Neighbor News
Discover Walnut Creek's Watershed
Part of the Getting to Know Our Local Creeks, Ponds and Waterways series
The Gardens at Heather Farm's Getting to Know Our Local Creeks, Ponds and Waterways series continues with a family friendly hike showcasing Lime Ridge with Carol Lane from Save Mount Diablo. A century ago, Lime Ridge supplied some of the lime and sand needed for California’s industrial expansion. Today, it is a nature preserve for rare plants and animals with plenty of hiking and bike trails, but you can still see the scars of quarries and the remains of railroad equipment used by the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement company to carry limestone to its plant in Cowell, which is now the Crossings neighborhood in Concord. For this four-mile hike with 700 feet of elevation gain, be sure to dress in layers and wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a snack.
Date: Sunday, May 15
Time: 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Place: The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek
Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Register online here.
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About the Series
This spring, in partnership with the City of Walnut Creek, The Gardens at Heather Farm invites families to enjoy a fun and informative series of FREE classes about our local watershed and preserving environmental resources. Featuring six expert instructors and The Gardens at Heather Farm’s teaching staff, the series, “Getting to Know Our Local Creeks, Ponds and Waterways,” encourages both adults and children to participate, with lecture topics of interest to grown-ups, as well as interactive, hands-on activities specifically designed to engage younger audiences. In addition to classes held at The Gardens, the program also features some local field trips to be enjoyed by all ages.
Topics will focus on the exploration of waterways and how those environments affect plants and wildlife in our area. Adults will learn about the challenges of maintaining our local watershed and how best to manage floods during “El Nino” weather, and kids will investigate where water goes when it rains. The whole family will enjoy discovering the plants and wildlife that live in our nearby creeks and ponds, taking a family hike along the trails of a nature preserve, and learning about warm-weather vegetable gardening and the different plants that wind up on our dinner tables. Adults will pick up tips on how to avoid contaminating sensitive water ecosystems with pesticides, while kids can learn how to make garden-friendly pest control potions and bring beneficial bugs to your backyard.
