Wacky Wednesday Pruyn Adventure

It has been on my list for months--literally months--to visit the Saw Mill River Audubon's Pruyn Sanctuary. And while the summer season is probably the best time to be there in order to enjoy the full glory of the sanctuary's butterfly garden and habitat, this overcast, late September afternoon was beautiful in it's own way.

The goldenrod was everywhere as was a sure favorite with kids, milkweed, it's overflowing pods just begging to be cracked open sending forth the fairy-like seeds contained within. The sanctuary hosts a variety of ecosystems all within the confines of a rather compact acreage (a bit over 40) making it a wonderful and accessible spot for wildlife viewing and exploration of all sorts.

The beginning of the Pruyn trail takes you past the butterfly garden along a grassy path which features little enclosed off-shoots that were practically surrounded by shoulder-height golden rod and meadow grasses. These tiny enclaves, many of which had a small tree in the center, were perfect spots in which a small person could run, giggling, to hide. As we headed down the trail the kids were instructed to look for the green blazes that would mark the trail we would be following that day through the woods and wetlands of the sanctuary.

Like our recent Saturday on the Farm, today's hike was replete with the discovery of mini-beasts and evidence of all sorts of wildlife from paper wasps to the much loved wooly-bear caterpillar. The one we found today had a particularly wide brown section and I don't know if that old tale is true about the width of a wooly bear's brown fur and the severity of the coming winter, but if it is, we're in for a cold, snowy one!

We also encountered yet another fuzzy creature and this time, after the hickory tussock debacle from last week, the kids looked only with their eyes! So what did my research turn up this time? This one was either an American Dagger Moth or a Spotted Apatelodes. The Dagger Moth has been known be a stinger while the Spotted Apatelodes does not have that designation. In any event, better check these critters out from a distance. My husband is a jazz pianist and years ago he told me about a mantra musicians have about taking a solo during a tune--when in doubt, lay out. I think that just about fits the bill for fuzzy critters, too.

The kids were delighted by the sections of boardwalk which led us through the swamp and enjoyed perching on benches in a
little ampitheater that was built into the path with the challenge to "sit very quietly and listen." They were even more thrilled by the bushwhacking that followed as we headed off trail for a while between the blue 'ridge' trail and the white 'fern' trail. And though the blue blazes of the Ridge trail were within our sights the whole time, it really felt like we were roughing it for a while!

It was the rocks which lured them off the trail to begin with--those huge glacial boulders you see all through the parks in Westchester County calling to the kids to come and climb. We've had several of these climbing adventures on Kids Unplugged outings and it offers parents yet another opportunity to push their comfort levels just a bit to allow the kids the chance to take some risks. Fighting the urge to hover, we hung back just far enough. To a group of parents I posed, "Where were we when we were their age?" and one mom said, "We were on the rock. But we were by ourselves." And she's right. We were on the rock, literally and metaphorically, climbing, testing, learning to negotiate our footing, learning how high was too high, learning that if our foot hit loose dirt we might go down, hobbling home with skinned knees and a sense of pride and accomplishment. And yes, we probably did some stupid things, took risks we shouldn't have, made some poor choices, twisted some ankles, bruised our chutzpuh. But the lessons, experiences and confidence gained from these adventures were likely worth it. So we'll try to give our kids the gift of similar freedom and exploration in this time that just isn't like it was when we were kids. And why is that, exactly?

We had a great hike today. Let's do it again soon.

Debbie Allan's slideshow:

A Blustery Fall Day on the Farm

The second session of the Garden Sprouts met this morning and the breezy weather was quite apropo for our focus on fall leaves. It was also perfect pumpkin muffin weather, and we started our day by preparing our snack on the patio with the view of the farm spread out beyond.



But before we started with our leaf activities there were farm chores to be done. This morning, to the delight of most (but the chagrin of one!) we headed down to the coops to gather eggs from the nesting boxes of the farm's Rhode Island Reds. Clutching blue wire baskets, the kids trooped down the hill, and after a brief lesson in how to place the eggs in the basket--should we hold them up here and drop them in?--they climbed enthusiastically over the fence among the clucking birds.
Collecting eggs with children is really like taking part in a treasure hunt. The looks on their faces as they spy the eggs among the sawdust is classic and their exclamations of joy and surprise a pleasure to observe. They spent a bit of time visiting with the hens and gathering eggs and despite a few casualties, we headed back up the hill with baskets full and hands ready for washing.

The watercolor leaf mobile that we would make today posed a bit of a challenge in the wind. While the kids gathered for some stories, grown-ups cut maple leaves from the tissue for the kids to paint. When enough leaves had been cut and the stories read, we went in search of a bit of shelter from the wind so that it would not take our leaves away before they had been painted and strung. The front of the farm store was somewhat less blowy and the wetness of the paint added some heft to the leaves to help keep them still, although we had to weigh them down with gourds as well!

When we finished painting it was time for our muffins which were warm from the oven and a nice treat for everyone. We finished up with some fun autumn songs and poems before heading on our way. Looking forward to our seed study next time!

The Autumn Equinox at Fishkill

Today was our first in the Fall series of Saturdays at Fishkill Farms and all I have to say is, "what a difference the apple season makes!" The farm, while bustling throughout the summer, was positively packed on this sunny, prime apple-picking Saturday. And as happy I am for Josh and Hannah and the rest of the farm folks for their well-earned success this season, I was glad for our hike off the beaten orchard trail today.

Our morning was spent hiking out along the main orchard drag to a tractor trail which led us into the woods and eventually into an old orchard area. We were off in search of signs of autumn as well as to collect materials for our equinox crowns we would be making later. The highlight of our hike was the variety of miniature wildlife we encountered. From monarchs and swallowtails to leaf hoppers, honeybees, big yellow spiders and one fabulously hairy caterpillar, the kids swarmed around whenever I called out, "wait until you guys see what I found!" Tonight, looking through my photographs of the day's adventures, I did a little research on the crazy, fuzzy black and white caterpillar we found among the leaf litter on the trail. I had picked him (her?) up gingerly holding the leaf that was his home telling the children that they could touch with "just one finger." This was definitely a naturalist's lesson for me, because my research revealed this fabulous guy, who I joked might metamorphosis into a skunk because of his markings, to be a Hickory Tussock Moth larvae--one known to have tiny stinging spines among its fuzz. All of us were left unstung, including myself who allowed the critter to crawl on the back of my hand so that I might have a better photo-op, though I will now modify my "one finger" rule to "look with your eyes only," unless we are absolutely sure what we're dealing with!

The wildlife wasn't our only thrill today. The autumn flora was equally attractive and the kids filled their baskets to the brim with everything from black walnuts to the group's favorite--ripe milkweed pods. They cracked them open and wonderously revealed the fluffy seeds inside, throwing them into the wind like confetti. Later, when we worked on our crowns, the double-stick tape I brought for the project became matted with milkweed fluff making it a bit difficult to attach the other decorations the kids brought to the table!

The hustle and bustle on the farm presented opportunities for much diversion after our program ended and most folks stayed on to have lunch, gather apples and other provisions from the farm store and heading out to the orchards for some picking themselves.

Autumn on the farm.

Wacky Wednesday East Irvington Nature Preserve

Yesterday afternoon we stayed very local and headed to East Irvington Nature Preserve. Mother Nature seems to be having a hard time deciding on whether it is really Fall, as it was an unseasonably warm day. A contrast to the last time Kids Unplugged visited the Preserve, back in April when the children had ample opportunity to puddle jump.

The group was fairly small, with a few new faces, which is always a delight. We started off by making our way to the pond, which is guaranteed to attract the children. We hung out for quite some time on the platform overlooking the pond, giving the children plenty of time to explore
and look for wildlife (and sticks) surrounding the pond.

We progressed slowly along the trail, stopping every once in a while to pick up toads and worms, examine mushrooms and to enjoy the soft mossy "carpet". It felt so spongy underfoot. A perfect spot to rest awhile.

We completed our loop and returned to the platform once again, where several of the younger members of the group had chosen to spend time socializing and getting to know one another.

We look forward to seeing our new found friends again soon.

A Day at the Lakes

This morning Kids Unplugged was joined by an enthusiastic group of families for our Fish-a-Thon to benefit Recycled Fish and the Tarrytown Lakes. Whether they were there to ride bikes, catch fish, or try their arms at paddling a kayack, kids and parents alike spent some truly beautiful early-fall hours along the lakes. And thanks to Coffee Labs Roasters and the Bagel Emporium we had a lakeside brunch as well.

According to Teeg Stouffer, director of Recycled Fish, a recent study completed by the Outdoor Foundation found that fishing was the #1 activity that got kids interested in other outdoor activities. Judging from the attention spans of the kids today, this seems pretty accurate.

Despite the fact that the fish weren't really biting, time spent fishing with Mom and Dad, fashioning Tom Sawyer-style fishing rods, learning to cast, baiting the hooks, digging for worms, and untangling their lines made for some solid outdoor entertainment. We did manage to reel in a few sunnies, much to the kids' (and dads'!) delight, and then kissed them goodbye and released them on their way.

For some families this was their first Kids Unplugged outing and many mentioned looking forward to joining us again soon.

We sure hope they will.

Fish-a-Thon Tomorrow!

Saturday September 19th
Fish-a-Thon at the Tarrytown Lakes!

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Inspired by the Recycled Fish

24-hour National Fish-a-Thon

The weather is supposed to be beautiful this Saturday! Join Kids Unplugged at our first annual Fish-a-Thon in conjunction with RecycledFish.org's National effort. Bring your kids, your bikes, your friends and your live bait and join us for a morning of fishing at the Tarrytown Lakes. We'll have generous donations of fabulous coffee from our own Coffee Labs Roasters and bagels and cream cheese from the Bagel Emporium.

Check the September calendar (scroll down and look on the right-sidebar) for more details and directions!

Adventures in Apples

Once upon a time there was a little boy who went to visit with his grandparents for a few days. One day, after having spent the morning playing with his grandfather his grandmother told him, "head outside to play for a while now, Grandfather and I have some work to do around the house." "But what is there to do?" asked the little boy, "I didn't bring any toys with me." His grandmother smiled at him and said, "Go out and find a little red house, with no windows or doors and a star inside of it." So the boy ran out the door, excited as he began to search for the little red house...

This is the story we closed with today, at our first meeting of the Garden Sprouts at Fishkill Farms. From the photograph I know you can imagine how the story turns out. Opening the apple to reveal the star inside was a little moment of magic for the children--and the grown-ups, too!

We started our morning baking apple muffins using both eggs and apples from the farm before heading out for a hike and some picking in the apple orchard. Preparing the muffins was definitely a cooperative event--I don't think there was one set of small hands that didn't add or mix and ingredient. After washing the sticky brown sugar from little fingers, we took our pails and started down the farm road toward the ripe McIntosh apples.

Josh and Hannah had some adorable new signs stenciled and painted to announce the fall picking season at the gate and to label the different
sections of trees in the orchard. We were greeted by a cheery McIntosh sign as we walked down the hill and after a couple of instructions the children were off into the trees. I was thrilled by how aware they were of their surroundings, noticing and talking about everything they saw, sometimes with a little prompting but also on their own. There were bees to study and fallen, fermenting apples to sniff. This lead to a discussion about apple cider and talk about the old adage of "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch." There were apples to be picked and buckets to be shared. There were holes in apples to be examined and speculated about and fluffy dandelion blossoms to blow and scatter. And there were leaf hoppers and monarchs and swallowtails in the meadow and turkey vultures swooping overhead and chickens to visit and Queen Anne's lace to pick. Whew. All this in about a 40-minute walk around the farm. It reminded me of what a wonderful place it is.

When we returned from our hike, cheeks flushed and sweaty, we settled in at the picnic tables in the shade of the pergola which were spread with blank newsprint. Pans of red and green paint and apple halves completed the list of simple supplies as the kids set to work making a montage of apple prints, dipping the apple halves (and their hands!) into the paint and setting them on the paper. Much glee ensued upon lifting the apples and finding the impression left behind.

After our painting, we had a story in the meadow above the orchard, again in the shade but this time by some of the farm's beautiful old trees, for a read-aloud and some silly apple rhymes. The muffins were ready by then and we shared them along with apple cider back under the pergola with the little red house story. I would be surprised if they didn't all fall asleep in the car as soon as they left the farm!

Fantasy in the Castle--Wacky Wednesday at Halsey Pond

The first day of school for many local kids ended with a romp around the loop at Halsey Pond, a place that has quickly become a favorite for Kids Unplugged. Today the kids' feet barely touched the gravel path and they took off as soon as the pond came into site beyond the short, uphill trek to the loop's entrance. Their destination was immediately apparent--the Beltzhoover Teahouse--and my own children were as guilty as the rest of breaking the cardinal Kids Unplugged "you must be able to see your parents and they must be able to see you" rule.

Those participants with shorter legs made their way much more slowly along the path, stopping to admire the ducks, play in the fountain, throw rocks into the water, collect the early-changing fall maple leaves and pick up sticks. When those of us with little ones in tow finally arrived at the Teahouse, the older children were deeply immersed in a world of fantasty and imagination. There were gate keepers and royal highnesses and swordsmen busily playing their parts in the land they had created in and around the castle-like structure which is the last remaining building of the old Beltzhoover Estate. Parents chatted nearby while the children romped and explored and played, eventually moving them back onto the path where a little concrete jetty into the pond captured the attention of the smaller ones intent on throwing more stones and poking sticks of varying lengths into the water. This hiatus allowed the older children to embark on part two of their play, bushwhacking their way into the brush surrounding the base of the Teahouse, finding hiding places, telling stories and looking like a bunch of children from Lord of the Flies.

It was just what it should be. The parents on the periphery while the kids created their own play, their own worlds. Hopefully some of this can translate into play in our own backyards, in the little pockets of wild space we have around our homes where the kids can imagine and hide and disappear from their structured worlds for a while. Hopefully this can happen more often along the trail. Our comfort levels may be the littlest bit pushed sometimes, our eyes out for potential dangers--poison ivy, ticks, kids too close to the water's edge--but the if we breathe deeply and allow them this space, very cool things can start to happen. They happened today. Very cool.