Happy New Year! Rancho Los Alamitos has lots of exciting things in store for 2020. Take a look at the January offerings below and remember you can always visit us, research with us, and tour with us.
Plan your Visit: Public Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. More Information >
Research: Access to the archives and research library is by appointment with curator, Sarah Wolk FitzGerald. More Information >
Tours:
- Adobe house tours are available during public hours. Free.
- Garden tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting, or by request. Free.
- Spanish language tours are available on the 4th Sunday of the month or by request. Free.
- Living history tours are available during public hours by chance or by request. Free.
- Special Rancho Adventure tours are offered for school and youth groups for $5/person. More Information >
Featured January Events
Creation Station
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 12 – 4 pm
Get creative with history! Using a wide variety of colorful materials, children can experiment with natural materials to create seasonal arts and crafts. This drop-in program takes place rain or shine. January’s theme, Winter Wonders, celebrates the season. January’s crafts are clothespin snowman puppets, snowflake decorations, and woven bookmarks.
Gardening Lecture
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | 1 – 4 pm
For the first time ever, Rancho Los Cerritos will be hosting a lecture series from the Theodore Payne Foundation.
The Power of Plants: Growing a Sustainable Future & Right Plant, Right Place
Instructor: Erin Johnson
This lecture illustrates the beauty and ecological benefits of California’s native wildflowers and plants. Discover the diversity of California’s native flora and how its use in urban landscapes reduces pesticides, conserves water, and transforms sterile spaces into thriving habitats that support birds, butterflies, pollinators, and the well-being of all our communities.
Knowing native habitats can help you choose the right plants for your place. This course discusses local plant communities and their conditions, as well as how to assess the conditions of your garden site, including climate, soil, sunlight and space. A valuable class for beginners and the prerequisite for Theodore Payne Foundation’s Three-Part Native Garden Design Course.
Tickets are $35 per person and $25 per member (both members of the Theodore Payne Foundation and Rancho Los Cerritos can enjoy this discount).
Volunteer Opportunities
Open House
Friday, January 24, 2020 | 10 – 11:30 am
Learn about our upcoming volunteer opportunities! Volunteering at RLC is a great way to learn about Long Beach history. Volunteer opportunities include greeting visitors, leading tours, gardening, helping out at special events, working behind the scenes, and representing RLC in the larger community. Use the link below, email Rancho@RanchoLosCerritos.org, or call (562) 206-2040, to RSVP.
Recurring January Events
Storytime
Weekly Tuesdays | January 7, 14, 21, 28 | 9:30 – 10 am
Please join us for Storytime in the RLC library every Tuesday at 9:30 am. No RSVP necessary. Rain or shine. FREE.
Bird Walk
Monthly 2nd Thursdays | Next Event January 9 | 8 – 9:30 am
Stroll through the historic grounds of RLC and watch both resident birds and seasonal migrants. Participants will also listen to calls and songs and potentially observe other specific seasonal behaviors. Meet in the lower parking lot at 8 a.m. sharp. Wear comfortable shoes and bring binoculars, if you have them. We also have a limited number of binoculars to lend, thanks to the generosity of Vortex Optics. Rain cancels. FREE.
Garden Tours
Weekly Saturdays and Sundays | January 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 | 1 – 5 pm
Discover RLC’s many garden “rooms” and how families that lived here used them. To take a garden tour check-in with the docent at the Visitor Center. Tours last approximately one hour. Weather permitting. FREE.
This article was released by Rancho Los Cerritos.