Following the success of the Christmas Bird Count 4 Kids last Winter, the Jr. Egret team hosted events in the Spring and Summer and has another one planned for this Fall.
On May 25th, over 30 kids with their families came to Ojibway Nature Centre to learn about and look for some herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of Essex County. Spring is a great time for finding herps because these ecothermic (“cold-blooded”) animals come out in large numbers to soak up the sun after a long, cold winter. Jessica Middleton started with an interactive lesson on the differences and similarities between reptiles and amphibians before moving onto a turtle “hide and seek” game to practice using field guides. Kids broke a sweat as they raced in teams to find all 8 turtle species first! Armed with nets and buckets, the group then took to the pond to see who was up. We found tadpoles, frogs and turtles, including a very cute baby Midland Painted Turtle! Back at the Nature Centre, everyone had the opportunity to meet one of Ojibway’s most popular animals, Foxy the Eastern Fox Snake. Kids learned about appropriate handling of reptiles and amphibians and practiced carrying a 30 lb simulation turtle across a pretend road.
July 6th was the North American Butterfly Association’s Annual Butterfly Count, and the Jr. Egrets were at it again with our own group of young citizen scientists. With so many wildflowers in bloom, this is the time to look for pollinators, including bees, moths and butterflies! Jeremy Bensette & Kory Renaud led families past bergamot and mountain mint, sunflowers and milkweeds. Kids learned about the amazing diversity of butteries, why they’re important, and how we can help them.
The next Jr. Egrets event will be in October. Fall brings us cooler weather, slower critters, and beautiful colours, which the Jr. Egrets plan to capture with the magic of photography. Come learn how to take macro photos of insects, see what there is to shoot, and create some beautiful art. Some digital cameras are available thanks to generous donors from members of the Essex County Field Naturalist Club, but please bring your own if you have.
And as for this coming Winter… CBC4Kids round 2!
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