Nature Camp Sounds

• Astronomy
• Biodiversity
• Bird Boxes
• Bugs
• Forest Music
• Fossils
• Naturalist Code
• What's a Naturalist
• Plants
• Shorebirds
• Beach Fun
• Water Testing
• What We Saw

Green Dragon Nature Camp Report 2006

Charlane Bishop & Laura Gillis

During Green Dragon Nature Camp this summer we got our feet wet and our hands muddy as promised. We figure that around 250 smiling, whooping. dripping wet, and muddy children and counsellors dragging their feet by the end of the day is about as successful as a summer nature camp can get. And there are photos to prove it.

We began the summer with a group of kids from Kentville Recreation using the Kentville Research Station picnic park as our home base. The most memorable part of this hot and muggy week was our Kentville Ravine stream walk: squealing, splashing, and skipping the perfectly flat rocks all the way to the falls. It was amazing to see the children go from mossy downfalls and wading up to their armpits, shoeless yet fully clothed.

It was nothing less than magic when we came to the edge of the steep bank at the top of the falls and the kids paused very briefly, considering the descent before making their way down and quickly into the rushing water and whirlpools. One little guy declared the long, smooth-rocked water path a “waterslide” and it didn't take long for a lineup to form behind him. Two inseparable girls, perhaps the most skilled naturalists of the group, found Red-backed Salamanders under a log and secretly shared them on the walk back with our keenest guy. I am certain none of them will forget that day, and I hold it as a vision of the simplicity and joy of children engaged in their world.

Blue Beach Fossil Hunt

We took each of our groups to Penny’s Beach for a fossil hunt, followed by a visit with Chris and Sonja at the Blue Beach Fossil Museum. On each trip, Sherman Williams met us at Penny’s Beach to guide and explore with us all along the beach to Lighthouse Road. Sherman enthralled the young naturalists (and the older ones too!) with tidal clues, amphipods. mermaid’s purses, rock and fossil hunts, amygdaloidal basalt, long-eroded apple orchards, and. last but not least. the amphibious track way. On our ramble we heard the occasional peeping of shorebirds gliding by and the regular chiming of “Sherman! Sherman! Look what I found! Is this a fossil’? What is this, Sherman? Wow! Cool! Sherman! Hey, Sherman.

We ate lunch in the shade of Sherman’s house, then continued on to the museum, the kids dragging bookbags and armfuls of fossils. Chris and Sonja helped the little naturalists identify the many different fossils found and then gave a tour of the museum (interspersed with lots more “Wow!” and “Hey. Chris!”)

Wetlands Days

On our Wetlands Days we were joined by the Friends of the Cornwallis River Society, Sarah Sabean. Rosalie Schop, and Esther terMeer. They took us down to the river or to a local pond to show us what they do as FOCRS. The kids got to use water-quality test kits. go critter dipping for invertebrates, and play some great ecology/conservation games that Sarah (as a teacher) brought or created herself. The Friends also delivered Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Wetlands Education “Project Webfoot” for part of the day. Our most interesting wetland experience (other than the very cool tiger-striped dragonfly nymphs at Spicer Park in Canning and the giant fishing spider we found in the salt marsh on the bank of the Cornwallis in New Minas) was walking the New Minas kids down below Lockhart Ryan Park where the Cornwallis flows by right in their back yard. Here we tested the river water. and as we did this the kids noticed the river getting higher as the tide came in.

Conservation Day

In the morning of the final day of each camp the children created a garden of native plants at their daycare or recreation centre. They contemplated the placement of bayberry shrubs (Mvrica spi. Wild Iris (Iris v’ersicolotD. and Saskatoonberry (,4tnelanclliUr sp.), and then got their hands in the soil and compost. The children were incredibly focused and worked together seamlessly digging, adding compost, straightening the plants, topping with bark mulch, and watering the plants in thoroughly and with great care. Our Appletree Landing group was especially enthusiastic and planted an additional 20 baby iris plants that Melanie Preisnitz had aiven us from the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. We also put up some bat and Tree Swallow boxes with the kids. They were fascinated by the structures and how they worked and had many interesting questions.

We spent the rest of the day at the Botanical Gardens. where we were met by Laurel Mclvor. who walked us from the Irving Centre entrance through to the Woodland trails where the kids got to see and learn more about some of the plants they had just put in their own garden. We broke up into three groups and took turns at each activity station. Laurel and Tony Coakley took them on the trails up to the Norway Spruce grove to p]ant native trees and create habitat by piling brush. making stick shelters, and putting up bird boxes. Laura Gillis took them for a silent walk on the trails, ending at a spot beside the stream where they sat and composed a piece of music with percussion instruments and flute that imitated the sound of someone walking, birds, wind, water... There was a painting station where the children had a chance to create a ten-by-five-foot canvas nature mural entitled “biodiversity.” The canvases grew full of colourful critters, clouds, kids. rainbows, and insects that will brighten their recreation or daycare centres.

At the end of the day each child received a Red Spruce seedling with a Green Dragon card attached that had instructions for planting and caring for their seedling as well as an invitation to join the Green Dragon Nature Club.

Camp Odonata

We also had the opportunity to take part in Camp Odonata (a camp for children who have recently lost a loved one) by leading some nature activities at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. Jim Wolford and I showed the kids around the pond at the gardens and luckily found some dragOnfly exuviae (nymph skins) in addition to nymphs in the pond and damselS and dragons hovering around us. They were very happy to have a nature Component to their camp, and the kids loved the pond, woodland trail, and the nature music Laura Gulls created in the forest with them.

Thank You, Volunteers

Thank you so much to all the people who volunteered their time, skills. and joy in nature:

• Glenys Gibson (and her students) for a trip with the Wolfville Junior Naturalists Camp into the mud at Kingsport Beach
• Larry Bogan and Roy Bishop for joining Wolfville Recreation and New Minas Recreation overnight campers at Blomidon Provincial Park for star gazing and galaxy tours with the amazing “laser-sabre” (a huge hit!)
• Tracy Horseman (DFO ) and Jim Wolford for taking the Wolfville group for a hike and exploration of the salt marsh habitat on the Wolfville dikes
• Sherman Boates (NSDNR) for a beach walk at Lower Blomidon.
• Sherman Williams for sharing Penny’s Beach and much more with
• Reg Newell (NSDNR) for advice and ideas early on
• Todd Smith (AU) for bug swooping with us at the Botanical Gardens
• Suman Gupta (AU) for experience and suggestions
• Marika from Clean Annapolis River Project for teaching us about invasive aliens (plants, that is) at the Botanical Gardens
• Glenys Gibson and Harold Forsyth for helping to get this project funded and much. much more
• Eric Kershaw and Brennan Caverhill for doing such a great job last year that we had something to build on

Thanks also to those who donated binos and field guides and showed their interest, enthusiasm, and support.

Partners and Sponsors

Thank you to our partners and sponsors: Environment Canada’s Ecoaction Fund, Kings County Community Economic Development Agency. NSDNR. Minas Pulp and Power. Wolfville and New Minas Rotary Clubs, Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, Friends of the Cornwallis River Society.