by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
Piedras Blancas Light StationJunior Explorer |
Junior Explorer Activity Book for Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area (NA) part of the California Coastal National Monument (NM) in California. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
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Piedras Blancas Light Station
Bureau of Land Management
Junior Explorer
In this activity booklet you will read about the history
of Piedras Blancas Light Station and about the plants
and animals that live on or near the light station.
Your name________________
Date of visit______________
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a federal
government agency that takes care of more than 245
million acres of land. These lands are public land and
belong to all Americans.
What is the difference between a
lighthouse and a light station?
The lighthouse is the
structure with the light
on top.
The light station is
all the buildings:
house, sheds, fog
signal, oil house,
barn, and
lighthouse.
1
Lighthouse
Daymarks
Lighthouses
have different
shapes and
colors so
sailors can tell
them apart.
These
differences are
called
“daymarks”.
What were the
daymarks of
the Piedras
Blancas
Lighthouse, as
seen in this
photo?
Answer: It was cone-shaped and painted white
with black trim.
2
Lighthouse
Light
At night sailors
were guided
by the flashing
light of lighthouses.
The flash was
produced by a
rotating lens.
Every lighthouse
had a different
flash pattern called
the light
characteristic.
What was the light
characteristic
produced by the
Piedras Blancas
lens seen here?
Answer: There was a double flash
…flash, flash, darkness…
flash, flash, darkness.
3
1. In early
years a
whistle
created a
high pitched
sound
“EEEEEE”
2. Later,
foghorns
created
low pitched
sound
“BEEE-OHH”
What sound could be heard the farthest,
a high or a low sound?
Answer: 2. A low sound.
Fog Signal Building
Sound
When it was foggy a sound signal
was used to guide the sailors.
4
Marine mammals eat their food in
different ways.
Seals have pointed teeth for grabbing.
Sea otters have flat molars for grinding.
Some whales have baleen to strain food.
Whose teeth are these, seal or sea otter?
A
B
Which animal has baleen?
C
Answer: A-seal, B-sea otter, C-whale
5
Watch room
Marine Mammals
Watch Room
Harbor Seal and Sea Lion
A
B
Harbor seals have spotted fur, short flippers
and no external ear flap.
Sea lions have solid colored fur, large front
flippers, and a small external ear flap.
In the above photos, which is a harbor seal
and which is a sea lion?
Answer: A-harbor seal, B-sea lion
6
1. What does “Piedra Blanca” mean?
2. What makes it white?
Answer: 1-white rock, 2-bird droppings
Look for these birds on or near Piedra Blanca.
brown
pelican
western gull
7
Brandt’s
cormorant
West Overlook
Piedra Blanca
Look for these plants...
seaside woolly
yarrow
seaside
poppy
tree
lupine
dune
buckwheat
hedge
nettle
seaside
daisy
Also look for these animal tracks……..
8
brush rabbitt
...and animals along the trail.
yellow-faced
bumble bee
western blue
butterfly
white crowned
sparrow
California
ground squirrel
western fence
lizard
brush
rabbit
coyote
raccoon
9
bobcat
What kind of whale did the bones on
display come from?
Answer: humpback
What kind of whale calf is counted at
Piedras Blancas Light Station?
Answer: gray whale
South Overlook
Whales
10
Sea otters help kelp forests by eating animals
that eat kelp.
Which animal below eats kelp forests?
A. sea urchin
B. sea star
Answer: A. sea urchin
11
Boardwalk
Sea Otter
Boardwalk
Elephant Seal
Do elephant seals spend most of their lives on
land or at sea?
Answer: at sea
What do elephant seals do on land?
A. Rest
B. Give birth
C. Molt (shed the outer layer of skin and fur)
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
12
Historic District
Life at the Light Station
Which of the following made life at the Piedras
Blancas Light Station difficult?
A. Strong winds
B. Not enough water
C. Isolation
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Would you liked to have lived at the Piedras
Blancas Light Station? Why or why not?
13
For later
Unscramble words
______________________
gfo gnsila dlibgiun
________________________
ihlgtuesoh ekerep
_______________________
risPeda salnBca githlsuheo
Answers: fog signal building, lighthouse keeper,
Piedras Blancas lighthouse
14
Find the following words in the
search below.
Elephant seals eat at sea.
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For later
Elephant Seal Word Search
For later
Crossword puzzle
1. In the fog sailors were guided by _____.
2. What are elephant seal babies called?
3. The daytime characteristics of a lighthouse
are called _______.
4. At night sailors were guided by_______.
5. Some of these animals have baleen.
6. What is a baby whale called?
5
1
4
2
6
3
Answers: (1) sound (2) pups (3) daymarks
(4) light (5) whales (6) calf
16
Central California
lighthouses you can visit
San Francisco
Pigeon Point
Monterey Bay
Point Pinos
Point Sur
Piedras Blancas
Point San Luis
Santa Barbara
Place passport stamp here
(available in gift shop)
Piedras Blancas Light Station
Bureau of Land Management
San Simeon, CA 93452