Last year, William's class (with the same teacher Grace and Juliet have this year) go to go on a week of day trips to Woldumar! This year, earlier in the year, their teacher sent an email that that trip would not be happening this year. = (
But, the fourth grade teachers at their school are awesome and made sure that they got to spend a week out in nature, just in different venues!
I shamelessly stole this picture** from the class page. I think they were building shelters using branches found in the DODC.
On Wednesday, they were headed for Sleepy Hollow State Park, which was unmarked on our list!!! I put my beast of a car to use by hauling up the lunches and stools, and anything else they needed off the bus.
I didn't think there would be an occasion for me to get Grace and Juliet to the sign, so please pardon the selfie, but the blog needs continuity!! = )
The bus hadn't arrived when I pulled out at 8:41, so I didn't think they'd make their 8:45 goal for leaving. So, I explored just a bit while waiting.
Our guide was park ranger Bill, who used to teach at Holt High School! (Small world!) He showed us the natural "supermarket" in a patch of the park in-between paths.
Finding some unsafe park behavior in their books.
Each of us were given a leaf, then at the end, we were told it was edible. I tried it, and it was spicy!
Grace's leaf had holes!
Juliet's did not. = (
Making our way back to the picnic site.
So did mine!
The tree roots provided some natural stairs (but nothing like Getzendaner!)
The girls enjoyed examining an opossum pelt, from Ebay incidentally.
At the end of Park Ranger Bill's presentation there was a 'test,' but they were awarded with a jr park ranger badge!
I wanted to send Kennedy's mom a picture, and this is what she gave me. lol. I sent it anyhow.
After the test, we headed over to a quiet spot to do some nature observation. It was much more pleasant than the weather during William's trip!!!
I wanted a view of the lake, and it wasn't much of a view, but a bit!
I spent most of my time sketching these two natural treasures into my journal.
*stolen (in case it wasn't obvious that I didn't take this one)
I think this was a butterfly, but it was so fitful in it's flight, I'm not sure it's wings would have ever had a chance to fold in, had it been a moth.
Grace and Juliet kept asking me what the sack lunch would be. I had no idea, but historically it had been a cheese and meat, so that was my guess. Of course I was wrong. They got not-pb and j.
My view during lunch. It was pretty and sunny, but the chill in the air left me feeling cold.
After lunch, it was time to load back up on the bus! But the bus wasn't there! A game of Simon Says took up a little time, but the bus was over 30 minutes late.
One teacher offered to award anyone who found a four-leaf clover a jolly rancher upon the return to school (Grace found two!) Some students just relaxed or chatted with their friends, and others played keep the ball off the ground with one of the left-over beach balls in my car (from our California travel days.)
I couldn't do much, but since my only obligation on the other end would have been to collect Grace and Juliet, I stayed to offer what emotional support I could.
My nature observation was not yet over, when I spotted this concentration of pine cones at the end of a tree branch!
I stole these, because they were too cute! En route to the park:
The return to the school from the park:
Sleepy Hollow was a really pretty park. We might go back some day, but now that we've been, even in a limited capacity, it's back down to the bottom of the list!
When I got to the school to drop off the lunch pails, etc., I checked Grace and Juliet out so that I could get home, shower, make dinner, and get them back up to the school for the art show.
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The next day, I was back up to the school at 10am as a chaperone again, this time supervising trail clean up in the DODC!
The storms last autumn downed some big trees across the paths! Without the aid of a chainsaw, we couldn't do much with the big wood, but they did a phenomenal job cleaning around it!
Grace and Juliet told me that in the afternoon they went on their final nature observation of the year. They were both really sad about it too! Only 12 days left of their school year!
later days
If you want to see all the ones we've visited so far, here are the links to the posts:
Tahquamenon Falls #15
Keith J Charters #33
*this post marks the start of the project, and as such, has information about what I hope to accomplish!
Keith J Charters #33
Muskegon State Park #50*
*this post marks the start of the project, and as such, has information about what I hope to accomplish!
**I stole a few from the class page for this post, I'll try to own up to it when I get to them.
edit 5-27-24: backdated just a few days = )
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