For most of the year, trees are covered with leaves sometimes distracting our eyes from the beautiful bark of the tree. Now that the leaves are gone and the trees are bare, the bark is the star of the show. This week’s the challenge is to make some bark rubbings. Take a walk outside. Examine Read More…
Category: Exploring Nature
Nature Challenge #5 – Know your Native Evergreens!
In the fall all the trees lose their leaves leaving a barren and desolate landscape behind until spring. That is if you overlook all of the evergreens! Although their foliage is can be a somewhat muted green this time of year, our evergreen bushes and trees can break up an otherwise barren landscape and on Read More…
It’s Nesting Season!
Spring is a busy time for birds as they build nests, lay eggs, and care for their young. Here is a great way to get outside and help with some important research. NestWatch is a nationwide citizen science project that is designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds. It is Read More…
Look Up!
The Trees are in Bloom! When you think about trees, flowers aren’t usually the first thing that come to mind. But right now, ash, maple, and a plethora of other trees, are in full bloom. Their tiny flowers often go unnoticed, but if go outside and look up you will notice that many trees are Read More…
Every Kid Outdoors!
Tomorrow is the first day of spring! Take advantage of the warmer weather and get outside! As you start to make your summer plans, there are so many outside activities to take advantage of here in the Hudson Valley and throughout New York State. One thing to consider is visiting a National Park. Although there Read More…
What’s not to lichen?
When you are outside this week, looking up, down, and all around, see if you can find some lichen. Lichen can be found growing on anything from trees to fences to rotting logs. There are over 13,000 species of lichen in the world and they come in a wide-range of colors and have very varied Read More…
Look for Signs of Spring!
The nights are still chilly, but the days are getting warmer. The snow is melting. By the end of the month the days will be longer than the nights, some trees will have started to leaf out. There will even be some flowers in bloom. The coming of spring follows a similar pattern each year. Read More…
Bring Spring to You!
It might not seem like it, but spring is on the way! The days are getting longer, the snow is beginning to melt, and the maple sap has started to flow. But maybe you are getting impatient, so why not bring spring to you? So how does one bring about spring? Well, one way is Read More…
Snow – Nature’s Blanket!
Remember last month when we were looking down and saw that daffodil bulbs were starting to sprout? Now like everything else they are covered with lots and lots of snow. And this is great for the daffodils! Let’s learn why. Snow is made up of ice crystals. These crystals are very light, so as they Read More…
Look all Around!
Look All Around! The ground might be covered with snow, but nature has much to offer if you just take time to look around. Now that you are not distracted by their foliage take a look at some of the trees that have lost their leaves. These seemingly bare trees are actually covered with buds Read More…