Eaton Canyon Nature Center in California Pasadena Essay

Eaton Canyon Nature Center in California Pasadena - Essay Example Fascinating displays, live animals, offices, classrooms, an auditorium, restrooms, and an information desk/gift shop at the entrance Tourists can purchase shirts, hats, post cards, rock samples, books, hand and finger puppets, hummingbird feeders, and much more. The Mt. Wilson Toll Road and a bridge across the canyon were built for hikers and bicyclists. There are horse stables at the base of the Eaton Canyon Natural Area Nature Center, Natural Park is like a spectrum of lush green foliage through which cuts the gurgling Eaton Canyon Stream located at the base of Mt. Wilson. Although Mount Wilson is over 5,700 feet high, there is a large group of mountain peaks, which rise to more than 9,000 feet, including Mount Baldy and Mount Baden-Powell. The beautiful San Gabriel Mountains are having are having a rugged steep slopes, ridges and deep canyons. There are five miles of nature trails, an equestrian trail, creeks and a waterfall. Some of the rock types found at this place has been dated at well over two billion years old. Thanks to Kate Lain for her research a lot of history is known now about the place. Eaton Canyon originally called "El Precipicio" by the Spanish settlers because of its steep gorges; it is now named after Judge Benjamin Eaton, who built the first Fair Oaks Ranch House in 1865 not far from Eaton Creek. Judge Eaton was the first to use irrigation from the creek to grow grapes on the slopes. In the year1912, summer cabin sites in the Angeles National Forest are made available for lease to the public; later cabins are built on the Eaton Canyon Tract in upper Eaton Canyon .The Canyon was nearly completely burned in the 1993 fire. Afterward, the vegetation in the Canyon was seeded again. Biotic communities Botanically, Eaton Canyon is interesting natural place and imbibes very lush and has beautiful displays of local flora and fauna. It is naturally rich in plants due to thePage 3 usually abundant water and wide wash. The vegetation in the canyon depends on the low water flows and groundwater. There are more than fifty species of plants and wide variety of animals in the canyon. Poison oak is one of the more common plants in the park. Numerous reptiles, amphibians and fish are found in the park. Twenty types of mammals, including mule deer, bobcats, coyote, fox and mountain lion, over one hundred fifty species of birds, including hawks, vultures, owls, heron, pelican and eagles are in this natural park. Some birds and lizards hide in underground burrows, under rocks, in trees, are fairly easy to spot by the visitors. This flora are also scattered outside the planted areas of Eaton Canyon, which includes the area around the Nature Center. Most taxas are found in Lower Eaton Canyon, from Eaton Canyon Park north to