KEEP:Nature Sightings

KEEP Home

Ocean Home

A Day at KEEP Ocean

Facilities

Counselor Information

Student Information

Our Staff

Nature Sightings

Letters

Wish List

Policies and Procedures

Teacher Resource Guide

Merchandise

Scholarships

Driving Directions

Students with Special Needs

Menu

Contact Us

Dome Construction

Summer Camp

Nature Sightings

Garden Life List
On the south edge of the Dome sits KEEP Ocean's native plant garden. Naturalist, Steve Schubert, is the caretaker of this unique pocket of plants and visiting animals. Steve keeps a current list of all the animals that have been sighted in this small but active place.

naturesightingscrabseastar: - Our Fall school year started with mild weather. Although the students have not had to deal with much rain this school year we have had some very hot days and some very cold ones as well. Students from Buena Vista school were bundled up the whole time as temperatures plunged into the 30's. There were some cold toes in sleeping bags! Having dry weather is nice but we do need rain to get the hills green and flowers blooming.

On all the walks and around campus we have seen many wildlife sightings:

- At the KEEP campus Monarch Butterflies have made a reappearance and have decided to grace us with their presence this winter. Thousands of butterflies are around campus flying and clustering in the trees on cold nights. This winter the coyotes have been around campus and have been howling and yipping evidently trying to contribute to our campfire programs. In the fall several young Great Horned Owls were hanging out around campus vocalizing.

- In Morro Bay we have had regular sightings of Osprey preying and feeding upon fish. Now that the days are getting longer the Peregrine Falcons are starting to engage in courtship and soon will be laying eggs. We will be keeping our eyes open for new born Sea Otters as well, hopefully some lucky school this spring will see the first pup.

- On the Islay Creek walk last spring, students from Wallace and Huron school were treated to an amazing sight. They watched as two coyotes tried to seperate two Mule Deer fawns from their mothers. The hunt lasted for over 15 min. with the fawns vocalizing in panic as the does tried to drive the coyotes away with kicks from their front hooves. By the end it appeared the coyotes were going to go hungry that day.

- On our Dunes walk, the very low tides have revealed some awesome tidepools and tidepool creatures, including great looks at Octopus. The students watched as the octupus changed color and squirted ink as it tried to hide. The groups on the Dunes walk have also seen whales, whales, whales! One group had great looks at a Humpback Whale breaching just offshore.

- On Valencia Peak we have been getting regular sightings of many raptors such as migrating Coopers Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Also seen are White-tailed Kites, Red Tail Hawks, Northern Harriers, and hunting American Kestrels. It seems that since the new year our Gray Whale sightings have increased. From up on the mountain it is easy for the students to see the white plume of the whales breath against the bright blue of the ocean.

- On the Coves walk the students are also seeing the Gray Whales, but our good low tides have revealed some interesting intertidal life as well. Juvenile Red Crabs have been found with their elaborately stripped shells. Many Gumboot Chitons are being seen and and young Sculpins are swiming in all the pools, much to the delight of the Snowy Egrets that are seen there catching them.

All in all it's always exciting walking the trails at KEEP because we never know what new and interesting thing may pop up.

Engineering for this site provided by The office of Christine Lizardi Frazier. Technical questions should be directed to the KCSOS Web Team. Information on low-cost hosting and website design services, featuring Manila, for schools and non-profit organizations is available here. Report problems with this page here.