Wacky Wednesday Tea Party

Have you ever heard of Halsey Pond? Neither had I and it is such a treasure of a place that, and I rarely say this, I hope not too many other folks find it. Obviously I am a lover of nature and natural places of all kinds. Halsey Pond, though, is truly magical.

After a short, steep hike up a gravel trail at the end of a dead-end street in Irvington you find yourself on a wide, grassy path encircling this jewel of a pond surrounded by old growth trees and birdsong. And while the setting itself is magical, happening upon such a place at the end of the woodland trail only adds to the feeling.

The kids scooted joyfully around the pond's perimeter, admiring the mallards, exploring a little waterfall and stone fountain, and playing tag among the trees. They were enthralled by the five brand-new goslings following their mother along the shore and equally enthralled by the "castle" which loomed around the bend. They tossed rocks and searched for fish, but the highlight of the walk was some good old-fashioned playtime with Mick the Diving Yellow Lab. The first enormous splash gave me instant jelly legs because I was sure a kid had fallen into the drink, but it was only Mick, belly flopping off the wall, legs splayed, in pursuit of a big stick his owner had tossed into the pond. The kids followed Mick around the lake, shrieking with joy when he shook his soaking coat all over them, taking turns throwing sticks and a tennis ball into the water for their canine hero to retrieve until his great leaps were replaced by tired steps and it was time to head back down the trail.

That night my daughter said to me while lying in her bed, "Mama today everybody got wet, but nobody stepped in the pond." A clever observation indeed.


Debbie Allan, who takes incredible photos of our Kids Unplugged hikes, generously offered this slideshow from Halsey Pond today. Click below for the great shots!
http://www.smugmug.com/ria/ShizamSlides-2007090601.swf?AlbumID=8105918

Check out Debbie's blog and website for information and to see more of her wonderful work.
http://debbieallanphotography.blogspot.com/
http://DebbieAllanPhotography.com

Turtle Hike and Pond Study

This past Saturday, Kids Unplugged returned to Westmoreland Sanctuary to join the naturalists there for a short trek to Betchel Lake to set the turtle traps. During our visit we learned from Sanctuary Director Steve Ricker that the traps do not harm the turtles but allow the staff to catch them and record information such as weight, length and distinguishing characteristics. The turtles are then marked for future identification and released at the site of capture.

We arrived at the pond, serenaded by some sort of amphibian voice, and the kids went straight for the pond-study nets. Minutes later, my daughter held up her net beaming. She'd caught a toad--a gentelman toad whose brothers we could hear singing away, encouraging the lady toads to join them for some vernal egg-laying. Steve brought out a large bucket (like the joint-compound buckets your contractor buys), added some pond water and deposited said toad inside for further examination. He did encourage the kids not to touch Mr. Toad too frequently for fear that he might become too nervous and turn upside down.

Before setting the traps, Steve brought the kids into a little lean-to beside the pond where he showed them a tiny, almost translucent egg he retrieved from a nest hidden in the eves of the shed. I cannot recall the type of bird whose egg it was but I did learn that birds cannot smell and that the mother bird will not reject eggs in her nest if she detects a human scent upon them. Am I the only one who grew up thinking this? In any case, the kids were fascinated by the teeny egg and listened attentively to Steve's mini-lesson about the traps even though their pile of pond nets was calling to them from the back of the shed.

Then it was time to set the trap. The kids helped to open up the net and carry it to the pond's edge where, much to their delight, Steve, now accompanied by Sanctuary naturalist Adam Zorn, waded thigh deep into the cold pond water to set the trap.

We spent a good, long time along the pond's edge. Other toads were caught and added to the bucket. Turtles were searched for in vain. And other than one of my kids (of course) we headed back up the trail mostly dry for a visit to Westmoreland's fantastic nature museum to end our adventure.

Wacky Wednesday with Walkable Westchester

Somehow these past couple of rainy Wednesdays have granted us a reprieve right at Wacky Wednesday Walks time. This week we were at East Irvington Nature Preserve, a 32-acre space maintained by the Westchester Land Conservancy. There is just under a mile of trails, past a brook, around a pond, through the woods and up a road to a water tower. Along the way there are wonderful boulder-configurations to climb and woodland nooks to explore. The little preserve is replete with wildlife from various birds and water fowl to little spring peepers, big bullfrogs and hidden salamanders.
Joining us as a special guest on our hike today was Jane Daniels, author of the newly released book Walkable Westchester. This from the publisher:

Walkable Westchester is the seven year labor of love of long time New York - New Jersey Trail Conference volunteers, Jane and Walt Daniels. Although there are some hiking guides to the metro area that included some trails in Westchester, they decided to write one devoted exclusively to Westchester County. When they started in late 2001, based on information obtained from not-for-profits, the Westchester County Parks department, newspaper articles, and the Internet, they figured that there were about 70-80 parks, preserves, and sanctuaries with about 200-250 miles of trails. Quickly they realized that their original estimate was wrong. By 2005, they knew of 150 places and by 2008, the list of parks to be included had grown to over 180. Twenty-two parks did not exist when the project started. Jane and Walt have hiked all of the almost 600 miles of trails in Walkable Westchester. They hiked many of those trails multiple times.

It was lovely to chat with Jane during the walk and to get some of her ideas for future Wacky Wednesdays. In the meanwhile, the kids did what they ususally do--blazed the trail for the parents, stuffed their pockets with nature treasures, dug for worms, balanced on logs and tested their boots in the ponds.

Then we all went home hungry and dirty. Another good afternoon.


Note: Walkable Westchester is available from Amazon at the following link. It is an amazing resource. http://www.amazon.com/Walkable-Westchester-Jane-Daniels/dp/1880775573/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240633236&sr=8-1

Sunday's Pitch In--April 19th

This past Sunday Kids Unplugged was at the Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers for the County's annual Pitch in for Parks day. Because Jon was booked to do the Bossy Frog gig, I was solo with our three gals and had images of spending the whole time chasing the small one rather than doing any concerted pitching. But, amazingly, my fears were unfounded and after about two hours, a nice group of kids and parents made a solid dent in the Preserve's spring cleaning list of chores.

We started by challenging the kids to pick up stick and pine cones from the feeder area to prep it for being raked and turned over. This is an activity which my own girls tire of quickly at home where they could make themselves seriously useful gathering the million sticks littering our backyard, but at Lenoir, the pile of accumulated kindling was impressive. And while the small one spent more time dumping out the bird bath and rifling for seeds than she did filling her pine cone basket, the discovery of a salamander under a rock certainly helped to hold their interest. When the kids did tire, they spent some time exploring the dragonfly pond while the parents finished up. Then, before the inevitable pond splooge, we hightailed it up the hill to the dry safety of the awakening butterfly garden.

The Beverly E. Smith Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden is maintained by the Hudson River Audobon society. There we met Mary Harrington, the Butterfly committee chair and primary volunteer caretaker of the garden. Mary walked our group through the seemingly dormant garden and showed us which plants needed pruning back or pulling to make way for the new season's growth--bits of which we could already see in some places. Armed with clippers, a team of kids tackled a jungle of goldenrod, cutting it down to its base and stacking the remnants in a pile along the path. Moms and Dads followed suit, pruning, raking and clearing until Mary was positively beaming, both surprised by the ability shown by our young kids and pleased with the amount of progress we made in a short amount of time. "When I got here today I said, 'I'm never going to get all this done!" She recounted this to us while walking the paths to check on our work, asking if we'd like to volunteer in the garden again this spring.

Kids Unplugged enthusiastically decided to adopt the Lenoir Butterfly Garden and promised to return in a few weeks to help Mary to do some more clearing as well as some planting. When things begin to bloom and the butterflies and hummingbirds start to visit, the kids will really feel like they contributed to something special. A bit of ownership over the space will help them to feel more invested in its growth and well-being. And they'll begin to see how even the smallest ones can help to make the world more beautiful.

Turn Off Week Idea Swap

Here is the place to post your ideas for family projects and screen-free ideas for Turn Off week. Any suggestions you have for other parents on how to get away from the screens, to turn off the tube, to say "no" to the dvds and DS in the car etc., can be posted here. (Click on "comments" below).

Speaking from my own experience, once the tv is turned off, the kids really stop asking for it. It simply isn't a part of our lives anymore. And they find other ways to entertain themselves and each other. Don't get me wrong, there are times when a little mindless tube-time would really help me out in terms of keeping them quiet and not at each other for a little while. But I do find that a little from me in terms of getting the kids set up with something can go a long way--especially to buy me that last 45-minutes or so to get dinner on the table.

When you post your ideas, let folks know the ages of the kids that your idea is geared toward at the beginning, i.e. For kids ages 2 to 6, so we know who our audience is.

Please also post your family's ideas for the week's Turn Off Family Project. The possibilities are endless!

Looking forward to reading about your creative strategies!

Turnoff Week @ Third Friday!

Thanks to all of you for your support at last night's Third Friday in Tarrytown. Main Street was bustling with everyone coming out for this beautiful warm weather after the cold and damp at the beginning of the week.

Many of you picked up your Turn Off Week Family Contracts at the Kids Unplugged table. There will be a link on the blog tomorrow to the Rivertowns Guide website where you will be able to download your own family contract.

The new Kids Unplugged t-shirts were a huge hit. They sport the fancy new logo you see at the top of this page, created by the talented graphic designer and Kids Unplugged supporter Jamie Gehman, Suburbia Roller Derby Mama of three wee ones (how did she find the time?). Thank you so much, Jamie! We'll have the rest of them available on upcoming hikes so get 'em while they're here! By request, we'll have youth larges and grown-up shirts coming soon. You can also email kidsunpluggedny@gmail.com if you'd like.

All proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts will be put toward incorporating Kids Unplugged as an official not-for-profit organization. Many thanks for your continued enthusiasm!

Wacky Wednesday at Brinton Brook

Brinton Brook Sanctuary in Croton is a great place for an after school hike. The sanctuary is the first of the Saw Mill River Audubon's properties. It has 3-miles of trails through varied terrain, and the pond loop at just over a mile, was just right for an after school hike. The gloomy weather broke just before it was time to head out for the hike and the spring sun followed us up Route 9 to the trailhead.

One of the things that was nice about the pond loop were the nature signs that guided us along the trail and taught us about the flora and fauna in the sanctuary. The rough-hewn stone walls, constructed in some places of very large boulders, made us wonder about the farmland that once stood on the site while we waxed about the idea of going back to what was and wasn't a simpler time.

The kids ran and climbed and rustled and gathered all along the trail. To their delight they discovered an enormous, whimsical climbing tree, and held court in the branches for a while. Of course, no Kids Unplugged event is complete without a shin-deep pond splooge (my kid again). Thankfully the mysterious discovery of a couple of rogue coconuts (the children had many fine theories for their presence) helped to distract attention away from the soggy, muddy socks and back to the joy of the hike.

Another winner. We'll visit again for sure.

Soaring on Turkey Mountain

Follow the white blazes and in less than a mile, and under 30 minutes, you will find yourself at the summit of Turkey Mountain. This really is a perfect kid-sized hike--not too steep, yet challenging enough to feel like a real accomplishment when the top is reached--and they get to say they climbed a mountain.

Last Thursday was a great day for this hike. The weather was sunny and the wind at the summit was mild, encouraging a mountain-top picnic and long, lingering playtime before our descent. The thing that is most enticing about Turkey Mountain is the vast, level-ish, safe play area at the top. There are lots of small spaces to explore and all sorts of interesting adventures to be had. The kids, after refueling, set out on various expeditions, collecting, hide-and-seeking, potion making and gallivanting. Something that we thought might be an owl pellet was found, different kinds of moss was gathered and clumps of it used as sponges to collect water to be delivered to the potion-area, and parents sat and chatted and observed, mere extras in the theater of play that was emerging among our kids. They worked together to gather the materials they decided they needed, communicating their ideas enthusiastically though several of them had not met prior to the hike. And at one point one of them flew past, arms spread wide calling out, "I feel like I'm in Neverland!"

The pictures don't really capture the lovely vibe of our mountain top picnic and play. But this is really what Kids Unplugged is all about.




And many thanks to Amy, Kids Unplugged enthusiast, who suggested this hike and who was one of the mamas who made the trek with the babe on her back!

Signs of Spring

Vernal Pools are bodies of water which are fed primarily through melting snows, rains, and overflow from nearby wetlands. There is no stream or creek bringing them water and, subsequently, they dry up with the summer heat. Because of their relatively brief existence, fish cannot survive in vernal pools making them ideal, preadator-free breeding grounds for our amphibious friends, namely frogs and salamanders.

This past Sunday afternoon, a glorious spring day I might add, was spent hiking to and exploring some of these pools at Muscoot Farm in Somers. Muscoot Farm was a working dairy farm until it was acquired by Westchester County in 1967. It currently operates as an interpretive farm offering educational programs for schools and families and 7-miles of trails.

We set out on a mile-long, gradual uphill hike with Jessica, the farm's curator. On past visits to Muscoot I haven't made it beyond the farm buildings and animals so it was a pleasure to check out the trails, which are very pretty and well-maintained. Upon reaching the pools, Jessica gave us a brief overview of their various inhabitants, how to find them, and how to explore in a way that would respect the creatures and their future offspring. The kids then spent time gleefully, but gently, capturing little spring peepers, searching for woodfrogs and fairy shrimp hiding in the leafy water, trying to spot egg sacs along the shoreline, and turning over rotting logs in hopes of salamanders. They were rewarded by visits with many of these springtime critters, releasing them carefully to their habitat before heading down the trail.

Arriving back from our woodland foray, we discovered that a new baby lamb had been born only moments earlier and watched the tiny, fleecy bundle as it was warmed by lights and snuggled by its mama. There were other baby lambs in the sheepfold, a new foal, a pig getting a bath, a coop full of chickens and a tractor to climb on. Spring on the farm.

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In the meanwhile I owe accounts of two Wacky Wednesdays after what feels like a long hiatus. On March 25th, another beautiful, warm afternoon, we headed to Rockefeller for a hike along the Gory Brook Trail. It was a comfortable loop and we had quite a crowd, not all of whom stayed dry, but all of whom had a lot of fun. On April 1st we took to the other side of the Preserve setting out for the summit of Eagle Hill in a bit of chilly drizzle. The kids were unfazed by the weather and ran ahead with umbrellas and enthusiasm, clearly happy to be set free.

We've really been having a great time and, if you ask around, folks will tell you that it keeps getting easier, getting the kids out the door and onto the trails. Hope to see you soon!

M.I.A.

Hello to All!

I've got some great photos and tales from our last two Wacky Wednesdays but have been mired (in a mostly good way) in birthdayland over here as two of our girls are born April 1st and 3rd. The babe is the 18th, so I'll have a little reprieve after this weekend and hope to start posting again.

In any case, apologies for the missing hike reports. I'll be back into the swing of things soon!

Gina