If the smiles and looks of awe on kids' faces are any measure, Mike Havstad has a budding hit on his hands at the creaky old Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center north of Ojai.

Saturdays there have been turned into the playground of many a youngster's wildest imaginations with visits from raptors, snakes, turtles, bats, erupting volcanoes and even dinosaurs. OK, so those last two aren't real — the dinosaurs are models of the plastic foam and papier-mâché variety — but they are crowd-pleasers nonetheless.

This isn't your grandfather's campfire talk, even if in Havstad's mind that was sort of the idea.

"The aim is to kind of bring what I had as a kid at the campground when the forest ranger would come around and give talks," Havstad said. "I want these kids to have something like I had with my mom and dad when we went camping."

Sadly, both Havstad and the U.S. Forest Service noted, those ranger talks have been severely curtailed by budget cuts. Hence, the Saturday programs led and coordinated by Havstad at Wheeler Gorge.

Now in its third year, the program has featured a menagerie of educational opportunities aimed at kids. In addition to wildlife displays, subjects have included trees, the Chumash Indian experience, trail work, animal tracks and the like. Many are put on by experts in their respective fields.

But dinosaurs, exotic snakes and lizards, and having a volcano blow up on the center's lawn? Havstad, a 59-year-old Simi Valley resident, admitted that goes beyond those yesteryear talks around a fire in the woods. "I think we've exceeded that," he said with a laugh.

Havstad tries to keep topics locally relevant. But he conceded that the Tyrannosaurus Rex model is just for entertainment; there's no record of dinosaurs at Wheeler Gorge. The volcano fits the bill, though, as the county had volcanic activity in ancient times, especially in the Conejo Valley.

'Live is where it's at'

Despite the variety of topics, Havstad admits that the animals are the stars. Everything from butterflies to California condors have made their way to this Saturday gawking stage. "Live is where it's at," he said, "so when we can get live animals, we get 'em. I'm gearing toward making this popular."

He's getting help from his environs. Havstad noted that the visitors center is across the road from the popular Wheeler Gorge campground along scenic Highway 33.

He's making some inroads into the surrounding world. Saturday audiences used to be 90 percent or more from the adjacent campground, but now they're drawing more from the surrounding area.

The visitor center is one of only two (the other is in Big Sur) in all of Los Padres National Forest, which covers some 1.7 million acres in six counties from Monterey to Los Angeles. Los Padres includes the northern half of Ventura County, some 550,000 acres.

This year's Wheeler Gorge programs are slated to run through Sept. 22, though the ongoing Zaca wildfire might force cancellations or relocations. As of Thursday, the place was open, but people should call the Forest Service's Ojai district office at 646-4348 for updates.

From whence it came

The idea for the series is an outgrowth of Havstad's work as president of the Ojai chapter of the Los Padres Forest Association, the only official nonprofit group in Los Padres National Forest.

Havstad, who has fixed trails in the forest for almost a decade and run fishing derbies at Rose Valley Lakes, was asked several years ago to start a chapter geared toward forest activities near Ojai.

The work is appreciated. John Bridgwater, the Forest Service's Ojai district ranger, noted that Havstad commutes from Simi Valley.

"Mike has been doing an outstanding job," Bridgwater said. "I can't say enough positive things about what he's done. He's so enthusiastic and has personally taken on a lot of the leadership."

Bridgwater acknowledged that such traditional programs are "things that our budget can't afford." Lacking the staff to do them, he added, "We're always looking for volunteers and docents to reach out to the community in this way."

Havstad, who in real life is the supervising photographer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department crime laboratory, says the Saturday programs at Wheeler Gorge will continue next year.

That likely means more dinosaurs, vultures and erupting volcanoes, along with a few new twists.

Havstad talks of adding bug hunts and an astronomy-telescope program. The future seems wide open and as limitless as a child's imagination. Added Havstad: "There might be other areas where we find some talent."

Program schedule

Sept. 1: Discovering 10 Plants & 10 Animals on the Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., led by Mike Havstad.

Sept. 8: Live Birds of Prey, 11 a.m., led by Kim Stroud, director of the Ojai Raptor Center.

Sept. 15: Reptiles from Around the World, 11 a.m., led by Tom Hagan and John Holmes of the Southwestern Herpetologists Society's Los Angeles chapter.

Sept. 22: John Hyatt Trail Saver Day, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., a chance to work on trails. Tools and training provided.

Cost (donation) for programs: Generally $3 for adults and $2 for kids ages 5 to 18.

The Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center is about eight miles north of Ojai on Highway 33.

For more information, call 640-9060 or 646-4348 or visit www.lpforest.org.