прогулянка в лісі

Last weekend I took a group of Ukrainian scouts out for three hikes at Ashland, and it was a terrific weekend all around.The kids were interested and knowledgeable, and the hikes complemented the programs (about nocturnal animals and birds) quite well. I had been nervous when I found out I would have to lead one group on a bird walk by myself Sunday morning - there’s no doubt I’m still building my birding skills - but even that ended up being an enjoyable and valuable walk.

First, though, was a Saturday night hike following the nocturnal animals presentation. The scout group was big, with a couple dozen kids and at least half that many parents, so we split into three groups since we had three teacher naturalists. Jessica and Rob took their groups through the marsh, though in different directions, and to make sure we didn’t have too much of a traffic jam, I set out the other direction to take my group up the hill and through the woods before we all met at the campfire site.

Trees & Shrubs, so many trees and shrubs

9/13/14 Ashland Hockessin, DE

Overcast, cool

At the end of this trees and shrubs field trip, many of my classmates voiced what we were probably all feeling - our brains were full. It was not quite a three-hour walk, but we had seen a staggering number of plants, learning how to identify them, and in my case, forgetting most of them again. This will be an ongoing learning process, no question.