CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE DAY

CWD! Speakers and Activities Schedule

In addition to 37 nature and wildlife exhibitors, we have presentations, activities, walks, and more!

Scroll through each of these categories below to see full schedule and details

Presentations

Location: Merienda Room | MC Elise Weiland, Executive Director

11:20 to 11:30 - Welcome to California Wildlife Day 

Opening remarks and welcome to California Wildlife day by Jen Hunter, Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Board Chair.

11:30 to 11:40 - Wildlife Hero Award presented to Retired Senator Bill Monning 

Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Board Member Lorin Letendre will present the Wildlife Hero Award to California Wildlife Day co-founder and former senate majority leader Bill Monning.

11:45 to 12:45 - Keynote on Slow Water by Erica Gies

This year’s Keynote Speaker, Erica Gies, is a National Geographic Explorer and award-winning journalist covering science and the environment. Author of the book "Water Always Wins: Thriving in an age of drought and deluge", Erica will talk about integrating slow water practices in the watershed.

12:45 to 1:15 - Rancho Canada Floodplain Restoration Project

Learn about the Rancho Canada Floodplain Restoration Project happening at the Palo Corona Regional Park from Jake Smith, Planning and Conservation Program Manager of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD).

1:15 to 1:45 - Walk and Talk to the Rancho Canada Floodplain Restoration Site

Take a walk with Jake Smith, MPRPD, through the Rancho Canada Floodplain Restoration Site and learn about the natural processes that are being restored along the Carmel River. 

1:30 to 2:15 - Interactive Cultural Presentation: Songs and Dances of the Rumsen Ohlone

Join the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe’s Hummaya Singers and Dancers to hear the songs and dances of the Rumsen Ohlone in this interactive dance and presentation. 

Kids Zone:

Location: Cement Pad / Outside tent

11:30 - Kids Stage Opener, Parks Protect Animal Homes - Megan Mach 

Welcome to the Kids Zone by Megan Mach, Environmental Education Specialist at MPRPD!

Learn more about Palo Corona and how the state holiday “California Wildlife Day” started. Stay for an interactive kids’ activity. Whose homes are in the park and how are they like our homes? Can you match animals to their homes?

11:30 to 2:30 - Face Painting 

Transform into your favorite wild animal with fun and colorful face painting!

12:00 to 12:30 - Songs and Stories About Nature

Sing lively nature songs, act out exciting stories, and discover the secret lives of animals with the Earth Trek Forest School! Explore the creatures that wake up at night and during the day, the local animals that live in the Carmel River Watershed, and the surprising ways animal scat (yes, poop!) helps nature.

12:30 to 1:00 - Energy Flow in Nature

Join the Earth Trek Forest School for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the amazing flow of energy in nature! You will discover how the sun powers all life, meet the key players in the food chain - from plants to predators - and even create your own food chain craft.

1:30 to 2:00 - Live Activity with Sunflower Star Lab

All Day - Make Your Own Plover Nest

Become a Snowy Plover protector by building your own plover nest! At California State Parks’ table, learn about the challenges shorebirds face and what we can do to help them. Get hands-on and create a mini nest just like a real plover would on the beach! 

All Day - Kids Obstacle Course 

Make your way through a "river" obstacle course just like a steelhead trout. Jump over, weave, and challenge yourself through obstacles. Ages 3+

All Day - Meet Reina the Albino Kingsnake

Come to the Wildlands Conservancy’s exhibitor table in the Kids Zone to meet their sweet and gentle ambassador animal, an albino kingsnake named Reina!

Activities:

All Day - Nature Coloring 

Relax and get creative with nature coloring at Seven Ravens Studio’s exhibitor table in the Fiesta Room! Enjoy beautifully designed coloring pages inspired by nature, perfect for all ages.

All Day - Solar Viewing with MIRA 

Visit the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy’s exhibitor table just outside the Kids Zone Tent for an exciting solar viewing experience! Safely observe the Sun through a specialized telescope and explore its dynamic features up close.

11:00 to 12:00 - Live Music by the Old Flannel Pajamas

Enjoy lively, toe-tapping tunes from The Old Flannel Pajamas, bringing fun and folk-inspired music in the Fountain Courtyard! 

11:15 to 2:00 - Meet DD the Red-Tailed Hawk

DD is a Red Tailed Hawk that was brought to the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Center 18 years ago. Because of her injuries from a probable car strike, we were unable to release her back into the wild. She now serves as our ambassador/education animal for the SPCAMC Wildlife Center, visiting schools throughout Monterey County, educating children and adults about the world of raptors and helping to create a connection between people and wildlife. Find DD on the patio just outside the Pub.

11:15 to 11:45 - iNaturalist Bio-Blitz Walk

Join us at the flagpole for an iNaturalist BioBlitz Walk, where you'll become a community scientist by exploring nature and documenting local plants and wildlife! Using the iNaturalist app, help identify species and contribute to scientific research while enjoying a fun outdoor adventure.

11:30 to 12:30 - Beginner Bird Walk

Join the Bird School project at the flagpole for a beginner bird walk, where you'll learn to spot and identify local birds! Perfect for all ages, this gentle walk will introduce you to the sights and sounds of our feathered friends.

11:30 to 12:00 - Creating a Wetter, More Resilient California

Come to the SLO Beaver brigade exhibitors table and learn how beavers are creating a wetter, more resilient California. Beavers naturally build a series of dams in rivers and streams. These dams slow the water down, spread it across the landscape, and allow it to sink into the groundwater table. Their dams also catch sediment before it gets to the ocean, holding it in the river channel. This reverses the effects of erosion and builds the channel back up to its healthy state. 

Learn more about the beavers and how they can play a key role creating a wetter, more resilient California. And then, try your hand at creating a beaver dam - we'll even test your build to see if it can hold water!

12:00 to 12:30 - iNaturalist BioBlitz Walk

Join Carmel High School student volunteers at the flagpole for an iNaturalist BioBlitz Walk, where you'll become a community scientist by exploring nature and documenting local plants and wildlife! Using the iNaturalist app, help identify species and contribute to scientific research while enjoying a fun outdoor adventure.

12:30 to 1:00 - Common Oak Pests and Pathogens and How to Get Help

Visit Sudden Oak Death’s exhibitor table in the Pub Room at 12:30 for an Oak Pests and Pathogens Workshop!  Kerri Frangioso will first go over common California oak identification, and then you will learn about how to examine oak trees. She will talk about the different ways you can get help identifying problems and some basic best management practices to keep your oaks healthy!

12:45 to 1:15 - iNaturalist BioBlitz Walk

Join Carmel High School student volunteers at the flagpole for an iNaturalist BioBlitz Walk, where you'll become a community scientist by exploring nature and documenting local plants and wildlife! Using the iNaturalist app, help identify species and contribute to scientific research while enjoying a fun outdoor adventure. 

1:00 to 2:00 - Live Music by the Old Flannel Pajamas

Enjoy lively, toe-tapping tunes from The Old Flannel Pajamas, bringing fun and folk-inspired music for all!

1:30 to 2:30 - Watershed Walk

Local plant and wildlife biologist Patrick Furtado will lead a walk to the Carmel River and provide a discussion on the ecology and human history of the river and its watershed. The importance of riparian (river) woodlands to the conservation of birds will also be an emphasis. Meet at the Palo Corona flagpole at 1:30 for this one hour walk.

Scroll down for a list of exhibitors