Fall Monarchs & Seed Head Harvests with Kids
For our family, fall in Texas means returning monarchs and seed head harvests with the kids. Its the time of year when life reawakens. It is also a time of planting for monarch’s return.
Category: The Wild Side: Exploring with Littles.
Exploring nature with littles calls for life on the wild side. In other words, venturing out of one’s comfort zone in the spirit of living and learning is just good for the soul. Kids learn to better navigate life’s challenges when given free reign of trails. They gain resilience when encouraged to go the distance. And they shed the stress of life’s sometimes suffocating restraints by a good ol’ play in the dirt.
When exploring with littles on the wild side, you become witness to the perfection of imperfection. You allow kids to set their own boundaries and use better judgement through trial and error. The difference between a sidewalk and a stony path becomes priceless. Once those stones have been traversed it’s difficult to return to those sidewalks (once we know what the irregularities of those stones have to offer).
Take your kids outside and, as quiet observer, witness life on the wild side.
The Oxblood Lily: A Naturalized Texan.
The Oxblood Lily: A Naturalized Texan. During our recent Trash Bash volunteering, my kids & I encountered this little red flower standing alone, in the dirt.
Attention all 4th Graders!
Don’t forget to get your free National Parks Annual Pass this year, for you and your families!
The Common Sense of Prescribing Nature
“I don’t know if people realize how important it is for people like me to be able to learn how to live in the world again, because trees are forgiving. The grass doesn’t judge you. The grass doesn’t care how squirrelly you seem to be that day. It doesn’t care. When I first started this, I’m like, oh, come on, seriously? Going outside is going to help what, really? But, amazingly so, it does help.” – Vercincia Vinzant as interviewed by Cat Wise for the PBS News Hour
Know Your Snakes! Part II…
Our second encounter was during the final weeks of summer vacation during a jaunt up Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. The prior week I had taken the kiddos up a quick access falls trail across …
Snake Encounters! or “Know Your Snakes!” and the Giant Mystery Fly …
The remainder of our summer adventures led us to two unexpectedly close serpentine encounters, both with my three year old son at the forefront. I either have to be grateful for the learning opportunity or …
Happy Campers
Finishing off this hot month of July with a “cool” snap while my oldest completes a week of botany camp at the Fort Worth Nature Center. This means mornings in the high 60’s to low …
Austin – Where are the Bats?
It turned out to be more of a spectacle of watching the bat watchers than anything else – there was even a topless kayaker with a rainbow colored lit up boat using his paddle to film and shoot selfies (and perhaps bats). And we could certainly hear the bats, at least from our under the bridge location. And above the bridge, you could certainly smell the bats. Wouldn’t want to miss out on that experience. That’s when you know you’re close!
Weekend Excursion in St. Augustine
It’s been a busy few weeks helping a close friend move out of state, then traveling with the kids for a quick trip to a family event in historic St. Augustine, Florida. Finding time to …
Our Wild Backyard
When my children were babies I right away began to feel a sense of loss for them and what I could not offer in the way of exploring our natural world like I was afforded …