Center Activities and Updates- December 2016

What do we do in winter?

The staff at the Center is frequently asked, “what do you do in winter?” There are a some who assume that the cold weather and snow mean that we won’t be doing outdoor programs. But like the chickadee and mule deer who just bundle up and keep moving, our programs may look a little different, but are still in full swing. Here’s a list of outdoor activities we do with students in winter programs (try a few yourself!).

• -Sledding, stomping, snow angel-ing, and even skating on the ponds!
• -Throwing rocks on the ice to see what sounds they make (the sound changes as the ice gets thicker)
• -Making only-in-winter crafts: ice ornaments, icicle construction, snowpeople
• -Studying insulation
• -Tracking animals: deer, rabbits, birds, dogs
• -Winter birding and nest-hunting
• -Snowflake identification. Get out a black piece of cloth and a magnifying glass! Do you know the difference between graupel and rime?
• -Winter twig identification
• -Encouraging people to give the gift of membership or donation to the Center during the holidays This one you can even do inside! Go to www.mtaudubon.org/center for more information.

Center Stewardship Update

Three cheers for James Pauley! His recently completed Outdoor Learning Space Eagle Scout Project is already a huge hit. The board has already been used by eager participants to help map out sunflowers for seed collection. Thank you, James for enriching the Center through your diligent planning and implementation of this excellent learning space project.