February 2008
Going Places: Guided Nature Hikes for Little Ones
If, like me, you have had your fill of indoor playgrounds this winter, it is time to head outdoors and enjoy nature with your kids. February is the perfect month to shed winter doldrums, and our wooded areas and beaches offer ample opportunities for exploration, rain or shine.
A guided walk was just what my family needed to jumpstart our year’s adventures in nature. Although there are many such events around, finding one that caters to children is a treat. Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Environmental Learning Centers at Camp Long, Carkeek Park and Discovery Park do just that with a smorgasbord of programs for kids, including Tot Treks and Tyke Hikes for 2- to 5-year-old children.
We enjoyed our first Tot Trek at Seattle’s largest natural area, Discovery Park. With the theme of “Winter Wander” (the themes frequently change so families can enjoy a variety of material), the program encouraged children to explore nature through interactive, tangible learning. And it offered a knowledgeable person, docent Nancy Lillehei, who knew how to engage the kids and instill in them an appreciation for plants and animals.
Our group met at the Visitor’s Center where the kids played in the Discovery Room, a fun space with murals, puppet center and arts and crafts area. Then Lillehei gathered the group for an age-appropriate discussion about animals. She encouraged the kids to compare themselves to animals: they have fur, we have fleece sweatshirts; they have dens, we have houses; they must dig to find food, ours is easily found in the cupboard.
We learned about the coyote, fox and rabbit – all native to the surrounding woodland – and felt their pelts. After reading Jennifer Blomgren’s Where Do I Sleep? A Pacific Northwest Lullaby, we headed out onto the park trails for a short hike and spent most of our hour-and-15-minutes there. It didn’t matter that we didn’t see any animals; the kids were perfectly happy toting their sticks around and were surprisingly attentive to Lillehei.
We inspected pinecones, ferns and fallen trees with woodpecker and beetle holes, and met a few “Dougs” (Douglas fir trees). My 3-year-old son, Nathan, was at the front of the inspection line. He is truly in his element in the outdoors. I mean, the kid has never once gotten bored or cold while playing outside. Not all kids are like him, however, and Lillehei knows she must be flexible.
As we journeyed on, Lillehei used several effective props: raccoon, squirrel and bat puppets; an actual mountain beaver, mole, crow and owl foot; and photos and illustrations. We stopped frequently so the kids could see and touch things – the way they learn best. Lillehei also treated every child’s interests and questions with respect, including Nathan’s lengthy, invented story about a bear.
“A child’s mind is wide open,” said Lillehei, who has been a volunteer docent for four years (the park has more than 40). “I know that by giving them snippets of information now, they may be able to put it together later. They are so observant.”
The kids were particularly tickled with the discussion about owl “scat” and using the group call, “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.” Jeannie Wong, who was on her fourth Tot Trek with her 3-year-old daughter, Isabella, said it takes a group of engaged kids enjoying the outdoors to get her daughter involved. What Isabella might not be inclined to enjoy independently takes on new meaning in the company of other children.
And, let’s be honest, these nature programs aren’t just for kids. There is a take-away experience for parents as well. It helps us get in tune with our habitat and get more out of future walks or backyard explorations. (Come to think of it, I could have made an educational experience out of the mole that ruined our grass or the woodpecker that persistently bangs on our chimney).
Experiencing nature through your child’s eye is also a gift, with the added benefit of helping them learn to appreciate our environment. Research shows that children are suffering from a disconnection with the natural world. Participating in our area’s nature programs helps us avoid this unfortunate occurrence and may teach values that last a lifetime.
The beauty of a guided nature walk is that the destination
isn’t the prize: It is the journey. I believe both parents and parks
departments have the same goal – we are trying to cultivate the
next generation of environmental stewards. And in today’s world,
it’s not a moment too soon.
Taryn Zier is a Seattle writer and mother of two.
Guided Nature Walks for Kids
SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION
A Walk in the Park in the Dark, Lakeridge Park. All ages. 7 - 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. Cost: $8 adult, $6 child.
Tot Treks. Ages 2 and 3.
Camp Long: “Wet Wet Water,” 10 - 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5;
“Make Valentines for Animals,” 10 - 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb.
19.
Carkeek Park: “Animal Homes & Hideaways,” 10 - 11:15 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 5; “Sounds & Songs of Nature,” 10 - 11:15
a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12; “Treasure Hunts for Nature,” 10 - 11:15
a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19; “Looking, Seeing: Forest Patterns & Shapes,”
10 - 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Discovery Park: “Puddles & Ponds,” 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 6 and Saturday Feb. 9; “Shapes in Nature,”
10:30 - 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 23. Cost: $3.50
per person.
Tyke Hikes. Ages 4 and 5.
Camp Long: “Make Valentines for Animals,” 10 - 11 a.m. Tuesday,
Feb. 12.
Carkeek Park: “Winter Homes – Who’s Still Here,”
10 - 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7; “Water & Water Life,”
10 - 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14; “Bugs’ Lives,” 10
- 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21; “Animal Senses,” 10 - 11:15
a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28.
Cost: $3.50 per person.
Family Fridays at Carkeek Park. Ages 4
and older.
“Winter Barks & Buds: A Forest Night Hike,” 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 8; “Year of the Frog: Hop to It!” 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 22. Cost: $2 adult, $5 child.
Bird Tours for All Seasons, Discovery Park. Ages 8 and older. 8 - 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 and 8 - 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Free.
Camp Long Owl Hoot. Ages 5 and older. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Saturday Feb. 9 and 5 - 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Cost: $8 adult, $6 child.
Hidden Beauties of the Winter Forest, Discovery Park. Ages 5 and older. 2 - 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9. Free.
The Saturday Naturalist, Carkeek Park. Ages 3 and older. 10:45 a.m. - noon Saturday, Feb. 9. Free.
Winter Woodland Walks, Camp Long. Ages 4 and older. 2 - 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9. Cost: $8 adult, $6 child.
Family Beach Bonanza, Me-Kwa-Mooks Park. Ages 6 and older. 7 - 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Cost: $8 adult, $6 child.
Salamander Love Night, Camp Long. Ages 6 and older. 6:30 - 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Cost: $8 adult, $6 child.
More information: Camp Long, 206-684-7434; Carkeek Park, 206-684-0877; Discovery Park, 206-386-4236; www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/brochures/Winter07.pdf.
PEOPLE FOR PUGET SOUND
Starlight Beach Walks. All ages. Washington
Park, Anacortes, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 and Kayak Point County
Park, Stanwood,7 - 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. Free. 206-382-7007; www.pugetsound.org/index/calendar.
TACOMA NATURE CENTER
Discovery Walk on Anderson Island. All ages. 10 - 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Cost: $5 per person. 253-591-6439; www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=217#alpha3.
Nature Alphabet at the Tacoma Nature Center.
Ages 3 to 6 (guided nature walk included). 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Tuesday,
Feb. 5 and 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. Cost: $6 per child. 253-591-6439;
www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=217#alpha3.
Nature Story Time at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center, Tacoma.
All ages (guided nature walk included). 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb.
22. Cost: $5 per child. 253-591-6439; www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=217#alpha3.
ISLANDWOOD
Enviro-Explorations at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island. Ages 4 and older. February program sold out; Birding for Kids, 1 - 3 p.m. Sunday, March 9. Suggested donation: $5 per person. 206-855-4300; www.islandwood.org.
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