The holiday season is always a busy time, but the East Bay Regional Parks offer a break from all the hustle and bustle.
One park where you can enjoy some nature-themed activities is Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda. Crab Cove will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 23 with holiday traditions, stories and crafts.
And there’s a post-Christmas birding program for kids from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Dec. 27, led by naturalist Michael Charnofsky. Michael will show youngsters and adults how to observe, mimic and identify shorebirds that feed at the mudflats, then finish with a bird-themed craft. Binoculars will be available for loan; rain would cancel the program.
If you’re willing to volunteer some time, there’s a bayside beach cleanup at Crab Cove from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 28, coordinated by naturalist Susan Ramos. Bring your own gloves and bucket, or borrow from the visitor center. Crab Cove is located at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Berkeley: Newts and other amphibians are the quarry of a safari from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 23 at Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, led by naturalist Trent Pearce.
During the rainy season, newts migrate from fields to streams for purposes of procreation. Rain or shine, meet Trent at the Regional Park Botanic Garden parking lot on Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive.
The group will check out South Park Drive and vicinity. However South Park Drive is closed to vehicle traffic because of the newt migration. You have to access Wildcat Canyon Road via Golf Course Drive and Shasta Road. For more information and directions, call 510-544-2233.
Antioch: Mushrooms have made their appearance in the regional parks and other open spaces, though recent lack of rain has somewhat diminished the crop.
Mushroom harvesting is prohibited in all the regional parks, and signs are posted at many trailheads warning of the danger of picking poisonous varieties.
However, if you want to learn more about mushrooms without collecting them, join naturalist Kevin Dixon on a mushroom foray from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 23 at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch.
Meet Kevin in the parking lot at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. For information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 2750.
Oakley: There’s also a lot going on at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. Naturalist Cat Taylor is leading two sessions of the Audubon Christmas bird count, both Dec. 23.
The first is from 8 to 10:30 a.m. starting at the Jordan Lane entrance to Big Break Regional Trail. The second is from noon to 2 p.m. at Big Break, which is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street.
This is an annual citizen science project to document every bird seen or heard. Beginning and advanced birders are welcome. Bring binoculars, scopes, apps and field guides. For more information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 3050.
Brentwood: While we’re on the subject of birding, Mike Moran, who’s the supervising naturalist at Big Break, will lead a bird walk from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 28 starting at the Cypress Staging Area on Marsh Creek in Brentwood.
This is part of Mike’s raptor baseline project that he has worked on for years. The idea is to document the variety and numbers of East County birds of prey. The results go into a database used by scientists and environmentalists.
Mike’s program is free, but registration is required. To register, call 888-327-2757, select option 2, and refer to program number 19145.
Online: These are just a few of the activities available in the regional parks in coming days. For more, visit the website, www.ebparks.org. And however you spend your time, have a happy holiday season and New Year.
Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.