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Fun Things To Do In San Jose

Science Safari
Upcoming Science Safaris
YSI's Science Safaris are educational programs that not only bring you and your family into nature, but we will also teach you facts about your surroundings that you may not have known! These outdoor events are rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. YSI's Science Safari programs are designed for families, so please register each attending member. A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for these events. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
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Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made within 8 days of the registrant's Science Safari date may receive a full refund. Cancellations made within 7 days of the Science Safari's date will result in no refund. Registration fees are non-transferable.‍
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Scholarships are also available to low-income families in Santa Clara County. For more information, please email programs@ysi-ca.org or call 408-356-4945 x15.
Upcoming Science Safaris at Sanborn - Salamander Search!
FEATURED EVENT: Bats Alive! Get to Know Your Native Nocturnal Friends
Join us at our YSI Vasona Park Nature Center for an amazing educational event hosted by bat specialist Dave Johnston. Learn all about bats and their local ecosystems during an introductory educational presentation followed by an evening stroll through Vasona down to the lake to observe our nocturnal friends fly high in the night sky.
Date: October 30th
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Recommended Ages: All ages
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
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‍Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
All attendants must be registered (parent and child).
Register Here
Birding at Alum Rock
Join YSI as we walk around Alum Rock Park and teach you about our feathered friends! Learn how to identify birds by their key characteristics, how to use binoculars, and then make a craft that will help you attract birds into your backyard!
Date: October 19th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 7-12 years old.
Location: 15350 Penitencia Crk Rd., San Jose, CA 95127
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Storytime: The Box Turtle
Join YSI for storytime! We will read "The Box Turtle." Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: November 2nd
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Salamander Search at Sanborn
Sanborn is famous for its amphibians; you just need to do some extra searching to find them! Join us for a fun day of looking under rocks, logs, and other unique hiding spots that Sanborn’s Salamanders call home!
Date: November 16th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
Register Here
Crawlies Aren’t Creepy
Come learn about some of the most interesting animals that call our planet home! Interact with some insects and other arthropods, and get a chance to touch some! This program will show the importance of the world’s “creepy crawlies.”
Date: November 23rd
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
Register Here
Stortytime: Snake!
Join YSI for storytime! We will read "Snake! "and then meet and learn about a live animal from the story!
Date: December 7th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Fungus Among Us at Sanborn Park
Join us for a hike to learn about the fantastic world of fungi! Are they a plant? Which ones are poisonous? What happens to it after the mushroom dies? Learn more about one of the oldest living terrestrial beings on our planet!
Date: December 28th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 7-12 years old.
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
Register Here
Storytime: Over in a River Flowing Out to the Sea
Join YSI for storytime! We will be reading “Over in a River Flowing Out to the Sea." Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: January 11th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 1-5 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
All attendants (parent and child) must be registered.
Register Here
Salamander Search at Sanborn
Sanborn is famous for its amphibians; you just need to do some extra searching to find them! Join us for a fun day of looking under rocks, logs, and other unique hiding spots that Sanborn’s Salamanders call home!
Date: January 25th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Storytime: Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved
Join YSI for storytime! We will be reading "Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved" Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: February 8th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 1-5 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
All attendants (parent and child) must be registered.
Register Here
Salamander Search at Sanborn
Sanborn is famous for its amphibians; you just need to do some extra searching to find them! Join us for a fun day of looking under rocks, logs, and other unique hiding spots that Sanborn’s Salamanders call home!
Date: February 22nd
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Storytime: Everybody’s Welcome
Join YSI for storytime! We will be reading "Everybody’s Welcome. " Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: March 1st
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 1-5 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Salamander Search at Sanborn
Sanborn is famous for its amphibians; you just need to do some extra searching to find them! Join us for a fun day of looking under rocks, logs, and other unique hiding spots that Sanborn’s Salamanders call home!
Date: March 15th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Aquatic Exploration at Alum Rock
Springtime is a great time for creek exploration! Come to Alum Rock to learn about the creek habitat and what calls it home. Meet some real animals and then go out and see what you can find in Penitencia Creek.
Date: March 22nd
Time: 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: 15350 Penitencia Crk Rd., San Jose, CA 95127
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must always accompany their child(ren) for this event
Register Here
Storytime: Verdi
Join YSI for storytime! We will be reading "Verdi." Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: April 5th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 1-5 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Birding at Alum Rock
Join YSI as we walk around Alum Rock Park and teach you about our feathered friends! Learn how to identify birds by their key characteristics, how to use binoculars, and then make a craft that will help you attract birds into your backyard!
Date: April 19th
Time: 10:30 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 7-12 years old.
Location: 15350 Penitencia Crk Rd., San Jose, CA 95127
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Vasona Park Clean-up
Give back to the community with a day of clean-up around Vasona Park! Dress comfortably and prepare to do some cleanup. We will provide gloves, bags, etc. We are super excited to celebrate with you!
Date: April 26th
Time: 10am-12pm
Recommended Ages: All ages!
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Storytime: Crickwing
Join YSI for storytime! We will be reading “Crickwing." Afterward, we will meet a live animal from the story and learn about it!
Date: May 10th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 1-5 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
All attendants (parent and child) must be registered.
Register Here
Super Scaly Critters
Reptiles are some of the most unique animals in the world! Come learn about them and meet live animals that represent this scaly group. Meet local and exotic species that you will even get a chance to pet!
Date: May 17th
Time: 11 am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old.
Location: Vasona Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Cost: $25.00 per person
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
Plant ID at Sanborn
Join YSI as we walk through the Sanborn trails, look for various plants, and learn how to identify them! Are they native? Medicinal? Edible? Poisonous? Join us to find out!
Date: May 31st
Time: 10:30am-12 pm
Recommended Ages: 7-12 years old.
Location: 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga, CA 95070
Cost: Free to Attend
‍
Generous donations to YSI will help to ensure that events like this continue to thrive. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide science education to our community.
Donate to YSI
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register Here
YSI Logo
YSI Administrative Office: Mailing Address
296 Garden Hill Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95032
EIN: 94-1265213 | Phone: 408-356-4945

Summer Camp Registration Contact
408-356-4945 ext 15  |  camp@ysi-ca.org
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Open to the public:
Thursday to Sunday: 10 am - 3 pm




Enter Vasona Park at 333 Blossom Hill Rd and proceed to the
Nature Center at 296 Garden Hill Dr
Los Gatos, CA 95032


408-356-4945
info@ysi-ca.org
View Location
Open to the public:
Wednesday to Friday:
12 pm - 4 pm
Saturday and Sunday:
10 am - 4 pm

Enter Alum Rock Park and proceed to 15350 Penitencia Crk Rd.
San Jose, CA 95127



408-258-4322
alumrock@ysi-ca.org
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View Location
Open for school and group programs by appointment only




Enter Sanborn Park and
proceed to 16055 Sanborn Road
Saratoga, CA 95070




sanborn@ysi-ca.org
View Location