Ventana Wildlife Society at Andrew Molera State Park

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Highway 1, 26 miles south of Carmel
Big Sur, CA 93920
831-620-0702

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Ventana Wildlife Society at Andrew Molera State Park Description

Best known for their work protecting and restoring the almost extinct California Condor, the Ventana Wildlife Society actually works to save 130 different threatened native species. The group's new discovery center at Andrew Molera State Park is one of the best, most kid-friendly environmental education programs at a state park. "It's not boring," as an 8-year-old boy crowed to his mother after seeing a film about the hatching and first flight of a baby condor. Even more exciting is the bird banding lab, where kids can watch VWS biologists show off songbirds.

Kid Tips

Toddlers & Pre-K: Little ones will be bored by this exhibit, which doesn't have many tot-oriented features.

School-Age Kids: Unless your kids are of the "I hate nature ... where's the mall?" variety, they'll love this hands-on center, and even if they do tend to be mall-rats, they might be captivated by the dramatic story of the condor, which is coming back from extinction thanks to the careful intervention of wildlife experts.

Pre-Teens & Teens: In the summer, teen condor wildnerness camps allow teens who are seriously interested in ecology and animals the chance to get actual field experience alongside professionals.

Planning Notes

Call ahead to check open times in winter.Big Sur gets very quiet in midwinter, and the VWS advises those wishing to visit the discovery center to call ahead and make sure it will be staffed.

Book ahead for special tours. The VWS offers some pretty amazing wildlife viewing tours, such as the California Condor Viewing Tour, which happens the second Sunday of every month, but they have to be booked ahead of time through the Salinas office.

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