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May Ranger Programs
Discover nature with LARPD Rangers, Naturalists, & Interpreters
at Sycamore Grove Park!
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Sycamore Grove's Wildlife
Sat, May 2, 1-2pm
Sycamore Grove | Wetmore Entrance Amphitheater
Learn about the park animals with Ranger Seth and meet a live Animal Ambassador. Ssssssshe is sssssssso excited to make your acquaintancessssssss! REGISTER
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Wildflower Wander
Sun, May 10, 11am-12pm
Sycamore Grove | Arroyo Entrance
Check out the blooms at the park with Ranger Vickie! This is an easy stroll along the Arroyo. REGISTER
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Night Hike with a Ranger
Sun, May 24, 7:45-9:45pm
Sycamore Grove | Nature Area Entrance
Find out "whooo" comes out after dark at the park with Ranger Rudy on an after-hours 1-mile hike at a very relaxed pace along uneven terrain. REGISTER
| | See all our May programs and more: | | Meet Our Newest Park Ranger | | Ian Rider comes from Bear Valley in the central Sierra Nevada. He is excited to connect with the people and land here in Livermore and is passionate about enabling others to experience the natural world. | | |
Youth Programs
Grow up with nature, ages 2-16
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Summer Nature Camps
There are still openings for Summer Nature Camp at Sycamore Grove, ages 4-12! Learn about the natural world around us through fun, age-appropriate programs and activities.
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Counselor in Training Camps
Go beyond Nature Camp with the Counselor in Training (CIT) program. Participants ages 13-16 who complete this program have the opportunity to volunteer at future camps.
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Destination Shelly (ages 11-13)
South Lake Tahoe
June 8-11
July 20-23
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Destination Sierra: Wolf Creek (ages 14-16)
Eldorado National Forest
July 6-9
| | Four days and three nights of fun await pre-teens and teens in the Sierra Nevada. Swim in a cold mountain lake, hike mountain trails, see waterfalls, cook food around the campfire, and more. | | |
New This Summer!
Destination Shelly Overnight Community Camps
South Lake Tahoe
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June 25-28 | July 9-12 | Aug 7-9
Camp in the Sierra Nevada with friends and family at LARPD's beloved Camp Shelly. Group activities offered daily for all ages. Enjoy wildflower walks, crafts, and games during the day, then gather after dinner for campfire stories or a guided night hike.
The campground will be closed to the public during these community camp weekends and reserved for program participants only. To register, call the Ranger office (925) 960-2400.
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Hummingbirds: Small but Mighty
by Ranger Gilbert Rodriguez
| | Hummingbirds at Sycamore Grove are beautiful with their bright colors and shimmering feathers, but don't let that fool you. These little fighter jets are some of the most intense creatures in nature! | |
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Acorn Woodpeckers: Common but Fascinating Creatures
by Ranger Aide Shawn Davis
| With their clownish faces, bright white eyes, glossy black backs, and bold red caps, acorn woodpeckers look as though they dressed for a costume party and never quite left. Their striking facial pattern makes them easy to spot as they swoop between our oaks, walnuts and sycamores. And swoop they do, often traveling in tight-knit groups that chatter constantly, as if narrating their entire day for all to hear! | | Volunteer at Sycamore Grove Park | | |
Open Space Work Days
Help the rangers keep the park safe, enjoyable, and accessible for visitors and wildlife. Tasks vary each work day; details will be emailed the week of the event.
| | If your group would like to volunteer with LARPD, contact us at volunteer@larpd.org to learn about upcoming opportunities. | |
Grazing Photo Survey
Help track how grazing changes the landscape through the seasons! Follow the steps on the sign located in the upper portion of the park. By crowdsourcing many photos of the same view over time, we'll see the impacts of grazing at our park. Please submit only photos taken with your camera in the bracket!
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Sycamore Grove Park is home to a variety of gopher, California king and rattle snakes. They are an important part of our ecosystem. If you encounter one of these slithery reptiles, please keep your distance. Do not touch, step on or pick up snakes in the park.
If you see a rattlesnake near a path or walkway, call the ranger cell phone
(925) 409-6051 and/or the ranger office (925) 960-2400.
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Rattlesnake at Sycamore Grove
photo by Wally Wood.
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Commercial Photography Permits
Professional photography sessions at Sycamore Grove Park require a daily photo permit. The permit fee is $50 per day and includes two parking passes.
- Applications accepted year-round and are processed in the order received.
- Once application has been processed, staff will phone applicants for credit card payment.
- Please allow 3-5 business days to receive a response to your request.
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Biking through the Park
Spring is a beautiful time to ride a bicycle through the park! Please practice these safety tips as you roll along:
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No motorized bikes—only class one pedal-assist electronic bikes allowed (no throttle).
- Speed limit 15 mph.
- Alert pedestrians and other bikers before passing.
- Bikes allowed on all paved paths in the park, but not all dirt trails.
- Look for signs to know which paths are open to bikers.
- Please be courteous to other visitors in the park and have fun!
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June Ranger Programs
Explore upcoming programs featuring activities led by LARPD Rangers, Naturalists & Interpreters at Sycamore Grove Park!
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The Life of a Park Ranger
Sat, June 6, 2-3pm
Sycamore Grove | Wetmore Entrance
What is it like to be a Park Ranger? Get a glimpse behind the scenes with Ranger Seth. REGISTER
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Fantastical Fairies
Sat, Jun 20, 12-1pm
Sycamore Grove | Ranger Station Picnic Area
Learn about the mythological history of fairies and their roles in the natural world with Ranger Ginger and build your own fairy house to take home for your garden! REGISTER
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Mammals in Motion
Sun, Jun 28, 1-2:30pm
Sycamore Grove | Wetmore Entrance
So many mammals call Sycamore Grove Park home! Meet Ranger Rudy at the Wetmore entrance of the park and enjoy an easy 1-mile walk through the park! REGISTER
| | Open Space Program Highlights | | Children raced through the park to find eggs at the annual Egg-Stravaganza! | | Junior Rangers enjoyed a field trip to Half Moon Bay for a day of tidepooling. | | Meet the Wildlife of Sycamore Grove Park | | | A rare sighting of otters playfully chowing down on crawdads in one of the park arroyos was caught on camera in January by Carol Edson.
If you have a photo from the park to share in this newsletter, e-mail us at: natureprograms@larpd.org
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PRIME TIME
Adult & 50+ Programs, Pop-Up Trips, Socials, Classes and Events
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DISTRICT NEWS
LARPD News, Events, and Updates
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REC GAZETTE
Recreation Programs, Camps, Classes and Special Events
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