Winter Scavenger Hunt!

It's so great to see the tower at Ox Bow Park done! It looks like it's closed in this slippery weather, but will be fun to explore once all this snow and ice melt. We recently went on a Winter Scavenger hunt through Elkhart County Parks. We had a Bingo sheet we marked off as we hiked. It was fun to keep our eyes open for specific things!

We also stopped at various places along the trail and were given a few pictures that we needed to match up with the terrain. Some were a little difficult as things look different from 2-D to 3-D. We worked in teams to investigate and find the right spots! We also found these curious little tracks. It looks like it is from a small mammal with a tail. There is a hole through the snow nearby, so it may very well have gone under the snow where it is warmer. Krista, the naturalist, guided us to observe, but didn't tell us exactly what it is. It's most likely some type of mouse?

There were many people on the hike, tromping through the snow. We had just come from inner tubing, so had on boots, snow pants, etc. I actually was getting a little hot! It was sunny and there was no wind--perfect for winter explorations. I always say to get outside on these days--drop everything else! I thought this jumble of trees had interesting textures and lines.

We matched things ups a few different places along the way, finding tracks, playing in the snow, and observing how animals interact with their environment. To the right, you can see a line of small holes drilled, where the yellow bellied sapsucker had been drilling.

Snowballs were fun! Actually, just playing in the snow was wonderful! I sat down on some of the banks of snow--comfy and easy to fall right back into the snow. At the end there was another scavenger hunt, with clues tied to various places nearby. This really motivated the children to dash to the next spot! We had a three for--three scavengers for one price of free! Thanks, Krista! The children deciphered the clues to find the next clue. At the end, there were books related to nature as prizes, with most groups getting a book to take home. An added bonus!

I was on a date with my 5-year-old. We stopped by for an ice cream on the way home and read our book while we had a little one-on-one time together. The books i just a lovely little compilation of trees. 

My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America (Sharing Nature With Children Book) (affiliate link)

We looked at various trees. He really has gotten to know many through his interaction outside and observing as we go. In the picture below, we found the heart shaped Redbud leaves and he made a heart too. Cute! Thanks for another great program, Krista and Elkhart County Parks! See some of our other adventures there at the link above.

Bioblitz at Ox Bow Park

In July, the boys and I took a couple of hours between a parade and other activities to participate in the mini bioblitz at Ox Bow Park. What a delight! The intent of a bioblitz is to catalogue as many species in a short amount of time as possible.

I met Jared Collins a couple of times leading up to the event. He is a graduate student at Miami University studying conservation biology and partnered with Elkhart County Parks to put this together. He has a Facebook page for Michiana Biodiversity Conservation Initiative. The event was open to the general public, so I thought we'd check it out, knowing we might not have lots of expertise to add. As we arrived, there were many guide books and a few animals to greet us. They had a bucket of some of the finds we started investigating. Most people were scattered throughout the park, listing as many insects and other animals they could find in the area. Many experts were recruited to help with the count.

Defries Gardens

Defries Gardens is located just south of Goshen in New Paris. It is part River Preserve Park of Elkhart County Parks, being donated by the late Mrs. Defries. It has made quite a transformation since the donation time. Check out the before and after pictures here! We visited River Preserve Park, but had not visited Defries. We were in for a treat indeed! This Flicker page by Jon Cutrell, the landscape designer for Defries Gardens, shows the plans for the garden and pictures of the area throughout the seasons. Breathtaking! 

We had a beautiful walk in the gardens with the boys. I'm always a little worried when I take the kids to a garden area, as they are used to more wild areas and being a little more wild. However, it's good for them to be exposed to this more sculpted gardens with different rules than walking out on the trails. We talk about proper etiquette and to be mindful of other visitors in the area. There is a circular path that goes around the center of the calendar garden, with plenty of places to just sit and enjoy the beauty! 

Seeds!

Seeds are so fun! They come in many shapes and sizes. Some are tiny and others are huge, like a coconut! They are bumpy, smooth, round, striped, dotted, etc.

My son and I attended a Nature Nuts program at Elkhart County Parks this last week. I always enjoy how the naturalist pulls together special programs and activities for the preschoolers. She had a variety of seeds for the children to feel and touch.

The children passed the seeds and pods around so they could inspect first hand these various types of seed. Krista shared some pictures and information about seeds. 

There were so many textures! Some of the seeds even made noises (like the mango pit on the top right) when shaken. 

Each child explored the inside of a peanut and could see where the new plant would be growing. They sorted seeds in their very own seed collection. This really kept my son's attention! The egg carton was perfect! He kept sorting throughout the day. 

For snack, they had various seeds to eat, like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and sugar snap peas. Then they used seeds to create a picture collage. 

They read a few books, too. As you can see behind the kids, the feeders were hopping! 

Then they made crazy haired upcycled little faces. How cute!

 

My son was very proud of his face. He did great in class--there have been a few times when he was a little shy, but on this day he enjoyed all the hands-on elements of the class. He also really enjoyed playing with the ice on the sidewalk outside! 

Nature Nuts: Groundhogs!

I'm still not sure why we perpetuate the myth of groundhogs being able to predict whether we will have more snow or not. However, it is a great time to talk about groundhogs and dispel some of the myths since so many people are talking about them. We typically do not see groundhogs unless they are of the stuffed variety like this specimen held by Krista from Elkhart County Parks. True to form, she pulled together a great program for preschoolers on the topic. She talked about many of the characteristics of the animals and their many names, like woodchuck, whistlepig, etc. She also talked about hibernation, what they do in the winter, and their underground tunnels and various rooms. Many other animals also use these areas as well. We have resident groundhogs back in our shed that like to come close to the house from time to time. I can imagine the tunnels and chambers under there!

Then the kids make a pop up groundhog puppet, with a dowel, toilet paper tubes, and knee highs.

The children also made snow ice cream for a snack with carrots on the side since groundhogs like to eat veggies. Obviously, my son approved of the snow cream and wants to make it again! We just made it during one of our cold weather days. 

Laura from Goshen Public Library brought many books about groundhogs in to share with all the boys, as it happened to only be boys for this program. The books told the history of groundhogs day and how it is celebrated today. Here is a piece on groundhogs from Indiana DNR. 

After puppets were dried, they used them to do a song about groundhogs. 

Pop! They peek out of the ground!

Krista set up a tunnel so the boys could imagine they were underground, just like a groundhog. My youngest really liked that! I really enjoy these Nature Nuts programs through Elkhart County Parks. There is usually a snack, craft, active fun, stories, and activities related to the topic. All are developmentally appropriate for the children and help them understand nature concepts. We typically go to most of them, but my little guy starts kindergarten next year so we just have a few left until the toddler will be old enough. 

Throughout the whole program, my 4-year-old and I really liked looking out the wildlife viewing window. This is a great way to observe nature during the winter months. There were a few very fat squirrels, lots of cardinals, house sparrows, chickadees, tufted titmice, mourning doves, and more! We love watching the different birds to see what they are doing, especially where it is nice and warm next to the fire! Several families stayed to go sledding after the program, which is a nice way to combine nature and recreation. 

Mammals with Elkhart County Parks

We learned about mammals with Elkhart County Parks not very long ago. This was a FREE program put on by the organization. I usually find these very informative and of high quality. Plus they are often FREE!

Nature Nuts: Turkeys

Last week, I took my son to Nature Nuts, a monthly preschool program. The topic was all about turkeys. Krista from Elkhart County Parks usually starts with a couple of books and shares information about the topic with pictures and props, like this stuffed turkey! 

I know, you all probably think I'm a great mom with perfect, nature loving kids. Just so you know you are not alone in your quest for connecting your kids with nature, I'll let you in on my secret. This is what my son looked like for the first half hour or so of the program. It's funny, because we'd just been outside gathering "weeds" for the Children, Nature & Art programs and he thoroughly enjoyed that! "Mom, this is fun!" Even when we got outside at first, he decided this was not for him! Sometimes, you just have to roll with it. Eventually he got into the game, with a little help from me. I wonder if he would have been in a better mood if we had started outside first. 

For the game, the children were all turkeys and they needed to go find the cards scattered in the grass. Some were good, like their babies, food, etc. And others were potential dangers, like the red fox. I think it happened to be all boys for the program this time, but there is usually a good mix. 

This is what the one-year-old happily does while I try to engage the 4-year-old. He is proficient at "walking" on his knees, but hasn't mastered walking on his feet yet. People get a kick out of seeing his unique talent.

The hill next to Ox Bow Haus is all mowed and ready for sledding once the snow arrives!

We went for a walk around the grounds.

It's such a pretty time of year and a beautiful park. We hear the trains going by all the time there. She said she most often sees turkeys near the front gate. Others who live nearby said they see them near their houses, too. We saw a group less than a mile from our house recently as well. I e-mailed the naturalist that lives nearby and she said that they've raised a brood in a nearby field for the past five years. 

Of course, we had to investigate the scat when we saw it!

Back inside, the children made turkeys with apples, raisins, bananas, marshmallows, and candy corn. Cute! 

They gathered to talk about turkey feathers. 

They also looked at various eggs and saw how large turkey eggs are. Of course, the turkey feather became a great way to tickle a little brother!