Around Town Around Town (August 06, 2003)

Ano Nuevo seeks new docents

The Ano Nuevo State Reserve is looking for new docent candidates for this year's training program, which runs from early September through early December.

The program includes lectures and field work covering the local elephant seals, other marine mammals, local birds and plants, geology, and the history of Ano Nuevo from the Ohlone Indian days (about 10,000 years ago) up to modern times.

Training sessions will take place on a varied schedule, with more scheduled in September than later in the year. They will be held some Wednesday evenings and Saturdays.

Ano Nuevo has a large group of volunteers who commit to work two days each month. During the winter breeding season, docents lead groups of about 15 to 20 people on walks. In the off-season, docents maintain a presence at the beach as roving naturalists, answering questions.

For more information, call the docent coordinator at 879-2025, or contact docent Earle Jones by calling 854-1489 or e-mailing earle.jones@comcast.net.

Filoli symposium on protecting your heirlooms

"Collections care symposium: preserving your textiles, art on paper, and objects" will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, at Filoli estate in Woodside.

During the symposium, professional conservators will discuss the basic guidelines on the proper way to preserve and care for valuables. The workshop will address topics from cleaning and stabilizing to displaying and storing an object.

"It's learning how to create a paper trail," says Tom Rogers, Filoli curator. "It's all those things you wish your grandma had documented and explained before you inherited that vase you've always admired."

Assisting Mr. Rogers will be Margaret Geiss-Mooney, textile conservator; Candis Griggs, object conservator; and Susan Filter, paper conservator. Admission is $50 for members of Filoli, and $60 for non-members. For ticket information, call Filoli's ticket office at 364-8300, ext. 508.

August activities at Woodside Library

Children are invited to bring their favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal to a Teddy Bear picnic with songs, stories and snacks at 3 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, at the library.

Regular storytime is 10 a.m. Wednesday for infants and 11 a.m. Wednesday for toddlers (18 to 36 months).

The Woodside Library Book Group will discuss "Letters from Yellowstone" by Diane Smith at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 5. The library also offers free Internet classes on Saturday. To sign up, call 851-0147.

Opera Guild honors soprano Luana DeVol

The South Peninsula chapter of the San Francisco Opera Guild will honor soprano Luana DeVol at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon Saturday, August 9, at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club. Ms. DeVol will sing the role of Susan B. Anthony in "The Mother of Us All" by Virgil Thomson with the San Francisco Opera this fall.

Luncheon tickets are $40. Checks should be sent with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Andrea Smith, 194 Walter Hays Drive, Palo Alto 94303. For more information, call Ms. Smith at 322-0607.