Back to All Events

Field Trip: Members Only! First Day of Fall - Beginner’s Bird and Plant Identification Walk at Lake Cunningham Park

  • 37.335000, -121.810047 (map)

NEW! To help more people have a chance at getting a spot on our very popular field trips, please limit your sign-ups to 2 trips per month.

Before signing up for this trip, please take a moment to read our trip policies and view our liability waiver.

Green Heron by Sarah Chan

First Day of Fall - Beginner’s Bird and Plant Identification Walk at Lake Cunningham Park

Joint event with California Native Plant Society and Open Space Authority

Do you love being outdoors? Do you want to deepen your appreciation of nature by learning the names of birds and plants around you? Join us on September 25 when we resume our First Day of the Season beginner’s bird and plant identification walks through Lake Cunningham Park. Lake Cunningham is a major destination for waterfowl and migratory birds, and its native garden is home for many resident and migratory birds for its habitat value. On this walk, Vicki Silvas-Young will show you how to identify the common birds of our area and Arvind Kumar will identify the native plants they depend on for food, shelter, and nesting places.

Trip Difficulty: The distance is 4 miles round trip on a level path in your comfortable walking shoes.

Other Trip Notes: Bring a hat, water, and binoculars. A few days before the trip a "Parking Ticket Machine 101" email will be sent out to help you negotiate the complexities of parking at the park.

Leaders: Vicki Silvas-Young (408) 807-6993 and Arvind Kumar (California Native Plant Society)

Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly Ages 10 and up, Wheelchair Accessible

Meet: Marina parking lot

Directions: The park is located at 2305 S. White Road, San Jose. Meet at the Marina parking lot. The Marina is on the western shore of the lake, next to Raging Waters, at the opposite end of the park from the main entrance on White Road. In Google maps, search for "Lake Cunningham Marina" to be directed to the Marina. Latitude/Longitude: 37.335000, -121.810047

Facilities: Bathrooms are available and there is good cell phone service. Please bring your own water.

Parking Type and Fees: Paved parking lot, parking fee is $6.

Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvas.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.

Later Event: September 25
SCVAS at The Tech