Event Report - Signs of Spring
Our latest event, Signs of Spring, was one of our most interesting experiences yet! It was a brisk and windy afternoon that started with flurries. Flurries??? How are we supposed to look for signs of spring when it's flurrying? Well folks, we found some, and these signs are more reliable than Punxsutawney Phil!
After a talk about our local birds, amphibians, and plants that note the season is changing, we went out onto the trail. Conditions were colder and a little more damp than previous years but that didn't stop us from having fun! Thanks to the recent precipitation, the trail was extra muddy. The students most certainly didn't mind!
We had a lot of great birds that gave us up-close views including American Robin, Blue Jay, and even a few Song Sparrows. There were no amphibians to be found since conditions were so cold, but we did see one very major sign of spring: skunk cabbage!!!! This wetland plant begins to grow in early March, and even with the cold weather, we saw sprouts from skunk cabbage coming up in the tributary that runs under the railed bridge:
All told, we had another special afternoon together exploring the trail. Up next: the first-ever Trailblazers Nature Club for grades 1-2, happening weekly on Thursdays this spring!!!
Bethel Springs E.S.--Nature Trail Mar 15, 2018 3:25 PM Traveling 0.60 miles 65 Minutes All birds reported? Yes Comments: Checklist taken from Trailblazers Signs of Spring walk for 1st & 2nd grade students led by Mr. BQ. Temperatures in the high 40s with some wind and an off and on mix of snow and rain. So much for spring huh! Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.6.5 Build 36 20 Canada Goose -- Estimate 2 Northern Flicker 5 Blue Jay 3 American Crow 1 Carolina Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 1 Eastern Bluebird 6 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Dark-eyed Junco 1 White-throated Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal
