Comet Falls - Mount Rainier National Park

The warning signs were provided in the Mount Rainier National Park paperwork. Avalanche. Volcanic activity. Bears. Cougars. Rock slides. Tree hazards. I especially like the advice of "fighting aggressively and aiming for the eyes" when learning how to fight off an attacking cougar. Though reading the park map and scouting out our hike was serious business, my wife and I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of all of these issues combining to wreak havoc on our nature time. We also reminded ourselves that we didn't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than someone else.

Final inspection of the hiking options for the day plus a little insight from a park ranger led us to Comet Falls. We were certainly not disappointed, though our quadriceps and ankles might tell you differently. The park ranger did mention parts of the trail were moderate to strenuous. Next time I take a trip to the mountains, remind me that moderate on a mountain trail is different than moderate on a Wisconsin trail.

My wife and I began our trek on the rocky terrain, avoiding a rainbow of rocks and spiderwebs of thick, gnarly roots on our gradual and meandering ascent to the falls. As my wife mentioned, "climbing is worse than walking." Still, besides the exhausting exercise, our hearts were pounding because of the amazing views and a few unexpected treats

Now your definition of treats and my definition of treats may differ. You may think chocolate or adult beverage. My wife and I think animal encounter. Well, at least when we are hiking. Don't worry, it wasn't the predatory kind. As we approached a few other stalled hikers, we noticed why they were taking a break. Across from the ridge was a sole mountain goat. He seemed quite content on his ledge, which this picture gives little justice. One slip and bye bye goat. Did I mention those hikers were also from the Badger state? This is our second trip to a national park in the mountains. Both times our first hike took us to a waterfall. Both times we met fellow Wisconsinites on the hike. 

Before we left for the hike, we were given a tip from the ranger. She mentioned that on the Comet Falls trail, there was a misleading sign that led to many missing out on a wonderful waterfall. There was a sign that read Comet Falls with an arrow and the words 200 feet. Interestingly enough, the arrow pointed right to a log bridge. On that log bridge, I snapped the first picture below. Nice waterfall, right? It was a nice waterfall, but it wasn't Comet Falls. Not even close! The ranger noted that many people interpret this sign as pointing to the falls when in fact it points to the bridge, which is supposed to take you across to the connecting trail. The trail that takes you to Comet Falls. When she said it was misleading, she wasn't joking. We crossed the bridge and noticed the trail seemed to vanish. It seemed most people took those falls as THE Comet Falls and turned around from there. Luckily, I was listening. As my wife and I used our trail eyes to find the real falls, we were blown away by the much more magnificent view shown in the second picture below. The ranger stated these falls fell nearly 360 feet from the ledge above.

Fake Comet Falls

The REAL Deal

The trip to Comet Falls was an amazing and at times painful introduction to Mount Rainier National Park. 

Timberwolf Trail - Week 8 - 2015-16 Edition

We kicked off our forest kindergarten day by going to a place we hadn't been before. Before trekking on our usual trail, we stopped by the back tree line and looked at the deciduous forest behind us. Using an amazing book, The Gift of the Tree, by Alvin Tresselt, we learned about the life of a tree and how even the most powerful and towering oak tree can eventually come down. That being said, even though it wasn't the skyscraping tree it once was, it still served an important and crucial role in the life of a healthy forest.  Of course, we couldn't just talk about fallen trees in the forest. We needed to explore them! Before we headed among the trees, we of course had to grab a pile of newly fallen leaves and throw them up in the air. We didn't want to wast such an amazing autumn day!

The trek was a bit more treacherous than our usual pathway. Risk is important and we all took our time and were careful as we explored this new area. We saw and inspected fallen limbs, took a closer look at stumps, and even found some giant puffball mushrooms.

After meandering through the woods, we headed back to the trail and stopped between two oak trees. We were very familiar with one to the trees as it served as our main outdoor learning area. Still, the other would be the focus of our next lesson. Though merely 100 feet or less away from our oak classroom, this other tree was often overlooked. After inspecting it, we found that it was missing its top and that the top had fallen, the top was caught among lower branches, and it was now full of dead branches and leaves. I asked the students what might have caused this part of the tree to fall. After brainstorming and deciding against beavers, lightning, and lumberjacks,we came to the conclusion that this tree may have been damaged by wind. The kids were amazed that though part of this tree was no longer alive, much of the rest of the tree was still loaded with acorns and deep green leaves.

After our oak tree inspection, we headed to the classroom oak and worked on collecting nature items for our exquisite nature vests made from paper bags from local grocery stores. After trial and error with tape, glue, and rubber cement, we were able to start adding nature to our vest in the form of acorns, stick, leaves, feather, and even a walnut or two. I can't wait to see what else we can add to these amazingly creative collections.

During natural play, we were able to use our long paper roll telescopes to see the land from a new perspective.

We moved on from natural play time to go inspect a very large fallen tree. Based on what we had discussed in our readings and our science chats, it was exciting to see what the students could point out about the tree. It is hard to remember all that they discussed but by while trying to ask the right questions, we made some very important discoveries. The students figured out bugs and fungus were primarily helping turn this once sturdy tree into soft, dusty pieces. We found grass growing out of the tree and eventually came to the conclusion that because the tree was slanted and this is where the tree formed a bowl shape this is where rainwater and dirt must have collected, making it easy for something to grow.

Upon further inspection, we noticed holes in the tree mainly at the base. The kids guessed this is where the chipmunks lived. When I asked why, they brainstormed and came up with some reasons why this would be a good animal habitat. They mentioned that the chipmunk could store food there and that the chipmunk could hide from other animals and protect itself from the rain and weather.

In the afternoon, not only did we mention a number of woolly bears, something that has become a daily occurrence, but we worked on the tricky teens. Connected with an activity I previously taught indoors using unifix cubes to connect and create teen numbers, I decided to use nature to teach this time around. With sticks representing ten and acorns being ones, we worked on place value and teen number creation before calling it a day.

I am so blessed and honored to be able to take these kids outside and learn from them. Trust me, they are teaching me more than I could ever teach them.

Timberwolf Trail - Week 7 - 2015-16 Edition

The brisk breeze of a Wisconsin weekday on October allowed us to enjoy a rainbow of colors among the trees. It also allowed us to see new perspectives on our outdoor learning environments.

This week, though engaged in several curricular-based activities, an underlying goal of teamwork and problem-solving was at the core of what we did. We started off with a review of using balance scales. I split up the class by gender. As the girls went off to their sit spots and journaled, the boys were given a balance challenge. As is with many boys, competitive juices flowed, independent thoughts took over, and very little verbal communication took place. After explaining, the challenge, three groups of boys went off and grabbed materials independent of each other to find the "natural balance." It took a while, some frustrations among peers, and some teacher tips, but a few of the groups did achieve that balance.

Then, we flip flopped and the girls took over the challenge. Oddly enough, as they boys went out to their spots to write and illustrate, the girls stayed back and devised a plan before putting that plan into action. Now it is possible a few girl may have listened in on my tips, but regardless, it was certainly easy to see that the girls put the goal ahead of their individual aspirations., By communicating and planning before acting, all groups met the challenge, the super challenge, the super super challenge, and one I had to create on the fly, the super duper challenge. When we all got together the next day to discuss the results, thy boys didn't really like the taste of the humble pie the girls served them, but I do think some of the boys; thinking brains starting spinning and gaining traction with the concept of cooperation. Mission accomplished!

Before natural play time, we explored the color changes by observing the land and noting the vast variety of differences in colors, even among the same tree. We also explored a new tree, chalk full of cavities the kids made sure to inspect for snakes and chipmunks.

Then, using a buddy system and the new Leopold benches, we practiced patience and perseverance through art. Before we trekked the trail, the students had a partner trace their forearm and open-fingered on paper to form a bare tree. It wouldn't be bare for long.

After reviewing a little bit of science regarding the color changes,teach student searched for few colorful leaves. Then, going against everything we have talked about concerning using minimal amounts of glue and "dots, not lots,", we globbed the glue down on the finger portion of our tree, crumbled up the freshly fallen leaves, and sprinkled them in the sticky sea to create a fall tree out of real leaves. After allowing them to try, we finished the task inside by adding colorful illustrative and word details and words to create a a fall scene worth hanging in the hallway for all to enjoy.

I am so very proud of my students. Their passion for exploration is contagious. I wish I would've started this forest kindergarten years ago. With all the rejuvenation and excitement I get teaching and learning outside, I really can't think of doing it any other way!

Tyke Hike #16 & Autumn Woodside Walk - Lapham Peak

I pulled double duty this autumn day, planning and leading three separate hikes. The morning Tyke hike would be followed by two afternoon school hikes. Knowing the unpredictability of Wisconsin's weather, this triple-hike experiment could have been a wonderful or devastating decision. Luckily, though there was a rather frustrating bump in the road, the weather was brilliant and the hikes were fantastic.

At the Tyke Hike, 50 hikers and a four-legged friend joined me on my trek down the newest section of Lapham Peak's Ice Age trail, thanks to a Mobile Skills Crew project in late August. The school hikes also brought in around 50 people each. Though the route of each hike was identical, the discoveries the participants of each hike made each journey unique and different.

We departed from the tower and headed gradually down hill until we came to one of my favorite spots that used to be right along the trial, but is now a short distance away because of the reroute. At this spot, a hollowed out tree makes for a perfect family photo. We stopped to snap some photos and discussed blazes and their purpose on the trail.

Then it was furtehr down the path until we stopped at a short 30-foot section near and dear to my heart. Here, I stopped to provide information on the volunteering that goes hand in hand with the Ice Age Trail. I chose this specific spot because a few short weeks ago, I was lucky enough to volunteer and build this section of the trail. I reminisced about the painful memories of de-stumping this area and adding a new rock wall to aid trail stability.

We then continued down the hill to a new area loaded with young pines and older oaks. Being a tree enthusiast, I had to take this opportunity to talk trees with the hikers, so besides chatting and aksing kids about deciduous and evergreen trees, I gave them a quiz. I asked each child to find one leaf and one acorn and hold them up high. Then, I asked them what they were holding. Some said nature. Some said seeds. Some said stuff. :)  Great answers, but not the one I was looking for. I told them that they were holding the future. After scanning the faces and noticing quizzical looks from both children and adults, I mentioned that the acorns were the baby oaks and the leaves would decompose into the soil needs to help those babies grow, so the kids were literally holding in their own hands the future of the forest.  They seemed to enjoy it.

After the quiz, we retraced our steps back to the tower. At the Tyke Hike, Our librarian assistant read some stories and led some glacier yoga while I handed out Tyke Hike Certificates and schedules for future hikes. At the school hikes, I took many still energized children up to the top of the tower for  a scenic look at the fall colors, which I am told are near 40% of their peak this weekend.

You may remember the frustrating bump in the road I told you about. It may have been a literal bump in the road as one of the tires I had just purchased the night before had already gone flat. Luckily, some Good Samaritan hikers from one of the school hikes assisted me with the change. Technically, they did it and I entertained the kids. :)

Alas, that slight unexpected event didn't detract from the wonderful day. I enjoyed seeing many former students, current students, and other excited hikers. When I surveyed the growing crowds while waiting to begin the Tyke Hike, families told me they heard about the Tyke Hike from the local newspaper, the Ice Age Trail website, a moms group, Facebook, REI, the library, and the bulletin board posting information in the park's parking lot. I was blown away at how many ways are out there to get tykes out and about.

Timberwolf Trail - Week 6 - 2015-16 Edition

Autumn has hit the Timberwolf Trail. The leaves are changing and falling and the kids are exploring new outdoor experiences. We crammed in amazing amount of learning this week and set up many further lessons. I am getting tired just thinking of it all. :)

Based on a previous lesson on changing leaves led by our amazing media specialist, the class came to the trail with some background knowledge on chlorophyll, anthocyanin,and a multitude of other science words. After a quick review of the color changing purposes, the kids were sent on a leaf collection based on a specific list they chose at random. For example, one list might say 3 red, 2 green, and 5 yellow while another might read 3 green, 4, brown, and 3 red.

After allowing a few minutes for leaf exploration and collection, we read a non-fiction story about the changing colors of leaves while the kids examined their own collection. Then, the kids drew their leaf using their bare eyes followed by their magnifiers, comparing the difference between the two perspectives.

It was time for natural play. Although we had some amazing learning before and after playing, as is the case on a regular basis, some of the best learning came during natural play. A small group of children came across a chipmunk whose day had come. Being a recent kill and a pretty cute chipmunk, it drew a great deal of interest. I must say I was surprised that the reaction from basically everyone that joined in on the buzz of the discovery was of intrigue, not disgust. They. of course, were excited to call me over to check on what they found. As I arrived, I noticed their interest was a perfect opportunity to try chain questioning,a  technique used to further exploration and understanding through asking questions, not answering then. As if on cue, as soon as I arrived, a student began the questioning. A few other students joined in after the initial question  Paraphrased, here is a portion of our conversation;

Student:  "What happened to the chipmunk?"

Me: "What do you think happened to him?

S:  "He broke his leg:"    

M: "Why do you say that?"

S: "Because chipmunks are fast, so he should've gotten away."

M: "So, if a chipmunk breaks his leg, he will die?

S: "Yep."

M: "People break their bones all the time. We don't die. Why is it different for a chipmunk?"

S: "Because they don't go to doctor"

M: "Well, if they don't go to doctors, how do they take care of themselves?"

S: "They hide. They are super speedy."

M: "And if their leg is broken, they aren't super speedy anymore and can get caught, right?"

S: "Yeah. They'd get eaten."

M: "Great thought. But, if that's correct, how come this chipmunk hasn't been eaten?"

S : silence for thinking

M: "Let's look closer and see if there are other clues."

S: "There's a hole in his neck."

M: "You're eight! What could that mean?"

S: "The hole is bloody, so it must have run into something sharp, like a rock."

M: "Possibly, That would have to be a very sharp rock. Could there another reason?"

S: "Maybe it's one of the hawks we saw last week."

(At this point, I had to hold back the smile.)

S: "Yeah, the hawk has sharp feet and loves to eat mice."

S: "Why didn't the hawk eat it?"

S: "Maybe the hawk dropped it and couldn't find it."

S: "Or maybe a loud noise scared it off."

This type of conversation made all the planning and work worthwhile. You may have noticed, but while I facilitated questioning at the beginning, by the end, the kids were asking and answering the questions amongst themselves and I was merely an observer. When the comment was made at the end about loud noises, I was extra happy because I have emphasized that being near a school and as of now, a currently active construction site, there are a lot of factors that might scare away nature so we need to be extra respectful and quiet to "catch" nature in action.

Someone enjoyed our hidden corn from last week :)

After natural play, we went on a tree tour and looked at a variety of trees that were scattered throughout the land. Because we were zooming in on leaves, we discussed and searched for trees that dropped their leaves (deciduous) and trees that stayed green (evergreen). While I obviously don't expect kids to remember these specific scientific terms, it's fun to expose them to these higher vocabulary words and even more exciting when they do remember them.

After lunch we took a math picnic, practicing counting, adding, and subtracting and memory through the removal and adding of items underneath a blanket. Kids enjoyed adding or removing items and figuring out what had changed. This provided an early look at addition and subtraction.

Then we took a trip to the garden to add our leaf collection and apple skins form last week to our compost bin. We had previously watched a short video about composting and were now ready to make our own.

As I told the kids, patience is a virtue. Last week, we dissected apples and removed the seeds. This week, we started out own compost pile. When spring hits, we hope to take our seeds and our fresh compost and plant apple trees. This might be the longest lesson plan I have ever written.:)

I asked the kids to raise their hands if they liked forest kindergarten. . . .