Camp to Teach Kids How Nature Is Studied

Kids will learn how to dig for fossils, study bees and do other nature-related activities at a five-week camp in General Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, beginning Sunday.

Held on consecutive Sundays from 4 to 6 p.m., the nature education program will cover a different topic each session.

“It’s a good chance for kids to get hands-on experience in small groups [about] things that happen in their own backyards,” Park Ranger Ginny McVickar said.

In one workshop, children will learn the proper way to go fossil hunting.

“We’ll show them accepted techniques for finding fossils without ruining them,” McVickar said. “They’ll learn how to brush and dig them up.”

Parents can enroll children for the entire series or one session at a time. The cost for each program is $4, and there is an additional $2 charge for driving into the park.

McVickar advises each child to bring a hat, water and sturdy shoes. Shorts are accepted, but sandals will not be permitted.

Parents are requested to sign up in advance of each week’s session by calling (714) 459-1687. Campers meet at the rangers’ station inside the park.

The entrance to the park is off Oso Parkway, six miles east of Interstate 5.