Timberwolf Trail - Week 33 - Retzer Experience #7 - 2018-19 Edition

With Spring seemingly here to stay, nature kindergarten enjoyed a busy, busy week outside. Enjoy the many pictures of our adventures this week. Much more planned for our final weeks together!

We had a guest visitor share her picture book on sandhill cranes and share some crane crafts.

We birded.

We woodchipped.

We played.

We saw good green in our butterfly garden.

We found bad green in the form of garlic mustard.

We tick checked. . .a lot.

We visited the Retzer Nature Center on a rainy day.

We searched through pond and stream water for creatures.

We investigated watersheds and learned about what can get into our water supply.

We listened to stories about nature.

We created a frog foldable.

We met some anima friends.

We met a froglet and adult frog.

We posed for pictures.

We found beauty.

We played some more.

We found ore garlic mustard.

We heard chorus frogs behind our school so we looked for them.

We read more books.

More invasive species eradication.

We set some traps to catch those frogs.

We birded some more.

We watched metamorphosis in action
.

We checked our birdboxes and found more eggs.

We worked in the school garden.

We met with one of our favorite naturalists. Any guesses on the topic?

With a week like this, I can't wait to get outside even more.

Timberwolf Trail - Week 32 - 2018-19 Edition

The beginning of the week wetness switched to seasonal temperatures toward the end of the week with a very bright forecast ahead. That same bright forecast related to nature kindergarten as well. What a wonderful week it was!

We continued building up our physical strength and improving the trail by woodchipping some more of the muddier spots.

We also hosted a planting party which added native plants and mason bee homes to the trail.

Our naturalist friend from the Department of Natural Resources visited one last time to teach about seeds. We found plenty of seeds. . . and bugs.

We also continued our Birdathon. This week, we also began searching the various birdboxes around the trail. We found a variety of nests and saw wrens, swallows, and bluebirds in and around the boxes.

Our most exciting find was one particular box that looked different than others. rather than sticks and grass, it had moss, feathers, and fur. A little investigation showed that this was the nest of three chickadee. We found the nest on Thursday. By the time we checked again on Friday. It had changed.

Eight gorgeous eggs. Plus, a mommy and daddy bird scanning our every move.

We celebrated this discovery and a week of wonderful work on the trail with some natural play.

WOLF Prairie Planting Party 2019

Woodside's Outdoor Learning Families (WOLF) Nature Club enjoyed one of the drier evenings of late to help diversify and restore the Timberwolf Trail with nearly 200 native plants.

Using an old-school tarp and move restoration method, we are working to slowly improve our land for a healthier ecosystem.

We may have found one woolly bear along the way.

Or maybe more. 😁

We even had our school's Daisy group plant their own section and add a collection of mason bee houses to support mote native wildlife.

It was great to see so many families take part in this event and  look forward to more opportunities on the future.