In August, the weather was hot and humid, so how lucky that we were exploring wetlands and going swimming. A game of pond bingo, some nets for catching minnows, and magnifying glasses to examine tiny water insects made it all fun!
Nature is beautiful, so in July we made art from natural objects. Feathers, moss, pine cones, acorns, and more became part of animal masks. We did leaf and bark, rubbings, formed a rock band (with real rocks!) under the wonderfully echo-y Mendota Bridge, and inspected mosquito larva.
In June,we went in search of frogs, toads, and turtles. But the day was cool and overcast, so...no luck! But we checked out the lake, found butterflies, dragonflies, and more. And check out those cool frog tattoos!
In May, we celebrated Mother's Day with Mother Earth. We learned about different animal nests, then went out to make some!
Our April exploration of rivers and flooding was cancelled...due to flooding!
March brought the tasty treat of maple syrup. We learned how much sap it takes to make syrup, how to identify a silver maple, how to collect and boil sap, and then had some yummy syrup on ice cream.
In February we had the 2010 Winter Games! Penguin bowling, sled races, snow angels, and more!
January saw us out on snowshoes...exploring the woods, finding mouse tracks, discovering where the deer sleep at night, and more!
2009 Events In December, we explored the woods and river areas, then wrote "A Winter's Tale," an exciting story of a deer, a coyote, a bear--and an icy river!
In November, we learned about migration, hibernation, and adaptation--then took to the woods to see if we could find food and warmth to survive. What luck! We found Hershey bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers, then headed to the fireplace to make s'mores.
In October, we learned about how trees are food for many animals (even humans!), then went on a hike to see for ourselves.
September was for scavengers. We found a dead red-belly snake at the start of our walk, and when we returned, it was already covered with scavenging spiders. We also had a fun scavenger hunt--and found some wild turkeys!
A hot August day was perfect for learning about wetlands. We got into Snelling Lake, pulled water samples, and saw everything from tiny scuds to pumpkin seed fish.
In July, we learned about insects, then headed through the woods and to the beach. Turn over logs and stones, and you'll be amazed at the bugs you find!
In June, bird was the word. We learned about different kinds of beaks, then took to the trails for a little bird watching.
