THOUSAND OAKS : Wildwood Park Home to Kids and Critters

When 10-year-old camper Nathaniel Childress was on his first late-night hike through Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, he was somewhat frightened by the noises emanating from the canyons.

“One time we heard a really loud noise coming from the bushes and I got really nervous,” he said. “All of a sudden, something jumped at us, but it turned out it was just a counselor trying to scare us.”

Nathaniel is one of hundreds of children who will spend time this summer in Thousand Oaks’ largest recreation area, the 1,600-acre Wildwood Regional Park.

Besides being home to the Conejo Recreation and Park District’s most popular day camp, the 27-year-old park is a habitat for a variety of wildlife, including bobcats, snakes, an endangered bird called the black-shouldered kite and several endangered species of plants.

Also endangered are 12 miles of hiking trails that are carved out of the rolling, brush-covered dunes.

Maintenance and construction of trails are expected to suffer in upcoming budget cuts for Wildwood Park, said Tom Sorensen, the Conejo district’s administrator for parks and planning.

“Nothing is for certain, but we’re expecting to have to look to volunteers to maintain the existing trails,” he said.

But this summer, camp director Christa Heinemann said the focus is on nature and the history of the park.

Children use the park’s landscape to create artwork, poetry and even legends: Eyeball Cave, it is said, was created by the eruption of an angry volcano.

The 10-year-old camp allows children ages 6 to 14 to examine fossils found in the canyons, write nature poems and carve arrowheads out of obsidian. They take nature hikes, work with crafts, sing songs and even spend a night in the wilderness.

“Camping out was really fun,” said 9-year-old Geoff Farrar, who is taking part in the program for the second year. “It’s not as scary in the dark as it was the first year.”

The second time, Geoff said, he knew to expect loud surprises from the counselors.