Animals of Mt. Diablo

Transcription

1 Animals of Mt. Diablo This is one suggestion for a one-hour program. Docents are free to present the program in any way they think is effective, especially since you have such a wide variety of animals to choose from. Take along: portfolio, including new picture of Mt. Diablo Live animals: choose two or three (depending on who can handle raptors) from kestrel, red-tail hawk, tiger salamander, gopher snake, tarantula, quail, acorn woodpecker Mounts: choose three to five from mountain lion, opossum, gray fox, ground squirrel, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, coyote, scrub jay, GHO or barn owl, many others. Please note: there is a longer list of live animals and mounts to choose from; you are not limited to those listed above Program goal: By the end of the program, the children should know: 1. That Mt. Diablo is a (non-volcanic) mountain near their homes that has been protected as wild, open space. 2. That Mt. Diablo has enough protected wild land to provide habitats for a very large number of species. 3. That the species of Mt. Diablo depend on each other for survival. 4. A few cool facts Intro to Lindsay Short intro to Mt. Diablo Mt. Diablo is not a volcano, but was pushed up by volcanic movement underground. You can see 360 degrees from the top, from mountain to bay. Fossils of former wildlife have been found there, from sea animals (when it was flat and underwater) to prehistoric mammals. Is special because many different kinds of places for animals to live (habitats) have been saved in a large area. You can present the animals from several different perspectives: from the air to the ground and underground; or birds then mammals then reptiles; or within plant communities (i.e., animals that live near each other and are dependent on each other). The plant community example follows.

2 Species details are on the LWM species sheets, the 4x6 fact sets, and in the 4x6 set that is of Common Mounts (of animals not represented in our live collection) all in the volunteer room. Grasslands discuss ground squirrel, salamander, gopher snake, golden eagle, RTH, &/or turkey vulture golden eagle (info pertaining to Mt. Diablo) The largest proportion of nesting golden eagles in the world is centered around Mt. Diablo (south as far as San Jose); apx. 45 nesting pairs. Golden eagle/ground squirrel/tiger salamander connection: eagle depends on squirrel for food; tiger salamander depends on squirrel burrows for protection in dry and hot weather. Perhaps mention nearby windmills and their effect on golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and others raptors (on average, three are killed every day, but this info may be too negative for our audience) ground squirrel Connection: ground squirrels are important to golden eagles for food. They are also important to tiger salamanders for summer shelter (salamanders need squirrels burrows to stay cool and moist). Shrublands and chaparral Discuss deer, cougar, quail, jackrabbit, bobcat, coyote, &/or gray fox; bobcat : Mt. Diablo may have the largest bobcat population in the East Bay, though the population is not very large. coyote. When an area loses its coyote population, its ecosystem is thrown out of balance for most of the other mammals. Mt. Diablo has one of the largest East Bay coyote populations. mountain lion: 80% of diet is deer; the importance of keeping deer population in balance: deer could wipe out young trees and other flora that are essential for many feeding and nesting animals. Cougars have been known to range over 20 miles in one night. No other animal presents a stronger case for the importance of wildlife corridors, such as the one connecting Mount Diablo with Morgan Territory park, and with Black Diamond Mines Regional Park. The bobcat is important, but much less tenacious than the mountain lion.

3 Oak woodlands Discuss acorn woodpecker, scrub jay, gray squirrel, &/or wild turkey (5 min) scrub jays help spread the many oak trees (especially scrub oaks, hence the name) on the mountain through acorn transport acorn woodpeckers are found in every area of California that has oak trees. Discuss tarantula Riparian woodland For the youngest, just do raccoon; maybe play raccoon game, since raccoons have such a keen sense of touch helped by dipping their food into water. Students reach into the box (kept in the volunteer room) through the knit sleeve and see if they can identify by feel what is inside (pine cone, acorns, various natural objects try it out; add natural items of your own) Evergreen trees (where oak overlap to make shady areas): Mention as homes for owls and many other animals. Wrapping up: You might tell them that most of the animals living on Mt. Diablo haven t even been mentioned so far our friends the insects and other spiders (besides tarantulas). Discuss habitat destruction in general (and very gently, with an emphasis on how they can help in the future by being aware). If there is time, play hoop habitat game. One way: have each of 3 to 5 hoops represent a habitat pine tree, oak tree, shrub area, stream, etc. and students divide into groups so each is in a hoop. (Some docents make all hoops the same type of habitat.) You remove the hoops one at a time as there is development, fire, drought, etc. and the residents of that hoop have to move to a remaining hoop. Ask children each time what is happening to the animals; do they have enough food? Shelter? Soon some animals will have no space at all. End with children planting new trees or other positive action. Leave 10 minutes at the end for kids to explore mounts, touch snake, etc.

4 Animals of Mt. Diablo: Background and Supporting Information Intro to Mt. Diablo From the top, at 3,849 feet, on a clear day you can see west to the Golden Gate Bridge, south to Mt. Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz Mountains, north to Mt. Lassen in the Cascades at 10,466 feet, the water of the Sacramento Delta, across the central valley, to the Sierra Nevada. With binoculars you may even be able to pick out Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. In fact, it is said that the panorama visible from the top of Mount Diablo is unsurpassed in extent by any other in America or Europe, and is second only to that visible from 19,000-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Mt. Diablo was first formed in the ocean. Volcanic rock lay beneath a shallow sea floor, where 12 million years ago sediment covered giant oyster shells and other evidence of ocean life. volcanic rock forced its way up through sediment (but not by eruption), lifting it at an angle. Fossils show that nine million years ago, as the mountain was rising, sabre-tooth cats, mastodons, horses, camels, and llamas lived here. It was home to the Miwok tribes of Native Americans for around 5,000 years. They called it Ojompile. Mt. Diablo encompasses many habitats, including grassland, oak woodland, and riparian areas. Many animals in California have lost habitat to development, so Mt. Diablo is special. It has been preserved as a park, so wildlife have been able live here successfully; it is a protected space for many species and so is very important in this area. More than 100 species of animals and 650 species of flowering plants live here, including 12 species of endangered plants and animals. Plant communities (habitats) on Mt. Diablo Grasslands - open places, without woody plants. Vernal pools are specialized habitats within grasslands. Wherever clay soils form small depressions underlain by cement-like hardpans, vernal pools appear after winter and spring rains. discuss ground squirrel, salamander, gopher snake, above: golden eagle, RTH, &/or turkey vulture

5 Shrublands. Most of our shrublands are called chaparral. Chaparral is typical of our hottest, steepest, rockiest slopes -- often south-facing -- where summer sun is strong and winter rains run off (rather than being retained as they are on gentle slopes and flats). Here shrubs occur in dense stands, overshadowing all else. Soft chaparral is dominated by small shrubs with "soft leaves" (leaves with a pliable, thin texture). Hard chaparral replaces soft chaparral in hotter, drier inland areas. discuss deer, cougar, quail, bobcat, coyote, jackrabbit, &/or gray fox Riparian woodland is found only along permanent streams and rivers, where the water table remains at or just below the surface all year. discuss toad, red-tailed hawk, &/or raccoon Oak woodlands discuss acorn woodpecker, scrub jay, peregrine, gray squirrel, &/or wild turkey scrub jays help spread the many oak trees (especially scrub oaks, hence the name) on the mountain through acorn transport Evergreen trees(often where oak canopies overlap): California bay laurel, madrone, Douglas fir, tanbark oak, and California nutmeg. discuss mockingbird, tarantula, &/or Cooper s hawk Redwood forests in the deepest, most protected canyon bottoms within the reach of summer fogs