33° 80.87 North 118° 08.72 West Elevation: 17 m

Field Site:C		Protocols:
El Dorado Nature Center		This is a list of protocols that can be done at this community field site. GLOBE in the City summarized protocols are in hypertext. In parentheses are the learning activities that you may consider doing at this site.
Contact Person: Mary Blackburn Director 7550 E. Spring Street Long Beach, CA 90815 (562) 570-1771 http://www.ci.longbeach.ca.us/park/el_dorado_nature_center.htm		Quantatative/Qualitative Land Cover Sites: The protocols are for qualitative/quantatative land cover sites, where students set up a 30m x 30m quadrat area with meter tapes, the use of a compass, ropes and marker flags for land cover sampling, testing, and analysis for the GLOBE Program. Qualitative Land Cover, Quantitative Land Cover, Biometry Protocols, MUC System Protocol No GLOBE weather station available, but following can be done. Cloud Type Observation, Cloud Cover Observation, Rainfall Measurement, Current Temperature Max/Min. Gravimetric Soil Moisture Protocol, Infiltration, Soil Temperature Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Electrical Conductivity, Nitrate, pH, Water Sampling, Water Transparency, Water Temperature
Click here for directions to the site
Click on film frame for a QuickTime Panorama of the site!
Hours open: Nature Center Trails: Tuesday-Sunday 8am-4pm) Nature Center Bldg: Tuesday-Friday (10am-4pm), Saturday-Sunday (8:30am-4pm) Nature Center is CLOSED Mondays - Except Holidays Cost of admission: Parking costs $3 per car. Handicap access: Yes Restrooms: Yes. Bathrooms are located at the office near the entrance and at the far end of the longer (2 mile) trail. Telephones: Yes. There is a public telephone booth at the El Dorado Nature Center's entrance gate next to the parking lot. There is a telephone on the inside of the El Dorado Nature Center for emergency use also. Food availability: There is no food available on the site, but food can be purchased from the snack stand operated by the City of Long Beach at El Dorado Park, West Area II. However, it is sometimes closed. The best idea is to have the students eat their bag lunches just outside the El Dorado Nature Center or at El Dorado Park, West Area II before or after going to the center. There are some picnic benches available. There is some shade also. Water: Yes Equipment needed at site: Silva compass, ropes, marker flags. Bring your own gear! What your kids need to know before they go: No food is allowed in the nature center. Do not feed any of the animals, including fish. Their natural behaviors are drastically modified negatively when this is done. It also causes other problems. Ask the ranger for details on this. Also, many of the trees and shrubs are mature and quite thick in some areas within the center. This might cause some students to explore or hide off-trail. It might be a supervision problem, unless they stay in a group and avoid going too far ahead or lingering too far behind. Extra adult supervision might be considered. The students might need to be reminded to stay on the trails and obey the posted signs and rules. Pitfalls: EDNC is a very nice location with multiple microhabitats. Water, atmosphere and soil could also be done there, but check with the beforehand. They want to go "GLOBE", but so far do not have the materials on site yet. Safety precautions: Students should be supervised to avoid problems such as possibly falling into the water, etc. They should stay on trails and never go "off-trail". Kids need to know the rules of acceptable behavior before going. Site profile by Dennis Pilien 7/99
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