A Fabulous Forest Field Trip (In the Rain!)

OFF TO STANLEY PARK!!

We had a wonderful (& wet!) field trip to Stanley Park!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Stanley Park Ecology Society's Nature Detective Program.

We were taken into the forest in small groups led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff from the park program and were encouraged to explore using many of our senses.

We learned about soil and which parts of the forest decompose to form the nutrient-filled forest floor. Children were invited to gather soil components into bowls to make Forest Soup and feed it to the tree at the roots.

 

 

Children were each given a bug jar and went on a bug hunt! They found LOTS of different kinds of critters including sow bugs, millipedes, centipedes, ants, worms, and more! Children learned about protecting the natural state of the forest and were encouraged to keep the bug homes intact by replacing overturned rocks, logs and twigs.

 

 

 

 

Finally, we were able to look at a preserved brown bat, one of the common creatures often spotted in Stanley Park. We learned some interesting tidbits about bats and their habitat, sleeping patterns and diet.

Pretending to be Stanley Park brown bats, we left the forest playing a day/night game. The children "flew" down the path when the leader shouted NIGHT! and found refuge on one of the majestic Douglas Fir trees when she shouted DAY!

 

We enjoyed the dryness of a nearby picnic shelter for lunch and activities. The children heard the story, "In the Tree House" by Andrew Larsen and had fun designing their own popsicle stick tree houses.

We warmed ourselves by the "campfire" and enjoyed singing lots of fun songs to keep the energy high and bodies warm!

 

A great day was had by all!