When not shying away from leeches, do we consider if they are carnivorous, herbivorous or omnivorous? This week at Audubon we questioned this as well as how long one can survive without water or how a raccoon track differs from a rabbit's or deer's.

Some lost the power to see and speak. The object of the game was still leading the person blindfolded to the object across the field.

This red spotted salamander did not camouflage well against the field we played Park Ranger in. We quickly forgot what animals we were pretending to be when focusing on this one.

Park Ranger (imaginary creature style) resumed itself shortly enough...

 

 

Our edibles walk revealed the mystery of which part of cattails we can eat and which spread pollen, how burdocks so easily wind up attached to us and where we got the idea of velcro from years ago, and where the idea of jewelweed as medicine originated. We ended on a sweet note by making sumac tea!

Although burs may be the bane of existence for a dog with long fur, we soon grew accustomed to it

When attached in 3's, they made summer versions of snowmen

A caterpillar joined us in our burdock experiments

We named cattails corndog plants and imagined what it would be like to be animals depending on them throughout all seasons

Opening and closing like a lotus during nature yoga

What does it take to be a tree?

Utilizing sunlight hitting beaver pond and magnifying glasses to make a fire. Or opting for matches instead

While looking for kindling materials, we also investigated insects in debris or sand deposits

After patience and persistence, our efforts paid off and we mastered a survival skill!

Beaver Pond was also the place we discovered moose prints at only two days prior

Our first step in wildlife tracking was identifying animals who would leave these prints in the first place. We began with touching a rabbit's fur and asking what its coloration differences are summer versus winter

A game of "Who am I?" familiarized us with more animals common throughout Vermont and what types of tracks they leave behind

Finally we got to waddle like a black bear, walk like a bobcat, hop like a rabbit and bound like a fisher

Leaping across the field later evolved into a game of bump tag