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AVALON EXPLORERS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH NATURE!!!

Week one of camp is complete.  Although we were in the midst of one of summer’s famous heat-waves we made the very best of our adventures.  All of our Kindergarten through Grade three campers came to camp ready to hike and explore.  Image

And explore we did!  First two days were spent collecting bugs.  I was so impressed with all of the campers…. I did not hear one eeeewwww or scream as we found and captured milkweed bugs, caterpillars, long horned beetles, worms, honey bees, and more!!

We spent our first day out in the wildflower fields and the second in the woods.  Marguerite, of the instructors helped the campers understand that bugs are both good and bad.  We had some interesting conversations with these young minds.  

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Hornets nest (abandoned of course!!)

The next two days we spent at the pond.  I loved how all of the campers were so engaged in pond dipping and skimming with nets.  We were lucky enough to have three teenage helpers, Wendy, Julia and Luke, each of whom helped the campers dig deep into the pond and see all the creatures up close that they may have only seen in books.  Frogs, pond skaters, dragon flies, dragon fly nymph, tapeless, turtles, duckweed and more!  I was proud of how adventurous they all were!!!

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Duckweed.  Floating roots.  Penelope said they looked like mini lily pads.

ImageResident Bull Frog!

ImageLetting go of the tadpole.

Image Dragon fly nymphs
ImageWhat else is in there??  Ah my little limnologists!

My hope is that each of the campers will return to Avalon with their families and talk about what they saw and also discover that there is still more to be found.  

I was so proud of all of them!

Keep exploring 

Miss Sue

 

WHERE ARE YOU GOING AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR????

Two fun-filled classes this week!

The preschool group  hunted for the mystery plant of the day…..  the fern.  The fiddleheads have pretty much all unfolded into  beautiful fans of leaves.  I had this urge to make crowns of fern for all of the kids,  as I had done in the past for my daughter when she was small, but  we were hunting!!  Success!!  After a hike up and down the hills of Avalon and through the gate we found our mystery plant.  Along the way we ran, and smelled sassafras leaves, avoided poison ivy and ran!!  So free, so fun!

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Our older class of energetic Kindergarten through 3rd graders were ready to take on the “long” hike to the upper pond at Avalon.  Who knows what we will find?  Adventure awaits.  But I can tell you this that none of these kids came tired but I know they left full of fresh air, tired legs and things to dream about!

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Now we know there are two snapping turtles that like to hide under the rock bridge and also lots of green frogs which are hard to catch,hiding in the iris!   More to discover …. but it will have to wait!!!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend and do some exploring!!!  Even if it is turning over a rock somewhere!  Peace

Also, Welcome to  Emily, a summer intern working at Avalon.  The kids love her and she welcomes the outdoors just as I do!!  Yipeeeeee!