Orange County Branch Newsletter

May/June 2016

Younger Member Forum

YMF - YMF and Sustainability Committee Joint Hike

By: Roxanne Follis

The day after a May rainstorm turned out to be a beautiful and sunny day in Orange County, which made perfect hiking conditions. OC YMF and the Sustainability Committee hosted a joint hike at Santiago Oaks Regional Park on Saturday, May 7^th. Santiago Oaks Regional Park is a small hidden forest in the city of Orange.  The event brought over 20 attendees that included younger members, new members, parents, and children. The morning started off with a tour of the park’s nature center where they learned about local plants and wildlife. Following the tour, an OC Parks volunteer ranger, Jeff, gave a presentation on the history of the OC Parks system and the Santiago Oaks Regional Park. After the presentation, another park ranger, Shelly, led the group on short hike through the park. During the hike, the group saw the historic dam and the Villa Park Dam. There was something for people of all ages to enjoy. After the hike, the group enjoyed a small lunch in the park’s shady picnic area. Several attendees stated that it was their first time at the park and were interested in returning to further explore the park.

OC YMF and Sustainability Committee would like to thank OC Parks for inviting us to their parks and being gracious hosts.