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AVALON EXPLORERS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH NATURE!!!

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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

 

FREE!

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How many of us adults have memories of the way we used to play for hours upon hours outside until it was time to come home for dinner?  It really is a loss for our children, most of whom will never know that freedom we had.  BUT…. we can help our children to feel free from the stresses of video games, tv and technology in general.   Simply go outside…. no batteries or cords needed.  They will figure it out how to play in time but we have to give them the opportunity so they can learn.

The 4th and 5th graders in my Inspirations class were all psyched to take our “long” hike yesterday.  We got out our map and discussed our plan.  In 50 minutes we were going to go to new places we had not been.  Which means mystery and adventure.  What kid doesn’t enjoy that???

I never grow tired of watching children discover things on their own.   Like the hiker pictured below,  who was so amazed by all the ferns in one part of the woods that she, “had to become one with nature,” by placing a fern in her hair.

I know she felt so proud to wear that fern.  You go girl!!ImageOnward we walked/ran/flew like butterflies through the woods.  Howling while someone else howled back.  Laughter….all their worries forgotten.

Back in the Fall when we first began hiking we met a man in the woods who had made a miniature swing set.  It was made completely out of branches and twine. It fit in his hand.  Amazing!  Well today we found out what he did with it.He placed it along with a home that others had built in the woods.

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Onward we went for about a mile.  Sweaty? … Yes, Hot? ….. Yes, Thirsty?….. Yes,  Complaining? …… not one…. except that we had to head back to the barn.  🙂

ImageImageImageAnd so with only one more class left ….. I can’t help but feel these kids have all enjoyed their time in the woods and will carry some of their memories in their hearts the way I carry the memories of my endless days of playing outside when I was a kid.

Peace

Sue