Scavenger Hunt

On Friday morning the rains had stopped and our Nature Club was scheduled for the morning. It was a rush to get there on time as I had expected it to be cancelled. We donned warm jackets and gum boots (it snowed on the nearby mountains on Thursday night!) and headed off to the Alphen Trail. It is a trail I know well as we used to go there as children. It is a little piece of heaven on earth in the middle of the suburbs. I do love it. Sadly it is not a place I would go to alone with the children as it has recently become unsafe. We did however feel safe in our large group.

The children set off eagerly with clipboards and their Scavenger Hunt Lists. They had to listen for certain things , look for certain things and collect a bark rubbing for their nature journals. The air was crisp and cold but that did not deter anyone. It felt good to get the blood pumping and enjoy being outdoors among friends.

The walk is tree lined, with a stream on one side and the mountains ahead.

We think we saw a squirrels nest. I have never seen one before and this one was certainly far larger than any birds nest I have ever seen.

Z enjoyed wading through the puddles. I certainly was glad he had his gumboots on!

We saw splashes of colour along the river banks.

The children wondered if anything lived inside this log?

We had to find fungus for the Scavenger hunt list.

On the way back, Z had raced ahead and stopped by the stream to enjoy the sound of the rushing water.

We all got wet as the heavens opened for a while but that did not rob us of the enjoyment of being outdoors and ticking off our Scavenger Hunt Lists!