Well, we are an outdoorsy kind of family. Our kids enjoy heading to the state park nature center near our home and we have tried to create a little bit of nature around our yard-which isn't far from a small river that runs through the town. We even had a turkey in our tree once!We keep particularly accurate tabs on the birds that come to visit the feeders. Both our kids probably are more able to identify bird species at 5 and 7 than their mom, but she's learning. We have kept records for about 3 years and it is interesting to see how some species show up for a weekend or two and then are gone until the exact time the following year. The Red-Breasted Nuthatch made an appearance this weekend, exactly a year off from last. Two Brown Creepers are regular visitors over New Years each year.
The kids like to do nature crafts too........so, a few weeks ago, while mom was out of town, the kids and I got an idea to turn our mostly unused back room into our very own Nature Center. Mom had hoped it would be her craft room. We are busy collecting books and pictures and displaying jar after jar of shells, fossils and cool rocks we've collected from our travels.
All in time for birding season to begin again. And I am taking a tip from a reader, to head to the Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Refuge to watch the cranes come back this fall. Mom sorta has a craft room......she has to work around sticks and stones and dead things.
2 comments:
The turkeys at Potato Creek State Park have found the bird feeders behind the nature center.They come right up to the windows.
Their beehive is going strong since they got rid of the mites. I was there with my grandson yesterday. Check it out before the governor gets an idea to privatize our parks too !:)
I think you are onto something with privatizing the state parks. There are advantages and disadvantages. I believe the disadvantages outweigh benefits. And I do believe that the state parks are next on the Governor's list for privatization if he is successful in 08. If you remember, he discussed this breifly during his campaign 4 years ago. I imagine it tanked with Hoosiers. Good idea for a story.
Hoosier Reborn
Post a Comment