Kids on Nature

Are you the family organizer? I am and admittedly too much of a control-freak to give that job to anyone else. Can you relate? Usually when we have planned a camping trip, I am eager for my husband to return home from work and get on the road. I am painfully itching to ditch the fluorescent lights, the gas fumes, and the clanking, rumbling sounds of every day chores. I am impatient to transform our vehicle from a kid-taxi that shuttles our tribe from soccer practices, art classes, and Lego clubs (plus whatever else has vowed to ensure well-rounded kids) into a get-away car that will slip into the night, evading the suburban grip.

For this reason I never forget to pack items like the hammock and the inner-tube for coasting on the lake. In my haste to ditch modern life, I always forget to bring along some of her comforts. This never bothers the kids; they have not marinated long enough in comfort to become dewy-eyed over her charms. So, when I forget the pillows or the requisite change of outfits, they just coast. My husband and I, on the other hand, devote our time and energy into figuring out an alternative accommodation; meanwhile, I swear up and down that I’m going to start making a list and checking it twice.

So, what did we (I) forget on the last trip? The coffee percolator! If you are not addicted to caffeine you will not understand the depths of our despair on realizing this. I also forgot to bring a small pot, so we could not resort to boiling the coffee. It gets worse…I forgot the small gas cans to fire the camp stove. Gulp!

My husband usually assuages my guilt but this time he just gazed at me like a true addict…a slant in his eye. I leapt to my own defense: “Well, if I had help packing, we would have everything.” He retorted: “If you were not in such a hurry, I could help and we could take time to do it right.” The kids, meanwhile, were fixated on a frog camouflaged in the crevice of a rock.

They could care less about coffee. I envied them. I laughed a little at the thought that our cozy, joyful marriage was under assault. It clearly needed caffeine to remain nest-like.

I may be absent-minded but I am clear-headed enough to have given my heart to a very resourceful man. He quickly innovated a solution.

We each settled down to the campfire, on the ground of course, because I forgot the camp chairs, and exhaled over a shared cup of coffee. The feelings of mutual love and respect re-emerged. I told my husband he was very clever and he replied, “I think that (i.e. the make-shift coffee maker) is actually the definition of addicted.” We readied ourselves for a hike through black bear country in the far West side of Maryland, close to the West Virginia border. We were camping in the Allegheny Mountains at Deep Creek Lake State Park.

Although, we did not find a black bear, there was enough to peak our interest. I learned that children re-discover common animals and insects they are accustomed to seeing in suburban settings, and attach themselves with more interest, when out-numbered.

Something of the exotic is often illuminated along the path, which brings the children to a pause; eyes fixated for a while.

I’ve resigned myself to forgetting more tethers to modern existence in the future. In this respect, I don’t think I am capable of reform, and strangely, I enjoy the improvisational thrill we get from making do. One day they may team up and wrestle away my title of family organizer, until then, I just want to say…rain ponchos are highly over-rated.

We ducked into the Nature Center at the Hilton area of Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland and saw a baby bird crying out from the pit of a cardboard box. It was fitted with an old sheet to serve as a make-shift nest. The park rangers were busy attending to it, while on the phone with a bird rescue center to arrange for its care.

Some hikers found it hopping around in the woods and decided to rescue this Acadian Flycatcher. These birds can be found up and down the East Coast of North America, and as far west as Central Texas. It migrates to Florida and Central America in the winter, and in large part, settles in Columbia before heading back North.  You’d have to be heartless not to want to scoop this baby bird up and bring it to safety if you found it, as these hikers did, alone in the forest next to a nest which appeared to have fallen from a tree. We had a hard time merely watching this baby bird; he was clearly afraid and hungry. It constantly opened its beak wide; perhaps, wondering who were the strange creatures towering over it, where was his mother and why wasn’t she dropping a nice, juicy worm into his mouth to assuage his hunger-pains.

I’ve nursed three of my own children, and this little bird’s chirping was nothing less than heart-breaking. A mother’s instinct is to scoop the baby up and do something comforting. What I learned; however, is that if you do come upon such a scene in the forest don’t act on that instinct, even if he appears helpless and small.

 If you do carry him away, make a note of where you found him so you can inform the rescue center later on. It is possible that the mother bird will retrieve her baby bird, locating him by the loud, hungry chirping sound that he makes. Also, while this may be a hard reality to swallow, (it certainly was for us), he may make a fitting meal for a hungry predator.

It is best to inform a rescue center of the whereabouts of the animal you are concerned about by noting the exact location; in the meantime leave it be and let nature take its course. It is another story; however, if the bird has been injured in your yard, perhaps by colliding with a house window. In that case, keep a steady eye on the bird while you call a rescue center to find out the next best step.

We spend a lot of time hiking, so I was grateful for the opportunity to learn about how to handle a baby animal who appears defenseless in the wild. I often tell my kids to follow their instincts, but in this case, it’s best to do the opposite, no matter how hard it will be to simply walk away.

Here is an image of a full-size Acadian Flycatcher as provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A darn cute little thing!

A long-time friend of mine, (we go way back to outdoor childhoods in Florida), shared the news of baby turtles hatching…in her backyard!

She lives in Northeast Florida, which is a wonderful part of the country to enjoy if you want to give your kids an outdoor childhood. It is home to the ever tranquil Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, where you can spot alligators and over 270 species of birds in one place. Florida has a lot more to offer than theme parks and beach boardwalks; although, who doesn’t love them?

Where else can you comfortably camp with kids in the winter time? It’s worth a trip and while you are at it, go check out Devil’s Millhopper. Maybe you shouldn’t tell the kids the name. You won’t see the devil, but you will be able to tower over the lush landscape of a limestone sink hole, a geological wonder that your kids will not easily forget.

My friend, Jessica, lives less than a 1/2 hour from these natural wonders and, this summer she lives just a few feet from turtle hatchlings. Lucky girl and lucky for her two daughters! How many kids can return to school from summer camp and say they held these precious jewels just outside their bedroom window.

It is not uncommon for turtles to lay their eggs in residential areas, especially backyards, as the mama-turtle first looks for a safe haven before laying her eggs. Here is the place where these baby turtles were incubating. I did not know photos of baby turtles could bring out my maternal instinct. I wanted to scoop him up through the compter screen.

This is a close-up. My friend reported that they never would have known the eggs where there if her husband had not watched the mama lay her eggs. It pays to spend time in your backyard and observe who your critter-neighbors are. Once a mama turtle finds a safe haven, she digs with her hind legs and drops her eggs in, and this is true of all kinds of turtles. Most of the time she leaves, but some guard their nests for a time to protect the future hatchlings from snake-predators.

Of course, they did not disturb the little babies. The smart mama turtle picked an ideal location. Turtle embryos attach to the top of their eggshells, so picking it up and turning every which direction will most likely kill the embryo. Unless you are knowledgeable and experienced in incubating turtle eggs, it is best to leave them alone even if there are predators who also share this space. Tucked away in their burrows they are more likely to survive.

Look in your back yard. You may not need to go far to strike gold when you want to give your kids an outdoor childhood filled with special memories.

One of the best ways to get your kids in the mood for a scenic hike or walk is to play dumb. That’s right. Don’t be the expert. Let them be smarty-pants for a change. Walk gingerly behind them to discover what they can see and teach. That is easy to manage, right? We have to lead the way in so many other areas – use good manners, eat your veges, look both ways, brush your teeth- yaddee yaddee, yaddee. It’s nice to take a break once in a while.

We all know what it’s like to turn our head fifty times at the beach, pool, or playground (or more commonly the couch) while our kids or grandkids, nieces or nephews cry out: “Look at this, look what I can do!” Kids love to be experts, even big kids. Big kids don’t express it in the same way but if you show the slightest interest in anything within their territory they will talk your ear off about it. Kids are like grown men in that way.

While not suited for every adventure, it has its advantages. Their joyfulness is contagious as they lead the way – jumping off their bikes to point out the tiniest insect. They examine it and talk about all of its qualities – its color, its size, the number of legs, what it probably eats, what eats it, and where it’s probably going.

They careen down pathways, fearlessly leading the path to a sublime escape.

To show you the smallest sac of spiderlings.

Nestled among the waterlilies…a spider suite!

They also find nurseries for baby caterpillars.

The trail leaders don’t seem to care that it is an outbreak of “tent caterpillars,” causing defoliation; they are just in awe. Still, we can talk about what defoliation is and when an insect becomes a pest. They can agree or disagree and then we are on our way.

Working up an appetite.

Our neighbors want some too.

Further down our journey, the littlest trail leader spots one of his own kind.

“Baby turtle!” “Look, Mama, baby turtle!” 

He remains fixated on the little critter as it dips off the lily pad and tries to climb back up again…over and over…he emerges then dips back down into the water. The youngest does not tire of watching what looks to be playfulness.

Finally, we carry on. Before long, the oldest trail leader drops his bike and races down the hill to an embankment of rocks. He spotted something. Not as pretty as she was when she first radiated her delicate, yellow crown…only a shadow of her former self, but still, radiant enough to attract the attention of a nine-year-old boy. He is satisfied because he spotted a black-eyed susan, Maryland’s state flower and he is showing her off…

…but then he is gone.

We approach the last leg of our ride. We made it all the way around. Just when I think they can’t show me anything else because they are tired and thristy and want to know, “What’s for dinner?”

They surprise me, by leading me to one last critter, a groundhog, who is scurrying back into the thicket; so fast I can scarcely get a good look. They instruct one another to: “Shhhhh!” so she won’t go away.

Happy Exploring! Till next time….be a trail follower. It requires no effort; all you have to do is be amazed.  I feel a tad bit guilty to say this, but when you are a trail follower mustering up amazement is not at all like reacting to their twenty-ninth back-flip in the swimming pool. “Look at me, Mom!”

When you are a trail follower, it just comes naturally.