If you’ve strolled through Sycamore Grove Park, you may have heard it before you saw it: waka-waka-waka!, check! check!, and the occasional squeaky wee-urr. That lively soundtrack belongs to one of our park’s most charismatic residents: the Acorn Woodpecker. 

When I walk through the park during this time of year, it feels like my senses are working overtime--the vibrant colors of the wildflowers, wind blowing through the sycamore leaves and all the birds chirping in the trees swirl all around. Woodpeckers cackle, crows caw, and red-shouldered hawks call out with their hoarse screams. As these sights and sounds blend, Sycamore Grove exudes a tranquil…

Like the poppy, I, too, was born and raised in California. We both enjoy the outdoors. The poppy is bright and colorful; I, not so much. As spring is upon us, poppies are found everywhere: along our Sycamore Grove trails, on hillsides and in the native garden.

1) Binoculars - observe wildlife in the park & enjoy the vistas

As winter loosens its grip on Northern California, hillsides begin to shift from muted greens to bursts of violet, pink, and silver. Among the most recognizable and ecologically fascinating spring wildflowers are lupines and shooting stars — two plants that reveal just how strategic wildflowers must be to survive in California’s climate.