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CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE
AT YOUR LOCATION
Summer in the Carolinas
Whether you are the type for Carolina cookouts, hanging out lakeside
or canoeing a remote river, remember to enjoy the time outdoors with
family and friends. On our recent canoe trip to the Uwharrie River,
we discovered a dragonfly looking for a place to land. As we were
paddling, the dragonfly paused for a minute or two on my son's hand.
Encounters with wildlife can be fleeting and I was lucky enough to
have a camera ready when the moment happened. So when exploring the
outdoors with your child, please try and have a camera handy for these
special moments. You never know what might happen.
Attention Parents! Don't worry about the kids getting bored this
summer. Check out our article below on 50 outdoor things
your kids will love to do with you. There is something
there to inspire the child in all of us.
Keep cool, enjoy the outdoors, bring a camera and have a great summer!
- Melody Bell Wilkes
Naturalist & Owner
Pictured above from left to right are Pat Wickliff
and Marles Lindaman.
SALVATION ARMY'S WOMEN AUXILLARY SPRING
INTO NATURE
We were honored to be the guest speaker
at the Salvation Army's Women Auxillary annual meeting in Concord,
NC. We presented a program on how to attract wildlife to your
backyard with emphasis on birds and butterflies.
The audience gleened knowledge on planting their own
butterfly garden plus learning about other desirable plants to attract
wildlife.
  
Left: Scout Rivers Wilkes holds "Cherokee", a
Red rat snake, for fellow scouts to touch
Center: Scout Addison
Sowell provides a strong shoulder to a 6 ft. Red-tailed Boa
Constrictor named "Sultan"
Right: Scout Hunter Moore supports "Tang", a
Honduran Milk Snake
BOY SCOUT TROOP 5 RECEIVE A REPTILE
HANDLING COURSE
TO HELP WITH THEIR MERIT BADGES
About 25 boy scouts got their hands on something scaly at a recent
meeting in Mt. Pleasant. Boy Scout Troop 5 that meets at Cold Springs
Methodist Church, had a reptilian visit from A Walk in the Woods.
Many scouts were interested in earning their reptile and amphibian
merit badge this summer and we ignited their enthusiasm with live
animal encounters from a variety of snakes, turtles and lizards. The
information was flowing along with scouts Oooohs and Aaaahs. Good
luck to all the boys this summer!
Pictured above from left to right are Master
Gardeners Peggy King, Cecilia Leopard and George Engstrom.
BEES GET A HELPING HAND FROM CABARRUS
COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS
Bees are having a hard time. With the onslaught of Colony Collapse
Disorder, many bee colonies are dying needlessly. When you realize
that one third of the food on our plates are pollinated by bees,
people are starting to take notice. A research study is being
conducted by the folks at THE GREAT SUNFLOWER PROJECT
to help monitor our bee populations nationwide. All you need to do is
help plant the sunflower seeds they provide for you (this special
sunflower is one bees love), count how many bees come to your flowers
in 15 minutes, log it into their data sheet online and hit the send
button. It is that simple. A Walk in the Woods was happy to help out
with this special research project and has distributed over 50 seed
packets to schools and Master Gardeners in the region.
If you would like to help with this project and increase our knowledge
of bee populations, please go online and check out
www.greatsunflower.org.
Besides sunflowers, you can also monitor plants such as bee balm,
cosmos, rosemary, tickseed and purple coneflower.
A child learns how to hold a gentle and tame red rat snake.
We have a variety of wildlife programs for everyone. There are programs for adults as well as programs for preschoolers to high school students. Celebrate your child's birthday with live animals! Scouts can even earn their wildlife badges. To schedule a wildlife program for your group, call 704-436-9048.
SUMMER WILDLIFE NEWS ARTICLE
50 outdoor things your kids will love to do with you By: Melody Bell Wilkes A Walk in the Woods / All rights reserved
Enjoy the outdoors and make some great memories with your kids. 1. Have a picnic. 2. Make flower wreaths for your head. 3. Make a sandcastle. 4. Collect seashells. 5. Hunt for earthworms. 6. Watch a meteor shower. 7. Make s’mores by the campfire. 8. Roll down a hill. 9. Make a tire swing. 10. Make a grass whistle. 11. Have a scavenger hunt. 12. String a dandelion chain. 13. Press wildflowers. 14. Build a tree house. 15. Fly a kite. 16. Run through the sprinkler. 17. Tell ghost stories. 18. Catch fireflies. 19. Plant a sunflower. 20. Sleep under the stars. 21. Ride a bike. 22. Take a walk in the woods. 23. Walk in the rain. 24. Dip net for tadpoles. 25. Go fishing. 26. Ride in a paddleboat. 27. Climb a tree. 28. Walk through a creek. 29. Press fall leaves. 30. Collect dried seeds and make a wreath. 31. Plant a vegetable garden. 32. Swim in a lake. 33. Go on a canoe ride. 34. Read under a tree. 35. Fly a paper airplane. 36. Use a compass. 37. Find the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. 38. Feed the birds. 39. Watch a spider make its web. 40. Sing outloud. 41. Check for rainbows after it rains. 42. Go to a park. 43. Throw a ball. 44. Look for insects. 45. Wiggle your toes in mud. 46. Jump in puddles. 47. Watch the sunset. 48. Dig in the dirt. 49. Look at cloud shapes. 50. Skip stones across the water.
Please check back for more upcoming programs!
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