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DON’T WORRY CAUSE EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT

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Day two of darkness hiking at Avalon!  We set out with our flashlights into the night… really it was only 5:00 when we started.  Once again the moon lit the sky … the rainbow rings surrounding it.

Sophia told me that she heard a story that all the snakes will come alive when the moon has that circle around it……  no snakes on this walk!

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As we set out, with flashlights at the ready, we crossed the road as usual and headed into the woods.  It is amazing how dark it gets with just a few lights to lead the way.

Tonight I had two experiments in my pocket.  Simple as can be but fun.

I talked about our vision and our pupils and how in the dark we are basically color blind.  We turned out our lights and I took out two markers (pink and green).

I drew a line of each color on their hands and asked them to guess what color they were.  Most were close with their guess…. I had blues, reds, greens…..  The truth would be revealed when we went back to the barn.

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The second experiment involved the good ole winter green lifesavers!  We sat on the leaves in a circle and crunched on these rings watching sparks pop in our mouths!  It certainly was a lot of laughs.

I think it was the first time any of them had done it!!!  Chemistry come to life!

Best part of the evening for me is when they all starting singing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”….. Don’t worry about a thing…. cause everything’s gonna be alright.

Those were the only words they knew and they sang it again and again…..   I think it was soothing to them as we were on our 35th minute of the hike!

Love these kids!!!!

Here’s the music if you want to play it at home   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPZbIezChI

A Flurry of Color

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Perfect Fall day!

We wandered around the trail on a color hunt!  Looking for reds, yellows, oranges, greens, browns and blues.  It was a fun way to get the kids and moms and grand moms to work together.  Along the way we stopped and talked and I punch their color cards with my “smelly feet” hole punch.  They were all working towards getting all the colors identified and  receiving an acorn necklace and beads for their hard work!

Here are some fun pics.  Love to see the moms smiling along with the kids!

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OH NUTS!!!! (and seeds)

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Today was a glorious day for taking a look at some of our trees at Avalon.  Most notably the Black Walnut and the Hickory Tree!

Both produce these interesting multilayered nuts. But most of all they are exciting to SMASH open.  That’s exactly what we did.  Each of my enthusiatic outdoor-kids were ready to take a turn breaking open these nuts.  How do those squirrels do it????

We tasted the black walnut which Shannon said had a strawberry flavor in it!!  They were yummy.   These odd looking nuts are hidden undercover on the trees inside these lime colored looking fruits.  When they are ready, they drop to the ground and proceed to rot and turn black.  Before you can get to the nutty insides you have to peel away a messy dirty layer…..  yuck…  then there is the treasure!

But first how do we get to the inside.  Well luckily Miss Sue did some research beforehand and she brought the wrench for holding the nut (also to protect her hands from getting smashed) and a hammer.   Before long they were cracked open!   Everyone was eager to try it.

We were less successful with the hickory nuts, of which are all over the place but dried out inside… what a disappointment. But lot’s of fun to collect!

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We continued our walk along the wildflower fields which are slowly turning brown… with seeds all ready to fall to the ground for next year’s blooms.  The milkweed plants are in their glory with all of their pods popping open to reveal the amazing layers of seeds attached to little “wish” machines which will help the seeds float away to their new homes!

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Amazing milkweed, amazing smile!

Happy Trails

Sue

 

 

 

FAIRIES, FROGS AND RASPBERRIES

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ImageTHE END RESULT OF A GREAT WEEK OF EXPLORING!  CAMPERS WHO WERE FULL OF SILLINESS AND RASPBERRIES.

This week we had Emily, Emily, Michael, Lukas and Lorenzo to help with our energetic group of campers.  Couldn’t have done without you guys leading the pack and bringing up the tail of the hikers.

It was slow going on the trail because the campers were distracted by all the yummy wild raspberries growing.  Eating and walking, eating and walking…. always another bush around the corner.  I think they were all fascinated by the free food!  I was impressed with their willingness to sample them.    One of the campers even went back and collected more with his mom and  incorporated them into his healthy yogurt snack the next day….  kudos to that mom!!

We took an extra long hike along the yellow trail in search of the elusive fairy house of Avalon.  When we finally got there we realized it was destroyed.  Yikes!  Who or what could have done this?  I will go with a heavy rain that washed it away instead of blaming someone.  But because they are great campers who care, they got to work and fixed it up!!

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Inspired by the creation in the woods the campers created their own back at the barn… after collecting materials on the trail. Here are some of the amazing outcomes!!!!!

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 Pond Exploration a team favorite!!!:   This week we were able to capture a frog, tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, water striders, water beetles. Lots of laughs and screeches of excitement when something was caught. I’m sure the parents appreciated  that we told the campers it was important to release everything we captured! They would have brought all the creatures home if we allowed it!

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As adults it is our responsibility to teach all of the children respect for all things natural.  It is not always about teaching scientific facts (which is important) but more about teaching the little humans how to carry on the love of the outdoors into their future lives which will have a real impact on our future as a people and a planet!!

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Peaceful travels along the trail…..

Sue

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

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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!

 

RED ROSY CHEEKS

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RUN!!! What could be more fun than running down a path without anybody yelling at you to stop doing what occurs naturally.  As adults we’ve learned to temper this behavior but I must say I do enjoy running with the kids making noises and laughing.

Best job ever!

Today we read a story about a personified mud puddle that kept jumping on this little girl, we made mud and painted with it and then took a hike!  What made me laugh the most was when we were all done with our day the kids came back into the barn with their rosy cheeks and runny noses and asked, “What to we do next?”  Image

There is no time for boredom when you have your senses alive, when the sunshine warms your face and the breeze is just right!  These kids are learning outside… not in the traditional way.  They are fearless or the things they fear may not be one day because of what they are  doing in the woods!  They are developing an attachment to this place and my hope is that one they will ask their parents if they can take a hike sometime or play in the backyard with dirt.

Here are some more pictures of our time outside……   Peace…

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