U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
 
Print Page

News.bytes 
News.bytes Extra, issue 472

California Coastal National Monument Celebrates 'A Whale of a Day'

It was a picture perfect day in Rancho Palos Verdes as the sun shone brightly on the festivities of the 27th annual "Whale of a Day." Co-sponsored by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes (a California Coastal National Monument Collaborative Partner) and the docents of Los Serenos de Point Vicente, “Whale of a Day” is an annual festival celebrating the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale -- from the winter breeding and calving grounds in Baja California to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chuchki Seas in Alaska. This year's event was held Saturday, March 5 at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. Although no whales were spotted that day, the enthusiasm was no less rampant as thousands of visitors descended upon the outdoor booths and imaginative activities offered by several dozen exhibitors. (text continues below)

a boy with a painted face plays with the plastic sea creatures at a booth

At the California Coastal National Monument booth, a steady stream of visitors waited patiently to make either a CCNM environmental button or to decorate a bookmark with a variety of sea life-related rubber stamps.  On the front side of the exhibit, kids commandeered plastic crabs, starfish and other creatures on top of a tide pool tablecloth while studying them under magnifying lenses. Two different CCNM brochures were distributed and information regarding the CCNM and BLM was discussed with a large number of visitors.

CCNM representatives at the exhibit were Barbara Croonquist , Elizabeth Traub and Stacy Allen from the California Desert District Office, and Chuck Robbins from the Palm Springs  Field Office and his daughter, Page Robbins, a BLM volunteer.

a girl peeks over the edge of a table at plastic sea creatures
another visitor at the booth
even adults could paint their faces and were sealife caps
visitors and hosts at the booth

All BLM employees representing the California Coastal National Monument unanimously report that they had a “whale of a good time” interacting with the public. From the smiles on the visitors’ faces, we know they had a great time too!

- Barbara Croonquist, BLM California Desert District, 3/8/11

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 472 
----> To subscribe to News.bytes, send an e-mail to: mailto:Join-Newsbytes@List.ca.blm.gov OR visit our News.bytes subscription page.

 
Last updated: 03-16-2011