Nature in the Middle Last week we set out in search of a local pond, equipped with some homemade tools to help us explore.� The weather has been fantastic this past week and hopefully you were able to get outdoors and explore a pond.�� This week I’d like to take a closer look at the […]
Connections
Family Fun Connections: Exploring Color
Nature is colorful year-round, if you know where and how to look. But there’s something about the deepening shades of green in late spring, plus the pops of color from each new blooming tree, flower, or shrub, that make this a particularly nice time to explore color. Let’s dig in! When you are OUTSIDE: After […]
Elementary Connections: Decomposers
How are nutrients recycled in nature? What plants, animals, and organisms help with this process? Where can we observe this in our own yards and neighborhoods? � � � Last summer, a huge, old tree fell in the woods at Gilsland Farm. No one was quite sure what caused it to happen right then, during […]
Connections: Exploring a Pond, Part 1
Typically, our spring program for middle schoolers at the Fields Pond Audubon Center involves some type of pond exploration. Exploring a pond is a great way to learn about how an ecosystem works. Predator/prey relationships, life cycles, and energy flow are all easily viewed in a relatively small area of a pond. For this week’s […]
Family Fun Connections: Neighborhood Trees
As we’ve gotten better acquainted with the trees we pass on our daily walks around the neighborhood, I love that they’re starting to stand out as individuals. In the past I’ve talked about spotting differences as a precursor to identifying species, but those same skills are what have led to noticing that one oak tree […]
Elementary Connections: Life Cycles in Spring
How do different plants or animals grow and develop? What stages of life can you see around you? Do young plants and animals always look exactly like their parents? Step outside or peek out your window and you’re bound to see new life this time of year. Birds are laying eggs or caring for their […]
Connections: The Darling Buds of May
Now that the temperature outdoors is moving up, it’s starting to feel like spring has really sprung! One of the things that I look forward to each spring is the blooming of flowers. As I sit on my front porch writing this, I can see dandelions, violets, and wild strawberries in bloom on my lawn […]
How can I help baby birds?
It’s nesting season for many birds now, and you may come across an abandoned nest, an egg that has fallen out of the nest, or baby animals that–to you–are just crying for help. What should you do? The same question will come up in mid- to late-summer, prime time for hatching and fledgling birds. Many […]
Connections: Observation Conversation 2
At the beginning of April, Early Childhood Education Program Manager Molly Woodring and Youth Programs Manager Catherine Griset had an Observation Conservation, where they shared tips on close observation of wildlife, making a �sit spot,� tools they use, surprises they have seen looking out their windows recently, and more. They are sharing new observations in […]