Nature Kindergarten expanded this year to collaborate with Waukesha County's amazing Retzer Nature Center. With the support of the Friends of Retzer organization, the Hamilton Education Foundation, and my school's fantastic Home & School, we will be able to take our outdoor learning to the next level by working with Retzer's naturalists both at their nature center and out school site.
In this first visit to Retzer, we focused on Nature Discovery. After a quick discussion of the importance of ecosystems and the food chain, it was off to to the trails to discover nature in a personalized by way creating our own collections of nature. Using a nature checklist as a guide, students sought out seeds, evidence of animals, varieties of plants and trees, and special natural surprises. The seeds collected will be used to help restore our land at school.
We then headed back for lunch and a visit from Peaches the albino bull snake before venturing back on our own to explore more of the grounds.
It was a spectacular start to a yearlong collaboration. Please enjoy our visit through the photos below.
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| Mr. Larry kicking off the day |
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| My class was led by Ms. Kathy and Mr. Bob |
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| Investigating a nest |
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| Collecting prairie seeds |
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| Slug time |
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| We love milkweed |
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| A day without natural play???? Never! |
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| Climbing a fallen tree |
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| There was fungus among us |
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| "The Moosehead" |
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| Mr. Larry and Peaches |
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| The pond |
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| Milkweed fluff |
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| "The Composting Cannon" |
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| Lots of hands on learning |
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| What beautiful antlers you have |
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