E l k u s R a n c h P r o g r a m N e w s

U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a C o o p e r a t i v e E x t e n s i o n Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center

Advisory Board

Carolyn Battaini

Christa Bigue

Diane Centoni

Robin Cunha

Roger Hoppes

Joyce James

Gordon Ray MD

Manuela Seitz-Hipkins

Tracey Walsh

Staff

Marilyn Johns, Director

Leslie Jensen,Coordinator

Kathi Baxter Environmental Science Educator

Augie Aguilar,Ranch Foreman

Bruno Acosta, Groundskeeper

Program Staff

Denise Kelly

Amy Kruckewitt

Julie Mathiasen

Terri Pacheco

Nancy Poss

Robin Tierney

Wendy Rotchstein Ranch Talk Editor

Fall/Winter 2011

Welcome to Ozzy

Winter Camp

Children’s Garden Update

Great Blue Heron

Donation Request

Master Gardener Update

Advisory Board Additions

Thank You to Donors

Calendar

Wish List

In This Issue

Welcome Ozzy

New to Elkus Ranch this spring is

Ozzy, a gelded sorrel Quarter horse.

Our older mare Suzie Q. was starting

to show her age, and needed some

medical care beyond our abilities.

Fortunately for us Dr. Lafoon, who

donated Suzie to us, was able to take

her back and give her the attention she

needed as she aged. Lucky for us he

donated Ozzy to fill her shoes.

Ozzy immediately became best buddies

with our Paint mare Pocahontas. Both

of them took to the Elkus hills to enjoy

the green grass and open space. He

seems very happy here and is a big

hit with the children as well as the

staff. He is big and beautiful, reddish

brown (sorrel) the most common color

for Quarter horses. This breed of

horse is known for their short distance

sprinting skills, and we are thrilled to

watch him practice, as he runs across

our pasture. He has taken on the role

of alpha animal in the upper barn, and

keeps Pocahontas and our sheep in

their places.

Quarter horses are the most popular

breed in America. You can find them

working on ranches, in police de-

partments, and in rodeos. They also

can be found showing off their skills

in many different types of horse

shows.

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good

for the inside of a man”

–Winston Churchill

Ranch Talk Fall/Winter 2011

Great Blue Heron Submitted by Julie Mathiasen, Elkus Ranch Program Staff

The familiar Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. It is a large bird, with a slate-gray body, chestnut and

black accents, and very long legs and neck. In flight, it looks enormous, with a six-foot wingspan. Adults

have a shaggy ruff at the base of their necks. A black eyebrow extends back to black plumes emerging from the

head. In flight, a Great Blue Heron typically holds its head in toward its body with its neck bent.

The Great Blue Heron is found in a wide variety of habitats. When feeding, it is usually seen in slow-moving or calm

salt, fresh, or brackish water. Great Blue Herons inhabit sheltered, shallow bays and inlets, sloughs, marshes,

wet meadows, shores of lakes, and rivers. At Elkus Ranch we often see the Great Blue Heron in the horse

pasture, slowly moving among the horses looking for voles and gophers to eat. Sometimes if we are lucky, a Great

Blue Heron will take flight and fly low right over the car as we are driving to Elkus.

When foraging, they stand silently along riverbanks, lake shores, or in wet meadows, waiting for prey to come by, which they then strike with their

bills. They will also stalk prey slowly and deliberately. Although they hunt predominantly by day, they may also be active at night. Fish, amphibians,

reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals, and even other birds are all potential prey of the Great Blue Heron.

Great Blue Herons usually breed in colonies containing a few to several hundred pairs. Nest building begins in February when a male chooses

a nesting territory and displays to attract a female. The nest is usually situated high up in a tree. The male gathers sticks for the female who fashions

them into a platform nest lined with small twigs, bark strips, and conifer needles. Both parents incubate the 3-5 eggs for 25-29 days. Both

parents regurgitate food for the young. The young can first fly at about 60 days old, although they continue to return to the nest and are fed by the

adults for another few weeks. Pair bonds only last for the nesting season, and adults form new bonds each year.

When : December 20 and 21

Time : 9 :00 a .m. to 3:00 p.m.

Ages: 6 – 11 years

Cost: $50/chi ld/day

Advanced registration is required.

Visit http://ucanr.org/2011wintercamp to register using a credit card.

Questions? Contact Leslie Jensen at (650) 712-3151 or elkusranch@ucdavis.edu

Hey kids! Put on a sweater

and come join the fun. It

might be chilly but our

wooly friends will keep us

warm while we work in the

barns and gardens, bake

holiday treats and

make wintery

crafts.

Winter Camp

Children’s Garden Makeover Submitted by Kathi Baxter, Environmental Science Educator Our children’s garden will be getting a makeover this winter thanks to

the Atkinson Foundation of San Mateo. Elkus Ranch was the

recipient of a $7,000 grant to purchase materials to construct

new raised beds. We have been so pleased with the

raised beds in our Enabling Garden, also funded by

the Atkinson Foundation, and are looking forward to

the transformation of the Children’s

Garden. Raised beds have so many

advantages from easier pest management

and extended growing seasons to improved

access for weeding, planting and harvesting.

We’ve also found that it is easier to focus children’s

attention when the plants are at eye level – it brings the garden

closer. Safety issues will also be reduced as the beds and pathways are

more clearly delineated. Materials will be delivered shortly and beds

will be constructed and filled gradually throughout the winter.

By spring, the transformation should be complete and our garden

may just attract more attention than our spring lambs.

Ranch Talk Fall/Winter 2011

New Board Members of the Elkus Advisory Board Submitted by Carolyn Battaini, Advisory Board Member

We are delighted to have two new members to the Elkus Advisory Board,

Robin Cunha and Manuela “Manu” Seitz-Hipkins.

The Elkus Advisory Board is a group of dedicated professionals from

many walks of life, who donate their time, expertise, and networking

contacts to help Elkus Ranch. The Board meets several times a year to help

plan projects, fundraise, market, and provide valuable connections that help

make it a better place for the kids to learn about environmental science.

Manuela “Manu” Seitz-Hipkins is originally from Germany, where she

trained as a Speech Language Pathologist, and continues her private practice by

referral. She provides speech and language screenings, with her special

training for autism, bilingualism, and parenting education. She is also

the CEO & President of Well Kiddos, and is on a mission, dedicated to

healthy eating, by improving the food choices in restaurants and venues

that serve families. She is resourceful, focused, organized, and strongly

believes in children and their health. Her talents complement the focus

of nutrition and education, which contributes to the betterment of the

children who come to Elkus Ranch. Welcome to the Board Manu!

Robin Cunha says she’s boring, but she is anything but! Originally born on

the 4th of July in Rhode Island, she moved with her family to Pedro Point

and then Montara. She attended grade school in the old Army Barracks

in Montara, with 11 kids in her class! She and her husband purchased

the Catch 13 restaurant, which became the Miramar. Some of you many

know her from the Miramar, or from planning many HMB class reunions!

She knows so many people on both sides of the hill, that she is a great

asset to the Advisory Board. She is also focused, a great organizer, hard

working, and dedicated to the Ranch. We first met her at a Sheep to

Shawl Day a few years ago, and she fell in love with the Ranch and the

goats, and we fell in love with her enthusiasm. She says, “I love being a

part of Elkus Ranch, It is a great place for children to visit.” We tend to

agree with her! Welcome to the Board Robin!

If you know someone who would be interested in being an influential

volunteer Board Member, and who can help guide the Ranch into the

future, please let us know. We have a few special board spots available

in the upcoming months. Since it’s not a Board of Director position, the

liability issue of an Advisory Board is not the same. It’s better!

Master Gardener Trial Garden at Elkus Ranch Submitted by Janet Didur, Project Leader The purpose of our trial garden is to conduct studies on edible ornamental plants and disseminate the results to the home gardener. We enjoy a

Mediterranean climate here in zone 17 which differs from inland weather. What grows well here does not necessarily grow well in other climate zones

and vise versa.

This year we conducted trials on basil and parsley comparing varieties for vigor, disease resistance, cost of seed and flavor. A study was done on

regular and grafted tomatoes, but unfortunately the cool wet season caused severe tomato blight and an early termination of the project. A

variety of vegetables and edible ornamental flowers were grown, one set in soil inoculated with endomycorrhizal fungi and one with out. The

results are most encouraging. A two-year study investigating natural reseeding of native flowers was begun. Details about these studies, and trials

conducted in past years can be found at our website: http://cesanmateo.ucdavis.edu and click on Master Gardener Program link.

Pictured Above: Master Gardener and Elkus Trial Garden Project Leader, Janet Didur , among the vigorous plants at the trial garden.

The Best Field Trip Ever! Submitted by Leslie Jensen, Coordinator

I have always liked the saying “one hand to

give, one hand to receive”. Though Elkus is

not a human with hands, it certainly has heart

and soul, and is continually giving. Just about

every day of the year someone is receiving

from Elkus. From the tiniest tots visiting us

during preschool days to our senior citizens

who come to visit for an afternoon, we see a wide variety folks who are

happily spending time at Elkus. We hear over and over from students as

well as teachers and parents that, “this is the best field trip ever”. While

being on this beautiful ranch surrounded by the coastal foothills, enjoying

the gardens, and giving attention to the stars of the show, our farm animals,

our visitors learn about our natural surroundings, where food and clothing

fibers comes from, and how to help take care of this amazing planet we

call home.

So I am asking you ‘with one hand to give’ to please think of Elkus

Ranch. With the state of our economy budget cuts have been passed

down from the State to the University to Elkus. We are pulling the

purse strings even tighter, and trying very hard not to increase our fees

or lessen the amount of scholarships we are able to provide. Every little

bit helps. Your donation will be put to good use in helping us purchase

animal feed, provide transportation funds to low income schools,

purchase program supplies, and so much more. Information about

donating is on the last page. Thank you in advance for supporting Elkus.

Thank you to our most recent donors

Baywood Court Residents, Andy Cresci & Family in Memory of Kathy Cresci, Jill Harmon, Paul & Karen Meadow, Dana Moore, Wayne Ota, Terri Pacheco, and Debbie Utz. Elkus Ranch is a 501(C3) non-profit entity, donations are tax-deductible. Your donations help fund feed for the animals, sponsor scholarships for classrooms, and help us to improve our programs and ranch grounds. We appreciate all donations and no do-nation is too small. Thank you!

Please make all checks payable to: UC Regents and mail to :

RanchTalk 80 Stone Pine Road, #100 Half Moon Bay CA 94019 elkusranch@ucdavis.edu http://cesanmateo.ucdavis.edu

University of California, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex mental or physical handicap, or age in any of its programs or activities, or with respect to any of its employment policies, practices, or procedures. Nor does the University of California discriminate on the basis of ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, medical condition (as defined in Section 12926 of the California Government Code) or because individuals are special disabled veterans or Vietnam era veterans (as defined by the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974 and Section 12940 of the California government Code). Inquiries regarding this policy may be addressed to the Affirmative Action Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1111 Franklin St., 6th Floor, Oakland, California 94607-5200. (510) 987-0097.

Elkus Ranch Administration Office 80 Stone Pine Road, Suite 100

Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Phone: 650-712-3151 Fax: 650-712-3153

2011-12 Calendar

Elkus Ranch Wish List

4” plant pots Cardboard 1 doz. egg cartons Foam camping matts Children’s rain gear, Boots and coats

To donate online with a credit card please see our website for instructions: http://ucanr.org/sites/elkus_ranch/Donate/

Dec. 20,21, 2011 Winter Discovery Day camp

Dec. 24 to Jan 2, 2011 Closed for the holidays

March 14-16,2012 Spring preschool days

June 9, 2012 Sheep to Shawl

June 11-15, 2012 Discovery Day Camp session 1

June 17-22, 2012 Range Camp

June 25-29, 2012 Discovery Day Camp session 2

July 9-13, 2012 Discovery Day Camp session 3

July 23-27, 2012 Discovery Day Camp session 4

August 6-10, 2012 Discovery Day Camp session 5

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