PORTScast Calendar
Did PORTScasts just become your new favorite show?
Students will virtually visit MacKerricher State Park to explore the similarities and differences between humans and marine mammals, specifically the Harbor Seal! Students will observe and identify what crucial adaptations ensure seal survival in the cold Pacific waters of northern California. While we discuss Harbor Seals, we will talk about the MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area and how this Marine Protected Area (MPA) ensures the health and safety of these marvelous marine mammals.
Join a State Park Interpreter from Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park to hear about the incredible story of the Marbled Murrelet. This seabird spends the far majority of its life floating along the coastline, but for a brief moment of their life, they can be seen dashing through the tops of redwoods. Join to learn more about this bird. Ultimately, this program will expand your knowledge of the Marbled Murrelet and what you can do to help them succeed!
Mount Tamalpais State Park is well-known for its views above the famous San Francisco Bay Area Fog. Besides being scenic, this coastal fog is what enables California’s majestic coast redwood forests to survive. Join this PORTScast to learn about this fog, including how it is being affected by climate change and what you can do to help!
Travel back in time to 1850’s California with Flat Stanley, the children’s book character, to learn how people lived without modern technologies. It’s going to be a fun, interactive experience, and we can’t wait to share it with your class at William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park.
Explore and learn about the ancestral and modern life of the Chumash culture and people. Chumash descendants will share their cultural heritage, from traditional art and music to culinary practices and much more. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the speakers by asking questions, and gain a deeper appreciation for the resilience and contributions of the Chumash people both past and present. Join us for this enriching experience to celebrate and learn about the vibrant Chumash culture.
Join us on a 45-minute virtual field trip to Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) to learn about tidepool habitats and the incredible adaptations that tidepool animals use to survive harsh environments where land meets the sea! Students explore topics including habitats, tides, adaptations, food chains, and defense mechanisms. Students also learn about Marine Protected Areas and how they help protect these fascinating and fragile tidepool ecosystems.
This program is led by Indigenous voices and grounded in cultural respect. Stone Lagoon, located within Humboldt Lagoons State Park, is home to the first tribally operated visitor center on California’s North Coast. Through exhibits, stories, and cultural knowledge, you are invited to learn how Yurok People have always lived with this land—through the materials we use, the ways we create, and the teachings we carry forward today.
Dive in and uncover the wonders waiting beneath the waves! Discover the enchanting underwater world of Gaviota State Park. We invite you to explore the vibrant kelp forests teeming with fascinating marine life. Learn to identify various kelp species and the unique creatures that call these underwater gardens home.
In this program, students will be introduced to the wonders of the giant sequoia and learn all about their cool adaptations. We will walk around part of a giant sequoia grove and discuss the human impacts on these ancient trees and the mixed conifer forest as a whole.
Join us from the shores of San Elijo State Beach, part of a Marine Protected Area, for a special reading of A House for a Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. This story time brings the beach to you as we follow a little hermit crab’s journey to find the perfect home. Along the way, we’ll meet some of the real-life ocean neighbors that share this protected coastline and learn how Marine Protected Areas help ensure they have safe, healthy habitats to call home. It’s a heartwarming tale with a splash of marine science: perfect for curious young ocean explorers.
Colonel Allen Allensworth was a man of vision- a Minister, Educator, City Planner and leader of the Buffalo Soldiers. In the twilight of his life he began building his dream, the Allensworth Freedom Colony. This program will take a closer look at the architecture and history of this unique African American community in California’s Great Central Valley.
Join us at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park as we explore the history of the Coloma Valley before, during and after the Gold Discovery. During our program, we will take a walk through our park and learn how the discovery of gold changed California both culturally and environmentally.
Discover the hidden industries of early California near Livermore and Tracy. Explore the life of a coal miner in some of the first coal mines of CA and explore the life of a factory worker at what is now Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area. We will discuss company towns, risk and rewards of starting companies, and discrimination in the workplace. This program is for 3rd grade and above.
It’s monarch season! Come along and virtually explore Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove! We’ll learn all about monarch migration, their fascinating life cycle, and how YOU can help them! This program is best suited for 2nd through 7th grade audiences.
Explore the towering coast redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park in this virtual program and uncover the secret to their incredible height and longevity—water! Learn how these forest giants rely on fog, rain, and unique adaptations to thrive in their coastal and changing environment. Redwoods are more than just tree — they are living testaments to the power of adaptation and the magic of nature!
Dive deep into the fascinating lives of Northern Elephant Seals from Hearst San Simeon State Park! Watch these animals live from the largest mainland elephant seal rookery in the world while learning about the astounding adaptations that allow them to dive deep, migrate thousands of miles per year, go months without eating, and so much more.
Creeks. Streams. Estuaries. Oh my! Gaviota has it all. Come on out and explore the amazing biodiversity in the Gaviota Creek Watershed and our role in its preservation.
Unlock the mysteries of one of the world’s most fascinating organisms, the octopus! Join Park Interpreter Alex on the California coast for an engaging virtual field trip to Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area and discover the fascinating adaptations octopuses use for survival. Students will discover a variety of octopus species while learning about animal defense mechanisms, life cycles, adaptations, human impacts, and how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are helping these curious and mesmerizing marine invertebrates.
Join PORTS virtually for an accessible chair yoga session! Find peace and grounding from the comfort of your classroom or home. An opportunity to learn how to stretch the body and increase your flexibility with mindful movement. All you need is time and a chair to let all your stress drift out to sea.
Join California State Parks Interpreter Kat at MacKerricher State Park in reading the story book “The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson! Students will meet a snail riding on the tail of a whale through the ocean! One day the snail must save the whale, but she worries she may be too small for the job. Students will discuss how we can be like the snail by using small actions to make a big difference, especially in the lives of ocean animals!
It’s not only giants sequoias that need to survive all seasons at Calaveras Big Trees! Students will be introduced to giant sequoias and other living things that call this place home as well as their adaptations to handle the mountain weather. This program takes place inside our Visitor Center museum.
Join us on a 45-minute virtual field trip to Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) to learn about tidepool habitats and the incredible adaptations that tidepool animals use to survive harsh environments where land meets the sea! Students explore topics including habitats, tides, adaptations, food chains, and defense mechanisms. Students also learn about Marine Protected Areas and how they help protect these fascinating and fragile tidepool ecosystems.
Join a California State Parks Interpreter from Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park for a program on fire ecology. Learn about the history of fire as a management tool in Northern California, as well as the importance of fire to our unique coastal redwood ecosystem.
Join us for a special marine mammal program! We’ll discuss the most common marine mammal on Angel Island – the harbor seal. We’ll learn about the differences between seals and sea lions, what and where seal native habitat can be found, and how King Tides and sea-level rise impact harbor seal habitat. We’ll also learn about how humans can do their part to protect this adorable mammal. Teachers – make sure your students have space on the floor to wriggle and roll like a seal!
Join Interpreters Isabella and Ashley at Asilomar State Beach and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve to learn about the inspiring conservation stories of several animals that call Monterey Bay home. Explore how sea otters, whales, and abalone have made remarkable recoveries thanks to dedicated conservation efforts!