OAKHURST — Bobcats, mountain lions and black bears are just a few of the wild animals prominent in the Yosemite National Park and the surrounding foothill communities that Park Ranger Alejandra (Ale) Guzman will discuss in a workshop scheduled at the Oakhurst Branch Library from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29, 2017.
Guzman says participants will learn about different wildlife habitats, their adaptations, physiology and behaviors as well as how these animals have adapted to foothill conditions.
“Each species lives a different story depending on the land they inhabit,” she explained.
Guzman will instruct her audience about how to stay safe while surrounded by wildlife and she will bring objects such as animal skins and skulls to demonstrate her subject.
Besides bobcats, mountain lions and black bears, Guzman will also discuss raccoons, mule deer, red fox, coyotes, gray squirrels, Pacific fishers, skunks and weasels.
“These are the mammals most common in Yosemite and the foothills,” she explained.
Guzman is a member of Yosemite’s Education Team and one of the coordinators for the Yosemite Leadership Program Summer Internship. She also works with “Parks as Classrooms,” an educational ranger program for school groups from kindergarten through college.
Guzman began working in Yosemite as an intern in 2012. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she was hired there as a park ranger where she has worked for more than a year.
Guzman said a highlight of her working career thus far has been meeting former President Barack Obama and his family when they visited the park last year.
The free presentation is sponsored by the Friends of the Oakhurst Branch Library (FOBL). The workshop will be held in the library’s Community Room located at 49044 Civic Circle Drive. For more information, call the library at (559) 683-4838 or visit www.oakhurstfobl.com.
