We sure saw a lot of wildlife this week! After finding a number of toads and a cooter turtle near base camp, we learned about amphibians and reptiles (and the differences between them). We also spotted our black rat snake friend. During an afternoon trip with Forest Club to the creek we saw another snake that may have been a copperhead or perhaps just a water snake...we didn't get close enough to confirm! We learned how there are just two types of venomous snakes in our area (copperheads and cottonmouths) and that they are not predatory towards humans. They will only attack if they feel threatened, which is why we wear boots and watch where we step.
Speaking of undesirables, the tick activity appears to be calming down a bit but we still recommend hats, bug spray, and daily tick checks. We also have a little bit of poison ivy in the pine forest near camp, so if that's something your child is allergic to you may want to stick with long pants. We pulled out as much as we could find so hopefully it won't be an issue!
Our Forest Club did a study to assess the health of our "big creek" this week. We took some nets and a field microscope and were able to gather a variety of species, including stone fly and true fly larva. Both of these species are highly sensitive to pollution, indicating we have a very healthy creek! Of course, they had a big time finding crawdads and gathered no fewer than eighty-seven before releasing them back into their habitat.
Another fun activity from the week was chlorophyll prints. We learned about what makes leaves green (chlorophyll) and how its job is to turn sunlight into food for the plant. Then we put green leaves between two pieces of paper and hammered the paper, which left a "print" of the chlorophyll behind.
Things to Look Forward To
We are very excited to invite you to our Summer Solstice Family Gathering! Join us Wednesday, June 21st at Base Camp for a fun evening of live bluegrass music, water play, face paint, Fistful of Tacos food truck, and Uncommon Cups and Cones ice cream. Our new teachers and families for the upcoming school year will be there as well!
We promise we really are building a schoolhouse! :) Five potential builders met at the site this week and we will be making a final builder selection soon. We expect to break ground in June and complete the project by the end of August.
We will have camp weeks May 30-June 2 and June 5-9. Looking forward to a couple weeks with new friends and new adults to share their talents!
Ways to Get Involved
Attend our family gathering on June 21st!
Check out our Amazon Wish List.
Share a talent, skill, interest, or holiday with us!
Enjoy your weekend!
Heather & Kris