Off-Trail in the Winter

Off-Trail in the Winter

By Chelsea Jandreau, Nature Educator The bare branches and dormant plants of winter may seem like a one-note experience with just a cursory glance, but they also provide a window into an otherwise hidden world if you take time look in the trees and search between the...
Ripples

Ripples

By Jeff Tome, Public Engagement Specialist I have always been fascinated by ripples in the water. As a child, I loved to throw pebbles in puddles and ponds and watch the patterns created by the ripples as they overlapped. The surface became an ever-changing...
Natural Holidays

Natural Holidays

By Emma Roth, Nature Educator “It’s like we had two holidays in one!” This was what an excited student told me the day after Halloween. I was in a classroom on November 1, and was asking their students how their Halloween had been while the teacher was setting up the...
Observation and Collaboration

Observation and Collaboration

By Chelsea Jandreau, Nature Educator Working in environmental education at a time when inquiry-based learning is the norm, the practice of learning how to make observations and ask questions comes up a lot. I am constantly reminded of how it is an intentional, not...
Naming the Rain

Naming the Rain

By Sarah Hatfield, Education Coordinator The American culture, for better or worse, in whatever form, is young. As I write articles, I am often left searching for a word that doesn’t exist in our lexicon. Usually it is a complex thing or feeling that requires it, and...
Boom or Bust

Boom or Bust

By Katie Finch, Senior Nature Educator When I pull into the parking lot of a state forest to walk the dog, I’m reminded of Christmas. The abundant red and green color scheme of the hawthorn trees evokes the holiday season. The hawthorn trees were just loaded with ripe...