BRENTWOOD -- This year, visitors to Los Vaqueros Reservoir will have more access to fishing activities and the chance to learn about everything from animal scat to nature safety.

Because of visitor feedback, Los Vaqueros has increased its offering of fishing events, including free, monthly fishing clinics at the marina. These new clinics will be held the first Saturday of each month and feature various topics including bait, trolling and knots.

"The staff at the marina are very experienced in lake fishing, so we are excited about that," said Contra Costa Water District spokesman Oliver Symonds. "A whole monthlong trout fishing derby will be held in April and culminate with a Family Fishing Day on April 30."

Another new program is "Scat! Poopology 101," where attendees can learn about animal scat. Naturalist Cat Taylor will lead this May 1 discovery hike for ages 7 and up and discuss what various scat looks like and what the animal that created it was eating.

Taylor is an expert at animal tracking and will host "Tracks! Tales of the Trail" on Feb. 27. Attendees, ages 10 and older, will be able to dig in the dirt to investigate animal footprints.

A third fascinating program for kids will be May 21's "Snakes Alive! Reptiles of Los Vaqueros" with reptiles and snakes that can be held by visitors. For several years, the watershed has held programs specifically for Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts and those will take place April 23 and May 14 respectively.


According to Symonds, a popular program for parents and children will be "The Art of Keeping Kids Safer in Nature" on June 4. Students will learn simple and practical tips.

"We want to increase and enhance the recreation opportunities, but we want it to be educational and safe," Symonds said. "We want to give kids the tools they need when they get lost or encounter a wild animal."

Many of 2016's events at Los Vaqueros started this month, including a winter family hike and a bird-watching boat tour. For the winter hike, Symonds said they examine the current change in seasons and what is growing with the recent rainfall.

"The boat tour is so popular that we hold two now because of the popularity. One is already full and the second one in February has only five spots left," he said.

The most popular activities there are the stargazing events. Last year, about 200 people attended a full lunar eclipse, he noted.

There will be a chance for stargazers to check out Mars in Opposition on May 22 and see a meteor shower May 6.

If you live in the water district boundaries, many of these programs are free. Only a $4 parking fee is charged at the gate.

For details on future events at Los Vaqueros, check out http://ccwater.com/activities.

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