Local parks full of activities

By Gloria GlasserAcorn Newspapers

It may be warm outside and the hillsides may be looking kind of scorched, but the National Park Service, along with other local parks agencies and docent groups, has created a full, fun schedule of activities for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages during the summer months.

For a complete listing of activities for July, August and September, visit the National Park Service (NPS) Visitor Center at 401 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (on the hill across from The Oaks mall) to pick up a free copy of “Out

doors,” which contains day and

evening hikes, campfire programs,

beach walks, outdoor concerts,

birdwatching excursions, garden

tours and special events planned for

the Santa Monica Mountains Na

tional Recreation Area.

Participants should remember

it’s important to bring along a good

supply of water and have sun pro

tection if the activity is during day

time hours. On evening outings, a

flashlight is always a good idea. It’s

recommended to call ahead to con

firm that the activity has not been

booked to capacity or canceled. In

in some instances, reservations or

pre-registration may be required.

The NPS Visitor Center is open

daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and may

be reached at (805) 370-2301. Call

NPS for directions or with ques

tions on any of these events except

where noted.

Among the happenings in July:

At 2 p.m. Sun., July 10 at Peter

Strauss Ranch, 30000 Mulholland

Hwy., Agoura, the Los Angeles

based band Desert Sage will present

a free outdoor concert. This semi

acoustic band is described as

“groovegrass,” drawing their sound

from such diverse influences as

Jerry Garcia, Bill Monroe, Peter

Rowan and Julius Kessler. Fronting

the band are brothers Stephen and

Eric Lockhart. The band occasion

ally features 15-year-old banjo

prodigy Zac Sokolow.

Visitors are invited to hike the

park’s easy nature trail before or

after the two-hour concert. Shady

and sunny picnic sites are available

and visitors are encouraged to bring

a blanket to sit on and a picnic

lunch.

Native American musician Bill

Neal, known as Elk Whistle, whose

ancestry is an Eastern remnant band

of Cherokee, will present two free

sessions of traditional Native

American flute music, from 10 a.m.

to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m., on

Sun., July 10 at the Satwiwa Na

tive American Culture Center at

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, off

Via Goleta from Lynn Road in

Newbury Park.

In 1992 Neal was invited to sing

with the Red Spirit Singers, a

Northern traditional powwow drum

group. The phrasing and vocaliza

tions of the traditional songs he

learned during those years became

the foundation for his flute music.

Neal performs on traditional

Lakota and Kiowa cedar flutes and

the cane flutes of the Choctaw and

Cherokee. For more information,

call NPS or (805) 375-1930.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., July

16, students from the Santa Monica

Mountains National Recreation

Area Youth Program will lead a day

of hands-on activities during the

Family Nature Day program at Sol

stice Canyon, off Corral Canyon Road from the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. At the park’s Education Shelter, visitors will learn about the canyon, noted for its lush year round stream shaded by alders, and the “Tropical Terraces,” ruins of an elaborately landscaped remote canyon home that burned many years ago. Families can participate in making a craft or take a short discovery hike. This program will be repeated on Aug. 6 and 13.

The Bard goes to the country when Classics in the Parks presents Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 2 p.m. Sun., July 17 at Peter Strauss Ranch, 30000 Mulholland Hwy., Agoura. The outdoor performance is free and attendees should bring a beach chair or blanket to sit on the ranch’s lawn.

Those who can’t keep quiet during a movie will really be in hot water while attending the first of two “Silents Under the Stars” presentations of a classic silent film at Paramount Ranch, on Cornell Road in Agoura.

At 8 p.m. Sun., July 17, Harry Langdon appears in the 1926 Frank Capra film “The Strong Man.” Langdon’s unique comedy styling is showcased in this tale of a young man’s search for his true love while assisting a vaudeville strong man act. The film marks Capra’s directorial debut.

Co-sponsoring the screening is the Silent Society of Hollywood Heritage, Inc. The film is shown in an open-sided pavilion in the park’s Old Western Town. Bringing mosquito repellant and/or wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts is the advice of one silent film buff on The Acorn staff, who also notes that as usual the amazing Michael Mortilla will provide musical accompaniment, keeping pace with the action without missing a beat.

Admission ranges from $3 to $6. The feature film will be preceded by “surprise short subjects,” according to NPS.

From 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sun., July 31 at the Satwiwa Native American Culture Center at Rancho Sierra Vista/ Satwiwa in Newbury Park, Native American artist Nadiya Littlewarrior will lead a free cultural workshop, teaching participants how to create their own gourd ornament. Participants will learn about Native American culture and artistic techniques in a setting that provides dramatic close-up views of Boney Mountain and a glimpse at verdant Upper Big Sycamore Canyon.

For cyclists especially, the road down into the canyon will provide an adventurous ride all the way to Sycamore Cove for a dip in the Pacific. There will be some washouts and creek crossings to contend with but the ride is half on a paved road. The balance on a wide dirt road and is not technically challenging. The round trip from Newbury Park to the sea is about 16 miles. There is a shaded picnic area and restroom facilities at the halfway point at the Danielson Ranch site, but riders should carry their own drinking water and snacks.

At 10 a.m. every Tuesday in July, docents will lead garden tours at the historic Adamson House, located directly behind Surfrider Beach in mid-Malibu. The site features flower-filled gardens, a home decorated inside and outside with colorful tiles produced by the Malibu Pottery and beautiful views to the sea and lagoon, which is a sanctuary for many bird species.

Reservations are required by calling (310) 456-8432. A fee is charged. Call the Malibu Lagoon Museum Docents for more details about the one-hour tour at (310) 456-8452.

At 10 a.m. on the first Friday of each month the docents lead tours for individuals and small groups, and these do not require reservations.