Winter has arrived! We loved spending the first snowy day together in Harrington! Tamarack was as excited as the children to get the crazy carpets out and start using them! There wasn’t a lot of snow on the ground but there was enough to generate plenty of smiles and laughter! For some of you, it brought back good winter memories from past years.
Once we checked that everyone was dressed in layers, we headed to the west side to start working on our winter shelter. We were happy that Mammoth could join our group to help guide us through the construction process. What things did he have ready for us that helped make the task easier? Do you remember what our shelter design is called? (Think of the first letter of the alphabet or what Canadians are famous for saying).
Like a good team, we divided up the jobs. Some of us practiced our knots by helping to tie the frame together. Others, like Pin Cherry and Rose searched the forest floor for downed trees that would make great poles. Water Bear used his saw skills to cut a thick branch off of a tree so it would make an excellent support pole. Blue Racer and Firefly gathered a lot of dried grasses and goldenrod to use as insulation. What jobs did you do? What jobs still need to be done next week? Can you think of any other features we need to add?
When we got back to the hall, we tucked into the hearty lunches that parents had lovingly packed for us before we headed downstairs to the library. Although Grey Squirrel wasn’t there today, Ladybug shared the picture book ‘The Bird Feeder” about a girl and her grandmother. Tell someone at home about the story and why the bird feeder was so special to them both.
We decided to try to figure out which birds stay here for the winter and how they survive the cold. In small groups, we examined pictures of Chickadees, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Downy Woodpeckers in the summer and then compared these pictures with photos of them in the winter. We were amazed to see all the different ways these birds adapt to our cold, snowy winters! We noticed that almost all of these birds fluff up their feathers. Can you remember how this helps them? What other adaptations did your group notice?
In our ‘Feeder Frenzy’ game, we transformed into birds who frequent winter feeders and experienced it through their eyes. Which bird did you become and what was it like at the feeder? Which common 4-legged predator was the biggest threat? Talk about one way humans can protect the birds in our backyard from this common pet.
After this game, the Herons were happy to have the chance to make their own feeder for the birds in their neighbourhood. The kids also brought home enough birdseed to fill their feeder twice. Ladybug has a bird feeder at her home and she reminded us how important it is to keep refilling the feeders because the birds will be counting on those seeds and nuts to help them survive winter.
So how did it feel to finally have a wintery day at nature school. We'll keep those toboggans handy as more snow is on the way! See you in December Forest Friends:).
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