Lake County >> Anderson Marsh State Historic Park remains open and continues to hold monthly guided nature walks followed by a tour of the historic ranch house museum. The final guided walk of 2015 is scheduled for Saturday.
Meet in front of the ranch house at 8:15 a.m. for time to experience the early morning wildlife to be found in the ranch house and barn complex yard — the walk begins at 8:30 a.m.
Join park docents Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein as they lead a leisurely walk to discover what fall continues to bring to the park. The walk will begin on the Cache Creek Nature Trail, pausing at the deck on Cache Creek at the end of the Cache Creek trail boardwalk.
Assuming the ground is dry enough, the guided walk will continue across the grasslands of Anderson Flats, through the marsh and oak woodland habitats of the Marsh and Ridge trails, and end back at the ranch house. The entire walk should take two to two and a half hours. A ranch house tour will follow the walk. If rain cancels the walk the ranch tour will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Bring your binoculars. This time of year, many resident mammals and birds are attracted to the park because of the abundance of wild blackberries, grapes, rose hips and mistletoe berries available for food. Fall also brings many migrating birds to the park, some to eat the autumn fruits and some to rest in the waters of Cache Creek and Anderson Marsh, or in the nearby trees. Phainopepla have returned for the mistletoe berries, there have been sightings of wintering eared grebes on the water and the white tailed kites have returned to the grasslands.
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is located on Highway 53, between Lower Lake and Clearlake. For more information about the walks, email info@andersonmarsh.org or call (707) 995-2658. More information about Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association can be found at www.andersonmarsh.org.
