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Sunday and Monday at the Nature Center were alive with the sounds of children experiencing nature. (Curiously, that sounds a lot like a marimba!) We dedicated the new trail on Sunday, and the media coverage drew crowds here on Monday as well. So far, it looks like a hit!
But now for what you really want. Pictures! (Above: staff, committee and crew members pose around the marimba with other instruments and cloth “flags”. I think we’ll call them the Sense of Wonder Jam Band.)
Two young visitors give the marimba a whirl. So far, this has been the hot ticket item on the sense of wonder trail!
Contemplating her next move, this tic tac toe player is using game pieces made from reused plastic and canning rings!
A family works together to build a “block city” out of natural materials called tree cookies!
There’s always something to see and do at Indian Creek Nature Center. While the staff takes a step back and a deep breath (and maybe even a nap!), come out and enjoy our newest feature. And, as always, stay tuned for what’s next!
(Please note: The photos in this blog were taken by Marion Patterson. The Nature Center has used them under Creative Commons guidelines. So if you use them, pass the credit for them back to Ms. Patt!)
Do you know where your food comes from? It seems like a simple question, but if it is so simple, why is it so difficult to answer? In an age of industrialized food systems, the average consumer has little or no relationship with their food.
These concerns are why the Nature Center is hosting the Northwest Earth Institute’s discussion course Menu for the Future. This six-part class helps to foster a dialogue about food and its relationship to sustainability.
Our first session, “What’s Eating America” will be held on Tuesday, October 20 at 7 PM. The following sessions will be held each Tuesday for the next five weeks at the same time.
For more information about this program, check out the Institute’s overview. For program fee and information on how to sign up, click here.
(The photograph in the post is by Edward Simpson under Creative Commons guidelines. To see more of Edward’s work, click here.)
It’s officially Autumn, and it’s time for something new and exciting from the Nature Center! For the last few months, our staff members in conjunction with Metro High School have been hard at work on the new Sense of Wonder trail, an outdoor interactive experience geared towards children, but for people of all ages.
A new movement has emerged (geared in part by Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods) that is concentrating on correcting “Nature Deficit Disorder”, or the general lack of outdoor activities of our nation’s youth. The Nature Center’s mission has always been in line with getting children into the world of nature, but the collaboration with Metro came at a fortuitous time!
A lot of exciting progress has been made in the last few weeks…
Permeable pave (also called “grass pave”) was installed all around the building. This not only will create a more natural look for our play area, but when the grass starts to grow up through the holes, rainwater will soak in, instead of running off as it would on normal pavement. (In heavy rain situations, we’ll be helping to keep Indian Creek from flooding!)
You currently can catch the grass pave at an interesting time. Come see the newly installed pave, then cross the bridge over the ravine (take any of the paths behind the barn to reach points to cross the ravine) to see grass pave that was put in early this summer. This latter pave is in it’s growing stages, so be sure to take a peek!
Here you can see the brand new stage that we put in this summer, along with Metro staff and students planting flowers around it!
Even more exciting: We will soon be having our Sense of Wonder open house! Join us on October 18th to check the trail out for yourself. Click here for more information!
