Oso Flaco Lake Guided Educational Hike- Heartland Charter School

Registration window September 2, 10:00 a.m. -September 8, 7:00 p.m.

Just north of Guadalupe, California, lies one of the most scenic natural areas along California’s coast, Oso Flaco Lake.

Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is a part of Oceano Dunes SVRA, a California State Park.

The lake has been called Oso Flaco, meaning “skinny bear,” ever since 1769 when Gaspar de Portola's expedition passed through. This is attributed to a fateful meal shared by the explorers. The group saw, shot and subsequently ate a skinny bear they had seen on the shores of the lake. By the next day, several of the men had died. The tale goes that the native people, the Chumash, had fed the bear tainted meat, which, when consumed, would sicken the animals to the point that they could no longer compete for resources. With the inability to feed came the inevitable wasting that would have led to our 'skinny bear'. It would appear, though, that the bear's flesh had enough residual toxins to have also dispatched our ill-fated explorers to a quicker demise.

Join us on an immersive, 2.5-hr, guided exploration of one of California’s most unique ecosystems. Students will learn about Chumash heritage, dune geology, native plants, and local wildlife, all while exploring 5 distinct habitats.

Ticket cost:

• Students ages 4+ $13.00
• Chaperones $8.00 (Ticket includes a bird guide)

*The price for tickets paid with a credit card will be slightly higher due to the Ticketbud processing fee.

May I pay using my student's planning amount? Yes! You can pay for your student's ticket and one chaperone ticket with your student's planning amount. Reminder: Only one chaperone ticket per family may be purchased using planning amounts. 

What are the check-in procedures? Arrive at the trailhead and meet in the covered picnic table area. I will pass out name tags to parents and students.

Who may attend? Students must be enrolled to attend. Younger siblings may NOT attend. One chaperone per family. If you order more than one chaperone ticket, you will not receive a refund.

Is there on-site parking available? About 2 weeks before our trip, you will receive an email containing a printable parking permit. If you don’t bring the printed parking permit, you will need to purchase one for $5.

Can we pack snacks or lunch for this event or field trip? Students are welcome to bring snacks to eat at the picnic area on the boardwalk. All trash must be carried out. I recommend packing snacks in paper lunch sacks (to reduce plastic waste). Students can use the bag for trash after they finish eating.

How do I contact the event organizer?

Name: Natalie Barker

Phone number: 805-801-0177

Email address: [email protected]

You must have a student enrolled at Heartland Charter School to attend this event. We verify enrollment for all attendees.

How to Reserve Your Spot

To officially join us on this field trip, you must complete both steps of our registration process. Please follow these directions carefully:

Step 1: Check out on Ticketbud

Complete the checkout process here on Ticketbud. This initiates your reservation. *If you want to pay with your student funds, please reserve tickets labeled "Paid with student funds through Procurify".

• Confirmation: You will receive an email confirmation from Ticketbud once your order is complete.
• Tip: If you do not see the email within a few minutes, please check your Spam/Junk folder. If you cannot find a confirmation email from Ticketbud, you did not successfully reserve tickets.
• Action: Once you have your confirmation, move immediately to Step 2.

Step 2: Place your Order in Procurify

Your spot is not confirmed until an order is placed in the Procurify system for students who are enrolled in Heartland and their primary chaperone. You do NOT need to place an order in Procurify for siblings who are not enrolled or for additional chaperones.

• Search: Log in to Procurify, search the name of this field trip in the catalog, and complete your order as you would for any other educational resource.
• Note: Do NOT place a Procurify order for siblings who are not enrolled in Heartland.
• Deadline: You must place your Procurify order within 3 days of your Ticketbud registration.
• IMPORTANT! Registration Requirement: To avoid losing your spot, both steps must be completed. Failure to place an order in Procurify within the three-day window will result in removal from the attendee list, and funds will be manually deducted from your account.

Heartland events are designed for families to attend together. Students need to be accompanied by an adult chaperone. If your student will be attending with another family, please email the field trip host to let them know once you complete your registration. Chaperones must be the legal parent or 25 years and older. All chaperones must be healthy, ethical people with the skills to be responsible adult chaperones.

Please review our Field Trip Refund & Attendance Policy!

To ensure we can provide these experiences to as many students as possible, please review our commitment and refund guidelines before registering.

All Sales are Final

• No Refunds: Once a ticket is reserved or purchased, we cannot offer a refund for any reason, including illness, scheduling conflicts, or a change of plans.
• Non-Transferable: Tickets are tied specifically to the student account used at registration. They cannot be sold, gifted, or transferred to another family.

The "No-Show" Policy

Because Heartland pre-pays many venues based on Ticketbud headcounts, an unused ticket is a direct loss of school resources.

• Fund Deduction: If a family reserves a spot and does not place an order in Procurify, the student's planning amount will still be manually deducted from their Procurify account, and the student will be removed from the attendee list.
• Loss of Access: Families who are frequent "no-shows" may lose access to future field trip registrations. We track attendance to ensure that limited spots go to families who are committed to attending.

Professional Courtesy: If an emergency arises, and you truly cannot make it:

• Notify the Lead Teacher: Please email the organizing teacher as soon as possible.
• Why it matters: This prevents the entire group from waiting at the venue entrance for your arrival, keeping the educational program on schedule for everyone else.

Our Goal: By only registering for events you are fully committed to, you help us keep our field trip program sustainable and open to all students.