The Rain Bird Ethnobotany Learning Center is located on the Cal Poly Pomona campus and is part of the Biological Sciences Department's BioTrek project. The BioTrek project also includes the Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center and the Rain Bird Aquatic Biology Learning Center.

Located on a one-acre site, the Ethnobotany Learning Center supports BioTrek's broad goal of environmental education. This is done by emphasizing the relationship between the Gabrielino-Tongva, the indigenous people of the Los Angeles Basin, and their natural environment. The Gabrielino-Tongva territory was distributed from the mountains to the islands off the coast of southern California. There are over 200 species of plants growing in the Center. Plants used by the Gabrielino-Tongva for food, tools, shelter, medicine, and spiritual purposes are highlighted.

A mural at the core of the Center depicts a Gabrielino-Tongva village before the arrival of European settlers. The village is located along a stream and nestled in a valley below the San Gabriel Mountains. The people of the village are going about their daily activities of hunting, cooking, playing, and gathering. The mural richly displays the diversity of plants and animals upon which the Gabrielino-Tongva depended upon for their survival.

The four directions, north, south, east, and west help define the organization of the Ethnobotany Learning Center. The southern side of the Center represents the coast and has plants native to the islands and coastal region of Southern California. The northern and western end of the Center is higher in topography and represents the mountains. To the east is the desert.

Water, the essential wellspring of life for both humans and wildlife in Southern California, flows from a stream located near the top of the Center. It meanders through the Center culminating in a pond at the lower end of the site. Boulders and fallen tree trunks surround the pond inviting visitors to sit and discover the variety of plants and wildlife that this habitat supports. Cattails, rushes, sycamores, willows, wild roses, and other plants surround the edges of the riparian area.

Near the pond is the Ceremonial Gathering Area. Large boulders are placed in a circle allowing for informal seating and gathering. This area also serves as an outdoor classroom where groups participate and learn about how plants were used by the Gabrielino-Tongva.

At the western edge of the Ethnobotany Learning Center is the Acorn Gathering Area. Surrounded by oaks, this area celebrates one of the most important foods to Native Americans, the acorn. Large boulders with bedrock mortars are used to demonstrate the processing of acorns and seeds and to provide seating.

A trail along the north side of the Ethnobotany Learning Center leads visitors into the Redwood forest plant community. Although outside the territory of the Gabrielino-Tongva, the Redwood Forest serves as a transition into the second story level of a large greenhouse. This is where the Tropical Rainforest Learning Center is located. Visitors can compare the plants of the moist Redwood forest to the humid rainforests of the tropics.

At the entries into the Ethnobotany Learning Center, circular pavement displays the names of local cities in both English and in the language of the Gabrielino-Tongva. A compass points to their location relative to Cal Poly Pomona. At the main entry circle is the admonition to "Maintain the Land!" From these entry points, pathways imprinted with leaves, shells, and animal tracks meander through the site. Human footprints traversing along the pathway represent the Gabrielino-Tongva presence within this environment.

Adjacent to the Ethnobotany Learning Center, Cal Poly Pomona is fortunate to have a small example of one of the most threatened plant associations in California, the southern California black walnut woodland. This area is located across the street to the south of the Center. Here, visitors learn about this woodland habitat and how the Gabrielino-Tongva used walnuts for a variety of uses including food, dye, and in the making of dice for games.

The Ethnobotany Learning Center serves as resource for those wanting to learn about native cultures and their environment. In addition to providing a place that accomplishes the goals of the BioTrek Project, the Ethnobotany Learning Center endeavors to serve the needs of the greater campus community. The Center is a place where students, staff, faculty, and visitors can come to relax, gather, and study. All are welcomed to visit the Center and learn about the Gabrielino-Tongva, their plants, and how to "maintain the land".

In addition to visiting the Ethnobotany Learning Center on your own, the BioTrek project provides docent-led tours for kindergarten through college classes, as well as for youth and adult groups. Fees are based on the size of the group, the length of the tour, and the activities included. For more information visit the Rain Bird Ethnobotany Learning Center at: www.csupomona.edu/~biotrek/ethnobotany/index.html