Nature All Around Us!

Looking for signs of fall!

The rain held off!  When you arrived was it easy to find your “nature name” rock hidden around the grass and the bushes?  Maybe you needed to use the real binoculars to find them or help from a friend. It was amazing how the plants and flowers changed after a week of leaving them in the Hall to dry out. What plants did you choose to decorate your bookmarks and why? Tell someone about how you made your bookmark.  Could you make another one at home for a family member or friend?

Happy Birthday to our friend Leopard Frog!

Find your sit spot!  Did you hear that sound?  Turn, close your eyes and just quietly listen!  Can you remember what you heard and what direction it was coming from?  Do you remember what some of your friends heard?  Our sense of hearing is a wonderful thing!  

Practicing sitting and listening to nature.

Watch out!  Run, run, hide in a tree! You have to use your whole body when you play Squirrel and Owl!  Were you able to find a safe tree to hop in?  Do you have an idea for a fun nature tag game? Tell someone about it!

Maples, oaks, firs, spruce trees, fruit trees…great brainstorming!  How many of these trees did you find on our travels?  How have the trees changed over the last few weeks?  On our adventure down the trail to Cedar Castle, we had a chance to explore with our sense of sight.  What nature items did you see and collect in your groups?  Did you help a friend complete the scavenger hunt?  What were the trickiest things to find?  If you could make your own scavenger hunt, what things would you choose to include in it?  

Time to wander!  During our time in Mystery Forest we reflected on how life can be full of wonderful discoveries…fall leaves, wild cucumbers, hairy caterpillars like the Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar and wild berries. We also were reminded of sad moments too when we saw a dear raccoon that had passed away underneath the roots of a tree. A quiet moment was shared for the little raccoon.

Grey Squirrel read a book called When The Tree Falls.  It reminded us again about how important trees are to living things around them, even when they are dead and laying on the ground.  Can you make connections between the book and what you saw on our travels?  There is always so much we can learn during our wander times.  How could you make your wander time even more special?  Share your ideas with your family or a friend.

Lunch and we are off!  Butterfly Hill offered an opportunity to act like the animals in the forest.  How many pinecones did your team find during our Four Corners Squirrel Game?  All the teams were running, trying hard to find their food and protect what they had. Imagine a day in the life of a squirrel in Fall.  What do you think it would be like?  Luckily, they can work as a team to collect their food!  Just like us!

Team work continued as some of the Turtles worked with Cardinal to make a tree swing.  Talk about the steps that we followed to make our homemade swing a success!  What project would you like to work on as a team?  Who knows, maybe your idea will come true!

Time to reflect!  Stars and wishes filled our board. What was your favourite moment and your hope for days to come?  Trees, leaves, plants and the animals that love them!  Hope you left your nature bookmark on your last page of your journal…ready to add some more adventures from Coyote Nature School next week!