WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Stream Walks (1)

April 12, 2021 By Kelsey Lingle

Explore different stretches of the stream with our watershed specialists while learning about the basics of stream ecology.  We will get up close with macroinvertebrates that call the stream bed home and get a chance to discover our bucolic grassland preserve.  Wear shoes that can go in the water! Attend either event.

This event is Watersheds (Waterdrop Icon) and Healthy Habitat (Leaf Icon).

Rushton Nature Keepers (RNK) is a membership only program for children ages 7-11. You can only register for individual RNK events if you have paid the membership fee. For more information about Rushton Nature Keepers click here. Contact Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager with questions at bhg@wctrust.org.

Tagged With: rushton nature keepers

“The Secret Life of the Sloth” Book Signing and Art Workshop

April 12, 2021 By Kelsey Lingle

Participants will each get a pre-ordered copy of “The Secret Life of the Sloth”, a brand-new science-based children’s book by Laurence Pringle about a three-fingered sloth who lives in a rainforest habitat. The talented artist of the book, Kate Garchinsky, will be with us for a reading and “how to draw a sloth” session with her original sketches from the story. Must pre-register by May 14th to be included in the book order. $10/book.  Bring cash or check to the event. 

This event is Birds and Wildlife (Bird Icon).

Registered Rushton Nature Keepers CLICK HERE to sign up.

Rushton Nature Keepers (RNK) is a membership only program for children ages 7-11. You can only register for individual RNK events if you have paid the membership fee. For more information about Rushton Nature Keepers click here. Contact Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager with questions at bhg@wctrust.org.

Tagged With: rushton nature keepers

Potato Planting

April 12, 2021 By Kelsey Lingle

Help the farm staff plant potatoes!  Since this farm is regenerative it complements the surrounding ecosystem by providing habitat for many living things.  We’ll discover a diversity of insects and birds while working in the field and learn about how this farm functions harmoniously within the surrounding landscape. In addition, we will monitor and learn about bird boxes.

This event is Birds and Wildlife (Bird Icon), Regenerative Farming (Carrot Icon).

Registered Rushton Nature Keepers CLICK HERE to sign up.

Rushton Nature Keepers (RNK) is a membership only program for children ages 7-11. You can only register for individual RNK events if you have paid the membership fee. For more information about Rushton Nature Keepers click here. Contact Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager with questions at bhg@wctrust.org.

Tagged With: rushton nature keepers

Songbird Banding & Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm Tour

April 12, 2021 By Kelsey Lingle

Visit the region’s premier bird banding station at Rushton Farm to observe the incredible science of bird banding and learn about bird migration.  You’ll see handsome spring warblers and then take a walk to the stream where our Watershed Team will have live aquatic insects on display.  Finally, we will end up at the farm for an intro to regenerative farming, or farming in concert with nature. 

This event is Birds and Wildlife (Bird Icon), Regenerative Farming (Carrot Icon), Watersheds (Waterdrop Icon).

Registered Rushton Nature Keepers members CLICK HERE to register for this event.

Rushton Nature Keepers (RNK) is a membership only program for children ages 7-11. You can only register for individual RNK events if you have paid the membership fee. For more information about Rushton Nature Keepers click here. Contact Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager with questions at bhg@wctrust.org.

Tagged With: rushton nature keepers

Nature Escapes for Kids: Create Your Own Headdress

April 9, 2020 By Blake Goll

Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer.  Photo by Blake Goll/Staff
A Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer during Discover Rushton Mini Camp. Photo by Blake Goll/Staff

One of my childhood memories that has not faded throughout the years is from “Outdoor School,” which was basically a week-long field trip to a local nature center.  Simply reporting to a nature preserve instead of school everyday with my classmates was enchanting on its own.  One of the lessons, however, really got my attention: role-playing the Native American way of life.  I remember the instructor telling us about how connected they were to the land and how even when they walked it was with respect to the earth.  Following her lead, I picked my way delicately among the leaves —rolling my foot from the heal through the outside edge and then finally the ball and toe. This was, she explained, how Native Americans could stealthily walk through the woods without making a sound during hunting trips.

Role playing is such a wonderful way for children to mentally escape and be transported to a different time and place.  Making nature headdresses is one such activity that fully engages a child’s creativity and focus while exercising fine motor skills and communication.  I got this activity from a marvelous little book called Play the Forest School Way by Peter Houghton and Jane Worroll.  The book is full of great ideas for outdoor play and is an essential resource for parents, especially during this time.

A Rushton Nature Keeper wearing his nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll

Start with introducing the concept of a headdress to your child.  For example, in England a king or queen wore a crown with jewels to represent nobility, or a Native American chief may have been awarded a feather in his headdresses for an act of courage.  Then explain to your child that they will be creating their own headdress and embellishing it with items found in nature; these items can be chosen to personally represent themselves and/or transform themselves into a mythical deity, woodland fairy, or other character of their imagination.

A Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll

All you will need prepared ahead of time is a long strip of sturdy plain white paper or posterboard.  It should be 3-4 inches wide and long enough to go around the child’s head.  You can help the child with fitting the strip to their head and cutting it to the right length; be sure to mark on the strip where the ends will overlap with tape so the child knows not to decorate that little section.  Put a piece of double-sided tape along the length of the strip, onto which the child will stick bits of grass, seeds, flowers, twigs, feathers, and whatever else they find.  (You will also need regular tape to put over top of the embellishments to secure them in place, and to tape the ends of the strip together once they are finished decorating—a stapler will also work.)

Decorating nature headdresses. Photo by Blake Goll
Making nature headdresses. Photo by Blake Goll

When you set the child loose to look for their embellishments (whether in your yard, a woodland, or nature preserve), I found it is easiest to have them gather their items and then bring them back to a work space rather than bring the paper strip with them during the foraging.  It is easier for them to focus on foraging first and designing and sticking things to their headdress second.  And boy do they design!  You will be amazed at the beautiful works of art that your child will create. 

Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll
Rushton Nature Keeper wearing his nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll
Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll

Be sure to have your child explain their creative decision process when they are finished.  What does each decoration symbolize?  Why did he/she choose that item?  What was the role of that decoration in the natural world?  Who have they become with the headdress on?  How does it make them feel?  Are there animals in nature that create works of art or use decorations? Can you think of animals with headdresses of sorts?

Last but not least, don’t forget to take a picture of your child wearing the headdress since unfortunately these do not last in their original form for very long.  They are, however, guaranteed to last a lifetime in your child’s memory.

Rushton Nature Keeper wearing her nature headdress last summer. Photo by Blake Goll

Rushton Nature Keepers

Blake manages our Rushton Nature Keepers (RNK) club for children ages 7-11. Through year-round programs covering four conservation themes (birds and wildlife, regenerative farming, healthy habitat, and watersheds), RNK provides children with unique opportunities to develop a meaningful life-long relationship with nature. Although things are subject to change regarding Covid-19, we plan to resume children’s activities on May 2nd.  Click here for the schedule of RNK programs and membership information.

Filed Under: Nature, Nature Education, Rushton Nature Keepers Tagged With: environmental education, kids and nature, nature activities, nature education, nature headdresses, nature play, rushton nature keepers

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