TRAVEL TALES: IT'S THE NATURE OF SANTA CATALINA.Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor Santa Catalina Island San·ta Cat·a·li·na Island or Catalina Island An island off southern California in the southern Santa Barbara Islands. Discovered in 1542, it has been a noted resort center since the 1920s. is more than just another pretty place. It's got depth - and we're talking beyond the murky waters of the Pacific Ocean. This getaway island 26 miles across the sea from Long Beach has history, legends and ecological treasures. And from July 5 through Aug. 31, you can learn all about them through the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy's series of nature walks and hikes, campfire chats and slide shows. ``It's a wonderful way for people to learn about the island - for free,'' said Misty Gay, director of education for the conservancy, about the summer programs. The conservancy's goal, Gay said, is to ``preserve and protect the 88 percent of the island we own in perpetuity'' and the programs are one way to do that. ``We have a lot of rare plants and animals Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal, comprised of guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque, and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woodley.[1] They are signed to Secret City Records. on the island. When people learn how important the island is, they're less likely to pick flowers, litter ...,'' said Gay. Led by naturalist Jeff Chapman, the programs are geared to tourists, even those who are just spending the day. He keeps the events at two hours or less so there's plenty of time to take in Catalina's other features before heading back to the mainland. ``What I try to do in a two-hour or one-hour class is give them an idea of what the island was like,'' Chapman said. He offers all kinds of tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. tidbits TidBITS is an award-winning electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily with Apple Computer and Macintosh-related topics. Internet publication TidBITS has been published weekly since April 16, 1990, which makes it one of the longest running Internet publications. of information. You probably didn't know, for example, that: a) eight plant species on the island are found nowhere else in the world; b) the Catalina Island Catalina Island: see Santa Catalina. fox is the largest predator on the island, and the Catalina ground squirrel ground squirrel, name applied to certain terrestrial rodents of the squirrel family. In North America the name refers to members of the genus Citellus and sometimes to the closely related genera Tamias (chipmunk), Cynomys (prairie dog), and is the largest native herbivore herbivore: see carnivore. herbivore Animal adapted to subsist solely on plant tissues. Herbivores range from insects (e.g., aphids) to large mammals (e.g., elephants), but the term is most often applied to ungulates. (plant-eating animal); and c), Catalina has always stood alone - it was never connected to the mainland. Chapman talks not only about the ecological aspects of the island, but about the American Indians who once roamed the hills, the explorers who dropped anchor here and the Wrigley family that encouraged tourism to the island. The programs originate at either the Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens or Hermit hermit [Gr.,=desert], one who lives in solitude, especially from ascetic motives. Hermits are known in many cultures. Permanent solitude was common in ancient Christian asceticism; St. Anthony of Egypt and St. Simeon Stylites were noted hermits. Gulch Campground about a mile from downtown Avalon (the island's only city). Tourists can disembark dis·em·bark v. dis·em·barked, dis·em·bark·ing, dis·em·barks v.intr. 1. To go ashore from a ship. 2. To leave a vehicle or aircraft. v.tr. from the boat that brings them across the ocean, walk a block or two down Crescent Street to Tour Park on Catalina Avenue and hop aboard the Avalon Community Transportation tram ($1 per trip) to get to the gardens or the campground. Reservations aren't required for the programs, which are free and include: Nature walks: Offered at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, the walk is a 1-1/2-hour amble amble a slower, non-racing version of pace gait in horses. broken amble has many characteristics of the amble but there are four beats to the gait with each foot contacting the ground independently. Called also single-foot. around the botanical gardens that offers a primer on the island's ecology and history. Nature hikes: Somewhat more strenuous than the walks, the hikes leave at 10 a.m. Sundays from the botanical gardens and cover up to three miles. Along the way, hikers are introduced not only to the island's natural history, but some breathtaking views of Avalon, the ocean, even the other Channel Islands, of which Catalina is a part. Participants should bring water and sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Campfires: For one hour on a cool summer evening, you can sit around a campfire and hear the naturalist spin stories and legends of Catalina's past - and recount history and facts, too. The campfires are at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at the upper fire ring at Hermit Gulch Campground. Bring along your marshmallows for roasting! Multimedia Series: Topics ranging from the native people of Santa Catalina to the island's animal and plant life are explored via talks and slide shows at 8 p.m. Sundays at the botanical gardens. The shows last an hour. Now for inquiring minds who want to know now about those eight plant species original to the island. They are: St. Catherine's lace, Catalina Yerba Santa, Catalina liveforever, Catalina mount mahogany, Catalina manzanita manzanita: see bearberry. , Catalina bedstraw bedstraw: see madder. bedstraw Any low perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Galium, in the madder family, found in damp woods and swamps and along stream banks and shores. , Catalina ironweed ironweed Any of about 500 species of perennial plants constituting the genus Vernonia (family Asteraceae). Small herbaceous (nonwoody) species are found throughout the world; shrubs and trees are found primarily in tropical regions. and Catalina monkey flower. Learn all about it The Summer 1997 Naturalist Programs, sponsored by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, begin July 5 and continue through Aug. 31. Nature walks are at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays at Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Garden on Santa Catalina Island. Nature hikes leave from the botanical garden at 10 a.m. Sundays. The campfire programs are held at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at the upper fire ring of Hermit Gulch Campground. The multimedia presentations are held at 8 p.m. Sundays at the botanical garden. All events are free and reservations are not required. Information: (310) 510-2595, Ext. 134. The campground and the botanical garden are located in Upper Avalon Canyon, about a mile from town. Events can be reached via a tram available at Tour Park on Catalina Avenue a block from Crescent Street. Cost is $1 each way. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Box Photo: (1) The history, legends and ecological treasures of Santa Catalina Island are explored in a series of nature walks and hikes, campfire chats and slide shows July 5 through Aug. 31. Susanne Hopkins/Daily News (2) Naturalist Jeff Chapman, center: ``What I try to do in a two-hour or one-hour class is give (tourists) an idea of what the island was like.'' Misty Gay Box: Learn all about it (See Text) |
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