MacKerricher Environmental Education Outreach Program

Dear Educator,
Every year, student field study groups from all over California visit the various State Parks located in Mendocino County. While these students typically enjoy their experience, they sometimes leave without gaining an understanding and appreciation of the unique environments they have visited.

The MacKerricher Environmental Education Program is intended to assist educators in fostering a better understanding by their students of the natural dynamics of these areas while protecting this resource for future groups.

This material is provided by the California Department of Parks and Recreation incooperation with the MacKerricher Volunteer Council and Mendocino Area Parks Association.


contents



School Field Trip Reservations

The Mendocino District of California State Parks strives to make K through 12 school field trips to our parks a rewarding experience. Having a field trip reservation will allow your group free admission for educational purposes in the Mendocino District.

We are now limiting the groups to 100 persons per day in each park unit for school groups of 10 or more persons. This new policy is designed to help protect parks‘ natural and cultural resources, and provide a better experience for all park visitors. In order to accommodate school groups of 10 or more persons we require an approved reservation request form.

Reservation and Docent request forms can now be faxed, emailed or mailed to the office that handles school field trip reservations. The form can be printed in PDF format and faxed or mailed; an MSExcel form is available to fill in on your computer and send from your computer.

School field trip can be made up to 6 months in advance. Field trip requests must be made at least 15 days in advance of the proposed field trip date. Please make your reservation early. The Department reserves the right to cancel field trips due to weather conditions, staffing shortages or other factors.

Unapproved groups will re-directed to other parks in the district to visit that day.

Fees for the services of a docent are being raised from $15.00 to $20.00 per hour to help California State Parks pay for the cost of materials used during guided school field trips.

If you have any questions about field trip reservations, please contact:
Fred Andrews, Park Interpreter II, at (707) 961-0471.


tidepool guidelines


All tide pool life in a state park is protected by California state law. Please Respect it.

  1. Do not collect or remove anything from the tide pools, unless you have the proper Fish and Game permits or licenses.
  2. Rocks are slippery. Please watch your step!! No running or jumping in the tide pools.
  3. Tide pool animals need to be kept moist. Keep your hands wet, and keep the animals moist too.
  4. Try to look at animals without picking them up.
  5. If you do pick up animals, handle them carefully. Replace them exactly were you found them. If you move a rock, replace it exactly where you found it. Many tide pool animals are adapted to living in small, specific area. Moving them can stress them.
  6. Encourage students to wear old athletic shoes. A warm jacket should be brought. It can be cold along the coast, even when it is warm inland.
  7. Tell students that they could get wet in the tide pools.
  8. Many animals and plants attach themselves to rocks firmly. Do not pull hard to remove any organism. Doing so may damage them.
  9. It is important to check the tidal conditions for the date you wish to visit the tide pools. The ideal time to view tide pools is at a minus low tide that is below 0.0 feet. However, when the low tide is between 0.0 and plus 1.0 feet, it is still possible to view some tide pool animals and plants. But you will not be able to view the lower tide pool zone at all.
  10. Go to this Internet link for the current year tide table.
  11. Here is an Internet link to a Teacher’s Guide to the Tide Pools: A Guide to the Side of the Sea

planning your field trip

Plan your field trip by consulting guides, maps, and local contacts such as State Park Staff. Use a current tide table to determine times and height of tides. Plan to arrive well before the incoming tide so that there will be plenty of time to safely observe the intertidal. Generally, any tide predicted at 0.0 ft. or lower will provide excellent exposure. Large ocean swells or storm wave conditions will negate the benefits of a good minus tide. Spring and summer months generally provide a greater overall abundance of animals and plants than winter.


Student Safety

Safety is always a key issue. Consider assigning students in field study teams, which makes it easier to monitor activities. Always keep a watchful eye on tide and surf conditions. Wave height is unpredictable at any time, so avoid exposed rock outcroppings or steep wave slopes on beaches. This is especially important during rough seas or periods of large swells. Be aware of the dangers of undermining erosion when walking along the edge of coastal bluffs.

techniques and tips

You can easily overlook shore life until you learn to look with care and patience. Many intertidal animals display cryptic coloration or are very secretive in behavior, especially during low tide. At first glance the shore may appear to be an array of dull greens and browns. Look beyond the large and highly visible animals. Exploration of the intertidal is most successful when the students get close to the level of the water or rock surface.

Each team of student naturalists should have a notepad (waterproofed if possible), a pencil, a pair of binoculars, and a handheld magnifying glass. Teams should maintain a record of observations which should include date and time, weather conditions, location, the organism's behavior, the type of environment where the organism was found, and physical description (size, color, unique features). A simple sketch will prove extremely helpful in later classroom identification. If possible, a photograph of organisms can be incorporated into a classroom identification flip chart.

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California State Parks,
Mendocino District
Mendocino State Parks Homepage

Photos, maps and art are the property of California State Parks. Use of any of the above is subject to permission by California State Parks.

California State Parks link