Heritage Trail, 31 May 2006

Our usual spot is still off-limits, but the Heritage Trail going towards Goshen has really yielded some neat finds. Today, we located what we thought was the remains of a turtle nest that might have been raided by a predator. We also found the remains of a hatchling painted turtle, which we surmise also fell victim to a predator. The dragonflies were buzzing all around, and we were fortunate again to find another photogenic one!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 25 May 2005

Our trip today was perfect, as we added new and exciting plants and animals to our "What We've Seen" list as well as a new family to our Nature Strollers group. We met Sybil and her son Anderson enjoying the wonders of Goose Pond, and together we spied frogs, tadpoles (in various stages of development), tiny toads, a killdeer, a scarlet tanager and a wood satyr butterfly. The wild iris were in bloom and the boardwalk was buzzing with life!

Heritage Trail, 23 May 2006

Ginny and her son Sawyer joined the regular group of Laurel and Acadia and Kat, Lily and Penelope on this unusually cold May day at the Heritage Trail. Sawyer lounged in his sling as Ginny was able to (with both of her hands free) investigate the many insects we saw. This grasshopper in particular was an easy target for the camera, and it's colors were magnificent. Spring has come!

Heritage Trail, 22 May 2006

With the trail alongside the Sanctuary closed while the town does some construction work, Laurel, Acadia, Kat, Lily and Penelope decided to walk the other way in search of more turtles... snapping or other! Along the trail today we spotted a very photogenic dragonfly, a bunch of "spit" bugs, and a pond full of painted turtles out enjoying the sunshine with us. Grand!

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 20 May 2006

On today's walk, Lily, Penelope, Grandma Barbara and Kat were able to see some snapping turtles mating in the lake next to the trail they were somewhat far out but the zoom lens and the binoculars allowed us to identify them... and get a few photographs. This was a special treat! Female snappers will soon be laying their eggs, and we will be sure to come back in early to mid September to look for the hatchlings.

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 18 May 2006

This was a great day for wildlife watching. The Orange County Audubon's Sanctuary in Goshen was teeming with butterflies floating among blooming wildflowers, and birds flew every which way above the Heritage Trail path alongside the lakes. The highlights of the trip today included a tree swallow peeking out from it's home and a mating pair of polyphemus moths. Splendid!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 05 May 2006

The Dodge family (mom Laurel, son Sebastian, and daughter Acadia) met up with the Diamond family (mom Kat, daughters Lily and Penelope) to catch and examine tadpoles at the created wetlands at Goose Pond.

More in the form of field notes to come!!

Bringing Children Back into the Woods

Orange County, New York: Two Orange County mothers, Laurel Dodge, an environmental educator, and Kathleen Diamond, a Teacher of the Deaf, became acquainted through the Orange County Audubon Society. They love taking their children outdoors. They found it surprising, however, that on trail after trail their families hiked alone. Speculating that many parents longed for an easy-going stroll with their young children they decided to offer a nature strollers group under the wing of Orange County Audubon. The mission of the Nature Strollers is to support parents and grandparents in their role as primary interpreters of nature for their families; to provide opportunities for families to enjoy unstructured time outdoors; to familiarize families with local trails, refuges, sanctuaries and preserves; and to develop networks among families with a common interest in nature.

Flexibility is the hallmark of Nature Strollers. Weekly walks are planned to accommodate the schedules of the greatest number of group members. Trail difficulty is dependent on the ages and skills of the children, with toddler and stroller-friendly trails being the norm. The Nature Strollers have regular stroller outings in addition to jogging/all-terrain stroller days. Outing lengths are often under a mile and last about an hour. Kathleen and Laurel bring along various field guides, butterfly and pond nets, binoculars and cameras so participants can truly experience and learn about their natural surroundings. The walks provide the excitement of discovery and enjoyment of nature study to families that may not do so on their own.

Though Nature Strollers is in its infancy, it has generated excitement and interest in the communities of the Orange County Audubon Society. This fledgling group now boasts more than 50 member families. Please feel free to visit the Nature Strollers blog to read about and see pictures of Nature Strollers outings and email Laurel and Kathleen if you are interested in starting one of these in your own community. If you would like to join us on our outings, sign up here to join our Yahoo Groups distribution list and receive email about when and where we are planning to go.
info@naturestrollers.org
http://www.naturestrollers.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturestrollers/
http://www.orangecountynyaudubon.com/
http://www.audubon.org