Volunteering at the Alviso Adobe

If you've never been to the Alviso Adobe Community Park, you're missing out on a real nature opportunity! Located on the site of the old Meadowlark Dairy (where the actual dairy itself was located, not the drive-thru) and the restored Alviso Adobe building, this interpretive nature center is run by the City of Pleasanton's naturalist, Eric Nicholas. For more information about the park, visit the website here.

Eric Nicholas puts on day classes and presentations throughout the year, as well as present to elementary schools about the Ohlone Indians and the natural world. Most events at the Alviso cost money, somewhere around $10 each depending on the event. They're interesting and full of information about nature and history.

To find out more about activities offered at the park, check out the Winter/Spring 2010 Activities Guide. You should have receieved a copy in the mail, but if not, there's a digital copy found here. Hit Ctrl + F to search "Eric Nicholas." You can search through the classes he offers. Two that I am attending are "Prehistoric Art" on February 20 and "Tools from the Ancient World" on March 27. There's a registration page at the end of the guide that you can print, fill out and turn in with your fee to the Parks and Rec department. Additional information can be found in the guide. While many of the opportunities at the park cost money, there's one that certainly doesn't: volunteering! There's always opportunities to garden or help Eric with something for a class, etc. For example:

Garden Chores
All ages
Come up to the Alviso Adobe Community Park and lend a helping hand. It’s a new park, with new plants, and that means new chores. Be a steward of the land as we plant, water and weed the garden. Native plants help native animals find food and shelter, so stop by and sift the soil through your fingers . . . it’ll be good for your soul. Please call (925) 931-3483 to book a time to volunteer.
Saturdays Weekly, Year-round 10:00-11:00am Free!
Alviso Adobe Community Park Instructor: Eric Nicholas

And if you need service hours or want to help in other ways, you can email volunteers@museumonmain.org and let them know you're interested in helping out at the Alviso Adobe.

I was thinking it would be a great club project to plan a Saturday to go up there and volunteer in the garden. I will arrange with Eric when that would be best. Please email me if you're interested in attending so I can let him know how many people to plan for. Also let me know which Saturdays in the coming weeks you would not be able to attend. We would be volunteering from 10-11 A.M.

For more about the park and its events, check out these links:

- Alviso Adobe Community Park (Wikipedia)

- Autumn leaves and graveyard stories (a post from my blog in which I mention an activity I participated in at the park)

- Native plant uses class (a detailed account of a class I attended at the park)

- Observing Ridge Runners (a post about the summer camp Eric Nicholas runs and for which I wrote an article)

A historic dairy display inside the recreated dairy building.

A nature display of skins and tools that may be used during a presentation about the Ohlone Indians.

A feather and ink calligraphy activity at the grand opening of the Alviso Adobe Community Park on October 24, 2008. (Pictured on right: Kelsey, an 8th grader at HPMS. She will probably join E-Club next year as a freshman. Check out her animal blog here.)