Nature Center Offers Wildflower Display

With the recent rains, wildflowers may be abundant this spring. Wildflowers from California’s coastal, mountain and desert environments will be on display during the “Wildflower Walkabout” at Earthside Nature Center this weekend.

A redwood grove, a desert oasis and other native plant habitats can be found on the grounds of the two-acre native plant garden in Pasadena.

Guided tours of the grounds, displays of reptiles and amphibians and other activities are planned for children and adults from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call (818) 447-2830.

ASTRONOMY

* Budding astronomers can take part in several “parking lot star parties” offered at various branches of the Los Angeles Public Library to view the moon and other celestial objects, weather permitting, this week. Tonight, telescopes will be set up at the Benjamin Franklin branch library in Boyle Heights, (213) 263-1295. On Wednesday, the star party will move to the Robert L. Stevenson branch in Boyle Heights, (213) 268-4710, and on Thursday, telescopes will be set up at the Echo Park branch, (213) 250-7808. All events begin at 6 p.m.

* Michio Kaku , a leading theoretical physicist, will discuss some of the most exciting and sometimes bizarre work in modern physics in “Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps and the 10th Dimension,” at the Griffith Observatory at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Call (213) 664-1191.

* “Mission to Pluto,” a proposal for a fast-track mission to the outlying planet, will be discussed by Robert L. Staehle of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and World Space Foundation at Santa Monica College, Room 105 of the Business Building at 8 p.m. Friday, immediately after the Night Sky Show at 7. Call (310) 452-9396.

MARINE SCIENCE

* “Hands on the Environment,” a workshop designed for educators to gain hands-on experience and curricula in marine-related environmental subjects, sponsored by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the Junior League of Los Angeles, will be held at the aquarium from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Call (310) 548-7563.

* Also on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., the aquarium will sponsor a weekend tide pool walk to the Pt. Fermin Marine Life Refuge for visitors to learn about tide pool animals such as sea hares, anemones and crabs. Call (310) 548-7562.

GEOLOGY

* The amazing geologic diversity of Death Valley will be the subject of a weekend course, “Geology and Mineral Deposits of Death Valley,” offered by the Desert Studies Center, operated by the California State University system near Baker, Friday through Sunday. Call (909) 880-5981.

ENVIRONMENT

* Naturalists from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History will be on hand to introduce visitors to the environment and history of Santa Cruz Island in one-day and weekend trips to the island. Participants will take a 20-minute flight to Christy Ranch on the island. A one-day trip is scheduled for Sunday and the weekend trip is planned for April 8-10. Call (805) 682-4711, Ext. 360.

* Wednesday through Friday, the museum and the Channel Islands National Park will host the fourth California Islands Symposium, featuring more than 120 presentations by scientists on topics ranging from marine biology to population and restoration ecology. Island ecologist Daniel Simberloff will be the keynote speaker. One-day passes are available. Call (805) 682-4711.

* Historian Harry Crosby will discuss “Padres, Pirates and Pagans--The Settling of Baja California,” a lecture sponsored by the Coachella Valley Archeological Society and the Palm Springs Desert Museum Natural Science Council at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the museum’s Annenberg Theater. Call (619) 325-7186.