Join the fun and discover all the cool things you can find in the chaparral
Chaparral Kids building a trail down a grassy hillside to explore a chaparral area further downslope. Lemonadeberry bushes are behind them. You can lick the berries on this shrub and get a snappy taste of lemon.
Finding a horned lizard in the chaparral. Yes, they do shoot blood from their eyes.
A note to you from a Chaparral Kid!
I live where I can see lots of chaparral on the hills near my house. I ride my bike on a trail through it and have found lots of interesting animals and plants. It seems like I am in a house because there is so much growth above me. Me and my friends have built a fort in it and played hide and go seek where we are still in range with each other with walkie-talkies. Personally, my favorite plant is the manzanita. When I looked it up in the dictionary, its name was Arctostaphylos. It is kind of like a name you would read in a scientific book, like a dinosaur name. I like to hike in chaparral when I can find a trail (it is pretty thick and you can't walk through it without some kind of trail) because it is so quiet. Sometimes I just go out there and fall asleep laying on a soft pile of leaves.
I recommend anytime for you to go up into the chaparral because it is very beautiful. I like to be with my family there.
- Conner, age 10
Chaparral insects are fun to catch.
Collecting nature stuff in the chaparral
Here is a Chaparral Kid chasing a flying insect to collect and add to his insect collection. Insects are easy to find and it doesn't take much time to build a pretty decent collection. Who knows, some day your collection could be used in scientific reasearch.
Coming soon at this spot will be activities and suggestions of things you and your family can do to have fun exploring nature in the chaparral. Stay tuned.
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$100 Chaparral Kids! Scholarship
If you think nature is as fun as we do, why don't you apply for our annual Chaparral Kids! Scholarship? It's pretty easy to apply. All you need to do is fill in the application form, be a 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student in a public school in San Diego or Orange County, California, and make a promise. Deadline for next year's scholarship is August 1, 2007.
