Nature Strollers

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.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Heritage Trail, 07 June 2008

Kat reflects on todays outing...

It was HOT, but we were happy to be out. We were out in search of nesting Snapping Turtles. Last year at nesting time we had the fortune of seeing quite a few of these large New York State reptiles as they searched for places to lay their eggs. This time (perhaps because it was just SO hot) we did not see any turtles themselves, but we did see evidence they had been digging in the gravelly dirt along the trail. Of the seven families that joined us today, two of them told us tales of seeing Snapping Turtles rolling, wrestling, and splashing in the water as they mated. I had seen it once too, in the water on the other part of the Heritage Trail we usually take (along our Orange County Audubon Society's 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary). This route is currently closed due to construction on Route 17, but we are hoping it opens again in time for us to see the baby Snapping Turtles emerge on our planned walk in September.


Due to excessive heat and not too much shade, cutting our walk short today seemed like a good idea. Our toddlers weren't complaining at all, but the heat was clearly slowing us all down. We turned back short of the "Turtle Pond" that was our original destination, but we were so glad we did... Aidan spotted a giant moth resting on a leaf, caught in the open by the heat and the rising sun. It was beautiful! Owen (who doesn't go anywhere without the First Golden Guide to Insects we gave him last year, thanks to our New York Audubon grant) and his mom thumbed through his book to identify the moth. It was an Io Moth, one of our largest silk moths, named after a creature in Greek mythology. We clearly saw the black eyespots on the hindwings, and we could surmise by its brown coloration that this was a female. This was a treat because male Io Moths are seen much more often than females. The moth obligingly let us take turns holding it and photographing it. We only wish we were as photogenic as it... the Io wasn't sweating like we were. When we finally got back to the cool of our cars we chatted a little about our find. The 11 children, eight parents, and three grandparents that had the pleasure of seeing that Io Moth today won't forget it any time soon!


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