Blog – Page 7 – Kids Discover Nature

Haunted Hikes in Vermont

by Editorial Staff

Connect to Nature this Halloween and maybe the Supernatural too!

If you want to connect to nature this Halloween, and do something spooky at the same time, this is the book for you (but not your little ones).

I have been searching for a topic to cover this Halloween that offers something unique for my readers — something different from the typical “how to use nature to decorate for Halloween” topic. Not that there is anything wrong with that, we enjoy taking Bean and Budder to the pumpkin patch every year, gathering leaves and gourds, creating spider webs and going batty for one of our favorite holidays. However, as true fan of Halloween I really, really enjoy the “supernatural” side of the holiday. Ghosts and goblins intrigue me. I love a good ghost story. Yes, I am a believer…as I’ve had my own experiences with ghosts. In fact, there is one ghost story I tell which is about my first-hand experience with a ghoul that brings tears to my eyes and raises the hair on the back of anyone’s neck who listens.

The thing is, with two children under seven, I can’t go there…yet. We do the basic Halloween stuff, of which ghosts and skeletons are natural part of it. But if there was a real understanding of what those symbols of Halloween really mean, there would be a BIG problem in our house! In other words, they would be sharing the ‘rents bed for the next 10 years. So, in a nutshell, I guess you can say I am ghost deprived.

Haunted Hikes in Vermont: A Book Review

Naturally, I was intrigued when I received the book entitled Haunted Hikes of Vermont to review. It awakened the inner ghost chaser in me. I also thought might offer an interesting way to get older kids involved in nature as it’s not the typical “corny nature activity” and I have had several readers mention they would like to learn more about nature activities for older children. But be warned, some of the haunted hikes covered in the book are not for the feint of heart, and they might even be too scary for high schoolers.

Upon reading the introduction, it was apparent that the author, Tim Simard, did a ton of first-hand research into hikes in Vermont that take you to haunted places. And we aren’t talking graveyards here! We are talking about real hauntings, where people have seen ghosts, heard the sound of a train where no tracks exist and lights flashing in the middle of the woods. It also covers places where there are doors to another dimension, where people have disappeared never to be seen again, and where monsters lurk in lakes. No matter you personally believe, parts of the book are truly creepy. So much so, that even I question whether I want to do any of the hikes, especially at night! In other words, ignorance is bliss and that’s the way I think I prefer it in this case.

The book is well written. Simard divides it into 13 chapters, each covering a different area of the state, beginning in southern Vermont then heading north. Each chapter includes a historical review of the area Haunted Hikes of Vermont including the related ghost stories and legends. If you enjoy a good ghost story, it’s worth reading the book for just that purpose. He also includes descriptions of each trail and directions to it, the level of difficulty, elevation, distance and time it takes to hike it. Additionally, he provides excellent details of each trail, how to access it in winter, and what specifically to look for, like beautiful limestone cliffs, rare and fragile alpine plants, moose, deer and little green men who just disembarked from their UFO.

Throughout the book, I couldn’t determine whether or not Simard believed all the tales he recounted. As he described his experience on there trail, he recounted strange occurrences, but also seemed skeptical of others. In the end I came to the conclusion that no matter what he personally believed, he was certainly more brave than I!

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, and as a New Englander, found the historical background quite interesting. It covers many of the most beautiful, difficult and breathtaking hikes in Vermont and could easily serve as the prefect trail companion in that respect alone. When you add the creepiness factor, those who like being scared, or are just downright interested in the supernatural, unexplained events, UFO’s and the like will appreciate it.

Since we’re on the topic, does anyone know a good ghost story???

Outdoor Activities for Kids

Birthday Parties With A Natural Twist!

by MCC

There are many options and venues available for celebrating children’s birthdays. To celebrate these special milestones parents are always searching for new and fun ideas for gathering friends, singing “Happy Birthday,” and eating birthday cake. Often the choices are indoor venues like the local kiddie gym, a movie, or bowling. It’s easy to end up debating ideas for weeks. There’s mini golf, a party at a toy store, a dance class for friends and more.

Rather than those option, you might consider doing something outside. Check out where there are local nature centers, zoos, and farms that welcome birthday parties. Local Audubon Nature Centers offers programs for children throughout the spring. You might be surprised by your child’s enthusiasm if you offer the opportunity to take friends to the nature center to look for frogs, salamanders and bugs in a vernal pool. Your child many jump at the chance to be outside getting dirty and touching bugs and slimy things for her birthday. Being outside exploring gives childen a great deal of pleasure.

You may even find that the parents of your child’s friends will join right in and dig through the leaves and catch critters in their own nets right along with them. This is certainly more fun than standing around watching kids run around.

Here are photos of some of the neat critters that can be found while investigating venral pools (credit: the Vernal Pool Association):

Wood frog

Isopod

Finger clam

Don’t be surprised when the party come to and end if your chil gives you a big hug and tells you that it was one of the best parties they have ever had. When I did this for my daughter she said ‘Mommy, I love you so much! Thanks for planning the best party ever for me.” It’s a really great feeling when that happens.

When planning you child’s birthday party, I encourage you to consider alternatives to the norm. Research your local area to find opportunites for outdoor celebrating. You might be surprised by what you find. Not only will it be fun, but it will be memorable for everyone and a great learning experience for the kids.

Reptiles

Critterific! Spring Peepers

by Editorial Staff

Frogs that are a Peep Apart

Critterific! will now be a regular feature on KDN because, after all, I am a wildlife ecologist at heart! Additionally, it’s my opinion that learning about nature helps people become more invested, and thus more concerned. Part of the reason I write the blog is to encourage parents and children to enjoy nature and all its living creatures as well as become stewards of the planet we share. So now that you know the purpose behind Critterific! feature, here we go!

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
How many of you enjoy hearing the Spring Peepers? I look forward to it every year. Each spring, in the early evenings you can hear hundreds of them if you are lucky enough to live by wetlands, a vernal pool, lake or pond in the eastern United States or Canada. The sound is so pleasant, it’s easy to spend hours outside in the evenings listening to them.

What you are actually hearing is their mating call. If the population in the area is dense, the combination of all the calls sounds like sleigh bells. I have often tried to locate a peeper by tracking its call with my children, but we are usually unsuccessful. As soon as we get too close, the peeping stops and we are unable to locate the little guy in the reeds.

Check out this nice little video that displays the lovely call of the peeper.

Frogs, in general, are going through a tough time right now. Many populations around the world are suffering from disease and chemical run-off from farms and lawns and are in serious decline. You can help by using only eco-friendly fertilizers and pesticides for your lawn and gardens.

Do you have a favorite frog species?

Critter Corner

It’s Turtle Time: Lend a Helping Hand

by Editorial Staff

Turtles need a helping hand this time of year. Female turtles are on the move looking for nest locations. Many travel far distances from their home area in order to lay eggs. A turtle could end up in your yard even if you don’t live adjacent to a pond or lake.

You can support their efforts and rescue turtles that get into trouble. They don’t account for dangerous obstacles like roads, driveways, and lawns, they go where their instincts direct them. Here are some tips you can follow to help them navigate across treacherous areas.

If you find a turtle in your lawn leave it be, it may have found a place to lay eggs.

Be careful before mowing. Always check to make sure you do not see a turtle. Raise mower decks.
If a service cares for your lawn, warn the owner to be on the lookout for turtles.
If you see a turtle crossing the road and if you can do so safely, pick it up and place it on the other side of the road in the direction it was going. Caution — do not pick up snapping turtles, use a shovel. You can identify a Snapper by its sharp beak-like mouth. If you are unsure, use a shovel. It’s better to err on the side of caution.

If you do give a turtle a hand and have a camera handy, snap a photo and record the date/place/time. Many state fish and wildlife agencies collect turtle data. Often you can report your finding on the agency website. Many turtle species are threatened or endangered. You can help your state better understand the distribution of turtle populations and assist in the development of plans to manage the populations in your state.

How to safely help a turtle cross the road

Keep turtles safe

Please DO NOT POST LOCATION on social media. This invites poachers to capture turtles and sell them on the black market.

Nature Activities for Kids

Trees on the Trail

by MCC

One thing you see a lot of while hiking is fallen trees. These provide a great opportunity for learning about nature. The next time you stumble across one while walking or hiking, take some time to investigate it with your child.

Look for signs of the decaying wood being eaten. The holes and tunnels you see are made by many different creatures including sow bugs, carpenter ants, beetles, milipedes and many more. Fallen trees are food for these creatures and are and important part of the food web know as the Detritus Cycle.

Many animals use them for hiding places to avoid predators and for shelter from harsh weather. Just a few of these animals are rabbits, turtles, raccoons, wood turtles, box turtles, shrews, voles, salamanders and even ladybugs.

Decaying logs also provide food for other creatures, most notably, woodpeckers. They eat the insects that are eating the wood. Other animals you may see on logs looking for food are spiders, beetles, nuthatches, warblers, turtles, chipmunks and mice.

Fallen trees make great places for animals to have and raise young. Many different insects such as as spiders, beetles, caterpillars and bees use them for this purpose.

When you think about it, one fallen log in a forest plays a very important and vital role for so many different animals. It is part of a community. You can discuss this with your child and help him/her understand the relationships between living creatures. Compare it to our dependence on other creatures for food, shelter, etc. and how humans depend on things in our community.

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