Science, adventure and fun at the coast’s annual Scavenger Hunt

While much of the rest of the country shivered under a layer of snow and felt the bite of lingering late-winter winds this March, out here on the Coast, we have miles of beaches to explore, an infinite variety of sea creatures to inspire our curiosity, and enough sun to tempt us to step out of our homes and revel in nature.

And, once again, it’s the perfect time to observe the Gray Whale migration.

That was the case for those who seized the opportunity to participate in the Noyo Center’s threeweek, whale-focused annual Scavenger Hunt, including some very adventurous individuals, a few family “pods” and other teams, including school classes and individual students.

Celebrating the return of the whales from their winter breeding and birthing sojourn off the coast of Mexico, participants competed to track down the answers to a range of challenging questions about our coast and its marine inhabitants. While no one was required to answer all the questions (though a few did!) the fun came from testing oneself on what one already knew versus learning about new and intriguing facts gleaned from books or the internet or — even better — by tracking down the answers at the several destinations included in the hunt.

Successful completion of the hunt required a thorough exploration of our coast, from the newly-opened trail along the Ten Mile River down to the little known Navarro Point Preserve, with stops at MacKerricher, the South Coastal Trail, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the Mendocino Headlands, Point Cabrillo and Van Damme State Park along the way.

Answering most of the questions and visiting all of the locations was challenging and required a bit of walking, but for those who completed all or even part of the hunt, every stop was a delight and an adventure. With

the whales at Point Cabrillo, the seals at MacKerricher, fish and ferns at Van Damme, and flowers and fungi at the Botanical Gardens — each site unfolded a bit of its mystery to each visitor.

How many people know the history of the Whale Festival and the Mendocino Whale Wars? Thanks to an outdoor exhibit at the Kelley House, this hunt covered it all. Even those who have lived here for a while and thought we had seen it all quickly realized that we were wrong.

On the North Coast, there’s always something new!

The Noyo Science Center’s Scavenger Hunt is about science and adventure, learning something new, deepening our appreciation for nature’s bounties on our coast, and also about fun and creativity. Bonus points were awarded for best photos in a variety of categories.

We think it’s fair to conclude that all of the participants had fun. In the words of Donna Medley, who won the first place prize with her “Pickleballers” winning team, “Thanks for a wonderfully fun adventure and all you do throughout the year. So many reasons to be grateful for living on the coast.”

The Scavenger Hunt winners are:

• First place: Team Pickleballers

• Second place: Janferie and Sphyra Stone

• Third place: Julia Wall The following children were also awarded Youth Participation prizes:

• Lincoln and Lillian Ballentine

• Taz and Leo Donley

• The Burkhardts

• Jaden Hill

And the Bonus Photo Winners are:

• Best Overall Photo: Team Pickleballers (Donna Medley)

• Best Beach Art: Julia Wall for “Abalone Whale”

• Honorable Mention Beach Art: Olive Niko Bell Smith for “Mr. Sea Otter”

• Best Tide Pool Creature: Team Pickleballers (Donna Medley)

• Best Beach Happy: Olive Niko Bell Smith for “Mr. Sea Otter”

• Best Whale Watching: “Wildflower Orangutan”

• Rock Honorable Mention: Janferie and Sphyra Stone

The Noyo Center organizers would like to acknowledge the generous support of The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (which gave free admission to contest participants) and the Kelley House Museum, and to Liquid Fusion Kayaking and Cafe Beaujolais for joining as event sponsors. The Noyo Center would also like to thank Kayak Mendocino, Telstar Charters, Frankie’s Pizza and Ice Cream and Compass Rose Leather for providing valuable prizes.

March was a good month for the Noyo Center — not only did it organize a successful scavenger hunt, it also hosted a series of wellattended whale talks by eminent researchers via Zoom. The Noyo Center also nearly doubled the number of its sustaining members during its recent winter membership campaign. The Noyo Center looks forward to welcoming you back to the Discovery Center and Crow’s Nest in the near future, with new exhibits and activities to enjoy.

Check the Noyo Center’s website at noyocenter.org for information on memberships and upcoming events.

Peter O’Donohue is on the board of the Noyo Center for Marine Science.