For The Love of Water

Crayfish Creek winds through the farm and each year in spring it fills with water critters. These are all familiar to us. Can you name some of them? (crayfish, minnows, mayflies, water striders, toads, frogs). Lately, we even noticed some endangered Redlined Dace, small minnows with dashing red stripes. The creek was brimming with life until….

Tell the story of what happened to the waterway. It was what you saw on the bottom of the creek from the bridge that tipped you off that something was wrong. What was the cause (reason) for this and how were the water animals affected? Do you think this may change what we will see and do around the waterway? (Yes, we need to have the water tested and make sure it’s safe before we go in and use nets or clay, also crayfish will take time to come back). Can we do anything together to make sure it doesn’t happen again? 

You walked on the three new trails that now all join together. Your group made a map of each trail and some of the special things along the way. Tell someone at home about the trails in words or show it by drawing out the trail and symbols for parts of nature that you find interesting. We’ll finish our map next week. 

We welcomed a new teacher/mentor today, a garden expert named Goldenrod (Don Farwell).

Do you remember some of the plants Goldenrod had started from seed? See if you can show someone at home how to make a pot out of newspaper. Remember that your tiny seedlings will need enough water and a sunny spot to continue to grow. Talk about where the best place will be to plant them in your yard. We are so grateful to Goldenrod for sharing his skills and knowledge.

During our gratitude circle, we each thought about one thing we are thankful for. Here are some of the things we plan to appreciate more: parents, having a home, friends, enough food to eat, and nature school.

Using our snake camera to look at Tree Swallow eggs

Clean water is one thing many of us take for granted. Some First Nation people living on northern reserves do not have clean drinking water and this has made them sick. Which materials did you use today to help build to filter dirty water. Did it work? Maybe you could try this at home.

Expressing our feelings when we are upset helps us feel better. We used watercolours to express our feelings about what happened to the stream at the farm last week. As our paintbrushes glided across the paper, we remembered being in the stream last week, discovering crayfish loaded with eggs. We felt happy about the frog we caught and released and the many minnows that were so fast, we couldn’t scoop them up in our nets! As we painted, we all agreed that this never should have happened.

By getting to know the land here, we can be protectors. This manure spill was only discovered because we walk along the banks of the creek often and really notice the nature around us. Keep your keen observer eyes and naturalist brain busy as you play in your local parks, walk trails or wade in rivers or streams. Our eyes and voices are ways that we can keep dangers from polluting waters or harming living things. 

Killdeer protecting her ground nest

Happy birthday to Blue Racer (7) and Squirrel (8). Thank you for sharing treats today!