Coastal Transit to Trails: Leo Carrillo State Beach Intertidal Zones, Thriving Between Land and Ocean

Meet up location: KYCC Wilton Site at 8:30am (inside the front lobby area after entering through the front entrance), please arrive on time.

Upon arrival, CNC staff and KYCC staff will check-in folks and have guardians sign waivers. Once everyone is gathered, we will dive into an ice breaker. We will then board our bus and make our way to Leo Carrillo State Beach, which will take about 2 hours (traffic pending).

The bus will drop us off at Leo Carrillo State Beach parking lot, where we will then stroll over to Leo Carrillo State Beach coastal area. We will walk under a bridge, mostly made up of a concrete path with slight residue of sand build up. Once we pass the bridge we will allocate time for restroom breaks, given the limited access (portal potty style) on site. After our bathroom break, we will set up our belongings near the beach.

Zee Zetino, CNC Program Coordinator will welcome us to the site: its history and importance. KYCC staff will then lead a team builder activity that will consist of building key communication with peers. After our team builder, we will have lunch on the beach. Please bring a blanket and/or towel to sit on while we have lunch on the sand. Once we are done with lunch, Zee will lead a tide pooling program where we will learn how the intertidal zone provides a rich coastal ecosystem that hosts a diverse population of species well adapted for constant change. If low tides allow, we may be able to explore the tide pools of Leo Carrillo State Beach. Please note rocks in the tidepool area are slippery, so in order to have a joyful experience, we recommend bringing shoes that are comfortable and okay to get wet. Once we learn about tide pools, we will transition to the sand where everyone will receive a 11x17 clipboard and get the chance to dive into an art activity to create our very own tide pool organism using air dry clay. Once we show off what we created, we will clean up and start heading back to Leo Carrillo State Beach's parking lot to head back to KYCC Wilton Site.

We expect Leo Carrillo State Beach to have considerable cloudiness with a high temperature at 61° and low temperatures at 50° as the day gets cooler (subject to change), so layer up with thin layers that can easily be added or removed (think of layers like an onion!). We will spend 8:30am-5:30pm (9 hours) together so make sure to bring enough water, a nice filling lunch, backpack to carry your belongings, a blanket/towel to sit on, and curiosity for the ocean. Please make sure to arrive at the KYCC Wilton site on time (5-10 mins early) because the bus will not wait; and in honor of people's time, we would love to follow our schedule accordingly.

When registering for this event, make sure to add your correct email and phone number, so that you can receive more details of what to expect on our trip and any recent program changes. Please use the coupon code that was provided to register for our trip!

Reminders: We will be strolling through the beach after being dropped off at Leo Carrillo State Beach parking lot, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes. If the tide pools are low, keep in mind that your shoes might get wet and sandy. We are expecting the day to be mostly sunny, so bring proper attire and/or products to protect your skin. Although we are visiting the beach, CNC staff will not take responsibility for anyone swimming in the water. As a way to prepare, we are asking guardians to share this information with the youth in preparation for our visit.

If you need any access needs (ways that we can help you have a safe and enjoyable experience) to make your trip as comfortable as possible or need to communicate with CNC staff about our Transit to Trails, please reach out to our Program Coordinator Zee Zetino, zee@communitynatureconnection.org AND ttt@communitynatureconnection.org.

Please familiarize yourself with the following: 

Covid Guidelines 

Wavier & Photo Release Form