Explore Outdoors ~ Logan Hill Nature Preserve

 

 

 

This past Sunday, Mothers Day, was perfect weather for a walk. So we headed to the Logan Hill Nature Preserve, a Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve located in Candor, NY.

 

 

 

 

The preserve is a mix of field and woods, with vernal pools and a pond. It's perfect habitat for bobolinks and woodcocks. On Sunday we heard  a medley of birdsong: hermit thrush, robins, sparrows of all kinds. We also heard the low humming of bumble bees and carpenter bees checking out the flowers.

 

Speaking of flowers...

 

 

 The overwhelming color this time of year was green ~ with highlights of muddy brown.

 

 Fortunately, there were stones across the muddy spots. Even they were part of the natural wonder! Who can resist stopping to look at fossilized brachiopods in the path? 

 

 

Go Fly a Kite - or something...

The Nature of Play: A Handbook of Nature-Based Activities for all Seasons

by Delfina Aguilar & Clare Aitken; illus. by Sabrina Arnault 

180 pages; ages 8+

Greystone Kids, 2026 (will be released May 19)

Put down the phone.

Turn off the screens.

Let’s go outside and play!

I grew up when phones were attached to walls and we spent most of our free time playing. We made up games in the back yard, chalked squares on the sidewalk for a game of hopscotch, and stitched up doll clothes from fabric scraps. Play allowed us to observe our world, contemplate nature, and experiment. It provided a place for our imaginations to run wild – and for us to become pirates, knights, or dragons!

The current move to reduce screen time opens opportunities for rediscovering the fun and wonder of play. And this book provides a source of ideas for things to explore, from star watching to making seed bombs. 

I like how it begins with a list of things to collect, and a list of things to know. For example, if you want to sleep outside but don’t want to get wet, a rope, a tarp, and a bit of knot knowledge can go a long way. Or if you want to draw some of the flowers or birds you find, knowing some basic shapes helps.

For each season, there are suggested things to do, things to eat, and things to observe. Activities include getting to know a tree, sending secret messages, building a kite, and making a camera. There are suggestions for books to read, tips on leaf identification, and games to play with friends.

If The Nature of Play had book buddies, they would be The Observologist and Be a Nature Explorer!

Here’s what we had in our “nature play” cupboard:

• magnifying glass or hand lens
• compass
• old prescription bottles for collecting samples 
• heavy cardboard and rubber bands for making a flower  press
• notebooks and sketch books
• pencils, crayons, markers
• chalk and sidewalk chalk
• paints and brushes
• scissors, tape, glue
• a box of shells and rocks
• a tin of beads and feathers
• ribbons, string, yarn
• fabric scraps
• needles and thread
• interesting papers, old cards, pictures from magazines
• and a couple bins to store all these in!

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~early spring

 

 This year spring seems to be slow in coming. Sure, we've had rain and the occasional sunny day. But it's been such a cold winter, and the last couple weeks have felt cold and gray.

 

Still, there's a bit of seasonal change happening in the garden. The spear-like leaves of the garlics have been up for a couple weeks, as have the irises. Pear and plum blossoms have added sprinkles of color to the landscape, and some kinds of maples have already let their samaras fall to the earth.

 

The first flowers blooming in  my garden - and in my lawn - are violets and dandelions. I love the contrast of purple with cheery yellow.

 

I'm not the only one - plenty of tiny bees were out in the dandelions!

 

What colors do you see blooming around your neighborhood this week?