Four classes of third-graders from Superior Street Elementary visited the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park for an interpretive program.
Fourteen volunteers participated in the program designed to provide a “living history” of the area, including:
- The Chumash and Native Americans
- Early Spanish/European Settlers
- The Stagecoach Route, known as “Devils Slide”
- The Quarry
- The Railroad
- The Chatsworth Rock Formation
The volunteers showed the children native plants, wildlife, and birds, and how to use their eyes, ears, nose and touch to explore this special historic place. They also played with Chumash toys made out of native plant materials, and sang a song accompanied by a Chumash musical instrument called a clapper.
A model a stagecoach seat was on display on the Stagecoach Trail, created by using exact measurements from an authentic original. Seated in the replica, children learned about the middle bench – never shown in the movies – and that stagecoaches actually carried nine people inside.
Visitors can access the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park at the 10200 block of Larwin Avenue in Chatsworth. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and no fee is required to enter.
The program was made possible by financial assistance from the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Santa Susana Mountains, and with transportation provided by Councilmember Mitchell Englander.
For more details see:
- State Park Web Page: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=611
- Local hike pages including the Park’s nature walks: http://www.fpssm.org/hikes-and-events.php
—Elizabeth Harris, Ph.D.
