Posts tagged ‘hiking’
Owls and the Homeless: When nature and reality meet
Look, there’s an owl nest.
Hey, check out the trout lilies.
And just ahead, there’s a homeless man sleeping.
So it goes at Turville Point Conservancy on a Saturday morning hike.
A flash of white: Bald eagles soar just in time for Eagle Days
A bald eagle soars over the bluffs at the Spring Green Conservancy. Even at a distance, the birds are magnificent.
Flash of white. Check.
Huge wing span. Check.
Yes, it’s eagle spotting time in southern Wisconsin.
Kids learn to enjoy winter at Indian Lake County Park
Even without snow, the kids made use of the sledding hill.
Lou and his mother didn’t look too happy as we gathered at 9 a.m. on a cold, December morning for a trip to Indian Lake County Park.
“I had my doubts,” mom admitted. But she showed up anyway along with 30 others. At the end of the day, they were all smiles and glad they came.
Despite the lack of snow and 10 degree temps, the kids found lots of ways to stay warm and have fun. Plus, Indian Lake is a drop-dead gorgeous park. The sunny, blue skies formed a perfect back drop for limitless outdoor fun:
- Kids ran, slid and rolled down a frost covered sledding hill.
- Kids played on a huge pile of wood. They turned the wood pile into a fort, a mountain or just a neat place to climb. They killed off space aliens, played soldier games and lots more.
- Kids played with sticks, the best toys ever.
- Kids examined beautiful frost crystals that coated the ground.
Sticks are the best toys ever. Note the lack of mittens.
- Kids helped build a fire.
- Kids played football and kicked around a ball.
- Kids hiked up the hill to see a historic chapel.
- Kids ate hot dogs and hot chocolate.
But mostly, the kids learned that sometimes it’s important to get up and go even if it’s cold. Parents set the example. Unfortunately, about 15 kids missed out because their parents cancelled.
We forget how warm kids get when they run around. No matter how many times we asked kids to put their hats on, most didn’t listen and took them off anyway. Go figure. Kids just don’t react to cold the same way as adults.
Winter is a great time to get outside. It’s important to help parents and kids learn how to enjoy the winter.
How do you respond to fears about cold weather?
Playing football in the morning sun. Again, no mittens. Are they crazy?
Indian Lake County Park with 60 people
Will be taking more than 60 kids and parents to Indian Lake County Park for some hiking tomorrow morning. It will be cold and sunny. I’m actually more concerned about the parents than the kids. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Prairie Humor: Joke reveals African-American history
Q: What kind of tree has no money?
A: A Burr Oak. (say it out loud if you don’t get it.)
I learned this joke yesterday from a fourth grader when I was giving a guided tour of a tall grass prairie at Schumacher Farm County Park. I shared it with his class and they thought it was sort off funny and my friends thought it was hilarious.
However, when I told it at work to a few co-workers I got blank stares. A bit later I asked my co-worker about the joke. “Pretty bad, huh?”
He said the reason he didn’t laugh is because there’s a Burr Oak Cemetery in Chicago.
“Growing up, we were told to be good or we’ll end up in Burr Oak.”
I looked the cemetery up on-line and learned it was the first African-American cemetery in Chicago. Many prominent athletes and musicians are buried there. It’s also where con-artists resold up to 300 graves and destroyed the original occupant’s remains in 2009.
No wonder he didn’t laugh.
The burr oak can take it. The rugged, scaly bark protected them from prairie fires and now protects them from anything else they may witness — good and bad. The “Good Oak” as described in Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac, is no longer the quintessential description of the oak.
While it remains the rugged and noble tree of the prairie and the first choice for toasty campfires and strong furniture, it is also the enduring African-American cemetery tree with a richly human history. I’ll remember this the next time I give a tour of the prairie.
What have you learned because of a child today?
Diane Schwartz is the site director of Schumacher Farm County Park and the Outdoor Education Specialist at Goodman Community Center in Madison, WI. Register for this blog to receive a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide.
Devil’s Lake: Danger, Turkey Vultures & 2 Billion Year Old Rocks
Devil’s Lake is beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. So, it was with a healthy dose of caution that I took 9 kids on a 2.5 mile hike.
We went up the East Bluff Trail, down the Balanced Rock Trail, and then back to the North Shore along the railroad tracks. It’s a classic hike that I’ve taken dozens of times, but never with 9 elementary aged kids.
It was entirely different with kids.
Like I said, Devil’s Lake is gorgeous, but it’s also dangerous. Safety always come first with kids.
The hardest part of the hike was telling the Kindergarten and some first grade students that they couldn’t go. I stuck with older kids I knew who would listen and who would be able to keep up with the hike. This left a few disappointed, but I know they will have their day on the bluffs.
After a short talk about “staying on the trail” and “listening to the teacher” we were ready for fun.
We got to see turkey vultures gracefully flying near the bluffs and I got to tell my favorite turkey vulture stories.
“Did you know that turkey vultures pee on their legs to cool down? The uric acid also disinfects their legs. Why would you think that’s important?” I asked the kids.
“Because they eat dead things?” said Mary quizzically.
“Would they eat us?” someone asked.
“If we were dead, probably.”
“Gross!” they cried with looks of disgust.
“They also vomit if threatened by another animal. The other animal then eats the vomit and the turkey vulture can get away. Pretty smart bird, huh?”
“Ew!”
The 4th grade kids appreciated this fact more than the second grade kids.
As we hiked, we looked at fossilized ripple marks in the Baraboo quartzite left from the sandy beach that formed the rock more than 2 billion years ago. I don’t know if this fact sunk in, but at least it planted a geology seed. Devil’s Lake is a geological goldmine and it’d be great to spend more time on the geology. Today, however, we had to keep going so that we’d make it back to the bus on time.
Other than being slightly rushed, it was an awesome hike. The weather was perfect and the kids were troopers. And, no one tripped or slipped on the rocks.
I have to say that I was a relieved to step foot on the ground after descending the Balanced Rock trail.
Like I said before, hiking with kids is different because you never stop be concerned about their safety. Of course, I would do it again, I just would allow more time to enjoy the view.
Tell me about your hiking adventures with kids. What did you do that worked? What didn’t work? You can find me planning my next hiking trip at the Goodman Community Center. Like what you see here? Register for this blog and get a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide. Just click on the home page and type in your email.
Gearing up for Summer Fun!
School’s almost out for summer.
That means Summer Camp is just around the corner. At Goodman Community Center, we offer a 10 week program of summer fun. Biking, field trips, insect adventures, arts and crafts, swimming, fishing and hiking are just a few of the activities available to kids.
The best part of summer is that I get more time to do activities with kids. We can take bike rides to the Capitol. We can plant bug traps and explore insects at our leisure. We can go swimming and be lazy and just stare at clouds. We can make gimp key chains and sand art and other classic summer crafts.
As I kid, I loved doing these things and I still fondly remember hanging out at the local park playing wink and making gimp necklaces with the recreation staff.
As a teacher, I get to give kids these memories.
I can’t think of anything that’s better than that and I look forward to sharing my triumphs and challenges here with you.
Are you excited or scared about summer? What do you do with your kids? What works? what doesn’t? Remember it’s a short season, so have fun!
Diane Schwartz is a K-5 teacher at the Goodman Community Center in Madison, WI. She leads hiking, skiing and biking adventures. She also sells bubble wands. For a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide, just go to the home page and subscribe to this blog.
One minute of silence: Listening to the birds at the Arboretum
Q: How do you teach kids the art of listening?
A: One minute at a time.
While hiking today at the Arboretum with 10 kids, I tried something new.
I held up my watch and said, “For one minute, let’s see how many birds we can hear.”
Red-bellied Woodpecker
It wasn’t perfect silence, but that’s okay. The birds were raucous and many different sounds could be heard. Afterward, John said he heard a goose. Janet, an avid birder and one of our Sierra Club volunteers, said she heard the shrill call of a red-bellied woodpecker. The kids listened again.
They heard it. Their eyes grew larger, full of wonder.
Where is the bird hiding? What does he look like?
Somehow, the rest of the hike seemed quieter. I don’t know if this is true, but that’s how it felt to me. We stopped by the spring and enjoyed some watercress. Some kids liked it and others thought it was too hot. It tasted a little peppery.
After the hike, we stopped at the Longenecker Gardens to enjoy a snack and to run around among the lilacs.
We saw swallows, a cat bird, a Baltimore oriole, chipping sparrows, robins, turkeys and yellow finches.
What a glorious day Spring day.
I think it’s important to teach kids the art of listening.
Who knows, that one minute of silence could lead to many more.
To listen to the red-bellied woodpecker, go to www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/sounds.
Diane Schwartz is a K-5 teacher at the Goodman Community Center in Madison, WI. She leads hiking, skiing and biking adventures. For a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide, just go to the home page and subscribe to this blog.
Going on a Treasure Hunt: Geo-Caching at Picnic Point
Do technology and nature belong together? After all, isn’t hiking supposed to get us away from machines and technology?
That’s what I always thought. However, after our first geo-cache outing, I believe there is a place for geo-caching in the nature curriculum for kids. It’s just a different kind of nature experience.
Here are the benefits I see of geo-caching.
1. Kids learn how to read a GPS. Even though ours were very simple, Junior models by Apisphere, the kids still had to read the screen. They had to follow the direction arrow and watch as the distance (in feet) grew smaller as they neared the cache. In the process, I do think they learned something about space and the environment. For example, when we started, we were 800 feet from the cache. Therefore, they experienced 800 feet. They also had to read the numbers, which for the smaller kids, helped with math.
2. They have to slow down. They moved so fast that they walked right past the cache the first time through. When they were within 30 feet of the cache, they had to get off the trail and poke around to find it. This was good. They had to pay attention or miss the treasure.
3. It’s exciting. Treasure hunts are just plain fun. When we found our cache, the kids were thrilled. We dumped the cache on a cloth and let them each take something. Then they added something for the next person. They really enjoyed this and took home stuff like a key, a ball, rocks, and a necklace. I think they’ll remember this outing for a long time.
Here are the drawbacks that I see:
1. Geo-caching is expensive. The junior models are $70. That isn’t too bad, but to work with kids, you need more than one . We had one unit for every two kids in our group of 11. I’ve heard of groups using one for every 6 kids, but they were older. We are fortunate that Inner City Outings purchased the units and lets us use them. You also need a computer to find the caches. You have to go to geocaching.com, to locate the caches and get information on them.
2. Planning. With smaller kids (K-5), I think it’s important to scout the trip in advance. Disappointment does nothing to motivate them. As a busy teacher, this is tough to do. Again, I am fortunate to have a volunteer do this.
3. Yes, looking at the GPS does detract from the surroundings. However, there is still plenty of time to see nature while outside or plan other outings that don’t involve technology.
The bottom line is that geo-caching is an exciting way to get kids outside. It’s fun and gives kids a purpose for hiking. If we want to get kids outside, we need to embrace ideas that excite them. Hopefully, they’ll love being outside so much that they’ll keep it up. Finding the money and time is the key.
Check out geocaching.com to learn more about this sport and the many treasures just waiting to be found.
Get an email subscription (go to home page) and receive my Bubble Activity Guide. It’s full of inexpensive activities to do with kids.
The Polar Express: Creative Play at Lake Farm Park
What do you call a fishing pier that’s on land for the winter? The Polar Express, a ship, and a ferry. On a trip to Lake Farm Park, I thought that most of the Kindergarten and first graders would have rushed to the water. But, they didn’t. Instead, they immediately jumped on a massive pier, in three pieces, now setting on land for the winter.
Continue Reading November 13, 2009 at 12:42 am Leave a comment
