While Mother Nature has been pretty kind to us in Maryland with some truly glorious weather, we all know the heat and humidity are coming. This week at the GFT Summer Nature Series, we took a look at how the earth is preparing for winter… even though it isn’t quite yet summer!
We started the day revisiting our cycle lesson from last week when we happened upon a pigeon’s nest with 3 or 4 babies in it with a protective mother nearby. Then, we completed our Nature Journal before heading out into the forest. We took a different trail this week and were treated to two, large whitetail deer prancing through the trees, as well as a number of other animal nests and structures on our trek.
Upon returning from the hike, students were excited to discuss how exactly animals and humans are using this time to prepare for colder times to come. We discussed different animal adaptations and behaviors (squirrels burying nuts, for example) as well as how humans can prepare. Freezing fresh food, pickling food, or making jelly were a few of the more popular (and tasty!) sounding options.
Before we broke for lunch, students had a rich discussion regarding the different sounds of the seasons and used them to draw and write on their “Sound Wheels of the Seasons” before enjoying eating and playing before we broke for one more week.
If you’re interested in attending our Bug Hunt session next week or have questions about GFT’s tutorial or umbrella, drop us a line here. We’d love to hear from you!
Happy summer, everyone!
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