Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary is a little gem right outside of downtown Freeport. It’s often overlooked but is a great place for a short family-friendly walk. If you have a chance to visit, see if you can spot any of these things below! This is an action scavenger hunt, in which you are challenged to use your senses and take an action.
If you can’t get to Mast Landing or another Maine Audubon sanctuary, see if you can find things like these on any walk or outdoor space, and take the associated actions: Look, Listen, Feel, Make, Smell, Imagine!
LOOK: What signs of nature do you see? Who made these holes? Are they new or old?
LISTEN: Close your eyes and listen to all the different sounds. Can you tell which are manmade and which are natural? What sounds make you more relaxed? What sounds are more annoying?
FEEL: Run your hands over things like tree bark or leaves. Bring paper and a pencil or crayon with you, and make a rubbing.
MAKE: Using objects that are already on the ground, create a cairn or fairy house or sculpture. Some of the nicest pieces of nature art are designed to wash away with the tide, blow away in the wind, and exist only for a moment. Would you want yours to last forever?
SMELL: What does a new bud smell like? Is it different from a leaf that has been on the ground all winter?
IMAGINE: You will need to be patient and quiet in order to see one of Mast Landing’s mammals. Do you see this one? What do you think it is doing? Is it going up or down? Imagine a story about this porcupine. What does its home look like? What did it have for breakfast? Does it have a family? Make up a story for this animal!
If you can, do some research when you get home, to find out what a porcupine really does during the course of a day. Did you know that porcupines are rodents? They don’t actually “shoot” their quills. They have big front teeth and eat bark and stems, as well as fruit, leaves, and spring buds. What else did you see on your scavenger hunt?
Our educators, scientists, advocates, and naturalists are committed to keeping you connected to the natural world as we deal with the coronavirus situation together. Check in every weekday on our Connections page for family activities, parent/teacher tips, backyard birding, nature exploration at our sanctuaries, and more.
