PARK HIKES FOOT BILL FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS : THE FACTS.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Hikers participating in moonlight walks, holiday hikes and other theme nature events sponsored by the Conejo Recreation and Park District are helping educate local youngsters while enjoying the outdoors.

The park district's outdoor unit relies on fees collected from the four to six theme hikes run each month to help maintain a variety of educational programs for schoolchildren, helping free up park district money for other purposes.

``We offer custom programs to the local schools or, ideally, bring the children out to the parks and get them to the outdoors rather than just talking about it indoors,'' said Alisse Fisher, recreation aide for the district's outdoor unit. ``They're brought at an affordable price, and they're affordable because of these fund-raisers.''

The outdoor unit is preparing for its biggest fund-raiser Nov. 9, the eight-mile Sycamore to the Sea hike, which has attracted up to 250 people and can pump up to $3,750 into the educational program coffers.

Two are held each year. The last one was held in April and attracted about 180 participants, she said.

The practice of using income from the hikes to fund the children's educational programs started about two years ago, when the park district began seeing cuts in state funding for its programs, Fisher said. The district is working from a $9 million budget this year, about 25 percent less than in 1993.

The educational programs run at a break-even point largely through the minimal fee the outdoor unit charges, she said. A hike for 30 students with two naturalists would cost a school about $60, for example.

``We really don't have a budget to work with,'' Fisher said. ``That's why the fund-raisers are so important.''

The unit has recently been expanding its program. For example, it has been acquiring animals preserved by a taxidermist to bring into local school classrooms as a visual aid for nature studies.

Income from the fund-raiser hikes varies widely, with some attracting just a handful of people, she said. The singles hike is one of the most popular, she noted.

Overall, about 600 people have participated in the fund-raiser hikes this year, she said.

``Most of the fund-raisers are $5 a carload, so they're very affordable,'' she said. ``But they don't pull in a whole lot of money, because they're not real large fund-raisers.''

The theme fund-raiser hikes are led by volunteers like Tom Maxwell, a retired California Lutheran University anthropology professor who has been volunteering for them for about 10 years.

To him, the educational program helps youngsters fully appreciate the nature that surrounds them. Without the money from the fund-raiser hikes, the program would be considerably weaker.

``We wouldn't have all these accouterments for all the school programs'' said Maxwell, 72. ``Kids will pay attention to an owl that's sitting on a branch, even though it's stuffed.''

WHAT: Sycamore to the Sea, an eight-mile hike down Sycamore Canyon to Sycamore Cove. A light dinner will be served. Vegetarian meals available on request.

WHO: Sponsored by the Conejo Recreation and Park District Outdoor Advisory Council to raise money for outdoor educational programs.

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 9 from noon to 9 p.m.

COST: $15 per person.

AGES: 4 and over.

INFORMATION: [phone]. Preregistration required.

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Box: THE FACTS (see text)