfing to tidepooling, if you’re planning a day of ocean-going fun these tide tables are essential. The booklets feature 2014 tides for the Monterey Bay area, a calendar of events of State Park Interpretive Events, tips on surviving rip currents and a list of State Parks and Beaches supported by Friends.
Pick up your complimentary copy at any one of our Friends ParkStores in the visitor centers at Wilder Ranch, Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz Mission and Seacliff or at an upcoming Friends event.
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VIP Tour at the Castro Adobe
 Friends recently hosted visiting VIPs on a visit to the Castro Adobe. Thirty participants including board members and staff from the California State Parks Foundation, State Parks Deputy Director of Marketing & Business Development Doug Neilson, and stalwart supporters Diane Porter Cooley and Don Cooley experienced the magic of the Castro.
Participants toured the historic building and the Potter-Church garden before trying their hand at screening some of the dirt that has been excavated as part of the Garden restoration project for archeological artifacts.
Friends Board Members were also on hand to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with our visitors who came from all over the state.
Beautiful Jack Swanson Print Donated to the Castro Adobe!
Legendary Western artist Jack Swanson has kindly donated a large print of his beautiful “Vaquero Sport” painting to the Castro Adobe. The subject of the painting (pictured below) reflects both the beauty – and brutality – of vaquero life during an era when bear and bull fights were common. There is evidence that there were bull and bear fights at the Castro during its early years.
A prolific artist, Mr. Swanson uses his own experiences working in the Tehachapis with the last of the great vaqueros, as well as his work with top buckaroos as a horse breaker and seller in Oregon. These experiences bring a distinctive realism to Mr. Swanson’s painting. He even has a horse stall in his Carmel Valley studio so he can paint directly from life!
A BIG “Thank you” to Mr. Swanson for his generous gift and for his work in preserving the spirit of the vaquero age. Special thanks to Castro neighbors John Blauvelt and Ann Lauten Fay for kindly framing and transporting this precious print.
Celebrate the Science and Wonder of Migratory Animals at the Natural Bridges Migration Festival
Saturday, February 8 from 11am to 4pm
Garden and Wayside Exhibits Ribbon Cutting at 11am!
Migrate on over to Natural Bridges State Beach for the 28th Annual Natural Bridges Migration Festival on Saturday, February 8, from 11am to 4pm. This very special event celebrates the migration of whales, butterflies, birds and the many creatures that travel.
The event begins at 11am with a ribbon cutting sponsored by Friends to mark the completion of new water-wise landscaping, milkweed demonstration garden and a series of wayside exhibits that orient visitors along the monarch butterfly boardwalk, Moore Creek Trail and Tidepool areas. The improvements were funded by Friends, the State Park bond act funds, community donors and a generous contribution from Google.
Native, drought-resistant plants replaced the grass lawn in front of the visitor center. The new panels interpret the tidepools, wetlands, monarch butterflies and the park in general, telling the story of the unique plants and animals that inhabit the park. A tour of these 14 new signs will be conducted immediately following the ribbon cutting starting with the monarch boardwalk. Winding your way down the wooden boardwalk in the park’s monarch preserve, visitors are greeted by a series of 6 new interpretive signs. Youngsters are drawn to the colorful signs that include a “nature notebook” section with illustrations contributed by 7-year-old Evan Marie Hyland.
Over 20 organizations will share the science and wonder of the migratory journeys of our region’s diverse wildlife, there will be habitat hikes, active games and crafts for children, face painting, butterfly garden tips, along with live music by the Mystic Troubadours, Marty O’Reilly, and the nature-loving 5M's Band. This event is FREE and fun for the whole family!
Natural Bridges State Beach is located at the end of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. Take Swift Avenue west from Highway 1, or follow West Cliff Drive north along the in-town bluffs until it ends at Natural Bridges. For more information, call the park at (831)423-4609, or visit the Natural Bridges site by clicking here.
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