Photo by Sean Hiller

El Dorado Parks offer safe fun

As part of the various parks under the administration of Long Beach's Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, El Dorado Park West and El Dorado East Regional Park offer several recreation programs that cater to adults, children and senior citizens as well as nature lovers of all ages.

One of the several services that keep El Dorado Park West busy is a senior citizens program that feature bingo games, tap dancing, card lessons and even tai chi, an ancient Chinese martial art and exercise system.

Jack Kelly, community services supervisor of El Dorado Park West, said the park's senior citizens program has grown tremendously since 1990.

"The program has really expanded into a full-time five day and eight hour-a-week program," Kelly said.

In addition, El Dorado Park West stages a Youth Sports Program for children ages 5 to 11 years old.

A summer day camp is also held at the end of June in which 100 kids participate Kelly said.

The western park's community center can be rented for indoor events such as wedding receptions, dance parties and reunions.

"Our community center is one of the most heavily rented centers in Long Beach," Kelly said.

Aerobics, dance, yoga and self-defense are among 35 classes offered by El Dorado Park West.

Kelly said that the park will start a city-funded teen program which will kick off as early as January 1997.

The 302-acre park also features basketball and roller hockey courts, softball and soccer fields, five picnic sites and two tennis centers: El Dorado Tennis Center and Billie Jean King tennis center.

Under a contractual lease with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, the tennis centers require hourly rates of $4 to play during the day and $8 in the evening in compensation for the lights that will be used.

Cathy Jacobsen, El Dorado Tennis center supervisor, said the tennis centers have been successful recreation programs.

"We have many regular customers coming to play tennis as well as private tennis lessons, reservation for big tennis tournaments and kid's tennis clinics, " Jacobsen said.

"It's really doing great, and we love it." he added.

The 400-acre El Dorado East Regional Park, is different from the west park in that it offers recreational programs with more emphasis on outdoor adventure activities.

In addition to covered picnic sites similar to those at El Dorado West, the eastern park contains an archery range with targets, a radio-controlled glider flying area, fishing lakes, paddle boats and train rides.

For lovers of nature, the El Dorado East has a nature center that features trails, lakes and streams as well as a habitat for animals, plants and trees, within an urban area.

Mary Blackburn, park naturalist for El Dorado Nature Center, said the nature center is an important educational and recreational tool.

"It gives recreation in terms of giving people a place to temporarily escape the hectic insanity of a bustling city," Blackburn said. "We need a place where we can return and connect ourselves with nature."

The center is home to various animals such as crayfish, turtles, herons, raccoons, gophers, foxes, possums and coyotes. It is also a place for a few endangered species of birds such as peregrine falcons and warblers. The plants and trees living on the center include oak trees, willows, alders and big leaf maple trees.

The 85-acre Nature Center, which was opened to the public in 1969 following a bond act, also offer various trail-guided programs such as the "Beetle Brigade" for preschoolers and badge enhancement activities for Boy and Girl Scouts.

Classes that pertain to North American mammals and the protection of the aquatic ecosystem are held to teach people the importance of saving wildlife and the environment.

Adult classes such as poetry readings, West African drumming sessions, nature meditation and gardening for wildlife are also staged at the center.

The facility recently launched "Friends of El Dorado Nature Center," a non-profit support group helping to augment the city funding for the center.

The El Dorado Nature Center trail hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Tuesdays and Fridays and 8:30 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The nature center is closed Mondays. The east and west parks are open to the public all day. For more information one may call The Deparment of Parks, Recreation and Marine at (310) 570-3100.