By NED MACKAY
East Bay Regional Parks District
Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 12, and several East Bay Regional Parks will observe it with programs celebrating moms, both human and animal.
At Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda, naturalist Michael Charnofsky will lead a program from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Mother’s Day. It’s a walk around the cove and pond in search of baby ducks, geese and other animals being cared for by their mothers and fathers. The program ends with a motherly craft you can take home.
Crab Cove is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Central Avenue. There’s a $5 parking fee in the small lot when the kiosk is attended. Crab Cove programs are generally free of charge. For information, call 510-544-3187.
“Marvelous Moms” is the theme of a program from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 12 at Sunol Regional Wilderness, led by naturalist Ashley Adams. Meet at the visitor center for a three-mile, family-friendly hike through the park’s hills in search of nature’s mothers.
Sunol Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road, about five miles south of I-680 and the town of Sunol. There’s a $5 parking fee; the program is free. Call 510-544-3249.
It’s Mother’s Day on the Farm from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 12 at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont.
Create a gift sachet or flower crown, enjoy live music, play a game of croquet or bocce, treat Mom to a buffet brunch. Advance reservations are required for the brunch. Go to https://www.ardenwoodevents.com/mothers-day. Or purchase food from the farm café.
Ardenwood is at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, just off Highway 84. Call 510-544-2797.
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch will offer Mother’s Day one-hour mine tours on Sunday, May 12.
Tours will start hourly, 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis at the Greathouse Visitor Center. The fee is $5 per person, parent participation is required, and children must be age seven or older for safety reasons.
The tour takes you about a quarter-mile underground through a former silica sand mine, with stops along the way to view artifacts from the mining days and evidence of ancient geology.
Aboveground, the wildflower displays are beautiful at Black Diamond Mines and there are miles of trails to explore.
The park is located at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. Call 888-327-2757, ext. 2750.
At Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, there’s a Mother’s Day film fest on Sunday, May 12.
Drop in any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to see wildlife footage taken by the park’s trail cameras, revealing hidden lives of some rarely seen animals.
Big Break is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street (Highway 4). For information, call 888 327-2757, ext. 3050.
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Naturalist Kevin Dixon continues his series of walks in search of butterflies in their summer habitat, with a program from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11 at Diablo Foothills Regional Park in Walnut Creek.
The hike will cover a moderate distance, with some steeper terrain. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Meet Kevin at the park’s Orchard Staging Area. It’s on Castle Rock Road about a mile past Northgate High School. For information call 510-544-2750.
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At Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley, naturalist “Trail Gail” Broesder plans a series of easy exploratory hikes to enjoy the beauty of the natural world.
The hikes are all from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sundays, May 12, 19 and 26. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Meet Gail at the Environmental Education Center, which is at the north end of Tilden’s Central Park Drive, next to the Little Farm. Call 510-544-2233.
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There are lots of other fun activities scheduled in the regional parks for Mother’s Day and beyond. For full information, check out the website, www.ebparks.org.
