Forest Friends: Week 3
July 24-28
Nature Head to Toe + Wildlife Wonders
Day 1:
Week three of forest friends is here! To kick off Nature Head to Toe, the owl group got to feed the Nature Center deer, Autumn. The owls went to the lookout tower where they read about animal shelters, and then went on a hike where they found burrows that could potentially belong to either skunks or other small creatures. The bees went on a hike to find different bugs and spiders. After lunch, Both groups made their way to the sugarbush. Campers built lots of forts, played tic-tac-toe and observed some frogs.
Day 2:
Day two, the last day of Nature Head to Toe, started with the playing in the outdoor classroom before the bees fed Autumn. Next, both groups headed on hikes to the Lookout tower trail to see the fairy houses. The owls went down the trail then ended up on a dock to watch a turtle they found in the stream. The bees strayed from the trail to spend some more time in the sugarbush! After lunch, the bees played more in the sugar bush before heading to the mud kitchen. The owls started in the mud kitchen, then made their way to the log cabin to play with the old water pump and work together to fill a bucket with water. The busy day ended with heading back to the outdoor classroom for pick-up.
Day 3:
The first day of Wildlife Wonders began in the outdoor classroom where campers pretended to roast marshmallows. They found sticks and used model clay to make a marshmallow they could place at the end to roast over a pile of logs. The owl group went to feed the nature center owl, while the bees began their hike. The bees traveled down the trails to collect various bugs. The owls got to continue their owl themed day by learning about owl pellets and being able to dissect sterilized ones; They found various bones like skulls, claws, wings, etc. After lunch, the owls played on some logs before heading to the docs to take some quiet time with nature, while the bees spent their time playing in the sugarbush. The owls then took their turn in the sugarbush, while the bees headed back towards the outdoor classroom to make a bug hotel before pick-up!
Day 4:
Forest Friends started today by feeding the owl and Autumn the deer. After feeding the owl, the bees got to learn about what owl pellets were and got a chance to dissect them and find different bones from creatures such as birds or mice! The owls went on a hike that took them to the log cabin where they played more with the water pump, and got to see a couple fawns! After lunch, the bees went to the sugar bush to play with the fort, and then headed down to the lookout tower. The owls went down to the docks and spent some time by the water observing nature. Then it was time to go home!
Day 5:
Our last day of Forest Friends has come! While the bees fed Autumn today, the owls went on a hike to the lookout tower where they sat and read about bug hotels! The owls then got a chance to put those new skills to use and work to build a bug hotel. After lunch, The owls headed to the mud kitchen to make different foods and drinks, and find snails. The bees went into the sugar bush where a very lively game of horse and cowboy chase took place. The bees then took their turn in the mud kitchen, and the owls went back to work more on their bug hotel! Then it was time for pick-up and to say good-bye to our friends!
