The Youth Science Institute, which has facilities in Los Gatos at Vasona Lake County Park, in Saratoga at Sanborn Park, and in San Jose at Alum Rock Park, has met its campaign goal of $300,000 and will keep its doors open!

Read more at the YSI website:  http://www.ysi-ca.org/

The Youth Science Institute, or YSI, is based in Los Gatos at Vasona Lake County Park, but serves all of Santa Clara County.  It serves about 30,000 children each year across Silicon Valley and is highly regarded, but has been in danger of being shuttered due to a significant financial shortfall of $300,000. It's down to the wire now and just $20,000 is still needed by the end of January.If you can help, please visit the campaign's website and donate or make a pledge!

How did the YSI come to be in such a dire situation? Apparently it was due to a combination of things, from fewer signups in the summer programs, not enough donors or donors unable to be as generous as in the past, fewer field trips (due to state budget issuesj etc. 

The YSI had fewer than 200 donors prior to the fundraising campaign. Today that number is over 1000. The public support has been fantastic but a little more help is needed: $20,000 by the end of January.

Please help if you can!
http://ysi.tiktala.com/campaigns/save-ysi-meeting

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year! 

Please note that the original article below was posted for the 2007 season.  Updates are on top!

2009: The 2009 Fantasy of Light is the 11th annual light show at Vasona Lake County Park!

When: The Fantasy of Lights runs from November 27 to December 31, 2009, 6 - 10pm nightly.

Where: Vasona Lake County Park, 333 Blossom Hill Road (near University Avenue), Los Gatos

How much: The cost varies. For the best deal, get early bird tickets! $10 discount admission per car through December 10th. $15 from Dec 11 - Dec 31st. For cars, minvans etc. holding 10-15 people, cost is $25. $50 for commercial busses.

For more info and some special holiday events at the Vasona light festival, click on the Park Here site (county park website).

Please come back and visit "Live in Los Gatos" for year round events, neighborhood information, photos around the town, interesting real estate market data, haunted places and even some historical tidbits.

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2008:  For 2008 holiday events in Los Gatos, and information on the Fantasy of Lights, please see the current year's post: The Holiday Season in Los Gatos: So Much To Do! and see the county park's website, www.ParkHere.org, for current pricing.

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2007: Just before Thanksgiving, the Festival of Lights reappeared at Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos. It is a light extravaganza in the holiday spirit!

Details on the drive-through show:

Dates: Nov 23 - Dec 31 2007

Times: 6 - 10pm nightly (incl holidays)

Cost: $12 per car (except as noted below)

Discount: $10 per car plus goodies Mon - Thurs, Nov 26-Dec 13 ONLY

Location: Vasona Lake County Park is located at 333 Blossom Hill Road, close to University Avenue.

Encouraged: Could you bring a can of food for the less fortunate? It's not required but appreciated. Donations go to Second Harvest Food Bank, a great way to assist others who need a hand!

Need more info? Visit the county park's website, www.ParkHere.org or swing by the webpage for this fun event.

Yesterday I visited Vasona Lake County Park to see the nesting Great Blue Herons. While there, I took 54 photos of adjoining Oak Meadow and Vasona Parks. It's impossible to capture all of these two  parks in one quick slideshow, but I did attempt to do that with another one-minute Real Estate Show.

Mary Pope-Handy's Photo Tour: Vasona & Oak Meadow Parks

Mary's 60 second Photo-Tour of Los Gatos

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory hosted Great Blue Heron Day at Vasona today from 11am - 3pm. There are several types of herons but the Great Blues are huge and majestic looking (photo).  I had never seen a nest of them, nor young ones at all, so after a couple of hours working this morning, I headed over to the park to see what was going on with this event since I had the rest of the day off.

The afternoon was warm but breezy. Volunteers from SFBBO were there with about a dozen telescopes set up at different heights (for all kinds of people) and pointed them at a few different trees with nests - it was actually a colony of them, all in close proximity to one another.  I hadn't known what to expect so optimistically brought my digital camera along. No luck with getting the birds' photos that way - too far away, too high in the trees. But with the pre-aimed telescopes, I had a fantastic view of them. 

The adults are lovely. The chicks are...well...interesting. Young great blue herons seem to do something with their necks and the skin flaps in and out frantically. I didn't ask about it but my best guess is that they were screaming for food (too far away to hear).

What surprised me about the nests, though, is that the herons make their home in eucalyptus trees, which aren't native to the area. But, as one volunteer pointed out, the trees have been here a long time - the birds have accepted them.

Additionally, educational information abounded, both pertaining to these particular birds and about the organization and locations to go birding around the bay. The volunteers were friendly and knowlegeable.  There was no charge for using the telescopes or for the printed material.  So my only cost was the $5 parking fee at the gate.

I am sure if it weren't for this organization and the volunteers who took their day off to be there, set up the material, and talk to visitors, I would not have seen the colony of nests at Vasona. I'm sure I wouldn't have - I didn't even know they were there!  So thank you, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.  This was a great event and I'm thankful you were there today.

Before leaving, I took a whole lot of photos in Vasona and Oak Meadow, which I will share in the coming days.  When I got to the parking lot, I put the camera away, thinking I was done. But I saw one more pic that I had to take, as it put a smile on my face. Enjoy.