One wild day for kids on ICO outing in Griffith Park

How do you get kids excited about the outdoors? Take them there!

LA ICO showed third-graders from Mid-City's Prescott School of Enriched Science in Los Angeles what nature in their own backyard is all about -- mountain lions and all. The Chapter's outreach to underserved students committee hosted a day out at the Crystal Springs Picnic Area in Griffith Park on June 5.

Want to get involved? Go to LA ICO's website to find out more.

ICO leaders Joe Young and Sue Schohan hosted the picnic and then gathered students together for a presentation on the Santa Monica Mountains by the National Park Service, which celebrates its 100th year in 2016. The NPS brought along a vehicle called "La Troca" which is a kind of nature exhibit on wheels. The presentation included pelts of coyotes, skunks and other animals native to

 the area; students were able to touch some of the exhibits too. 

Afterward, Felix Martinez, an ICO leader and Anza Trail expert, made a presentation about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, which follows the route Spanish missionaries in the 1770s from present day Nogales, Ariz., to San Francisco. The Anza Trail winds through Griffith Park along the Los Angeles River.

After lunch, Miguel Ordoñana, wildlife expert, made a presentation about mountain lions. He described the habits of mountain lions, their characteristics, range, and how motion sensor cameras are used to track their movements. Ordoñana displayed a life-sizes cardboard image of a mountain lion to give kids an idea of how big these animals are.

Also, park rangers treated the group to a hike through the Crystal Springs area, through the tunnel under the 5 Freeway and down to the Los Angeles River, identifying trees and other plants along the way.

The group stopped briefly to examine a case used to house a motion-sensor camera (which is how photos of wildlife are snapped) near the entrance to the tunnel. 

Photos by John Nilsson of the Chapter's Camera Committee