in your
Regional Parks
s
July-August 2018 st 2018
July – Augu
Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
always for the community VOL 23, NO 6
Crabbe Photo: Gary
100 YE AR
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for this Activity Guide
nal Park Bay Regio at the East d the sky ods,” page 2. ods soar towar Oakland Coast redwo ood Regional Park, Protecting Redwo 100 Years of Redw Celebrating District’s e Redwoods League East Bay Skylinin See “Save the National Trailnic Sibley Volca rve, Regional Prese nd. Oakla s • page 4
Inside:
uard ns and Jr. Lifeg Swim Lesso page 5 ortunities • Kayaking Opp page 11 the Cove • 13 Concerts at r Safaris • page rams, Spide Prog • page 14 pfire Cam Gardening & Butterfly Native Plant
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SENTINEL
Look inside
Photo: KMRinke
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Look inside for the latest Regional in Nature Activity Guide!
the 2018 Marks y ersar 50th anniv nal of the Natio m Trails Syste See page 2.
Swim Lessons & Jr. Lifeguards Kayaking/Boating at Various Parks Concerts at the Cove at Crab Cove Campfire Programs, Spider Safaris Native Plant & Butterfly Gardening
June 2018
www.valleysentinel.com
Plus many other activities for kids and families in your East Bay Regional Parks!
SPOTLIGHT
National Champions!
The Rotary Club of Danville Names Molly Neach Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Three Other Athletes Nominated The Rotary Club of Danville has named San Ramon Valley High School soccer standout, Molly Neach, as outstanding female athlete of the year 2017-2018.
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Danville Oaks Rugby Club - Back Row L to R: Head Coach David Liebowitz, Coach Jon Beck, Nick Leusing, Caden Jarvis, Nick Cox, Harrison Wheeler, Jack Slimm, Coach Kort Shubert, Grant Vorous, Niko Barretto, Matt Vranish, Joshua Allen, Jeremy Mast, Ryan Chambers, Coach Craig Allen, Club President Michael Walker Middle Row/Kneeling L to R: Coach Chris O’Brien, Zach Heffel, Cameron Lugo, Kobe Davis, Cal Liebowitz, Austin Arends Front Row/Sitting L to R: Luke Freeman, Joey Schwartz, Ethan Gruber, Jason Javier, Marshall Ferris, Fin Zilk, Luke Ogburn, Jason Severance, Pat Deely, Hunter Phillips. See story on page 11
Meet the Muskrat by James Hale
Muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) are a semiaquatic, medium-sized rodent that are native to most of North America, Canada, Alaska, and northern Mexico. They have been introduced to parts of Europe, Asia, and South America, where in some areas they have become an invasive pest. The absence of Muskrats in Florida may be due in part to alligator predation. Muskrats are often referred to as rats because of their omnivorous diets and extremely adaptable lifestyles. They inhabit brackish and fresh water wetlands in a wide variety of habitats and climates throughout their range. Locally, I have observed them throughout the marshes and watersheds of Contra Costa County and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. I frequently encounter them at Heather Ponds and along Walnut Creek. Muskrats are unique in that
they are the only species in their genus Ondatra and tribe Ondatrini. They are the largest member of their subfamily Arvicolinae, which includes mostly voles and lemmings. Muskrats are integral to wetland ecology, and they provide food and fur resources for humans. The name Muskrat is most likely derived from the Algonquian word muscascus, meaning “it is red”, referring to the red pelage. Once called musk-beaver, for the flattened tail and musky odor from scent glands used to mark their territory, they were changed to Muskrat because of the resemblance to rats in the genus Rattus. The Huron word for the animal, ondathra, gives rise to the genus name Ondatra. Zibethicus means musky. Muskrats weigh between one and four and a half pounds.
They range from sixteen to thirty inches in length, half of which is the tail. The narrow, scaled, tail drags when the Muskrat is on land, helping to identify their tracks. Muskrats are sometimes confused with
the American Beaver, with which they often share their habitat, although Muskrats are much smaller and have a See MUSKRAT page 7
This month’s Special Section:
Summer Wellness
page 8