Have you been holed up in your home, snuggled into blankets and sleeping a lot? Well that’s how most animals survive winter, so don’t feel bad if that’s your natural tendency this season.

Sometimes it’s called Hibernation – when certain animals such as bears, ground squirrels, bats, & many insects go into a deep sleep in order to reduce their body temperature and save their energy in times of low food supplies. When animals hibernate, they skip most all of their bodily functions such as eating and peeing. Their metabolism drops, their heart rates decrease, and they sleep inside caves they’ve made or inside trees or logs. Interestingly, scientists are studying ground squirrels because their bodies recycle the nitrogen in their urine while they sleep and use it to maintain their muscles. Bears usually give birth during the hibernation stage so their babies can nurse and grow in a safe environment. Scientists are studying hibernation in hopes of someday being able to send astronauts on very long journeys by putting them into a hibernating state. They’re already doing that in surgeries. When I had heart surgery, they lowered my body temperature by 30 degrees so my organs wouldn’t need as much blood while they worked on my heart. Fascinating!

Not all animals on our hill hibernate. Grey Squirrels, Chipmunks, Deer, Bobcats, Cougars do not hibernate. They continue to hunt, or in the case of squirrels and chipmunks, they cache a store of food away in their nests in case they can’t get out to gather.

“Torper” is a kind of a daily hibernation that birds do each night to preserve energy. They slow their heart rates and metabolism until they wake in the morning. In the summer, they can do the same kind of thing but it’s called “Aestivation” and it helps birds, mammals and reptiles survive extreme heat and water shortage. They can put themselves into a type of hibernation to better survive extreme heat.

Plants have a similar dormancy in the winter where they stop growing and “sleep through the winter”

Now you know WHY when it gets really cold, (or really hot) we don’t feel like doing much of anything.

Friday Feb. 9th
Idyllwild Arts
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Parks Exhibition Center

The InterArts Department is pleased to present a special collaboration with the UK-based interactive theatre company, Stan’s Cafe.  Of All The People in All The World is an internationally-acclaimed performance installation that turns abstract human population statistics into emotionally gripping stories using grains of rice. 

Sunday Feb. 11th
Mountain Pottery
54240 Pine Crest Ave.

1 p.m. free presentation at Mountain Pottery Idyllwild honors Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and his time (circa 1833) as a general store clerk and owner in New Salem, Illinois. Dr. T. will demonstrate the making of a typical early 19th century whiskey jug, such as would have been on the shelves of the store.

Sunday Feb. 11th
Super Bowl Watch Party
Rustic Theatre
2pm

Sunday Feb. 11th
Idyllwild Arts
Idy Talks

Student Talk
Tess Bell & Lilly Choi
Visual Arts Majors
Krone Library
2:00 pm

Order by Monday Feb. 12th, 2024
Next Food Delivery Thursday Feb. 15th, 2024

MOUNTAIN AID
Need food or other items?
Want to help those who do?
Twice monthly food boxes for every budget.

Pick-up will be at the Camp Maranatha
www.MountainAid.net

Tuesday Feb. 13th
Feeding America Food Distribution Town Hall
10:30 am – 12pm

Wednesday Feb. 14th
Idyllwild Library
Kid’s Story Time
“Valentine’s Day”
11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join us for storytime, followed by a theme-related craft & Face Painting.

Please consider becoming a Library Supporter!

Click here to become a member.

Wednesday Feb. 14th
Idyllwild Library
STEAM Project
Make your own slime!
3:30 pm

Wednesday Feb. 14th
Valentine’s Band & Movie
Band “Bum Roots Project” 6:00 pm
Movie Premier 7:30
“One Love” Bob Marley Story

Wednesday Feb. 14th
Valentine’s Ball
American Legion
6pm – 10pm

Saturday Feb. 17th
Idyllwild Arts
7:00 pm
Lowman Concert Hall

The event is the brainchild of Idyllwild Arts iconic Jazz Program founder Dr. Marshall Hawkins, together with Dr. Daniel Bassin (IA Director of Orchestras)

Saturday Feb. 24th
First Garden Club Class of Season
Idyllwild Community Garden
Alderwood St and N. Circle Drive
“Seed Starting”
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Saturday Feb. 24th
“Ray Charles Tribute“
Greg Jones Band
Rustic Theatre
7:30 PM

Tuesday Feb. 27th
Idyllwild Library
Guitar Concert
5:00 pm

Music of beloved local Dave Pelham performed by 4 unique & outstanding guitarists!

March 5th – 10th
Locals…
Buy your ticket now for the entire Film Festival for only $25.
All films included with your “Locals Pass”

Wednesday March 13th
Mountain Area Safety Meeting
Idy Nature Center
11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Art in the Park
Dates have been set
Moving to the Idyllwild Community Center Playground
Starting May 4th

26890 Hwy. 243
951-659-1122

These 4 adorable part poodle / part chihuahua are available for adoption. Call Art for an appt. to meet them.

The New Bathrooms are OPEN!
Next door to the Idyllwild Gardens Nursery – Across the street from the Rustic Theatre.
Open Daily 9am – 5pm

Thank you to Shane & Ashley Stewart for donating the land for these bathrooms and to Stephanie Yost with ICC for her persistence with the County of Riverside to FINALLY get us public bathrooms. Thank you to the County of Riverside and Supervisor Manuel Perez for making this happen. It’s been a LONG time coming! Bathrooms will be locked at night. I’m not sure what time yet.

Hotel Information
Upcoming Weekends
www.IdyLodging.com

Idyllwild Churches

Body & Soul

Click Here for a list of Yoga, Pilates, Aerobics, & Meditation in Idyllwild.

All events, venues & programs run by
Idyllwild Community Center

Fit after 50
Free Exercise Class
Town Hall

Mondays
12-pm – 1pm

Tue/Wed/Thur
10am – 11am

Fridays
12-pm – 1pm

Kids After School Program
Mondays – Fridays
2:00pm – 6:00pm

Wednesdays 12pm – 6pm

Kids Camps at Town Hall:
President’s Holiday Week
Spring Break
Memorial Day Holiday

Al-Anon Meetings
Tuesdays
7:00 PM
Town Hall