Walkin’ Through the Woods

For us, the return of warm weather means the return of outdoor activities. While playing games in the front yard or local playground are always fun ways to let loose and burn off some energy, this spring why not try a walk on the wild side? A nature walk through a nearby trail or park is a fun way to connect as a family while connecting with the environment.

Before heading out, remember to gather your materials. In addition to plenty of water and some easy-to-eat snacks (try making trail mix with fruit, nuts, and Back to Nature granola), consider bringing along a local nature guide to help you identify different species, as well as a pair of binoculars or a magnifying glass for up-close examining. Since its best to leave natural habitats undisturbed, consider documenting your findings with a camera or pencil and sketchpad.

While you could stroll simply to enjoy the surroundings, you could also take the opportunity to turn your nature walk into an interactive adventure. Here are some of our favorite nature walk activities:

• Document your findings, then do some at-home research
• Play the I-Spy game
• Have a bird-counting contest
• If you’e in a relatively contained area where there’s no danger of getting lost, try a game of hide and seek
• Spend some time learning about what makes your region unique. Some birds and wildflowers to look out for:
  • Northeast: The Johnny jump up is an early spring wildflower with bright purple, yellow, and white petals, while the boreal chickadee is a small, short-billed bird with white cheeks and a brown back.
  • Southeast: Forget-me-nots are blue wildflowers with yellow centers, and tend to grow in clusters.   The swallow-tailed kite is a medium-sized hawk that’s black and white with a forked tail.
  • Midwest: Look for blue flaxes, which are wildflowers with cup-shaped (blue) petals. The blackburnian warbler is a small songbird with an orange throat and black and white stripes.
  • Pacific Northwest: The Western trillium or wake blossom is an early bloomer with three large, white petals that turn pink as the flower ages. Also look for the rufous hummingbird, which is tiny and rust-colored with sharp, buzzy chirps.
  • Southwest: The hedgehog cactus is the first cactus to bloom in spring–it’s barrel-shaped and has a scarlet, cup-shaped flower. And be on the lookout for the cactus wren, which has a white eyestripe, brown head, and spotted tailfeathers.