Park It: Antioch’s Black Diamond opening new coal mine exhibit - East Bay Times

A great new coal-mining exhibit at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch will open to the public March 28-29. Using mannequins and special effects, the new exhibit safely recreates the environment of an 1870s-era coal mine. The park’s actual coal mine tunnels, long abandoned, are too dangerous to enter.

Thirty-minute tours of the new exhibit, called the Coal Mine Experience, cost $3 per person, and are available at 10 a.m. only. Tickets for the new exhibit and the longstanding Hazel-Atlas silica sand mine tours ($5) can be purchased at the park’s underground Greathouse Visitor Center, space permitting. You can also make advance reservations by calling 888-327-2757 and selecting option 2. Both tours will continue on weekends through November. For safety reasons, both mine tours are restricted to ages 7 and older. However, the Greathouse Visitor Center itself is open to all ages, free of charge.

The area including Black Diamond Mines was California’s largest coal mining region from the late 1850s through the early 1900s. Almost four million tons of coal were extracted, and the mining towns of Somersville and Nortonville were Contra Costa County’s largest. All the mines closed down in the early 1900s, and the towns were abandoned. However, from the 1920s through the late 1940s, silica sand was mined at Black Diamond for use in glassware and steel manufacturing. That mine closed too, and the land reverted to ranching. Little evidence remains of the once-booming towns.

The East Bay Regional Park District began acquiring land for the preserve in 1973 and the park opened to the public in 1976. Tours of the former Hazel-Atlas silica sand mine have been available for many years. Besides the mine tours, there’s a free, naturalist-led hike planned from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 21 to historic Rose Hill Cemetery, where many of the miners and their families are buried. It’s a 15-minute uphill walk to the cemetery. Black Diamond Mines is at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is attended. For the cemetery walk, meet at the uppermost parking lot. For general park information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 2750.

Oakley: Everyone talks about the weather, and that includes the naturalists at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. The naturalists will discuss weather phenomena from rainbows to tule fog in a program from 2 to 3 p.m. March 21. Big Break is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street. The park’s visitor center has all kinds of exhibits and programs highlighting the environment of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. For information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 3050.

Berkeley: Water or the lack of it are always concerns here in California. Naturalist “Trail Gail” Broesder will lead a watershed exploration from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. March 21 at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley. And children will enjoy story time with naturalist Anthony Fisher from 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 22. Both programs meet at Tilden’s Environmental Education Center, which is at the north end of Central Park Drive. Call 510-544-2233.

Alameda: Tales of whales will be told by naturalist Susan Ramos in a program from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 22 at Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda. Learn some whale history, play a whale-themed game and make a candle to take home. Crab Cove is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information, call 510-544-3187.

Fremont: Caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies will all be on display during nectar garden fun day, a drop-in program from 1 to 3 p.m. March 21 at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. Visitors can make a butterfly-themed gift and learn how to garden with plants that attract butterflies.

Or you can learn how to make cordage the ancient way and string pine nut beads in a program every half-hour from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. March 2, with naturalist Dino Labiste. This program is for ages 9 and older. Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the programs are free. Meet at the visitor center. For information, call 510-544-3220.

Online: There’s always something interesting in store at the regional parks. For full information, visit the park district’s website at ebparks.org.

Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.

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https://www.eastbaytimes.com/park-it-antiochs-black-diamond-opening-new-coal-mine-exhibit

2020-03-15 14:59:26Z
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