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.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Secret Messages and Hidden Gems


Other children have passed this way before us. They left behind a cryptic message
written on the smooth tablet of an artist's conch mushroom. Our kids look on, impressed, wishing they'd been the ones to find nature's sketchpad.

Our favorite state parks can be relied upon to reveal some hidden treasures this season. The gemstone-quality luster of the native salamanders: red eft, blue spotted, and redback are revealed as the kids overturn logs for a peek at the hidden worlds beneath.

Boys and sticks. What more is there to say?

Monday, November 09, 2009

Autumn Rambles--Sterling Forest


Sterling Forest State Park is our new stomping ground this season. The kids have grown and are enjoying the more challenging terrain. We climbed to the top of the Sterling Ridge. Here several Nature Strollers rest atop a glacial erratic made of puddingstone. We also saw the scrapes in the rock made by the passing glaciers of the last Ice Age.



Sterling Forest is home to a lovely lake.




Ripe pear-shaped puffballs provide lots of entertainment.
Olive brown spore clouds enchant the kids.