Thursday, October 30th

 Happy Field Trip Day!

Before leaving, Ms. Shea (OSL athletic director) showed us how to put up a 6 person tent.

She showed us how the instructions are attached to the inside of the tent so that they won't get lost or blown away.

After opening up the bag, you have to spread the tent out...

...put the poles together...

...find the middle...

...and place them into position.

Then we were off to Pecar Park for our field trip.

One of the first signs we saw on our nature walk was a warning about ticks.

We learned more about ticks from Ms. Renee (the park naturalist).

Can you spot the bug?  One of the friends spotted a cricket hiding in the mulch.

During our nature walk, we noticed how signs help us stay safe, share information, and show us which direction to go to find different things!

Campsite #8

Ms. Renee encouraged us to look for clues that animals had been in the area.  We discovered walnut shells on the picnic table, a sign that squirrels had likely stopped by for a snack.

She also pointed out markings on a tree made by a white-tailed buck deer, showing how animals leave behind clues of where they’ve been, if you look hard enough.

Mushrooms and berries found in nature are not always safe to eat, and it’s important to only eat things that a trusted adult says are safe.

Poison ivy and stinging nettle are two plants to watch out for as they can make us very uncomfortable and cause a rash.

Here is another sign we came across guiding us through the area.

We learned that woodpeckers make holes in tree trunks not only to search for bugs to eat, but also to create homes and nests.

Friends were able to put their hands inside of these holes.

Squirrels also make nests high up in the trees. 

Some of the friends found an earthworm at the end of our walk.

Ms. Renee talked to us about the importance of “No Trace Left Behind.” She explained that when we leave a campsite, we should always clean up all of our things and leave the area just as it was when we first arrived.

We discussed our ideas about fires and fire pits and talked about the different ways they can be used safely, such as for cooking, warmth, or light while camping.