The Friends have initiated with the Huntington Beach Sister City committee a new international outreach program.  On July 2, 2008 the Friends hosted their first Environmental Day for the high school exchange students from Sister Cities Anjo, Japan and Waitakere New Zealand together with their Huntington Beach counterparts.  The program included a visit to the Bolsa Chica wetlands complex which the Amigos de Bolsa Chica facilitated.

As part of the program at the Center, docent Dr. Louann Murray brought her Native American ‘Story Stick’ to enhance her talk about the very first settlers on lands that are now Shipley Nature Center.  These Native Americans are known as the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples.  The students were shown the Center’s own Native American dwelling, a Kiicha, which was made from Willow branches, cattails and tules growing in the Center.  As the students toured through the different habitats found at Shipley, they were able to see the dense Willow Wetland, pond and creek areas that would have been ideal for Native American dwelling sites.  The fact that the land that is now Shipley Nature Center was contiguous to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands complex further enhanced the site as living space.

Friends of Shipley Nature Center hosted all participants for lunch ‘on the green’ under the shade trees right outside of Shipley’s Gate 3.  It was a great time for getting everyone together, giving some memento gifts, and inaugurating what promises to be an exciting adventure in our outreach program.

A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words

Students posing with the Native American "Story Stick"

All participating students