LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Dr. John Parker led a group of 15 children and adults on an archaeological adventure at the Rodman Preserve on Aug. 17 as part of this summer’s children’s nature education programs presented by the Lake County Land Trust.

Dr. Parker started out with suggesting students would be taking a “trip in time,” and when they walked out from under the gazebo at the beginning of the Rodman Preserve trailhead, they would be stepping back in history by 1,000 years.

“What did people eat 1,000 years ago?” he asked, and “How did they gather and prepare their food.”

With that Dr. Parker then revealed to the group how California’s American Indians gathered and prepared food, using everything from spears, baskets and small clay balls that were used to fling at wild fowl, to stone mortars and pestles that were used to grind acorns into acorn mush.

Dr. Parker showed numerous artifacts to the group that were used by native peoples and led a walk to the water’s edge to discuss techniques American Indians used for fishing and creating reed (tule) boats on Clear Lake.

After returning to the nature center children or their parents had fun fashioning their own necklaces out of clam shells and acorn caps using bead drills provided by Dr. Parker. He also demonstrated the ancient art of flint knapping, showing how early people created the arrows and spear heads used in their everyday lives.

The Lake County Land Trust is a nonprofit local organization that owns and operates the Rodman Preserve on Westlake Road between Lakeport and Upper Lake.

The Land Trust presents children’s nature education programs through the summer, with the last program to be presented on Saturday, Sept. 21, starting at 9 a.m. at the Nature Center.

The focus of this last program of the summer will be wetlands and the creatures that live near them and in them.

The programs are led by Elaine Mansell, a nature education specialist.

For more information about the Land Trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org .