OC Wild Docent Day
Saturday, November 18, 8AM – 3PM
Docents, trail guides, naturalists and interpreters!
Docent Day is an amazing day of educational workshops featuring presentations by the area’s finest researchers, biologists and specialists. Learn new details about your favorite natural niche to share with others. Join OC Wild for one last Docent Day event before our awesome organization is “retired”!
The day will begin with Keynote Presenter Warren Brush from Quail Springs Permaculture, followed by two 1.5 hour workshops with topics including bird behavior, habitat and connectivity, wildlife corridors, saving species from extinction, going green, and tools & techniques on the trail.
Network with your fellow nature enthusiasts while enjoying a scenic and inspiring day at the beautiful Environmental Nature Center.
$25 includes a vegetarian lunch. Register HERE.
Click on the workshop titles below to learn more about them.
Help make this a Zero Waste Event! Bring your own reusable cup, plate and utensils. Each individual to bring their own complete set of eating tools will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate good toward anything in either of the ENC’s gift shops or toward an ENC or ENC Tucker Nature Camp!
Bring a special stick or stone that has some meaning to you for a group project. Item will remain on site.
Keynote Speaker, 8:30 – 10:15AM
Warren Brush is a global resilience design consultant, educator, lecturer and storyteller. He has worked for over 30 years in agroecological education and regenerative system design for communities, private and public organizations, households, farms, and conservation properties worldwide. He is co-founder of Quail Springs Permaculture, Wilderness Youth Project, and True Nature Design. He is also a lead developer of the Resilience Design and Permagarden Frameworks developed in conjunction with USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) funded SCALE award. His global efforts have spanned working with former child soldiers in West Africa, teaching organic gardening skills with refugee families in East Africa and Southeast Asia, building regenerative agriculture farms with vulnerable smallholder farmers, inspiring inner-city youth to discover their inherent gifts, to developing impactful education programs to inspire nature connection and the expression of our true natures.
Contact- www.permaculturedesign.us or write: warrenbrush@mac.com
Websites:
10:30-12 Workshop Options
About this FULL Program: If you only talk about how to identify birds using field marks, you are missing out on the FUN part of how birds live their lives! Through this presentation with handouts and simple group activities, Trude Hurd will share how to incorporate bird behaviors into your walks with the public and phrases to increase wonder. We’ll look at feeking, caching, casting, gular fluttering, mobbing, and more. Your enjoyment of birds will increase as you learn how birds go about the important task of living each day.
About the Presenter: Trude Hurd is a marine biologist and environmental educator who has observed birds and their behaviors for over five decades. She has worked for Sea and Sage Audubon Society for the past 31 years as their Project Director of Education (AKA Marsh Queen) at the beautiful San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Trude loves all nature but especially birds and has lived with companion parrots for most of her life.
About the Program: Gaby will be presenting one of the major projects undertaken by Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.: advocacy for the implementation of the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor. She will present a short history of the corridor, some of the information learned from the most recent camera study examining animal movement, and the projected future for the Corridor. Gaby will also touch on some of the communications and outreach work around the project, and examine the crucial role of science education, communications and relationship-building in moving conservation projects forward.
About the Presenter: Gabriela Worrel is the director of digital media and outreach at Laguna Greenbelt, Inc and has been working with the organization since 2015. Gaby grew up in Southern California and Baja California, earning her B.S. in biology from Westmont College and M.U.R.P. from UC Irvine. Growing up, some of her most important and impactful experiences came from camping and backpacking with her family and friends throughout the West, from Washington State to the beaches of Baja, where she was able to connect with nature. These experiences loom large, laying the foundation for the values and skills that propel her conservation work.
The Pacific pocket mouse (PPM) is a critically endangered species found only in coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California. PPM is one of North America’s smallest mammals, and is uniquely adapted to their dry climate and seed-based diet. To prevent their extinction, PPM has been the focus of a conservation breeding and release program. In collaboration with a suite of partners, a new population of PPM has been started at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. In addition to giving an update on the release efforts, this talk will also highlight what we know and what we still need to learn about this amazing species in order to save it.
1 – 2:30 Workshop Options
About the Presentation: Trish will discuss Issues related to habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity and examples of efforts restore connectivity in southern California.
About the Presenter: Trish is an Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy of California’s Wildlife Corridors and Crossings strategy. In this capacity, Trish provides science support in the areas of biological monitoring, habitat connectivity, research, fire management and habitat restoration as it relates to the Conservancy’s work in California.
About the Presentation: There are many studies that link well-being, health, and academic performance to our engagement with nature. Join Coyote MentorKimberly Leeds (yes, she’ll explain the term) as she guides you through a series of playful nature games that will inspire a deeper connection with nature.
About the Presenter: Veteran Educator and Naturalist Interpreter, Kimberly Leeds will share with you methods of nature connection taught to her by her teachers: Jon Young, Warren Brush, Joseph Cornell and as well as local OC greats. She has spent decades mentoring others in nature connection utilizing methods of Coyote Mentoring, the Aldo Leopoldo Education Project, Sharing Nature With Children, Project Wild and Project Wet to name a few.
About the Presentation: Learn how Orange County is working towards green communities through exciting sustainable programs including waste recycling, low impact development and alternative transportation opportunities.
About the Presenter: Sue is a Senior Environmental Resource Specialist with OC Public Works, Green Infrastructure Unit. She manages National Pollution and Elimination Systems (NPDES) construction compliance and green infrastructure programs for unincorporated areas of Orange County. Sue is a Certified Inspector of Erosion and Sediment Control, Qualified Stormwater Pollution Plan Practitioner, and holds a master’s degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Northern Arizona University.