Cheesboro( Andrew Salg)

Reviewed by: Andrew Salg, Health teacher

Location: Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons

5792 Chesebro Rd Agoura, CA 91301 United States

Description:

Cheesboro/ Palo Camado Cayons is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area of California. The area is easy to access once turning off the west 101, and turning before entering old Agoura Hills. The area is host to various trail races and some filming locations. The trail are easy to moderate depending on the path that is chosen. Most trail heads are less than one mile away from one another, and offers a wide variety of flora and fauna to observe at different times of the day. The trails are well maintained and easily marked to make sure no one steps off the trail. There is an upper and lower parking lot along with trash bins, recycling bins, a information trailer and a restroom before the trail. There is an area to fill up water, but once on the trail there are no facilities. The site ranges to open spaces, slightly forested areas and low, dense shrub areas. An important issue to note is that the trail is used by various people and animals: hikers, bikers, horse riders, and runners.

Audience:

Who should be taking this type of field trip is biology, environmental, and general science teachers. There are other students and teachers who can visit this site, but this is the main demographic. The reason is because the teaching about ecosystems and teaching about how the drought has effected local areas.

• Students would benefit greatly because most students get exposed to a different area than they are used to. Some students may have never seen animals such as coyotes, rabbits, and deer in the wild. The experience also gives the students time to understand how our valleys looked before they were developed into the neighborhoods we live in now.

• Teachers also benefit from the trip in being able to show students what was taught and show a physical example in a natural environment. A teacher can also use moments to reinforce concepts of conservation by showing why picking up trash and waste helps keep these places clean.

Science Concepts Addressed

• Ecosystems: How environments change over time, and how those effects may change the landscape, animal population, plant population, and how human decisions can change these ecosystems.

• Food Chain: The mountain lion is the apex predator in this environment, but there are many others that are scavangers (coyotes and vultures). Other animals feed off plants or other animals like bugs.

• Pumps: At Sulpur Springs an old pump used to extract oil from the ground is preserved to show students how areas in Southern California held oil at one point in time.

• Drought: Some of the plants have managed to survive and thrive, while others are still alive the lack of water has caused the plants to burn up do to lack of water.

• Parasitic Species: The bark beetle is present in this area, and can be seen in dead trees by look at small holes found on the trunk of various trees.

Study Guide: