The Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Workbook

The Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Workbook Presented by The City of Santa Cruz, California Water Department If you are a school teacher and would like to schedule a classroom Ranger walk, please contact us at (831) 335-2586 or email slang@cityofsantacruz.com Water saving tip: Does your toilet leak? A leaky toilet valve can waste from 30 to 500 gallons every day! A fun way to find out if your toilet is leaking is to put some food coloring (your favorite color) in the back tank of your toilet (get your parents to help with this project). Then wait for 15 minutes without flushing the toilet. If your toilet bowl turns color, or if you already can hear and or see water running in your bowl, it s time for a new flapper! ~ Now you know! ~

Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Membership Welcome Kids! A note to your parents: The Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Program is designed for your school aged children up to the age of 14). We encourage parents to participate in our programs with your young children, and all Junior Rangers must have a parent or guardian present in the park during Junior Ranger activities. The Junior Ranger program is an outdoor watershed and recreation/education program. Our goal is to heighten your child s awareness of nature, conversation and preservation of the water resources and the watershed ecosystem at Loch Lomond (and beyond). These goals will be accomplished through student observation, Ranger lead talks and hikes, hands-on activities, projects, community service, web-based information/activities and award opportunities. This program is being offered by the Santa Cruz Water Dept. to the Santa Cruz water community and surrounding communities at no or low cost. What is a Junior Ranger anyway? Loch Lomond Junior Rangers are students just like you who enjoy nature, being outside and have the desire to learn more about it the City s reservoir and natural surroundings. The goals of a Loch Lomond Junior Ranger are: #1 To have some fun!!! #2 Make some new friends. #3 To learn some new and useful skills. #4 To observe, respect, preserve and enjoy nature at Loch Lomond. #5 Learn about our reservoir and watershed property. Membership Membership as a Loch Lomond Junior Ranger is FREE. There may be some low-cost material fees associated with each special learning event. (See specific events for details). There are currently three levels of achievement in our Junior Ranger program. 2

Junior Ranger Level 1 In order to reach this goal, students will: Attend a Ranger led walk with your school group. (If your school did not attend a Ranger led walk, you can complete our self guided walk anytime you visit Loch Lomond). Read and complete our Junior Ranger Workbook, (by printing it your self or from our printed workbook, available from any of our Park Rangers). Answer the quiz questions for your appropriate age group. Then send your answers back to the Ranger who lead the walk, or if you took a self-guided walk, turn it in or send it back to any Ranger on duty. By becoming a Junior Ranger Level 1, you will receive an official Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Button and a Junior Ranger Membership Card! Also, you will then be eligible to attend the Loch Lomond Junior Ranger special learning events which will allow you to advance up the Junior Ranger levels. Junior Ranger Level 2 In order to reach this goal, students will: Complete the requirements of a Junior Ranger Level 1. Attend one of the Loch Lomond Junior Ranger special learning events. Participate in one Junior Ranger community service project. Here you will care for a small area of Loch Lomond by helping the Ranger in the clean-up or maintenance of a trail, shoreline, roadway or picnic area. By becoming a Junior Ranger Level 2, you will receive a Junior Ranger membership card and a certificate of achievement. Junior Ranger Level 3 In order to reach this goal, students will: Complete the requirements of a Junior Ranger Level 2. Attend two (2) additional Loch Lomond Junior Ranger special learning events. Participate in one (1) additional Junior Ranger community service project. By becoming a Junior Ranger Level 3, you will receive a Junior Ranger membership card, a certificate of achievement, and a personalized Junior Ranger photo button! For more information: Please contact a Park Ranger by calling (831) 335-7424 or by emailing slang@cityofsantacruz.com 3

The Junior Ranger Workbook This workbook will review many of the things you learned on your Ranger-led hike or self-guided hike. Now is your chance to become a Loch Lomond Junior Ranger. By reading this workbook and answering the quiz questions at the end, you will be eligible to earn the first level in our Junior Ranger Program. First read through the work book, then find the age level that is appropriate for you, print it out and send your answers back to a Ranger. There are many fun things planned for our program this coming year. We hope to see YOU soon, up at the lake! Don t forget to check out our online activities too! Ok, if you are ready, let s get started! 4

So what is Loch Lomond? It is a man-made lake (made by people, not nature) created by building a dam across the Newell Creek. The dam stops the creek water and it holds back the built up water that fills the lake. It is a reservoir (anything that can hold or store water). Loch Lomond is where Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply (about 3 billion gallons worth)! Loch Lomond is only one of the many places where Santa Cruz gets its drinking water. We also get our water from the San Lorenzo River, creeks and streams, and even a few underground wells. It is a recreation area (a place to come and enjoy nature, go fishing and boating, have a picnic, take a hike, observe wildlife, relax and have fun! It is a watershed (The hilly land that surrounds the creek. The rain water falls onto the hills and then runs down into the reservoir). This is how Loch Lomond gets full of water! It s a natural reserve (an area of natural land that is saved for the future). Most of the Loch Lomond watershed land is a reserve which is protected and is not used by people. Many wild animals live in the reserve and are often seen in the recreation area as well. Fun facts about Loch Lomond Any guesses on how big Loch Lomond is? * The lake is about 3 miles long and 1/4 mile wide. (Same distance as from the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor to Lighthouse Field)! * The lake is about 150 feet deep. (Twice as deep as the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper roller coaster is tall)! * How much water does it hold? The lake holds about 3 billion gallons of water. That may seem like a LOT of water, and it is... but it s still only about 3/4 of the water used every year in Santa Cruz. * Loch Lomond recreation area was opened in 1963. What year were you born? How much older is Loch Lomond than you? * Did you know that there is another Loch Lomond? Yes, there is... in Scotland! Our lake, coves and picnic areas were all named after the original Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is owned by the City of Santa Cruz and is operated by the Water Department. The recreation area is open from March 1st until September 15th for you to enjoy! 5

The WILD side of Loch Lomond The animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation Area and in the surrounding watershed land are WILD. Even though some may seem friendly and tame, they are not. Feeding wild animals might seem fun, but it is much better to let them find their own food. Human food is often not good for wild animals. Feeding young wild animals can cause them to get used to human food, and forget how to hunt for their own food. Always pack your trash and please help keep our wild animals wild! Animals you are likely to see at Loch Lomond include: Ducks (mallards and mergansers), cormorants, blue herons, stellar s jays, squirrels, black-tail deer, lizards, snakes and lots of insects. Animals you will have to look harder to see include: raccoons, skunks, turtles, frogs, quail, osprey, and bats. Animals that live at Loch Lomond but are rarely ever seen include: mountain lions, wild boars, bobcats, gray foxes and wild turkeys. Some of the animals only come out at night. We usually don t see them, because Loch Lomond is closed at sunset. But if you come in the morning and look along the shoreline, you often can find tracks in the mud from many of our night time friends! *Hint... Having a pair of binoculars also helps to see some of the more shy animals and birds! Make sure to check out the animal word search puzzle on our Events and Activities page. 6

Important rules to know about the lake and recreation area. By following a few simple rules, you can help to keep yourself and others safe, and help us keep Loch Lomond in good condition. Loch Lomond is different from many other lakes in California. Loch Lomond is a drinking water reservoir. This means that the water in the lake is used by the residents of Santa Cruz as their drinking water supply. Because of this, swimming in the lake is not allowed. If you think about it, would you want someone to swim in YOUR drinking water? Also, for your safety, everyone who goes out in a boat must have a life jacket. And everyone 12 years old or younger must wear their life jacket at all times, even if you are a good swimmer. While you are hiking at Loch Lomond, we ask that you stay on the established trails. Climbing up or down the steep hills or taking short-cuts may cause you to slip. Climbing or hiking off the trail also disturbs the duff (duff is the accumulation (pile up) of fallen leaves, needles, branches, etc. onto the forest floor (the ground). The duff protects the roots of the plants from heat and especially helps prevent erosion (washing away the dirt) when it rains. Duff protects the land just like an umbrella protects you from the rain. Have you ever heard of Pack your trash? At Loch Lomond, it means that you don t leave any litter or trash out in the recreation area, along the shore, or on the lake. Everything that you take out with you gets packed back in until you find a trash can or recycling bin. Littering causes many problems; it looks bad, it s bad for the environment, and it causes erosion when our rangers have to climb hills to pick it up. It is also bad for the animals who sometimes mistake our trash for their food. So now that you know what it means... please pack your trash (that includes fishing line)! Make sure to check out the a-maze-ing trail game on our Events and Activities page. 7

A Little Loch Lomond History Long before Loch Lomond was a lake or a drinking water reservoir, it was just a creek! Yes, a creek running through a large valley surrounded by steep hills. The Ohlone Indians were the original inhabitants (people who lived here) in this area. The local tribe of Ohlone Indians was called the Zayante. Now one of the roads that leads up to Loch Lomond is also called Zayante! The Zayante tribe lived a simple and peaceful life. They had enough acorns, fish and small game to feed their people. They spent a lot of their time looking for and preparing food, hunting, making baskets, clothing, boats, tools and shelters. They also enjoyed life with music, singing, playing games, dancing and telling stories. The Spanish and mission life brought an end to the Ohlones in the 1800 s. The original trees that once grew here have mostly been logged (cut down to make into lumber) This happened during the late 1800 s and early 1900 s. So most of the trees you see now at Loch Lomond are less than 100 years old. This is considered young for Redwood trees! If you look around the recreation area, you can discover some very old stumps of the old trees that were once growing here. One of them in the Upper Loch Picnic area is estimated to have been over 300 years old! See how many rings you can count. Loch Lomond property was owned by many different people over the years. One of them was Addison Newell. Now the main creek that runs into Loch Lomond is named Newell Creek! The City of Santa Cruz purchased the land and built the dam in the late 1950 s. The dam turned the creek into a reservoir (lake), and the recreation area was opened in 1963. Water Conservation Conservation means to save water, or to use it wisely and not waste it. Who do you think uses the most water...? Farmers, Businesses or Families? While farmers do use a lot of water to water the plants in the fields, and some businesses do use a lot of water to make things, families use the MOST water of the three. Can you guess what inside your house uses the most water? Shower?... no... Washing machine?... no... Toilet?... YES! And can you guess what outside your house uses the most water? Washing your car?... no... Playing in the sprinkler?... No... Watering your grass and garden?... YES! There are many ways that YOU can help to save water! Answer the following questions to see if you and your family are Water Savers! 8

1. When you brush your teeth, do you leave the faucet running or turn it off? 2. When your dad, grandpa, uncle or big brother shaves, do they leave the water running or turn it off? Maybe they use an electric razor? 3. When you wash your car, do you have a nozzle on the end of the hose or do you let the water run down the driveway? 4. Do you take short showers or do you stand in there for a long time to keep warm? 5. Does your house have a water saving toilet or a water saving washing machine? 6. Do you ever water your grass or garden when it s raining? 7. Are your faucets in good working condition or do they drip... drip... drip...? 8. Can you think of other ways you and your family can help save water? 9. If your parents want to learn more about how they can save water and save money, you can help by telling them to visit this website. http://cityofsantacruz.com/ Thank you for being a water saver! (Quiz Time!) The Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Online Workbook If you ve gotten this far, we will assume you are ready for the quiz! Don t be nervous, you can always go back and review the workbook to find the correct answers! 9

Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Online Workbook (Answer Sheet) Ages 6 and under By taking the interpretive hike, reviewing the workbook and completing the questions, you will earn your complimentary Jr. Ranger Badge and a Jr. Ranger Certificate as our way of saying Thank You for visiting Loch Lomond and learning about the lake. Step 1: Print this workbook and answer all the questions. Step 2: Then keep your workbook and send only your answer sheet to: Junior Ranger Program Loch Lomond Reservoir 100 Loch Lomond Way Felton, CA 95018 Step 3: Keep an eye on your mailbox for your awards! First Please make sure you fill out the top part of this form. This way, we know where to send your awards. A Note to parents Loch Lomond does not distribute nor share a database nor a mailing list with your child s information. This information is gathered simply to make sure we get your child s awards to them in a timely manner and possibly to inform your child of upcoming events at Loch Lomond. Thanks! Student s Name: Mailing address: City: Phone number State: Zip: Email address Date of your Ranger led walk: Ranger s name: 10

Are you ready? Let s get started. Question 1. Name one place that Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply. Question 2. Circle all of the animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation Area. Question 3. How does Loch Lomond get full of water? Question 4. Name one way your family can save water. Question 5 Why is swimming not allowed in Loch Lomond? Question 6 Name two FUN things you can do when you visit Loch Lomond. Any comments or questions you have for us? 11

Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Online Workbook (Answer Sheet) Ages 7-9 By taking the interpretive hike, reviewing the workbook and completing the questions, you will earn your complimentary Jr. Ranger Badge and a Jr. Ranger Certificate as our way of saying Thank You for visiting Loch Lomond and learning about the lake and watershed. Step 1: Print this workbook and answer all the questions. Step 2: Then send your answer sheet to: Junior Ranger Program Loch Lomond Reservoir 100 Loch Lomond Way Felton, CA 95018 Step 3: Keep an eye on your mailbox for your awards! First Please make sure you fill out the top part of this form. This way, we know where to send your awards. A Note to parents Loch Lomond does not distribute or share a database nor a mailing list with your child s information. This information is gathered simply to make sure we get your child s awards to them in a timely manner and possibly to inform your child of upcoming events at Loch Lomond.. Thanks! Student s Name: Mailing address: City: Phone number State: Zip: Email address Date of your Ranger led walk: Ranger s name: 12

Are you ready? Let s get started. Question 1. Name one place that Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply. Question 2. Circle all of the animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation Area. Question 3. How does Loch Lomond get full of water? Question 4. Name two ways your family can save water. Question 5. Why is swimming not allowed in Loch Lomond? Question 6. Name three FUN things you can do when you visit Loch Lomond. Question 7. What is a reservoir? Question 8. Why is it important to stay on the hiking trails? Question 9 Why does Loch Lomond have a dam? Any comments or questions you have for us? 13

Junior Ranger Online Workbook (Answer Sheet) Ages 10-12 By taking the interpretive hike, reviewing the workbook and completing the questions, you will earn your complimentary Jr. Ranger Badge and a Jr. Ranger Certificate as our way of saying Thank You for visiting Loch Lomond and for learning about our lake, the watershed, and water conservation. Step 1: Print this workbook and answer all the questions. Step 2: Then send your answer sheet to: Junior Ranger Program Loch Lomond Reservoir 100 Loch Lomond Way Felton, CA 95018 Step 3: Keep an eye on your mailbox for your awards! First Please make sure you fill out the top part of this form. This way, we know where to send your awards. A Note to parents Loch Lomond does not distribute or share a database nor a mailing list with your child s information. This information is gathered simply to make sure we get your child s awards to them in a timely manner and possibly to inform your child of upcoming events at Loch Lomond.. Thanks! Student s Name: Mailing address: City: Phone number State: Zip: Email address Date of your Ranger led walk: Ranger s name: 14

Are you ready? Let s get started. Question 1. Name one place that Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply. Question 2. Name four wild animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation area. Question 3. Name two ways that Loch Lomond gets full of water? Question 4. Name three ways your family can save water. Question 5. Why is swimming not allowed in Loch Lomond? Question 6. Name four FUN things you can do when you visit Loch Lomond. Question 7. What is a reservoir? Question 8. Why is it important to stay on the hiking trails? Question 9. Why does Loch Lomond have a dam? Question 10. What is duff and what does it do to prevent erosion? Question 11. Name two ways that littering causes problems for Loch Lomond. Question 12. About how much water is stored in Loch Lomond (circle correct answer) 200,000 gallons 5 million gallons 3 billion gallons 3 thousand gallons Any comments or questions you have for us? 15

Loch Lomond Junior Ranger Online Workbook (Answer Sheet) Ages 13-14 By taking the interpretive Ranger lead hike, reviewing this workbook and completing the quiz questions, you will become a Junior Ranger Level 1. You will also earn your complimentary Jr. Ranger Badge and certificate as our way of saying Thank You for visiting Loch Lomond and for learning about our reservoir, the watershed and water conservation. Step 1: Print the quiz at the end of this workbook and answer all the questions. Step 2: Send your completed quiz to: Junior Ranger Program Loch Lomond Reservoir 100 Loch Lomond Way Felton, CA 95018 Step 3: Keep an eye on your mailbox for your awards! First Please make sure you fill out the top part of this form. This way, we know where to send your awards. A Note to parents Loch Lomond does not distribute or share a database nor a mailing list with your child s information. This information is gathered simply to make sure we get your child s awards to them in a timely manner and possibly to inform your child of upcoming events at Loch Lomond.. Thanks! Student s Name: Mailing address: City: Phone number State: Zip: Email address Date of your Ranger led walk: Ranger s name: 16

Are you ready? Let s get started! Question 1. Name one place that Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply. Question 2. Name six wild animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation area. Question 3. Name two ways that Loch Lomond gets full of water? Question 4. Name four ways your family can save water. Question 5. Why is swimming not allowed in Loch Lomond? Question 6. Name four recreation activities you can do when you visit Loch Lomond. Question 7. What is a reservoir? Question 8. Why is it important to stay on the hiking trails? Question 9. Why does Loch Lomond have a dam? Question 10. What is duff and what does it do to prevent erosion? Question 11. Name two ways that littering causes problems for Loch Lomond. Question 12. About how much water is stored in Loch Lomond (circle correct answer) 200,000 gallons 5 million gallons 3 billion gallons 3 thousand gallons Question 13. What is an example of a watershed, and what is it used for? Question 14. What are two sources of water that Santa Cruz uses to get its drinking water? Question 15. Who uses the most water. Rank #1, #2 and #3. Farmers Families Business Any comments or questions you have for us? 17

The Loch Lomond 2009 Junior Ranger Calendar of Events Please RSVP by calling 335-7424 if you plan to attend any of these events. Thanks! Stay Tuned, and stop back soon!... New events are currently being planned. Last year s events were: Interpretive Hikes with a Ranger Orienteering Nature Photography Hike Community Service Project Scavenger Hunt 18

Acitvities Word Search Puzzle Bass fox newt Bluegill frog osprey Bobcat grebe raccoon catfish heron skunk coot jay snake cormorant junko squirrel coyote kingfisher trout deer lizard turtle duck mountainlion wood pecker Print this page to make it easier to play! H S I F T A C B O B Y A J G U H A J R R Z S N A K E E H K V A E N J B E S Q A I W B R K I T W R O U K K N U K S B J P X N T C O I N L C C I T K B A S S G O K N L K P E L R A C C O O N F O X M N O O P Y R D U U C Z M I C N L I D L D R E E D T E V D S Q N L A E O O U L M W E Y L W H E R I T F P O X V E N Z I F T E X F G N G Q W G N A D Z O S G R E B E U E T O Y O C A H F T P G U Y U O I R B C O R M O R A N T H T L M J S C G D E F T R O U T Q I B Hint... These animal words can go forward, backward up, down, and diagonal! 19

The Loch Lomond a-maze-ing trail game. Can you help these lost hikers find their way back to their picnic area in time for lunch? When ever you take a hike at Loch Lomond, it s always a good idea to take along a trail map (free from the park store), comfortable shoes, something to drink and a snack. Always let someone know where you re going and how long you think you ll be gone! Have FUN!, and remember to stay on the main trails, otherwise you may find yourself lost in a maze! Print this page to make it easier to play! 20