Okay, we know we say this every Friday, but WHAT an exciting week!! Spring continues to surprise us with the most amazing gifts. After two weeks of searching all over Mount St. Francis we finally found morel mushrooms smack in the middle of our forest play space at base camp. The children were delighted! We watched them carefully for a couple of days before harvesting them on Friday and cooking them up in some butter. Everyone who tried them loved them.
We also enjoyed a couple of trips to our nearby pond. We observed turtles sunbathing on logs, may apples with flowers that will soon fruit, and found a grove of black raspberry bushes that we can't wait to revisit in a couple of weeks. We discovered many giant bullfrogs in the shallows. Much like morels, they are nearly invisible until you train your eyes to look for them and then they're everywhere!
We have a couple new friends at base camp, including a juvenile rat snake and at least one chipmunk. We first observed the snake in a tree, but later in the week it surprised us by falling from the rafters in the shelter house (!) and slithering across the classroom rug. Never a dull moment at forest school!
Forest Club practiced reading compasses this week and enjoyed a scavenger hunt to use their skills (take 55 paces northwest, etc.). They also experimented with creating bubble wands from found and made materials.
Finally, we welcomed some observers from Swallowtail Forest School at the Louisville Nature Center. We observed their program over winter break and we were happy their teachers were able to come see our set up as well. We are grateful to have a growing and supportive network of forest schools in the Kentuckiana area.
Reminders and Such
Check daily for ticks. We recommend treating clothing and shoes with permethrin. Sun hats are highly recommended for keeping ticks out of hair. If you do find an attached tick, you can send it off to be tested here.
Send full rain gear daily, even if it's not raining! With the warming temps water play will be a frequent occurrence.
Please remove snacks from packaging whenever possible and pack them in a reusable container. It's so easy for wrappers to blow away and quickly become litter.
Things to Look Forward To
Construction of this beautiful schoolhouse will soon be underway! Enjoy this first sneak peek of your child's classroom next year! :)
All our best,
Heather & Kris
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