WYP DIY Activities
Nearby nature is all around! From art projects, to stories, to natural recipes, we are providing you with resources that more deeply engage children and adults with the natural world.
PRE-K RESOURCES
Click through the different sections for ideas on nature connection activities, stories & music, and advice, created and curated by Kelly Villaruel & Kristin Van Der Kar, our lead mentors for Woolly Bears & Chickadees programs.
NATURE STORIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
The Little Gnome Who Had to Stay Home
By Susan Perrow -© March 2020
www.susanperrow.com
Notes by Kelly Villaruel
This story was written for use with young children (suggested ages 3-5 years) who are required to stay home during the current C-19 pandemic, or who have had their freedom severely modified (e.g. perhaps they can attend school but can’t attend special assemblies, festivals, parties or events). The song at the end has been left open for teachers and parents to create more verses with ideas from the children. The story can be changed/edited to suit different situations – e.g. mother tree could be father tree or grandmother or grandfather tree, or you may want to omit the part about ‘gnome school’. The main character could also be changed (e.g. instead of using a gnome, the story could be about a mouse stuck in his little house, or a bird that must stay and rest in the nest).
Little gnome was confused.
Why did he have to stay home?
Didn’t everyone know how little gnomes love to roam!
He couldn’t go to gnome school, he couldn’t play with his friends in the forest, and his friends couldn’t visit him.
Little gnome was stuck in his tree-root home.
At least he could look out his window through the rocks and the tree roots.He was surprised that there was so much to see. Little ants were scurrying by, brightly colored beetles were climbing up and down the fallen leaves, and floppy eared rabbits were hopping in and out their burrows.
But even with all these things to watch, little gnome was growing impatient. Why did he have to keep on staying home? It didn’t make sense to him why he could not roam.
Then Mother Tree whispered to him:
“Things are not as they used to be - but trust me - soon you will be free - trust me, trust me.”
Little gnome knew in his heart that he could always trust Mother Tree.
Mother Tree carried the wisdom of the whole forest!
Mother Tree knew all about everything. The birds and the wind were her friends and messengers. They visited her every day, sharing the news of the big wide world.
Little gnome could hear when the birds came by. He could hear them singing high up in the branches of Mother Tree.
Little gnome could see when the wind was visiting. He could see the branches swaying this way and that. He sometimes had to close his window to keep out the leaves and dust stirred up by this busy friend!
Everyday Mother Tree continued to whisper to him:
“Things are not as they used to be - but trust me - soon you will be free - trust me, trust me.”
So little gnome had to trust, and little gnome had to wait. Soon he knew he would be free again to leave his home amongst the rocks and tree roots. Soon he knew he would be free to roam once again in the beautiful forest.
And while he waited, he was surprised how many things he could find to do in his cozy little tree root home.
Little gnome can dance
Little gnome can sing
Little gnome can paint and draw
And do somersaults across the floor.
Little gnome can dance
Little gnome can sing
Little gnome can clean and cook
And curl up with a picture book.
Little gnome can dance
Little gnome can sing
Little gnome can …………………………. And ………………………………………………..
Little gnome can dance
Little gnome can sing
Little gnome can …………………………. And ………………………………………………..
Little gnome can dance
Little gnome can sing
Little gnome can …………………………. And ………………………………………………..
Note: I have chosen to write this story with a 'mirroring' structure - the story simply reflects the situation and expands upon it with images that help share a message that is too strong to state directly with little children. I haven't promised any timeline because that would be irresponsible as no one knows it at this stage. The story’s aim is to encourage acceptance of the current ‘social distancing’ situation, and to help motivate the children to find and enjoy activities that they can do within the home. For anyone new to ‘story medicine’, stories can help navigate the emotions that come with different kinds of loss and challenging situations. By allowing rather than resisting the truth, and by dressing it with the fabric of the imagination, stories can help the process of weaving the truth into everyday life, especially with young children.
told by Kelly Villaruel
When my son was in elementary school, about 10 years ago, he brought this story home to read for homework. I have been looking for the author of this story and have not yet found it (I will keep looking) but I think it was a Scholastic publication. It is a very sweet and simple story of an old woman sharing tea with animals in the woods. It speaks to caring for a community.
told by Kelly Villaruel
This is a Waldorf inspired story and so far I have not been able to track down the author to give proper credit to. The children love this story when it’s told at school. This would be a fun story to tell then go on an adventure to harvest elderberries to cook into a batch of pancakes.
This Caterpillar story came from a Toronto Waldorf School and is retold by Kristin Van Der Kar. Enjoy!
The story of Sweet Porridge is a version of the Grimm's Fairy tale. This is a favorite story of the Woolly Bears and it often becomes a theme of play.
The story of How Sourgrass Came To Be is written and told by Kristen Van Der Kar
The story of The Wolf’s Chicken Stew was written by Keiko Kasza. This is one of the favorites of the Woolly Bears. I have adapted it for the retelling. This story usually leads to a “hunting and cooking” theme of play in the meadow. Enjoy!
PRE-SCHOOL NATURE ACTIVITIES
Get crafty with your little ones–or the whole family! Check out our activities for ideas on bringing the magic of nature into your home or playtime!
by Kristin Van Der Kar
What a wonderful gift time at home can be to the young child.
Time to investigate our homes and connect with the space right around us. Throughout the coming weeks we will be sharing ideas to bring connection and joy. As I have been sitting in my yard I have been joyfully noticing the many signs of Spring right here in my backyard.
I invite you to observe and investigate these signs of Spring with your child by using your senses. When we connect with nature each of our senses becomes alive. This activity can be a quick 5 minute reset or an all day adventure.
Notice first with your eyes.
- What colors do you see? Is there new growth on any plants? Do you see any birds? What are the birds doing? Are there flowers blooming? Can you find any insects? What do they look like?
For the following senses I invite you to close your eyes when you can so that you can allow your dominant sense of sight to rest and your other sense to be activated.
Now close your eyes and listen.
- Do you hear any birds? Can you imitate their call? Do you hear the wind? What is the farthest away sound that you can hear? What is the closest sound?
Now use your nose to smell Spring.
- What do the flowers smell like? What does the grass smell like? Do the smells bring up any memories? What does dirt smell like? Can you smell any food cooking
If you can, bring in your sense of taste as well.
- If you have edible plants around, what do they taste like? Can you find anything sour tasting? Anything sweet? What does the air taste like? If Spring was a taste, what would it taste like?
Using your sense of touch:
- Are you hot or cold? How does the new growth on the grass or bushes feel? Where do you feel the sun on your body? How does it feel to lie down on the earth? How do flower petals feel on your cheek? How do your feet feel on the earth?
How does Spring feel to your body?
Does it make you feel joyful? Do you feel refreshed? Where do you have new growth? Are you getting all you need to grow-water, food, sunshine, love?
Enjoy!
by Kelly Villaruel
This is a fun activity to do together with your whole family. Go out on a wander or in your backyard, wherever you will find twigs and small sticks.
Supplies:
- Small sticks (or large, depending on size of finished nest)
- Glue
- Cups for glue
- Paint brushes for spreading glue (fingers work great also)
- Piece of cardboard to build nest on
Together, collect handfuls of sticks that you will use for your nest. After gathering all of your supplies, use the cardboard as a base to start your nest on. Using glue, paint the twigs and stick them together piece by piece to form a nest. Take turns placing sticks on your nest. How might the birds build it? How big will it be? Will it have something soft to line it? When it is complete, you can add extra glue (if you need it) so it stays together, then set it in the sunny spot to dry. Using paintbrushes to spread the glue is easier for young children who may still be developing strength in their hands and are not yet strong enough to squeeze the glue bottle themselves.
Imagine building a nest that represents the container of your family unit. It is the basket that holds your day to day actions and interactions. When you build your nest together, it is a time of the in breath, the coming together in connection and being present with each other. It can be a time of crafting more magic and conversation into your day. Placing the nest where it is visible gives children a reminder of the connection time and that can be helpful in the times of out breath when we need to get stuff done. It is a physical representation of your family bond and common ground that your children can come back to when they need to feel the closeness.
Now the fun begins! How will you use this nest? Maybe it becomes a place to leave special notes to each other when you have other things to do? Maybe it is used as a talking piece? Maybe it sits in a place to be filled with found treasures? Maybe you have older children that make birds to represent each member of your family? The possibilities are endless.
When my own children were little we made a nest together. We used it in a variety of ways for many years. When my oldest daughter moved out, she made one with her family. When my second daughter went to college, my son and she decided together that she would take it with her since he is still living at home. We have had that nest for 17 years and it’s still going strong.
It is easy, as the adults, to take over the creative process and limit children’s creativity. This is not intentional and it usually has more to do with the mess that may come with the project. Do your best to step back and let your children lead. Let them decide who’s turn it is to place the next stick. If you put it in the “wrong” place, let them move it. Birds do that, fix the placement of nest materials. Your children may use a LOT of glue. Do your best to let them and work in a place where glue can get everywhere and it would be ok. Know that this is a time of social and emotional growth for your children. Through the creative process and conversation that you have together, they are developing communication and language skills. In the creative process your children are problem solving and working with numeracy and reasoning skills. Notice the joy in your children as the nest is being built and see their pride when it’s done. Know that everything your children do through creativity and play has purpose and meaning. Enjoy the process.
The rains have come and the sun is shining down. Many seeds are excited to sprout! This activity is a great way to get to watch seeds sprouting while using eggshells, which many of us have at home!
- Eat some eggs, save the shells. When cracking them, practice getting two halves.
- Rinse out the shells,(you can poke a hole in the bottom with a toothpick and remove membrane around hole.)
- Put the shells back into the egg carton.
- Fill the half shell with soil. Potting soil, or happy soil from your yard should work.
- Gather your seeds. Maybe you have some seed packets that you want to experiment with, or some saved seeds from something in your kitchen. I saved some seeds from some yummy tomatoes a friend grew last year and planted those! Are any plants going to seed in your yard, or around the block-try those!
- Plant your seeds. Push them down into the soil with your finger.
- Place by a window that gets sunlight and where you can watch them.
- Water them-you want the soil to be damp but not too wet. Water every few days-depending on how hot it is.
- Practice patience, check on them, make sure they are staying moist.
- Are they sprouting?! What do they look like? Do they look like the adult plant?
- Thin them if needed. Sometimes too many seeds go in each eggshell and they are too crowded - if so, pluck a few out.
- Once they are large enough plant them in a larger pot or outside! Crush up the eggshell a bit at the bottom, this will provide the plant with a great supply of calcium and also can help deter snails.
- Continue to observe and get to know these new plants. Maybe you will get to see them go to seed and then you can collect the seeds and do it again!!
If you have older children here are some ways that you can expand upon this project:
- Let them take the lead: let them learn to take care of the seedlings--it may be through trial and error but that is ok!
- They can measure the plants each week or even each day!
- Can they be so patient that they can watch the plant grow right in front of their eyes!?
- They can learn about this plant: Where is it native to? What is its scientific name? What is the animals’ relationship with this plant?
By Kelly Villaruel
Have you ever been in a position where something is happening to someone specifically or to the community at large and you really want to help but you do not know how? When big stuff is going on in the world of a child, they usually want to do something about it but sometimes they can feel helpless. Or, intuitively, children want to give hugs or draw pictures to give out to those who might need them, just to help them to feel better. While we are sticking to distant socializing, this is the perfect time for children to make a big difference in our community and spread some magic and joy to those who may be in need.
Very often, in our programs we “send rainbows” to our families, friends, animals or trees. We do this by talking out loud about where this rainbow will go then rubbing our hands together and saying a color out loud. Then on the count of 3, we all blow the rainbow out to its destination. It is very intentional. What I love about this is it helps to cultivate our caring and tending capacities and it helps to build empathy. It is empowering to the children to know that they can do this to share some light and love with others and it gives them a real tool to use when they want to help but do not know what to do.
Have you ever been driving around town and you spot one of those beautiful mosaic rocks and it makes you smile? It is a little hidden surprise and if you do not know where they all are, it can be very exciting to see one. Children can do something similar, on a smaller scale, with painting rocks and leaving them on the trails that you visit to brighten the days of others. For the folks who live alone, elders perhaps, walking is one of the only times they have any contact with other people and now, stopping to talk is not really an option. Some people are lonely.
Painting pictures and writing messages on rocks is a way that children can bring some joy into the lives of people in our community and remind folks that we are all still here and we care. The best part about this is that it is anonymous, like sneaking a gift to someone who may never know who it was from. People are feeling a lot of emotions nowadays with plenty of ups and downs. You never can tell just who is in need of a special message but one thing is certain, those messages have the power to change someone’s day.
Supplies:
- Acrylic paint in various colors
- Clear coat sealer
- Rocks
- Paint brushes (for younger children, thick handles are easier for their hands)
- Sharpies
Directions:
Cover the surface the children will be using to paint rocks. Have children paintng pictures on rocks. Anything that inspires the children is perfect. As they paint, have a discussion about where you might leave the rocks and who might see them. This will add to the excitement of the project. Paint messages on the rocks or use sharpies to write the words once the paint has dried. What kind of messages might you want to write on the rocks? Affirmations such as “stay calm” or “take a deep breath” or…..? Natural mystery questions like “point to the nearest bird” or “where could a frog be hiding?” . Maybe a silly joke needs to go on the rock. After paint has dried, spray with a clear coat to seal. No clear coat? No problem. Acrylic paint is pretty hearty and a thick coat can withstand the elements. When rocks are dry, take them on a hike and leave them on the trail for others to see.
Something to know, sometimes people take the rocks because they like them or because they really needed that message that day. You can leave it at that or write a note on the back asking people to leave the rocks for others to enjoy and challenge them to add to the community love notes.
If you have older children, have them write the messages for the little ones on the dried paint. Using a sharpie for that will be easier than trying to paint letters clearly with paint brushes.
From fairy tea parties to slaying dragons, children are incredibly imaginative beings - sometimes a fairy tea cup or a cape is all that is needed to encourage this imaginative play.
Here I will share a simple way to encourage your child's imagination through a magic basket.
You all likely already have lots of loose parts that your child can use to shape shift but, by having a magic basket, your child can get what they need whenever they need it and this can greatly support their play. If you have outdoor space you can keep the magic basket outside to encourage your child's outdoor play - this can also reduce the number of acorns and stones rolling around your living room.
Try encouraging your child to have a sense of ownership of their Magic Basket and this may help to encourage them to return the things they have used for the next time (I know this won’t always be the case!) . Also some projects can last weeks, and so not everything can be returned right away as in the case of something like a fort or fairy house. You can help your child find those places that projects can be ongoing and left out. Ongoing projects can be beautiful teachers to our children as they hold lessons on caretaking, perseverance and connection through repetition and returning to place.
When you are out on adventures it can be a lovely time to gather things for the basket - maybe there is a stick that can act as the perfect broom, while also being a giant stirring spoon and a unicorn horn. You can invite your child to learn to have a reciprocal relationship with the earth through trading. When you are out on a gathering adventure bring some pieces that are no longer used as often and gift them back to the land. If you are not returning something in exchange how else can your child think to thank the tree or the creek for the gift? A song, a story, spending time in that place to give the earth company... You can model this for your child and they will follow. When I am harvesting around the children, I will verbalize what normally is happening internally, “Good morning beautiful bay tree, may I take your leaves for a soup?” (then I wait and listen actively) “Thank you, I have brought you some water as a trade for 5 of your leaves.”.
There is a lot of beauty in bringing these wonderful “loose parts” into your child’s play. They are incredible at expanding creativity and the imagination. Many of our toys have a clear purpose, but things from wild spaces can become anything! This leads to an expansion of the mind which helps develop our future inventors, engineers, artists and more.
What you need:
- A Basket, Bag or Box
- Loose Parts: treasures found on adventures, sticks, shells, acorns, scarves/capes,… Imagination
Now let your child transform! Will they be a fairy, a dragon, a fox?
- Adult large or extra large t-shirt
- Scissors
- Paper for pattern (or just eyeball it)
- Acrylic paint or markers
- Paint brushes if using paint
- Cups for water (for paint)
Directions
The first thing you want to do is measure your child to make a pattern (or you can just cut out a shape without making a pattern). Have your child stand with their arms straight out to their sides. You will measure from wrist to wrist across their back. That will be how wide you will make the wings. Half of that measurement will be how long you make them.
The bear measures 30” from wrist to wrist so the measurement for wings for the bear would be 30”x15”. The pattern I used was for a child’s wing span of 34” so half of that is 17” for the length. Since we are cutting on a fold, the pattern ended up being 17”x17”.
- Anything goes for the pattern shape but rounded edges seem to work best for t-shirt fabric as it tends to curl.
Lay out your t-shirt and place the pattern on the fold so that when it’s cut you end up with your finished wings.
Cut around the pattern. Then cut 2 long strips of t-shirt that will become the laces that tie around the shoulders. They should be ¾-1’ wide by about 20-25” long. Then cut 2 shorter strips that will become the laces to tie around the wrists. They should be ¾-1” wide by at least 10-15” long. When you stretch the ties they curl up. It’s best to cut the strips longer that you think you need so there is enough to tie.
Next, make small cuts in the wings for the ties to go. Cut 2 holes on each wing tip for a tie that goes around the wrists and cut 4 at the top back for the shoulder ties to go. **I marked the spots with blue sharpie so it’s easy to see where to cut**
Thread your long laces through the shoulder cuts and tie. Thread the smaller laces through the wing tip cuts and tie.
This is what the finished wings look like on the outside:
Now the wings are ready to be decorated with paint or markers! Here is where children can get very creative. Will they be painted like a butterfly you have seen in your yard? Will you make them more like bird wings and paint or draw feathers?
Watered down acrylic paint can be brushed on. Let dry for 24 hours then heat in the dryer for 10 minutes. When you wash them, most of the color will stay in the fabric. However, it is safe to say that the wing won’t need to be washed that often.
If you have older children, let them lead this project with their younger siblings.
By Kristin Van Der Kar
There are never enough pockets for the treasures that can be found in nature! So here we will share how to make a treasure pouch. Treasure pouches can be used to bring home that beautiful sparkling shell from the beach, the acorn that you are going to try to plant or the bay leaves you have gathered for soup. Treasure pouches also can be offering pouches. I like to put dried lavender that I grow at home into my offering pouch. When I am out harvesting I can gift the plants with some of my dried lavender as a way to say thank you. Treasure pouches can also make great gifts! When children are able to make a gift for a friend's birthday or a grandparent it is incredibly empowering!
With this project children have the opportunity to use real tools, a sewing needle, scissors, while yes, there is a possibility of getting poked by the needle or cutting out the wrong shape, this empowers the young child while teaching real useful skills. While we teach our children how to use these tools in proper and safe ways we show them that we trust them and that they are capable beings.
One other piece to consider is the energy that things we make take on. When we sit down and think about our grandparent as we make them a pouch that love becomes infused into the pouch, or if we think about the magical treasures we are going to put in our pouch or the offerings we will give to the plants all of those energies will become part of the project. Crafting can be a beautiful time to share stories or plans on how your project will be used as this can help bring the project to life. I also like to remember that projects are about the journey rather than the outcome - enjoy this project with your child, encourage them even if that means making ‘mistakes’. They will have much more pride in their project if they were able to do most of it rather than if we as a caregiver did most of it and it looks perfect. Enjoy!
What you need:
- Felt/Fabric: if you do not have felt, that is fine - there are many things that can be used as fabric. A few ideas are: old denim clothing, flannel clothing, T-shirts, old sheets, fleece clothing...
- Scissors
- Sewing Needle
- Thread
Directions:
Step 1. Cut out a rectangle piece of felt. You can decide what shape you would like the flap to be and cut accordingly.
- If you want to add any decorations or patches to your pouch now is a good time to do so. You can cut out whatever shape you would like and sew it on.
Step 2. Fold it
Step 3. Sew up each side
Step 4. Add a button - this can be an acorn or a eucalyptus cap
Step 5. Add a string to make it into a necklace if you desire
Step 6. Enjoy, and find some treasures or offerings to put inside!
This is a great project for our younger friends. It takes many steps and can be turned into a several day project if desired. During our toddler to young childhood years, there is such a big need for sensory play. This is how we learn about the world around us… what does this feel like? Is it soft? Safe? Sharp? If I touch it does it scratch my finger tips? Only through tactile experiences do our bodies gain the needed knowledge for sense of touch. There are also many tips for incorporating the other senses with this project.
Materials you will need:
Your base... a paper plate, piece of cardboard, construction paper
You will want something tough enough to hold glued on items without falling apart
Something to draw a bird outline, a marker, pencil, crayon
Scissors
Having sharp scissors will help make the cutting part safer
Glue or paint
A brush, stick, fingers
Something to add a small blob of glue/paint where needed
A paper bag, jar, plastic zip lock...
Container for gathering materials. Some of these materials may slip through cracks in baskets
Open ended materials with different textures to glue onto our Feely Bird
This will be the funnest part!
Directions:
Adventure 1) Help your little one draw the outline of a bird onto their base, if they so desire. This can be any shape and as big or as small as you like. The more space available, the more textures you may have room for.
Adventure 2) Cut out the Feely Bird outline you have created on your base. Cardboard tends to be more difficult to cut with scissors depending how thick it is. Also, the more detail your outline has the more time/focus/coordination it may take. A simple outline on construction paper may be best for our younger friends. Allowing our children to do it themselves will help work needed muscles in their hands and fingers. As well as bilateral coordination and focus. Having good sharp scissors will make this process smoother and safer.
Adventure 3) Take your gathering bag/jar and have a scavenger hunt for materials that feel different and can be glued/painted onto your Feely Bird cut out. This may look like a short hunt around the house, a quick wander outside the door, or a trip to the beach/trail/open field nearby. Ask your child to show you the different things they see that they could add to their Feely Bird. Remind them you are looking for materials that have different textures (spiky, soft, hard, smooth...). You could also mix it up and ask them to find materials that are different colors or smell differently. Gather your materials into your container. Some examples of what my friends have painted/glued onto their Feely Bird are: dirt, sand, oak leaves, rose petals, sticks, feathers, seeds…
Adventure 4) Take all of your gathered textures, Feely Bird cut out, glue/paint, and your tool for adding dabs of glue/paint, and set up a space where you can let the sensory magic happen. There will be glue/paint that doesn't make it onto the Feely Bird. Some of our textured materials may float around as well.
Now that you have everything together you can start adding some blobs of paint/glue and add the textured materials on your Feely Bird to give it life. I say blobs because some of these materials may need more adhesive to hold it into place. When you're done adding all of your wanted textures let it sit for a while to dry. Placing it in a sunny area may help but be aware that it may be blown away if placed outside.
Adventure 5) Once your Feely Bird is completely dry you can pin it on the wall/set it on a table somewhere reachable to all so you can come back to it to feel all the textures and remember the great adventure you had when searching for all the beautiful materials you gathered.
Just like what’s available to us...all of our Feely Birds are different. I would love to see your creations or hear about your adventures. Send me comments, pictures, or question to j.intheoaks@wyp.org
Oh, what joy to fly through the sky on a rope swing in the forest! Here we will share how you can bring a portable rope swing on your adventures.
Step 1. Get a strong rope, we like to use rock climbing rope, as they are very strong. The length of your rope depends on the height of the tree you will hang it from - a 40ft long rope would do great for many of our Santa Barbara trees.
Step 2. Put that rope in a bag and bring it on your adventure!! Have your child carry the swing on the adventures, this will empower them and is also a great activity to build their proprioceptive sense. The proprioceptive sense is their perception or awareness of the position and movement of their body in space, and is developed by doing activities like carrying heavy things which give feedback to their joints. This sense, sometimes referred to as the sixth sense, is important for self- regulation, coordination, posture, body awareness, the ability to focus and speech.
Step 3. Find a sturdy stick as your seat - make sure it is at least as thick as an adult's forearm, with a hand saw cut the branch so that it is about 2 ft long, this depends on the size of who will be using the swing. I am sure your children can come up with some fun ways to measure how long the stick needs to be for their bottoms! IF you don’t have a hand saw- no worries, wander around and you will find the perfect stick!
- Also think about how the seat will feel, is it soft and comfortable or is the bark super scratchy? Will it hold your weight -can you break it if you tried?
- You can decide to keep this stick in your swing bag or to bring a saw on your adventures to harvest your seat each time, I prefer bringing my seat along with me each time.
- When harvesting your seat, you often can find a sturdy dead branch on the ground rather than harvesting from a live tree. Either way, bring in mindful harvesting. You can ask the tree for part of its branch, you can give a gift in return, you can form a relationship with the tree by learning about it through your senses…
Step 4. Find a tree branch to hang your swing from. It is very important to check the health of the tree and the particular branch before swinging on it. Does the tree have leaves? Or are the leaves brown? Has this tree lost any limbs? Are there fungi growing on the branch or the tree?
- Also investigate which direction the swing will go - you don’t want to hit a tree!
Step 5. Tie the end of your rope to your seat, tying a knot in the center. I often simply do 3 overhand knots. Pull on it to double check its strength.
- A swing with the knot in the middle rather than two knots on either end, provides your child an opportunity to work on core strength. Balancing to get on the swing and swinging on it will engage the core and support your child's healthy development.
Step 6.Throw the seat connected to the rope up and over the tree branch, this may take a few tries and make sure to have everyone clear out of the way so that it does not hit anyone!
Step 7. Tug on your rope and double check that it is sturdy!
Step 8. Tie the other end of your rope to the trunk of the tree, wrap it around the trunk three times and then tie at least two overhand knots.
Step 9. Once again test out the swing. Your child can do this by sitting on it and bouncing up and down to check the strength. Make any needed adjustments.
Step 10. Swing and ENJOY!!!
In setting up your swing remember that you will need to take it down at the end of your time there - do not tie it in a way that makes this impossible.
While this is one way to set up your portable rope swing there are many ways to do so and it can be a great time to practice different knots if you or your child are interested in doing so.
Also many of our trees in the Santa Barbara area are stressed from past droughts, so checking their strength and looking for signs of their health is very important! Looking at the overall health of the forest is a helpful way to gauge if you have chosen a sturdy tree.
Sometimes having a simple craft that requires few or no tools is a treasure to have in your magical “Mary Poppins” bag. This is so helpful when you are out and about or you just need something for your children to engage in but you did not bring a craft kit with you. And, who doesn’t love a fancy crown? Leaf crowns can lead to rich imaginative play and if you wear it upside down, it is more like a pixie hat.
Supplies:
- Sycamore Leaves or any other semi dry leaf with a stem on it. Sycamore trees often grow in and around creeks and rivers (in parks, Liquidambar trees are lovely. You know the ones that change colors in the fall with the spiky balls that hurt real bad when you step on them barefoot?).
- Clippers or scissors (optional)
Directions:
1) Gather plenty of leaves. For a child’s head, you will need at least 5-8 big sycamore leaves. Make sure the leaves are pliable enough that they do not crumble when handled. Very dry leaves can soak in a creek for several minutes or sprayed with a spray bottle to become more pliable.
2) Cut or break the stems (petiole) off of the leaves and save in a pile. This is what you will use to stitch the leaves together. If the stems (petioles) are too tiny, twigs can be used instead.
3) Place one leaf on top of the other, overlapping slightly. Use one of the little stems or twigs to pin the two leaves together. It goes through both in the front to the back, then back through to the front again. Think pinning two pieces of fabric together.
4) Continue pinning the leaves together until it is long enough to fit around your child’s head (or yours!).
If you have older children, gathering leaves is the perfect errand to send them on, whether you are in the creek or just in your yard if you have fallen leaves. Have your older children make crowns for the whole family. This is a moment that they can be truly helpful.
Sourgrass’s delightful sour taste, bright joyous yellow brilliance and heart shaped leaflets all invite children to connect with it!
For many of us it is the very first wild edible plant we eat - a powerful experience as we taste the delightful sourness provided to us by Mother Earth. The bright yellow flowers bring smiles to our faces as the heart shape leaflets show us how loved we are! This plant in many ways encapsulates the magic of childhood! Here we will share how to capture its radiant yellow color in natural dye!
You can also share the story of How Sourgrass Came to Be with your child as you make your dye and even harvest some extra to make some Sourgrass Pasta!!
Our Chickadee class had so much fun making our sourgrass dye this Spring and I am deeply grateful to the amazing natural dyer and Chickadee momma, Caitlin McCann, for teaching me this magic.
Directions:
Step 1. Harvest your sour grass flowers!
- As it is later in the season I would check in the shadier places - Rocky Nook can be a good spot to check.
- Pluck just the flower head off the stem. You can eat the rest, or add it to a meal.
- You will need enough flower heads to fill your dye pot half way up - I like to use a big 3 gallon soup pot. Take your time, checking for busy bees pollinating, enjoying the sights around. Do you hear any birds? How can you ask the flowers if you can harvest them? What gift could you give in return?
- I like to harvest some extra flowers as they also make an incredible yellow when drawn on paper!
Step 2. Put your flower heads into your pot. Fill about half of the pot with boiling water - pouring the water over the flower heads.
- Notice what happens to the color of the water!
Step 3. Leave it overnight, for the magic to continue to happen. Notice how much more yellow the water is when you wake up!
Step 4. Strain out your flowers - and reheat your dye water to a gentle simmer.
Step 5. Now you get to add your fabric - by placing it in your dye pot submerged in the golden liquid.! Some fabric will take up the dye more so than others. White silk and wool take up the dye well, 100% cotton also takes the color up pretty well. Many of us don’t have wool or silk around the house but may have an old white cotton shirt, or an old cotton sheet that we can cut into pieces.
- If you would like, you can use rubber bands to make tie dye patterns.
Step 6. Let it simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Step 7. Turn off the heat and let your fabric remain in the dye water until it has cooled.
Step 8. Take your fabric or yarn out of the pot, squeeze the extra liquid, admire its beauty, rinse with water and hang to dry. It will lighten up as you rinse it with water.
Step 9. Dyed fabric care - I like to just hand wash my sour grass dyed fabrics and use a natural soap - I use Dr. Bronners. Don’t wash with other colors as the yellow could get on other things.
Step 10. Enjoy!
Transformation: Dressing up, wearing a mask, using our imagination are all ways to transform, to transform into another being.
One key skill the young child learns through this transformational play is empathy. As a child transforms into a Rabbit about to be snatched up by a fox, they begin to feel the feelings of that rabbit. To expand upon this we can help them shape shift by making masks.
Making masks also develops fine motor skills, patience, hand eye coordination and more. This craft will require your help - so it can be a family ‘in breath’ as Kelly described in our newsletter, a time where we are present together. Masks can be as simple or elaborate as your children can imagine. This is also a great craft for older siblings to be a part of.
What you need:
- Scissors
- Felt (felted wool sweaters work great too)
- String
- Needle
- Thread
- Glue (optional)
- Buttons, feathers, sequins and other fancy decorations
Directions:
1) Decide what you would like your mask to look like (encourage your child to draw a picture so you have a better idea of what they are imagining)
2) Draw the outline on your felt, including where the eye holes should be- measure to fit your child
3) Cut out your felt
4) Cut holes on the sides or stitch on the string or elastic
5) Use elastic (if you have it) or thick string to tie your mask on
Optional Additions
- Glue feathers on or other lightweight decorations on
If this was a fun project for your family and you want to make more masks, there are some great templates online. I really enjoy First Palette’s animal mask templates!
Have you ever been out to park, a creek or the beach with your children and they have brilliant ideas for projects but you simply do not have the supplies they need handy? Maybe they found the best piece of wood to turn into a bow and all they need is a piece of string but you do not have any?
If only you had what you needed right then and there, the momentum of their play can carry them forward into a deeper experience and maybe, just maybe, you can have a quiet moment alone-ish (because we all need that sometimes!). Why not make a portable craft kit that has anything and everything you may need on an outing to a natural space? Over the years, we have found that there are certain things children need most often while in the woods and the supply list reflects those needs. The kits are easy to put together and you most likely have most of the items you need for it at home already.
Supplies:
- Box, basket or bag to carry everything
- Scissors (adult size and child size)
- String (yarn, jute twine, hemp twine)
- Clippers (gardening style bypass pruners work well, they come in child size also)
- Folding saw
- Sandpaper
- Glue
- Hand drill
- Drill bits
- Sewing needles
- Thread
- Felt or felted wool(for stitching. You never know when you might need an eye patch in the woods)
- Needle nose pliers (not essential but we have used them more often that you would think)
- Digging spoon (regular flatware tablespoon that is sturdy. We have dug giant pools with our digging spoons)
- Watercolors, or watercolor pencils
- Brushes
- Small cup for holding water (or not, if you’re sitting by the flowing creek)
- Watercolor paper
Encourage your children to help you come up with a supply list, maybe they have ideas that are not on this list that would be a nice addition. Let your children help to gather the items and place them in the box or basket. When they help to put it together, they have some ownership over it and take pride in helping to keep it well stocked and cleaned.
Young children who are still working on fine motor development in their hands will need help with cutting tools. Using tools is a wonderful time to talk about tool safety and etiquette as well as harvesting etiquette. It is important to take only what you will be using and to bury the little bits and pieces of cut materials and grasses under the leaf litter. This shows good manners as we are keeping the areas we use cleaner than how we found them and it shows care for others because who loves coming upon a space where there are a lot of cut up branches laying around?
When you put this kit together, think of what your children might need when they are out and about. What do they usually ask for when they are playing? But, do not forget to think of what YOU might need also. Maybe you like to paint while your children play, or write in a journal? Maybe you enjoy stitching?
Encourage your children to carry the craft kit when you go on adventures. It is good for their development to do heavy lifting and they feel proud to carry things for the family.
Blue Bird, Blue Bird (Each participant gets to choose a bird they would like to be. You replace the Blue Bird with the chosen bird and the name with the name of whoever is flying through the windows. We create our windows by all standing in a circle and lifting our arms up – the ‘bird’ flies in and out of these windows.) I picked a dandelion clock (Pick your imaginary dandelion from the ground) And held it near my nose, (Hold your pinched fingers near your nose) I blew the pretty fluff away And counted up my blows… One o’clock, two o’clock, (Give one blow to your pinched fingers before each number) I took a great big puff, (Take a deep breath) Three o’clock, four o’clock, (Give one blow to your pinched fingers before each number) Away went all the fluff. (Flutter your fingers around as ‘the fluff flies away’) My dandelion clock was right (Point to your wrist as if at a watch) For mother called to me (Call out through your hands) Come in and wash your grubby hands, (Rub your hands as if washing them) It’s nearly time for tea! (Take a sip of your imaginary cup of tea)
Good Morning Dear Earth Good Morning Dear Sun, Good Morning Dear Stones and the Flowers every one Good Morning Dear Beasties and the Birds in the Trees Good Morning to You and Good Morning to Me by Lisa Danhi Fill my cup with tea, Fill my cup with love, Fill my cup with friendship, And sunshine from above, Fill my cup with tea, Fill my cup with love, Fill my cup with friendship, And sunshine from above, Fill my cup with tea, Fill my cup with love, Fill my cup with friendship, And sunshine from above, In the heart of a seed buried deep, so deep (start curled up into a ball on the floor) A dear little plant lay fast asleep (pretend to be sleeping) “Wake” said the sun (move up to knees, arms above head forming sun) “And reach for the light” “Wake” said the voice Of the raindrops bright (move arms down with fingers wiggling like raindrops) So the dear little plant awoke to see (put hand together to form flower in front as you rise up to standing) What the wonderful outside world might be (hands making flower open wide to arms overhead and open like branches) In the Willow In the Willow The Mockingbird Hides She is listening She is listening On every side The other birds, they sing the day long But the Mockingbird tricks them by singing their song Yes the Mockingbird tricks them by singing their song (Each child gets a chance to make up a ‘song’, we all imitate) by Maya Shoemaker I am a bird listen to my song Listen I will tell you what is going on Feel in your heart if I am calm or alarmed Let’s play a game, what is my name? (Bird Call-Children take a guess at who it is) Little rabbits sleeping (children curled up sleeping) ‘Til it’s nearly noon Shall we go and wake them With a merry tune Oh so still….. Are they ill?.... (stretch the time you have them lay before the next line!) Wake up now! (Children jump up and start hopping) Hop little rabbit Hop hop hop Hop little rabbit Hop hop hop Hop little rabbit Hop hop hop Hop little rabbit Hop hop hop Tra la la, tra la la Tra la la la la la la Tra la la, tra la la Tra la la la la la la…. Pitter patter, pitter patter, Listen to the rain, Knocking on my window sill And on my window pain, Who does love the rain? (mice) Mice love the rain. Pitter patter, pitter patter, Listen to the rain, Knocking on my windowsill And on my window pane, Who does love the rain? (take turns choosing something that loves the rain) _______ Loves the rain. This song is for the moments when the children’s voices get too loud for the space. It is a kind and gentle way to ask them to lower their voices. We use it every day with the wee ones! And just so you know, there WILL be times where some children hear this song and just to test you, they start to scream louder. They are just wondering if you really mean it. In that moment, try singing the song so softly that they have to hush to hear what you are singing. They will see your mouth move and not be able to hear the words and most often their curiosity is stronger than their desire to test you. Quieter voices Are nicer to hear, Quieter voices Are nicer to hear… By Lisa Danhi Hello Scrubbie, My blue feathered friend, Waiting for us on the trail, Loyal to the end, Soaring the meadow, Perching on a tree, Swooping down for almonds, From my friends and me, Hello Scrubbie, Is Bluey by your side, Chasing you from branch to branch, Sharing nuts you hide, We’re grateful for your company, And for your chirpy song, Thank you, Thank you, It’s time to go, So long. By Lisa Danhi Share the path, With our friends, Wish them well, On their way, Step aside so they may pass, And all will have a peaceful day. Spring is Here, Spring is Here Birdies build your nest Weave together straw and feather doing each your best Spring is Here, Spring is Here Flowers are waking too Daisies, Lilies, Daffodillies All are coming through Spring is Here, Spring is All around is fair Shimmer, glimmer on the river Joy is everywhere By Lisa Danhi I’m thankful for the whole, I’m for the parts, I’m thankful for my friends, I’m thankful with my heart, Please will you pass a piece, Thank you, thank you, This is a delicious treat, You’re welcome. The leaves are green The nuts are brown They hang so high above the ground Leave them alone ‘til frosty weather Then they’ll all fall down together (This song brings us into a seated position, in which we go around and share our name, nature name and something that we are Grateful for) See video for gestures to the songs. Wake little leaves (hands up into the air, fingers wide) For the springtime is calling you (hands up on either side of mouth) Soft blow the breezes (move hands from left to right in wavy motion mimicking breeze) And warm is the sun (hands over head forming sun) Wake little leaves (hands up into air, fingers wide) For the springtime has come at last (hands come together in front of body, forming flower) Wake little leaves (hands up into air, fingers wide) For the springtime has sprung! (jump high into air) Way up in the sky, (Look and reach your arms up) The little birds fly, (Flap your wings) Way down in the nest, (Look and reach down to the ground) The little birds rest, (Sleep like the birds) Shhhhhh, they’re sleeping. (Put your finger to your mouth and “shh…”) With a wing on the left, (Lift you left arm) And a wing on the right, (Lift your right arm) The little birds sleep, (Sleep like the birds) All through the night, (Reach your arms through the stars) Shhhhh, they’re sleeping. (Put your finger to your mouth and “shh…”) The bright sun comes up, (Be the rising sun, arms up in a circular form) The moon falls away, (Let your arms slowly wave down) “Good Morning, good morning, Good morning,” they say. By Lisa Danhi We are adventurers, Walking on the trail, We are adventurers, Faster than a snail, We stick together, Help each other out, And always look for new things Whenever we’re about. Sensory experiences have a way of triggering emotions. Songs, stories, smells, textures and of course sights, have the ability to bring up many emotions including grief. With the children in school, I use a part of a Tom Hunter song called “when I’m sad I cry”. The whole song is great but I find that with the little ones, we only need a few words of this song and it is enough. Out in the woods, when a child is sad I would start singing and many other children would gather around and ask to sing it over and over again. So when your children are feeling sad, or you are, here is a tool you can use to help the tears to flow and acknowledge that it is ok to feel sad. When I’m sad I cry, When I’m sad I cry, Sometimes things make me sad, When I’m sad I cry…. by Maya Shoemaker Chickweed and mallow, filaree and oxalis, Miner's lettuce And mustard Nasturtium and Radish When were out harvesting and it is Spring These are a few of our favorite grees When the sun's out When the plants grow When we’ve had some rain We simply remember our favorite greens And make wild salad again
In and out the Windows
Blue Bird, Blue Bird
In and out the windows
Blue Bird, Bird
In and out the windows
Oh Kristin aren’t you tired?!
ACTIVITIES
Click here to visit our blog section "Stories from the field"
NEIGHBORHOOD SCAVENGER HUNTS
Eager for an adventure? Explore the sights (and sounds) of nature in your neighborhood with our scavenger hunts!
OUTDOORS
Look high and low for all types of trees or get RED-y to track down the color red.
Keep an eye and an ear out for our flying friends with our Level 1 bird scavenger hunt. Need a bigger challenge? Try out Level 2, or our 20 Bird Challenge. Can you find them all?
INDOORS
Rainy day or stuck inside? Try our indoor nature hunt by yourself, with family, or a friend!
Get Ready to Wander
Trees are all around. They provide us with shade, food, beauty and fresh air. I am especially grateful for the trees that grow fruit that I can pick and eat. I am also grateful for my neighbors who share the fruit from their trees. Let’s see what kind of trees you have in your neighborhood, maybe some might have fruit that your neighbors will share. Always ask before you pick.
Start by choosing your boundaries. Two blocks in each direction of your house? Four blocks? One lap around the block? Put on comfortable clothes and prepare yourself for a 30 minute wander to look at the trees.
Supplies
- Phone or camera for photos
- Pencil and journal for drawing, notes and answering the questions
What to Find
A tree with fruit
What tree can you find that has fruit growing on it? Do you know the fruit? Is it edible? Have you eaten it before? Draw or photograph the tree and a close up of the fruit.
A tree with flowers

What tree can you find that has flowers growing on it? Do they have a smell? Is it a nice smell or stinky? Is it edible? Draw or photograph the tree and the flowers.
A tree that’s bare
Can you see any trees that don’t have leaves? Or maybe they have tiny new leaves barely growing. Is there only one bare tree or many on your block? Can you remember what this tree looked like when it did have leaves? Draw or photograph the tree of bare branches.
The tallest tree
Which tree is the tallest? Is it taller than a house? Taller than two houses?! Do you know what kind of tree it is? Is it on the street or in somebody’s yard? Draw or photograph the tree maybe with a house near it so we can tell how tall. Guess how many feet tall it is.
The smallest tree
Which tree is the smallest? Is it smaller than a refrigerator? Smaller than you? Draw or photograph the tree maybe with you or a car next to it so we can see how small. Guess how many feet or inches it is.
Other Observations
When you were looking around at all the trees, did you notice any birds in any of the trees? What were they doing? Making a nest? Eating? Hiding from other creatures? Making your presence known by alarming with loud calls? Singing? Make up a story about the birds in one of the trees from your list.
If you can’t tell what kind of trees you found or want to share the story of one of your trees, email Diana@wyp.org and maybe we can figure it out together.
Why red? Red says: WHY NOT?!
Red is warm oxygenated blood pumping. Flowers that POP through carpets of green. Cochineal pigments. Ember red coals. DANGER! STOP! Bright berries beckon...edible fruits or poisonous berry? Let’s get to know Red!
Transcribe these questions to your journal OR click here for a printable version and bring a pencil OR bring your device along on the wander.
- Find the first example of the color red.
- What is it? _______________________________________
- Is it living or non living?_____________________________
- Find a physically bigger example of red.
- Walk so far away that you can no longer see this bigger example.
- From where you end up, find red on a plant.
- What part of the plant is it? __________________________
- What is the farthest away example of red?
- Is it living or non living? ____________________________
- Pick a far away example of red & walk towards it.
- As you walk, count how many examples of red you find along the way. How many did you count? _____________________________
- Without looking back, guess how many examples were living and how many were not living. Your guess: _______________________
- Take one minute to find as many examples of non-living red near you. How many did you find? _______________________________
- Take one minute to find as many examples of living red near you. How many did you find? ___________________________________
- Head back towards your starting point, and pick the most beautiful example of red along your path.
- What is it? _______________________________________
Once you make it back home...
Write a brief “Story of my wander” below.
Questions to ponder:
- For living red on plants: What parts of the plants were red? (Bark, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits?)
- How much of the plant was covered in red?
- Are any of these plants that had red on them edible? How can you find out?
- What examples of non-living red did you see?
- Do these examples have anything in common?
- Count how many red foods you have in your kitchen. Do they have anything in common?
- How do you think this scavenger hunt would go with a different color? Which parts would be harder or easier?
Feedback, stories, poetry and the like? Send it my way! dominique@wyp.org
Get Ready to Wander
When I say, “what does nature sound like?”, what comes to mind? Odds are, one of the sounds you thought of was birdsong. Birds are one of the easiest groups of animals that anyone can observe out in nature because of how easy they are to see and hear. There’s a lot that our singing, flying friends can teach us--some people who have been noticing and observing birds for a long time can even understand the meanings behind different bird calls and songs! This neighborhood scavenger hunt will help you begin your journey as someone who notices and learns from our bird friends.
This scavenger hunt works best if you can go on a walk around your neighborhood or go out to an open space out in nature. A yard with lots of bird life works just as well though!
Supplies
A printed version of this checklist, or a smartphone that can access this document! Click here for a printable version!
Pencil and journal for drawing, notes, and answering the questions
What to Find:
5 different bird species
It’s okay if you don’t know their names! How many species did you know? How many species didn’t you know? If you don’t know the name of a species, give it a new name! How can you remember what it looks like, so that you can identify it next time?
A feather
Where do you think would be good places to look for feathers? Why would those places be good places to look? Were there other feathers around it? Why do you think a bird would lose a feather?
A flying bird
Can you describe how this bird flies? What do you notice about the size and shape of the wings? Where was this bird flying? Where do you think it was flying to?
A perching bird
How high was it perched? What was it perched on? Where was it looking? What was it doing? Did it stay there for a long time, or did it move somewhere else quickly? Why do you think it was perched there?
A bird standing on the ground
What was it doing with its body? Was it by itself? Where was it looking? Was it out in the open, or nearby places to hide? What else was nearby?
A singing bird
Where was it singing? Were there other birds of the same species nearby? Could you find a pattern in its song? Can you repeat the song in your brain? Can you mimic the song out loud, using your voice or whistles? Why was it singing?
Other Observations
When you were observing all of these birds, could you figure out why any of them were behaving the way that they were? Do you remember what all of the birds looked like? When you see each of these birds again, do you think they will be behaving in similar ways? Was it easier to remember what they looked like, or what they sounded like? Where do you think these birds go at night? Where do you think they are right now?
If you want to share your experience with someone, or figure out a nature mystery that you encountered, email stef@wyp.org and maybe we can figure it out together.
What bird would you choose to be today?! I would choose to be a pelican, gliding inches above the surface of the glittered ocean, taking huge fish filled gulps of salty water, and occasionally surfing a wave or two. If you haven’t tried our Birds Level 1 Scavenger Hunt, it’s a great place to begin. Otherwise, let’s take it up a notch and get to know some other feathered friends. Download the printable version here!
LEVEL 2
This is a seated scavenger hunt! Grab some water, find a shady spot to sit and settle in. Give the birds a couple minutes to return to baseline and see how long it takes for them to return.
- One bird singing a song at least two different times
- Did the song come from the same place each time? How long was it between songs? Did the song come from high up in a tree, from a medium height shrub, or low to the ground?
- One bird pecking, or scratching on the ground for two minutes
- What does this bird look like? Size, color, shape...Was the bird alone or with friends? What do you think they were doing on the ground?
- One bird flying back and forth between two different spots
- How far away are the spots? Did the bird make any sound at the spot or on the way there?
- One bird twice as big as a bird you’ve already seen
- What did the big bird look like? Size, color, shape...What were they doing?
- Too many birds in a flock to count them all
- No questions here, flocks of birds are a magical gift! Turn that face skyward and soak in the sight of feathered friends
Bird queries, dreams of flight, or a blue feather blessing? Email dominique@wyp.org to connect!
This 20 Bird Challenge is an open ended hunt. There are ten species of birds on this list and your goal is to see two different birds from each species, for a total of 20 unique birds. Depending on your mood, you can peck away at finding a few birds a day or go for the WHOLE LIST in one sitting or one walk. All methods work!
Click here to download the printable version!
▢ ▢ American Crow
I usually hear crows before I see them - they’re always up to something fun.
▢ ▢ Western Scrub Jay
This mischievous sky blue friend loves taking over bird feeders and hanging out with a pal or two and causing a ruckus.
▢ ▢ Acorn Woodpecker
WAKA WAKA - what a fun call this flyer makes. And such bold colors! Look near snags (dead trees) telephone poles, and palms for their granary holes plugged with acorns.
▢ ▢ Gull
Quick! Put your cheetos away!
▢ ▢ California Towhee
Mostly brown, but did they sit in a bowl of brick colored paint?
▢ ▢ Red Tailed Hawk
Look up! These regal flyers are often mobbed by crows.
Piw-piw-piw-piw-piw- the distinctive sound of mallards flying overhead...
▢ ▢ Mockingbird
Because Three AM is always a good time to practice imitating every other bird call you know. Listen long enough and you’ll hear one.
▢ ▢ Dark Eyed Junco
Stout and adorable, these ground feeders are just waiting for you to throw a handful of seeds in your yard for them to feast on!
▢ ▢ Turkey Vulture - It is rumored that turkey vultures can smell dead animals a mile away.
Bird queries, dreams of flight, or a blue feather blessing? Email dominique@wyp.org to connect!
Here is a scavenger hunt you can play by yourself or with a friend over Facetime or Zoom. You can share with each other what you have around your house that reminds you of things you might find out in nature. The objects you find do not have to be natural themselves, just resemble them in some way. Give a fun explanation or story for each. If you can’t find something right away, skip it and move on. If you think of something later, you can always come back to it and share it then.
For a printable version of this scavenger hunt, click here!
Here is a list of 40 possible items to find in your house that remind you of nature:
- Something that shines like a crystal:___________
- ….feels smooth like a river stone:_________
- ….round like a log:__________
- ….lighter than a feather:____________
- ….heavier than a rock:____________
- ….spherical like an orange:__________
- ….smells like a rose:__________
- ….circular like a bubble:___________
- ….looks like an insect:__________
- ….came from a plant or tree:__________
- ….looks like seaweed:___________
- ….has the shape of an acorn:___________
- ….reminds you of water (that is not water!):___________
- ….has the shape of your favorite fruit:_____________
- ….reminds you of a mouse:__________
- ….soft like the fur of an animal:___________
- ….feels hard like a bone:__________
- ….spikey like a pinecone:___________
- ….sharp like a blade of grass:___________
- ….buzzes like a bee:___________
- ….shaped like the spiral of a snail shell:____________
- ….symmetrical like the wings of a butterfly:___________
- ….branches like the veins of a leaf:_________
- ….zig-zags like a snake:____________
- ….looks like the wave of an ocean:___________
- ….has cracks like dry mud:_________
- ….has spots like a ladybird beetle:_________
- ….has stripes like a zebra:________
- ….has rings like the cross-section of a tree:___________
- ….straight like bamboo:__________
- ….shaped like a honeycomb:____________
- ….bundled like a bird nest:___________
- ….woven like a basket:___________
- ….has rays like the sun:___________
- ….looks like the bark of a tree:__________
- ….looks like a mushroom:_________
- ….slimey like algae:_________
- ….tiny like a seed:__________
- ….shaped like a flower:_________
- ….pillowy like moss:__________
Questions to ponder:
- Did you have any of the things from nature in your house already?
- What were you surprised to find that mimicked the shape of nature?
- What is one thing you found that reminded you of an adventure you had outside of your house?
- What is something you have in your house that reminds you of something from nature that was not on the list?
- Try the opposite: Next time you go for a walk or hike, can you find anything in nature that reminds you of something in your home?
* If you would like to share any of your findings or discoveries, email me at JulianD@wyp.org *
WILD FOODS & HOME COOKING
We are so lucky to live near plentiful edible and useful plants! Whether you’re an expert forager or just getting started, we have ideas and recipes for everyone to enjoy wild foods!
If you’re just getting started or need a refresher on foraging, check out our guide to common wild edibles!
Ready to dive deeper? Go for a wild tea wander, harvest some acorns to make bread or use the flour in other recipes! You can also learn to make an elderberry tincture.
Try your hand at pickling wild radishes or check out this guide to preserving, fermenting, and sprouting by Comestible Journal.
Looking to spice up your dinner? Check out our sour grass pasta recipe!
In Santa Barbara and many parts of California we are so lucky to live near plentiful edible and useful plants! Here we have compiled some common edible plants that you can harvest- sometimes in your very own yard! Just be sure to practice safe and responsible harvest by using our tips below.
Here are some helpful things to remember before harvesting:
Hazards:
- Always know for sure what plant you are harvesting and that it is safe to eat - there can be similar looking plants - if you are not sure, don’t harvest at this time. Find a resource to help you be sure next time.
- Think about where your plant is growing. Consider if pets might pee or poop there, or if it is a place that is sprayed with chemicals. Also, do not harvest along busy roads, as the plants can absorb the toxic exhaust.
- Examples of places NOT to harvest:
- Near of busy roadways
- Neighbors yards without their permission
- Places where you suspect chemicals for herbicides are sprayed
- Beginning of trails and parks, where dogs regularly pee and poop
- Examples of places NOT to harvest:
- Poison Oak is abundant in California and causes a very itchy rash that can last 2-3 weeks if you come in contact with it. It grows in many places and is especially common in and around creek beds. It takes various forms, from tiny new rusty red leaves, to giant lush lobey green leaves, to yellow/orange/red leaves (usually in fall) and bare sticks (usually in winter). If you are unfamiliar with poison oak, click here to learn more.
Respectful Harvest:
- If there is only one plant of that kind where you are harvesting, look for another place to harvest where they are plentiful.
- If you are harvesting berries or flowers, only take a small portion from each plant to be sure there are some for the animals and others that rely on it.
- Please only harvest what you plan to use.
WYP’s own Michelle Howard and Michelle Renaud have created an easy to carry field guide for purchase, available at Chaucers & Amazon: “Wild Edible Salad Guide”
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Have you walked at Ellwood and seen those beautiful green vines with yellow and orange flowers? Those are Nasturtium! Nasturtium provides edible leaves and flowers with a spicey, peppery flavor. Add to your salad or use as a basil alternative in your homemade pesto (see recipe below). Its flowers make salads and other dishes even more beautiful!
Nasturtium ID
These viney plants are durable and can grow in many places, but are primarily found under and growing up into trees. The flowers are mostly yellow and orange, but can also be red. The leaves are large and round.
Sour Grass (Oxalis pes-caprae)
A kid’s favorite! These beautiful yellow cloverly plants spring up with yellow flowers this time of the year. Its stalks are bursting with sour flavor - pick and chew on right away or add to a mixed salad.
Sour Grass ID
In the springtime these beautiful yellow flowers with their green three-leaved clovers pop up everywhere! It’s fun to scoop them up and chew on the stems! Some people consider them weeds, so be aware of harvesting from places people may be applying herbicides.
Miner’s Lettuce
They call it Miner’s lettuce because back in the Gold Rush Days the miners had a hard time finding plant nutrients. The story holds that miners would eat this plant to help stay healthy. Pick the spade shaped leaves and leave the round ones to flower and generate next season's seeds. Look in shady spots under trees for this local lettuce that’s rich in Vitamin C! (Poison Oak also likes shady under tree places, so watch where you are picking!)
Miner’s Lettuce ID
Look for lush green circular leaves on a small stalk and tiny white flowers in the center. Miner’s lettuce likes shady moist areas, especially on north facing slopes under trees.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Do you remember looking for those puffy white balls and blowing on them to make a wish, watching all the gentle whiteness floating in the wind? Dandelions were once widely used, then considered a pesky weed, and are now again being enjoyed for pesto, tea and other delights. Dandelion can grow almost anywhere and can have large lush green leaves and yellow flowers. Again, some people consider these weeds and spray them with chemicals, so be aware of where you are harvesting them. You can make tea with fresh leaves, or dry the leaves (and roots) for tea later on. The leaves can also be substituted for basil in your favorite pesto recipe.
Dandelion ID
Dandelion loves to grow in urban gardens everywhere, parks, etc - just look around and you’ll find it! In shadier places, their leaves can get big and green, and in sunnier places they can be quite a bit smaller. The yellow flowers and puffy white seed pods make this plant very easy to find and harvest!
Mallow (Malva neglecta)
Mallow leaves come in all sizes - some so big it feels like they could be umbrellas for toads! This plant has a mellow taste fit for any forager. Try some in your salad or sautee with your next meal!
Mallow ID
Mallow grows in many places, often in unattended areas of “weeds.” This plant has soft, rounded and ruffled leaves.
Let’s give gratitude for the spring rains, the diversity of plants and wildlife in our local area, and to still having access to some of our wild places! Have you ever wondered which plants are edible here in Santa Barbara? Have you ever wanted to drink warm cups of tea to remind you of that beautiful hike you went on last week? Not wanting to head to the grocery store? Here are a few of the many delicious plants that we at Wilderness Youth Project love to drink.
Things You Might Need: Scissors, a sharp knife, or pruning shears can be helpful for making a clean cut. Gardening gloves can be helpful to protect yourself from the spines and thorns. Some kind of container like a harvest basket or a paper bag can be great for keeping your leaves clean. But if you have nothing, you can still get by with just your hands!
Location: Most of these plants love to grow in shady oak woodlands near creeks and streams in the Santa Barbara Front Country (e.g. Rattlesnake Canyon, Steven’s Park, Parma Park, Tucker’s Grove, San Marcos Foothill Preserve, etc.). Springtime is the best time to harvest the succulent new growth.
Hazards: Before we head out, it’s good to know about some potential hazards. When walking under our Coast Live Oak trees, Quercus agrifolia, it’s a good idea to look up for potential falling limbs and to look down to keep an eye out for poison oak. “Leaves of 3, Let it be!” and “Two leaves kissing, One leaf missing” are good reminders to help you identify poison oak. Protector Poison Oak (as we like to call it) loves the shade and can take on different forms. In the springtime, look out for new lobed clusters of bright green growth. Sometimes they have an oily surface, but not always! If you do come in contact, check out our page on Poison Oak Information and Remedies.
When trying new edible plants for the first time, it's a good idea to take a bit of precaution. People respond differently to all sorts of food. We recommend trying each new plant separately before mixing them together into a blend. Before harvesting or eating any plants, always check in with an adult to make sure that you are identifying it properly. Safety first!
Ethics: First, make sure you are in a place where it is safe to harvest (i.e. not close to roads or contaminants). Second, are you in a place where it is okay to harvest? Is there a lot of the same plant around, so that you are only taking a small percentage of that population? Third, what are the rules of the area? Parks and National Forest have different rules. Needless to say, the ethics of foraging are a controversial topic. As a rule of thumb, harvest only what you need and make sure to leave plenty for others!
Before we harvest, keep in mind that it’s a good idea to ask for permission from the plant as well. This could look many different ways. Some people physically ask with words, others might ask silently. Either way you do it, it's a great idea to give something in return. It could be some words, or a song, a piece of hair, or some water. Whatever feels like a fair gift in return.
The way that we harvest is another way to show respect for the plants that we take from. Generally, we want to pinch old leaves off from the bottom or use some scissors or shears to ensure a clean cut. Try not to leave any stem. Keep the plant in the ground. Harvesting like this allows the plant to continue sending its energy up and towards flower growth, which eventually leads to seed production. This means… more plants for years to come!
Hummingbird Sage, Salvia spathacea, also called Diosa in spanish, was said to be used for the treatment of pulmonary ailments and rheumatism according to Chumash Ethnobotany by Jan Timbrook. This plant is in the mint family. I notice that it has leaves that have an arrow-shape.
The pink circular clusters that stack upon each other remind me of a space needle. It has a fruity smell when rubbed and a taste that reminds me of pineapples. This plant is often growing in big patches like the photo above.
California Hedge-Nettle or Wood Mint, Stachys bullata, is also in the mint family.
When steeped into a tea, hedge-nettle can help soothe a sore throat or an upset stomach. It has a lemony smell. This plant is in the same family as Hummingbird sage, and can sometimes look a lot alike. I notice that the flowers of this plant are smaller and paler in hue, typically have bigger spaces between its leaf sets, and leaves that look more spade-shaped than arrow-shaped.
California Blackberry, Rubus ursinus, or Pacific Dewberry, is in the rose family. It is commonly seen with leaves that grow in pairs of three like Poison Oak, but has small spines all over the stem and along the underside of the leaf, “if it’s hairy it’s a berry.” When the leaf is steeped into tea it is said to be mildly-astringent and used as a diuretic by herbalists. This plant is often found growing in long vines along the banks of a stream or creek alongside poison oak, so be sure to identify carefully. It has small white flowers and can sometimes produce small delicious berry fruits.
Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica, is not native to our region but can often be found near city parks or backyards. You’ll know this plant if you have tried to touch and felt the sting of the sharp hairs along its stem and leaves.
This plant is packed-full with minerals and micronutrients that make any tea feel even more medicinal. Adding this to your tea blend can round out the fruity and bitter flavors of the other plants with an earthy sweet taste. Harvest with a pair of garden gloves to help protect your fingers from its sting. Once the leaves are boiled, blanched, or dried they are safe to touch (or eat!) without the risk of sting.
Drying: Once you’ve gathered all that you need, it's time to dry out your harvest. Herbs are best dried in a shady place away from sunlight and with great ventilation. If you have a screen or something porous to lay your leaves on, even better. You can improvise with an old window screen or clip them up on a line. It can take 1-2 weeks to fully dry and be ready to store away. Make sure that the leaves are crisp and not cold to touch before storing in a tight sealed container like a plastic bag or a glass jar.
Ratios: Once you’re ready to make tea, you can try each plant out individually or blend them all together. Which ones you like most will determine the ratios of your tea blend.I personally love the taste of Hummingbird sage, so my blends tend to have mostly that. I add less Blackberry and Stinging Nettle because their medicinal flavor can be overpowering. Play around and experiment with what you like best.
Flash Connection: While you’re out, dip your feet in the creek! If it feels right, try taking your shoes off. Or lie down and enjoy the feeling of the ground on your back in the dappled shade. Can you hear a “skibit-skibit” or a “wakka-wakka” coming from the trees?
Share your Findings: Make a Leaf rubbing, sketch a drawing of the plants, share the findings of your day with a family member, or send them on a scavenger hunt to find the plants themselves.
Reflect Back: Boil some water and steep your herbs for 5-10 minutes. I like it with a little honey. How do the plants taste to you? Can you close your eyes and envision yourself walking through the landscape where you found the plants? What do you remember seeing? What bird sounds did you hear? Did you notice anything you’ve never seen before? What kinds of insects did you see while harvesting? What other animals do you think eat these plants?
Integrate: What are some other ways that you can bring the beauty and gifts of the oak woodlands into your daily life?
*If you tried this wander, please send me your reflections and/or any questions or feedback. Email me at JulianD@wyp.org*
Vocabulary Key
Pulmonary Ailments - respiratory illness, illness of the lungs
Diuretic - increased passing of urine, makes you pee a lot
Rheumatism - inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, and tissues
Astringent - bitter, a puckering taste
Ethnobotany - study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Acorn flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 TBL Baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBL sugar
1 Egg
1 cup milk
3 TBL Oil
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400º.
Sift together acorn meal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a separate bowl mix egg, milk, and oil.
Combine dry and liquid ingredients. Stir just to moisten dry ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes. Slice and top with butter and honey.
How To Process the Acorns Into Flour
Gather a healthy bowl of nuts and crack the shells to remove the meaty inner part of the acorns. Start pounding your acorns into a course meal by hand or use a food processor/grinder. Pour boiling water to cover the nuts and let stand in this water for at least an hour. Drain the water and repeat the soaking process with new boiling water. Every time you drain the water taste the acorns. The more you rinse them, the more you leach out the bitter tannins to make the nuts taste sweeter. Rinse as many times as you like. Once you like the taste, the meal should dry before use. You can also use the meal wet but make sure you adjust the recipe.
To dry the acorn meal, place in a dehydrator or on a cookie sheet in a thin layer. You can put this in the sun or in the oven. (Don’t turn the oven on, the pilot light is warm enough). Once the meal is dry you want to pound it into a finer meal or place back into your food processor. Now the acorn flour is ready to use. If you are going to store it for future use, make sure the flour is COMPLETELY dry or it will mold. Acorn flour can be used in many recipes that call for flour. It adds a nutty, rich flavor.
You can also try this cold water method to leach the tannins from the acorns.
Use: For the common cold and flu
WARNING: Elderberry is a wonderful plant and one that deserves our respect. The ripe berries and flowers are edible but leaves, twigs, unripe berries and bark are all poisonous. They contain cyanide and can do harm to humans.
CAUTION: Make sure you use Sambucas nigra or Sambucas mexicana. All parts of Sambucas racemosa (Red Elderberry) are poisonous.
Elderberry has a very high Vitamin C content and is a great immune booster, especially during the winter months of cold and flu season. This tincture can be used before you feel any symptoms, as a preventative when you start to feel the symptoms or as a way to boost your immune system when you are in the thick of a cold/flu.
INGREDIENTS:
Quart jar with lid
3-4 cups fresh or dried Elderberries
80 proof vodka
DIRECTIONS:
Clean your jar with hot water
Put the Elderberries in jar
Pour the vodka in so the berries are just covered
Lid the jar and shake, shake, shake
Label and date your jar
Try to shake it once a day.
Let it sit for at least 30 days before you strain it. You can let it soak for longer, up to a year.
To take as a preventative use 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. If you have symptoms of a cold or flu take 2 teaspoons 3-4 times a day for 2 weeks. For kids, cut the dose in half.
You can harvest Elderberry and use the fresh berries. Make sure you are harvesting in an ethical way and somewhere safe (i.e no pesticides, heavy exhaust, etc).
You can also order Elderberry extract or powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. It is a great way to support Wilderness Youth Project programs because Mountain Rose Herb gives a portion of its proceeds to WYP with every purchase made from our website. Simply click here or on banner below.
The wild bounty of spring is here! Some of the fastest growing spring flowers are already going to seed, and by no coincidence, many of these speedy seedsters are considered invasive non-natives. This group of invasives includes two species in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) commonly known as wild radish: Raphanus sativus (taller with purple and white flowers) and Raphanus raphanistrum (lower-growing with yellow flowers).
Through the naturalization process in California, these two species have hybridized so thoroughly that an indeterminate mix of characteristics from both parents exists in the CA wild population - you can find all different hues from white to purple to yellow, sometimes in the same radish patch! When invasive non-natives go to seed, it makes habitat restorationists sigh knowing it’s already too late to prevent their spread and there will be a stronger foe next year. However, in the case of the wild radish, it’s a call to arms (or harvesting shears), wild radish seed pods are delicious!
Where to harvest
Wild radishes can be found in many roadside locations around Santa Barbara and Goleta, but the largest patches are generally in open areas in full sun. If you’re heading out to harvest, try the closest of the following locations to you: Parma Park, San Marcos Foothills Preserve, More Mesa, Lake Los Carneros, or Ellwood Mesa. Look for the purple and white (and sometimes yellowish) flowers growing chest-high in a sunny open area.
How to harvest:
Despite being considered an invasive non-native, wild radishes are still very much alive. There’s no place for rage in harvesting, merely respect, gratitude, and positive ecological stewardship. Take only what you need, around a quarter to a third of the pods from any given plant and area. Besides, plants talk to one another: a thrashed neighbor might be making the pods you’re harvesting taste worse. The tastiest pods are usually the youngest ones, but it’s a good idea to sample from each stalk as you go so you can harvest to your taste.
Neighborhood pickle partners for year-round flavor:
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea, is a common horticultural plant, typically grown for its compact shape and attractive pink flowers. Look for the grass-like leaves that have a garlic odor when crushed, a great substitute for chives!
Tulbaghia violacea
Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia, is the most common culinary source of pink peppercorns and can be found planted as a street tree in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Its close relative, the Peruvian peppertree, Schinus molle, is perhaps more common around town, though less utilized as a source of pink peppercorns commercially. Both are members of the family Anacardiaceae, which also contains poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac, mangoes, and cashews. Most members of this family can elicit allergic reactions, if you have a strong sensitivity to any of the above, it would be best to avoid and use black peppercorns instead. Select dried peppercorns, or let dry for a few days after harvesting, to reduce the chance of an allergic reaction.
Schinus terebinthifolia
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is a common non-native invasive species that can be found in many of the same sunny open areas as wild radish around Santa Barbara and Goleta. It has a vertical growth habit and at this time of the year can be found leafing out from its bulb. It has feathery green leaves and its flower stalks form umbels at the tips. Be careful and be certain when identifying - it has a very similar appearance as poison hemlock and can be mistaken for it. You can find last year’s seeds in the dried umbels, the seeds pack a lot of the sweet anise flavor that fennel is known for.
Foeniculum vulgare leaves Foeniculum vulgare seeds
The table is set...
RECIPE
This recipe makes two cups of wild radish pickles.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup water
- ½ vinegar
- ~2 cups of wild radish pods
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 12 dried pink peppercorns
- ~10 leaves of society garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 small sprig of fennel
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey (optional)
- Rinse radish pods, fennel, and garlic leaves and remove any lingering stems
- Combine water, vinegar, salt, fennel seeds, and smoked paprika in a small saucepan (sugar too, if desired)
- Heat gently until salt is fully dissolved and let cool slightly
- Place radish pods, fennel, and society garlic in 2 cup jar
- Pour brine over the top of the pods, garlic leaves, and fennel sprig
- Add water if needed until liquid level is ½ inch below lid
- Apply wax paper under jar lid, close and refrigerate (or use a plastic screw on lid or glass tupperware as pictured)
- Keep refrigerated, they will soften and lose their crunch over time, best if eaten within a week and a half of pickling!
Notes
You can use any non-reactive container, as long as the radish pods are fully submerged. The wax paper prevents the vinegar from corroding the jar lid, and glass is typically the most neutral in terms of taste, but tupperware will work fine in a pinch.
This recipe is really just a baseline, flavor to your palate and try many new wild harvest combinations! It’s also pretty heavy on the fennel taste, if you are not a fan of anise flavor, don’t bother with the sprig or seeds. As long as you’re making a 50/50 water/vinegar quick pickle brine with a healthy amount of salt (and sugar) you’ll be fine.
It’s possible to add a grape leaf, an oak leaf, or another source of tannins to achieve that holy grail pickle crunch. However, it’s also possible to go overboard on the tannins and ruin your brine, so tread lightly.
Is sour grass still growing in your yard? In a wild space near you?
If so, try out this simple recipe that’s a favorite of Amelie and Liam Picotte, two WYP Grasshoppers from our after-school programs. Their neighbors Alexandra and Halima Riparetti created this recipe as a way to use the tart and bright flowers and leaves of this springtime weed. They add a lovely lemon flavor to any dish.
Identifying Sour Grass
Sour grass, aka Wood Sorrel, Bermuda Buttercup and Oxalis (Oxalis pes-caprae), is a non-native, invasive plant, but so fun to eat. It has five-petaled yellow flowers on tall stems. The leaves are a cluster of three heart-shaped leaflets, often with purplish spots. It’s sour taste is the main giveaway that this is the correct plant.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- A couple handfuls of sour grass flowers and leaves
- Cooked pasta of your choice
- Olive oil or butter
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded parmesan (or any) cheese
Directions
Cook pasta according to the directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the oil or butter, mix until melted. Then add the cheese, sour grass, salt and pepper to taste, toss and plate.
Variations
If you don’t have sour grass, add in any wild edible green such as miner’s lettuce, arugula, or chickweed and/or garnish with wild edible flowers such as nasturtium, mustard or radish. I love adding greens from the kitchen too, kale or chard or even broccoli. With pasta (and cheese), anything will be yummy.
For extra flavor and spice, sauté some garlic and red pepper flakes (not too much, a little goes a long way) in the oil for a couple minutes then add the pasta, etc to it. In Italy they call this, “aglio, olio e peperoncino” and it’s so good.
In my bowl: Organic whole wheat spaghetti, chard with stems, wild arugula, sour grass, garlic, red pepper flakes, pecorino cheese. Yowzers!
The Wrap
If you have a recipe using any wild plant in Santa Barbara, send it to us so we can share with the WYP community. Contact Diana La Riva, diana@wyp.org, if you have questions about sour grass or to share a recipe.
CRAFTS INSPIRED BY NATURE
Crafts using natural materials are a great way to explore your creative side and connect with nature!
Want to incorporate treasures from nature into your home? First, make a treasure pouch to hold your items while you’re wandering. With these supplies, you’re ready to start our other projects:
- Create your own nature table
- How to make a flower press
- Explore different textures with a feely bird
- How to weave your weeds or make a nature weaving
Start with our guide to knife safety, then check out how to make a sustainable giant reed container, a yucca stalk burn container. These projects are better suited for older kids, with the supervision of an adult.
Bring nature closer to you with our pine cone bird feeder!
Bring your craft out to nature and build a raft to explore the flowing waters, or make a portable rope swing to feel the wind! If you feel like getting crafty outdoors, make a portable craft kit to keep you inspired!
For nature-inspired playtime, try making a leaf crown or an easy costume mask or no-sew wings!
By Kristin Van Der Kar
There are never enough pockets for the treasures that can be found in nature! So here we will share how to make a treasure pouch. Treasure pouches can be used to bring home that beautiful sparkling shell from the beach, the acorn that you are going to try to plant or the bay leaves you have gathered for soup. Treasure pouches also can be offering pouches. I like to put dried lavender that I grow at home into my offering pouch. When I am out harvesting I can gift the plants with some of my dried lavender as a way to say thank you. Treasure pouches can also make great gifts! When children are able to make a gift for a friend's birthday or a grandparent it is incredibly empowering!
With this project children have the opportunity to use real tools, a sewing needle, scissors, while yes, there is a possibility of getting poked by the needle or cutting out the wrong shape, this empowers the young child while teaching real useful skills. While we teach our children how to use these tools in proper and safe ways we show them that we trust them and that they are capable beings.
One other piece to consider is the energy that things we make take on. When we sit down and think about our grandparent as we make them a pouch that love becomes infused into the pouch, or if we think about the magical treasures we are going to put in our pouch or the offerings we will give to the plants all of those energies will become part of the project. Crafting can be a beautiful time to share stories or plans on how your project will be used as this can help bring the project to life. I also like to remember that projects are about the journey rather than the outcome - enjoy this project with your child, encourage them even if that means making ‘mistakes’. They will have much more pride in their project if they were able to do most of it rather than if we as a caregiver did most of it and it looks perfect. Enjoy!
What you need:
- Felt/Fabric: if you do not have felt, that is fine - there are many things that can be used as fabric. A few ideas are: old denim clothing, flannel clothing, T-shirts, old sheets, fleece clothing...
- Scissors
- Sewing Needle
- Thread
Directions:
Step 1. Cut out a rectangle piece of felt. You can decide what shape you would like the flap to be and cut accordingly.
- If you want to add any decorations or patches to your pouch now is a good time to do so. You can cut out whatever shape you would like and sew it on.
Step 2. Fold it
Step 3. Sew up each side
Step 4. Add a button - this can be an acorn or a eucalyptus cap
Step 5. Add a string to make it into a necklace if you desire
Step 6. Enjoy, and find some treasures or offerings to put inside!
By Kelly Villaruel
Creating a nature table in the home is a wonderful way to bring the outdoors inside. It is a place where you can continue to cultivate awe and reverence for the natural world when it is time to be indoors. Sometimes just walking past the nature table and catching a glimpse of the treasures is enough to spark curiosity and, ultimately, motivate quests to find answers.
To start your own nature table, put a small table or other flat surface in a place where it will be visible and visited many times a day. It should be within reach of the smallest child in your house so the treasures can be touched. Make the table beautiful and inviting by covering it with a piece of fabric or a scarf that reflects the colors of the season if possible. You can place flat things under the cloth like books or small boxes to add dimension and to highlight special finds. Now the fun begins.
As you and your children go out adventuring, collect treasures that catch your eye and draw your interest. Bring those treasures back and place them on the table. Sticks, bones, dead bugs, moss, shells, flowers...anything goes. Handmade natural crafts are a lovely addition to the nature table and it can be changed with the seasons, as the natural world changes. If you have one, place a magnifying glass on the table to invite deeper examinations of the treasures. If you have field guides, keep them near the nature table to encourage investigations.
If you have older children, let them take charge of the nature table. This is the perfect opportunity for them to be in the lead and take ownership. Notice how they take pride in the process of creating beauty in the home for the whole family to enjoy together. This is deep nature connection as they are cultivating their relationships with the natural world, their family, and themselves.
By Dominique
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a flower that I didn’t like. And although there are a handful of flowers that are *very* poisonous if ingested (Oleander! Angel’s Trumpet! Poison Hemlock!), for the most part, flowers are credited with brightening dispositions and enticing pollinating animals and elements since the beginning of time. Here’s a way to make your own simple flower press to preserve and share the ephemeral beauty that is The Flower.
Gather:
- Two pieces of paper
- Two rubber bands
- Scissors
- A piece of cardboard about twice the size of a sheet of paper.
CONSTRUCTING THE PRESS
- First, cut (or crease and tear) each piece of paper into four equal rectangles, giving your eight sheets of small rectangular paper
- Second, cut 5 pieces of cardboard into rectangles the same size as the paper.
- Third, layer your press. One piece of cardboard, two sheets of paper, one piece of cardboard, two sheets of paper...and so on, until your press is constructed.
- Stretch the rubber bands across the short end of the press to secure the cardboard and paper.
- Adorn the front of your press as desired
USING THE PRESS
Now that you’ve made your press, it’s time to wander into your backyard or along a street outside your apartment and collect some FLOWERS. Here are a few things to consider.
- Get to know the poisonous plants of your area and avoid putting them in your press. Although this project isn’t intended to give you something to eat, be aware of touching a potentially strong flower and then touching your face/lips.
- ASK the flowers if they’re ready to be picked! Be direct and humble about your floral pluckings. The pollinators, the soil, and millions of other eyeballs and life forms depend on flowers.
- Place each flower or petal between the two sheets of paper. Reassemble the press and re-secure the rubberbands. Wait.
BECOME A FRIEND OF FLOWERS
One of the simplest ways to befriend the flowers is to get to know their names. Once you have gathered a few flowers for your press, take a closer look and try to answer some of these questions about who you have in your midst.
Flower Anatomy
- What color is your flower?
- How many petals does your flower have? (Sometimes, tricky sepals or bracts can look & act like petals but are actually modified leaf-life structures that protect or flaunt the more delicate petals. Check out Bougainvilleas and Lillies for good examples)
- How many pistils & stamens does your flower have?
Three Common Types of Flowers
While there are many families of flowers, keying your flower into one of these three categories will get you much closer to learning who your flower is!
- Regular flowers boast radially symmetrical petals, like that classic four or five petaled flower that you, me, and the kids draw.
- Irregular flowers show funky shaped petals that aren’t all the same, like violets, pea family flowers, and mint family flowers.
- Composite flowers are a hallmark of the Aster family. Many beautiful petals surround a disc of teeny tiny flowers. Sunflowers!
And if you’re ready to up your flower press to the next level, find inspiration from a dear friend of mine who made a flower press nearly three decades ago as a young girl and created these paper thin petalscapes of beauty.
Got a mystery flower, a never before seen petal, or an extraordinary pollinator story? Send it my way --> dominique@wyp.org and we can revel together.
This is a great project for our younger friends. It takes many steps and can be turned into a several day project if desired. During our toddler to young childhood years, there is such a big need for sensory play. This is how we learn about the world around us… what does this feel like? Is it soft? Safe? Sharp? If I touch it does it scratch my finger tips? Only through tactile experiences do our bodies gain the needed knowledge for sense of touch. There are also many tips for incorporating the other senses with this project.
Materials you will need:
Your base... a paper plate, piece of cardboard, construction paper
You will want something tough enough to hold glued on items without falling apart
Something to draw a bird outline, a marker, pencil, crayon
Scissors
Having sharp scissors will help make the cutting part safer
Glue or paint
A brush, stick, fingers
Something to add a small blob of glue/paint where needed
A paper bag, jar, plastic zip lock...
Container for gathering materials. Some of these materials may slip through cracks in baskets
Open ended materials with different textures to glue onto our Feely Bird
This will be the funnest part!
Directions:
Adventure 1) Help your little one draw the outline of a bird onto their base, if they so desire. This can be any shape and as big or as small as you like. The more space available, the more textures you may have room for.
Adventure 2) Cut out the Feely Bird outline you have created on your base. Cardboard tends to be more difficult to cut with scissors depending how thick it is. Also, the more detail your outline has the more time/focus/coordination it may take. A simple outline on construction paper may be best for our younger friends. Allowing our children to do it themselves will help work needed muscles in their hands and fingers. As well as bilateral coordination and focus. Having good sharp scissors will make this process smoother and safer.
Adventure 3) Take your gathering bag/jar and have a scavenger hunt for materials that feel different and can be glued/painted onto your Feely Bird cut out. This may look like a short hunt around the house, a quick wander outside the door, or a trip to the beach/trail/open field nearby. Ask your child to show you the different things they see that they could add to their Feely Bird. Remind them you are looking for materials that have different textures (spiky, soft, hard, smooth...). You could also mix it up and ask them to find materials that are different colors or smell differently. Gather your materials into your container. Some examples of what my friends have painted/glued onto their Feely Bird are: dirt, sand, oak leaves, rose petals, sticks, feathers, seeds…
Adventure 4) Take all of your gathered textures, Feely Bird cut out, glue/paint, and your tool for adding dabs of glue/paint, and set up a space where you can let the sensory magic happen. There will be glue/paint that doesn't make it onto the Feely Bird. Some of our textured materials may float around as well.
Now that you have everything together you can start adding some blobs of paint/glue and add the textured materials on your Feely Bird to give it life. I say blobs because some of these materials may need more adhesive to hold it into place. When you're done adding all of your wanted textures let it sit for a while to dry. Placing it in a sunny area may help but be aware that it may be blown away if placed outside.
Adventure 5) Once your Feely Bird is completely dry you can pin it on the wall/set it on a table somewhere reachable to all so you can come back to it to feel all the textures and remember the great adventure you had when searching for all the beautiful materials you gathered.
Just like what’s available to us...all of our Feely Birds are different. I would love to see your creations or hear about your adventures. Send me comments, pictures, or question to j.intheoaks@wyp.org
Many creatures weave as a necessity for life. Birds weave nests. Spiders weave webs. Humans weave material to make fabric for shelters, nets or baskets to hold items, and clothing to protect our flesh. It’s a very useful skill. Now that spring has sprung, grasses and weedy plants have grown tall, made flowers to attract pollinators, and are producing seeds for next year's growth. Many of these plants can be harvested for simple weaving projects!
What you’ll need
- Two sticks any length or a “Y” shaped branch or anything you can tie strings across
- String
- Something to cut the string (scissors, knife)
- Weeds! Look around your house, in your backyard, at the local park, open space, between the sidewalk and the street, or anywhere the soil has been disturbed. Look for the longest and tallest plants. It will make for better weaving.
What is a weed?
- Weeds can be any unwanted plants in a garden. Typically, weeds are removed to allow room for other plants to grow. For this weaving project, you can use long grasses like oat straw that grow abundantly in our open spaces.
Steps
1) Tie multiple strands to connect your sticks. Simple knots will work. Tying your strings tight can make it easier to weave in and out of. How many strings you choose is up to you. I used 20 strings in my video. More strings may create a tighter weave.
2) Find a comfortable place to begin your weaving. Hanging your piece works well or placing it on flat ground.
3) Start threading or zig-zagging long pieces of grass or other plant material alternating in front and behind each time you come to a vertical string.
4) Once you’ve come to the end of one side, start a new row weaving back towards where you started. If you don’t have enough material to make it to the other side, you can end there and start your next row with a new strand of grass.
5) Each time you start a new row, your zig-zag should go on the opposite sides of the vertical strings as your previous row.
6) Continue weaving until you are satisfied with how big your piece is. You can weave in different materials to create different patterns, or add fun items you found outside like feathers, flowers or animal hair.
7) Once you are done weaving, trim off any ends or leave them hanging if you like how it looks.
8) Hang your new weaving outside by a garden or patio, or inside on a wall. You can use it as a shade for your window, or a placemat for your kitchen.
This project was inspired by The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Sayre Wiseman
*Comments, Questions, Feedback, send them to JulianD@wyp.org*
Many creatures weave as a necessity for life. Birds weave nests. Spiders weave webs. Humans weave material to make fabric for shelters, nets or baskets to hold items, and clothing to protect our flesh. It’s a very useful skill. Now that spring has sprung, grasses and weedy plants have grown tall, made flowers to attract pollinators, and are producing seeds for next year's growth. Many of these plants can be harvested for simple weaving projects!
What you’ll need
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String/Twine
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Scissors
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Y shaped stick (found in nature!)
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Leaves, bark, plant material, feathers (found in nature!)
Steps
1) Head out to the Carpinteria Bluffs, your yard or a nearby park where you can find some materials from nature. Bring along pre cut string or twine.
2) Find a Y shaped stick in nature, this stick will be your weaving loom, and find long leaves, like the eucalyptus leaves from the Carpinteria Bluffs, dried plant stems, long grasses, feathers or anything else you find that you would like to weave into your project.
3) Create your loom! Using your string or twine, tie a knot around one side of the Y near the base and then wrap back and forth from one side of the Y to the other. You want the strings to be tight enough for the weaving materials to stay in place while not too tight that it could break your stick. Observe how this is done in the video.
4) Weave your materials from nature in and out of the string, going over, under, over, under.
5) Enjoy the beauty that you have created!
Now that you have completed your weaving project, here are a few questions to think about.
- Are you wearing anything that is woven? Maybe woven by a machine?
- Do you think the native peoples of this land, the Chumash, wove? Do you think they used plants to weave like you did?
- Did you see any birds while you collected your materials? What did they look like and sound like?
Learning how to use a knife safely is an essential step in starting a carving project with Wilderness Youth Project. Kids of all ages (and adults!) must demonstrate these skills to keep themselves and others safe.
With this great responsibility comes the ability to have lots of fun, satisfaction, and creativity with plant materials that we find outdoors. Below is a short list of tips for how to stay safe and what types of equipment to use. Be sure to check out the cute video “Whittle Kids” from our friends at Trackers Earth as well.
***First Step - Make sure you have permission from an adult to use a knife***
What kind of knife to use?
- Potato Peeler - these are great if you have never carved before or if you just want to peel the bark off of a stick. For the young child who is learning fine motor skills, carving with potato peelers is a great training tool. Making a blood circle is still a good idea since these tools are sharp.
- Fixed Blade Knife - This is a strong and reliable knife for carving. Fixed blade means that the blade of the knife has a backbone of metal that extends inside the handle called “the tang”.
- Folding Knife - Pocket knives, Swiss Army knives or Opinel knives like the one pictured have the ability to fold into the handle. This can be convenient and take up less space than a fixed blade knife. If the knife does not have the ability to lock the blade so that it can not fold back in on itself, it is not a wise choice to be using for carving. Many times the user can accidentally fold the knife on their finger when carving and hurt themselves. Better to save these knives for small tasks like cutting string.
A sharp knife is a safe knife
- Keeping your knife clean, free of rust, and sharp is the best way to stay safe.
- Knife care and how to sharpen a knife is beyond the scope of this write-up but there are many other resources on the internet if you are curious.
Create a safe carving area (AKA Blood Circle or Blood Bubble)
- Find an area that is easy to mark a line (sand or soft dirt) or gather materials (sticks, bark, rocks, grasses, etc.) to make the outline of a circle.
- Make the area big enough that if you pointed your sheathed knife around it with your arm extended, you could not reach the outside of your circle.
- Imagine where others are most likely to walk, then find an area that has a lot of space away from trails or walkways.
- If the weather is hot, find a spot in the shade
Check in with your mental state or attitude
- Do you feel calm and ready to focus?
- If you feel distracted or need to move your body, do so and come back to your project later
Always cut away from yourself
- Holding your project in front of you allows you to carve into the open space out in front of you.
- You can rest your forearm that is holding your project on your knee but make sure that your carving project is still out in front of you. Otherwise, you might turn your leg into your carving project.
Angle your knife at 45 degrees or less
- This will ensure that your knife strokes are light, long, and easy and not hard, short, and requiring lots of effort
Keep your knife sheathed when not in use
- When someone comes near your blood circle, they may not be aware that you are using a knife (especially curious kittens!). Stop carving until your blood circle is clear of any unaware creatures.
- If you need to get up to do something else, always sheath your knife first, then either take it with you or put it in a place where it will not be tampered with (e.g. off the ground on a table).
Passing a knife safely
- The best way to pass a knife is to sheath it or close it, then pass it on.
- If you must pass your knife without a sheath, turn the knife around so the handle is facing towards the person you are passing it to, and the blade is facing outwards from the palm of your hand.
Here are some simple beginning project ideas
- Sharpen a stick to a point
- Sharpen your pencil
- Make Chopsticks
- Whittle a Magic Wand
- Carve out a Butter Knife
- Create a throwing Spear
References:
- Alan Kaufman (the knife guy) - notes on knife safety
- Tracker’s Earth - Whittle Kids - wood carving with trackers
By Julian de Rubira
**This is a more advanced carving project not intended for beginners**
Growing up in southern California, some of my fondest memories are of playing in dense stands of giant reed, building forts and secret hideouts. It felt like a world so far from from the city. Giant reed, also known as carrizo or river cane, can often be mistaken for its tropical look-alike, bamboo. It can be seen in creeks while driving on highway overpasses and at beaches all throughout southern California. It is not native to our region and its dense growth can crowd the space and choke the sunlight of native plants in riparian habitats. However, the silver lining is that it has many utilitarian uses such as building materials, musical instruments, and many fun craft projects.
Containers can be used for holding so many things: toothbrushes, pencils, feathers, charcoal sticks, rocks, jewelry, fish tackle, beads, treasure maps, you name it! Containers made from giant reed, when you’re done with them, can go back into the ground to feed another plant and not to the landfill!
Where to find:
Finding giant reed can be easier than it may seem, as it grows in a lot of the creeks that flow through our cities and neighborhoods. Here’s a link to Calflora’s website for easy identification. If you're in Goleta, try Winchester Canyon park, Ellwood, Haskell’s, Goleta Beach (in driftwood piles), or where San Jose Creek crosses Patterson Ave. If in Santa Barbara, try looking downtown where Mission Creek crosses De La Guerra St., 1000 steps beach, Mesa Lane, or at the western end of Butterfly Beach. If you have any other easy harvesting spots, feel free to share them!
Hazards:
Since giant reed grows near lots of roadways and urban areas as well as creeks, make sure to harvest in an area that feels safe from traffic, poison oak, and possible creek debris. Using tools that are sharp and not rusty or dull are actually the first line of defense to stay safe. Carving knives that flip open and cannot be locked are not recommended. At Wilderness Youth Project, we teach knife safety to kids before ever letting them carve without supervision. Make sure that you understand knife safety before you try this project.
Knife Safety
notes taken from Alan Kaufman (the Knife Guy) of Galapago Knives:
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- Create a safe carving area (blood circle) that is big enough that you can not reach the outside of the circle around yourself in any direction
- Check in with your mental state or attitude and make sure that you’re ready to stay calm and focused
- Always cut away from yourself - make sure that your knife pushes into the open space out in front of you. Don’t rest your project on your leg or lap. This project uses one exception to this rule - an advanced technique called "knife hand pairing cut.
- Keep your knife sheathed when not in use - When someone comes near your blood circle they may not be aware that you are using a knife.
- Pass a knife safely - The best way is to sheath or close your knife. If passing a fixed blade, always pass with the knife blade facing away from your hand and the handle towards the person you are passing it to.
- Using the right tool for the right job - A carving knife is not a saw or a kitchen knife.
Whittling Basics
Check this video out for some visual explanations
- Knife hand push cut - Most common technique used to make shallow and controlled cuts.
- Support hand push cut - Use this cut to refine edges and curves.
- Knife hand pairing cut - Squeeze the knife toward your thumb like peeling a potato. Use your thumb to stabilize and control pressure. Use this cut for fine details.
- Channel cut - Use this cut diagonally in one direction. Used for decorative designs.
What you’ll need:
- Small tooth saw (pruning saw or other saws can work as well)
- sharp knife (fixed blades are best)
- marking tool (pen or pencil or piece of charcoal)
- sandpaper
How to harvest
Find a piece of giant reed that you like and cut with a pruning saw. You can also break off pieces with just your hand, or find pieces in driftwood piles at the beach. Finding pieces that are already dried or dead (yellow in color) are best if you plan to work immediately. If you choose to harvest material that is still alive (green in color), it's best to wait to use and wrap them in a tight bundle. Then store this bundle for a month in a shady, well ventilated place so they don’t bend while drying. As always, only harvest what you need and respect the life of these plants.
Steps:
1) Make your cuts above and below the nodes of the piece you want. Nodes are the solid joints separating the hollow chambers.
2) Your new piece should now contain closed ends. Mark a line at ¾ of the container.
3) Cut your container into two pieces on that line.
4) Now score a shallow line across the longer bottom piece with your knife about 1-2 inches down from the open end (or approximate about half the length of your shorter top piece). This will mark where the top and bottom pieces meet together when closed. ***If confused, just watch the video closely to see where I make the line***
5) Start carving slowly, thinning this section. Use the #1 Knife hand push cut (be careful not to go too fast or you might cut all the way through like the photo below).
6) Once you’ve thinned out the piece a good amount, start carving back towards the scored line that you marked. Now use the #3 Knife hand pairing cut being sure to go slowly and precisely. This will allow you to create an edge for where your top piece will stop. ***This is a more advanced technique that requires lots of focus.*** If done properly, it should not feel dangerous.
7) Now insert your knife into the top piece of the container and start to scrape the inside wall with the blade of your knife.
8) Once you’ve scraped it thin enough, try fitting it on your bottom piece
9) Now clean up the ends of the container by rounding the sharp edges with your knife using the #2 Support hand push cut.
10) If you choose, you can sand any rough corners or edges.
Congratulations! Now it’s time to find out how the container fits best when closed together. Add an inscription or marking on each of the pieces where they meet. Remember to be gentle with opening and closing as the material has now become thin.
***Questions, comments, finished product photos? Email them to JulianD@wyp.org ***
Let’s give gratitude to our ancestors, the ones who passed on the skills and knowledge through the ages. Without their gracious teachings, we might not get to enjoy the great advancement in technologies that we do today. Humans have evolved with fire, as a means for surviving and thriving. It is easily one of our greatest tools.
This project is about how to make a yucca (or agave) stalk coal-burned container. More importantly, this project is about learning how to use fire as a tool for removing material. Did you know that 8000 years ago, our human ancestors used this same method of controlling fire to hollow out the center of logs to make boats? These canoes are the oldest boat types that archaeologists have discovered. You can read more about them here on wikipedia: Dugout Canoe.
You will need the following:
- Dried piece of yucca or agave
- Sand or dirt - this is to help control the speed at which the coal-burns the stalk
- Fire - only one coal is needed for this project. You could get by with just a friction-fire coal…
- Water - to put out your fire when you are finished. Have a bucket nearby or a hose.
- Chopsticks - for handling a coal safely.
- Flat-bottom stick - used for scraping away the charred material.
- Saw (optional) - for cutting the stalk. You could break it off, use a knife, or burn it off.
- Knife (optional) - for scraping away additional charred material.
- Sandpaper (optional) - for making a smooth finished surface.
- Drinking straw (optional) - for safer, more precise blowing of air.
Hazards:
- Fire - let common sense be your guide. Follow your city rules and restrictions for having fires at your home. If you’re not an adult, make sure there is an adult with you or get permission from them to have a fire. Pay attention to potential RED FLAG WARNING days when conditions become dry and windy.
- Smoke inhalation - make sure to stay clear of the smoke trail. Wearing bandanas and face masks can help prevent inhalation, but avoid the smoke trail as well. (I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way and have had one too many post-fire headaches from being too close to the fire and smoke. It is no fun!)
- Smoke in your eyes - Reposition yourself to be upwind from where the smoke wants to travel. As wind tends to shift, you will need to move around in order to keep yourself safe.
- Blowing sparks and ash onto yourself - Dump out any residual ash before giving the container any added air or breath. Blow gently or use a straw.
- Sharp tools - Practice knife safety. Check in with your attitude, make blood circles (an area designated to let others know you are using a knife), and carve away from yourself.
- Agave plant toxins - Be aware that some species of agave, when not fully dry, have the potential to cause irritation to the skin. Use gloves and long sleeves if harvesting “questionably dry” material.
- Super windy days - Do not try this on a windy day. It will become dangerous real quick! A light breeze is okay if the ground is wet.
Where to find yucca & agave:
Yucca, Hesperoyucca whipplei, is native to our region and grows in chaparral along the ridge of Santa Ynez Mountains. Drive up Gibraltar road or take 154 highway to Camino Cielo East or West. You can also find it out towards Figueroa Mountain or towards the Cuyama Valley. Look for last year’s stalks or older that look dead and dry.
- Agave, Agave americana, is a non-native species to our region. It is used heavily as a horticultural plant, growing near parks, along roads, and in peoples yards. Ask for permission to harvest dead, dried, and fallen over stalks. Note that this species has mild toxins in the sap that can cause minor dermatitis (skin irritation).
Steps:
1) Find a safe area to have a fire: backyard fire rings, barbecue grills at parks, holes in the ground, and beaches where it is safe and legal to have a fire.
2) Start your fire and let it burn down to coals. You won’t need much. One-coal is usually enough for this project. Even just a small friction fire coal can work.
3) Get your materials ready: cut the stalk to the appropriate size you would like for your container. Keep in mind you will want at least an inch of the stalk at the bottom to not burn. This will ensure that you don’t burn all the way through. Make sure you have sand ready for putting out any areas of your project that get out of control.
4) Grab a coal with your chopsticks. Place it on the top of your container. Move it around in order to start burning the area you want. This process happens quickly so be ready! Note that there should not be any flame, the coal should smolder through the pithy material.
5) Once most of the area has begun to burn, take the coal off of your container. ***COMMON SENSE TIP - Reposition yourself to be upwind from where the smoke wants to travel. As wind tends to shift, you will need to move around in order to keep yourself safe***
6) Let the container begin to burn down, keeping an eye on the sides of the container to make sure they are not burning. Areas that have turned black in color mean it is not burning efficiently. Areas that are white are the areas that have recently burned. And areas that are glowing red are actively burning now. Use your flat-bottomed stick to scrape the char from around the side walls. By scraping around the sides, you are helping the charred wood adhere to the unburned edges, insulating them from the central fire, and keeping the majority of the burning focused downward.
7) Once you have scraped it a bit and ash has accumulated, dump it into your sand bucket or back into the fire. Then, you can give the container a little bit of air from your breath or the breeze. ***COMMON SENSE TIP - Be cautious when blowing air and getting your face close to the burning container. This can blow sparks and hot ash back into your face, or onto your arms and legs potentially burning clothing or your skin. This is why it is important to dump out any residual ash before giving the container any added air*** If possible, you can use a straw to blow air gently onto your container.
8) Continue this technique - scrape, scrape, dump, blow… scrape, scrape, dump, blow… until your container is looking close to your desired depth. Don’t be hasty, you can always use another coal to start the burning again, but you can’t fix it once it has burned too far. Remember to use the sand to smother any areas of your container that may be burning more than you like. ***Do not use water on your container because it will make it soggy and ruin the material. ***
9) Once your container has burned down to your liking, fill it all the way up with sand to stop any further burning from happening. Keep it there until the outside of the container no longer feels hot, and then pour it back out. Check to make sure all areas have stopped burning before moving on to the next step.
10) Scrape away any loose charred material: You can continue to scrape with your flat-bottomed stick or use a knife to remove more material. If using a knife, go slow and be sure not to poke your knife through the bottom of the container.
11) Sand the inside, bottom, and edges: Be sure to give the lip edge some sanding so it does not feel as brittle. You can also sand down the bottom of the container and bevel the edges for a pleasing appearance.
Finish:
Now your container is ready for dry use storage. If you’d like to take it a step further, you can dip the bottom of the container in some hot beeswax to protect it when stored on surfaces that could get wet. You could possibly wax the inside as well for even more moisture protection, but I have not tried this to tell you from personal experience if it works or not.
Don’t forget to put out your fires safely and responsibly. Use water and stir-it with a stick like a big pot of soup. Make sure that ALL areas have been wetted and have become cool to the touch.
Reflection story
Coal-burning can be a fun way to connect with older and slower ways of making things. I learned a valuable lesson teaching this technique to some friends of mine while we were hanging out in the forest one evening. As I began to show them how it was possible to burn out the center of a log to make a wooden bowl, our progress was delayed. The wood we were using was just a little too wet for it to work efficiently. Then one of my friends thought he had a million dollar idea. As he saw me struggling and tirelessly trying to blow air into a pile of coals, he ran to his car to get something. When he came back, he had a battery-powered Ryobi air compressor that he thought would quicken the process. To his credit, the air compressor worked amazingly well at getting a lot of air to help burn the wet wood more efficiently. Looking back, our struggles may have been appropriate because of the wood not being seasoned properly. Although, additional air wasn’t going to solve this problem either. Because the wood was slightly damp and too fresh, the bowl he made in 5 minutes ended up splitting as it continued to dry. An appreciation for slower-paced traditional handcraft techniques were challenged that day. But in the end, it seemed that the speedy trick was no match for the methodical process of hollowing out a log. Enjoy the process!
Questions for reflection:
What are some other things that you do in your life that connect you to an older way of living in the world? (that has been done for hundreds or thousands of years?)
Have you ever wished for something to happen quicker or get frustrated when it takes too long?
What is something you loved about this process of making a container?
Beyond:
My hope is that this project becomes a stepping stone into a world full of other interesting project ideas. If you are looking for further coal-burning inspiration try making the following:
- a wooden coal-burned spoon or bowl.
- a container to be used as an arrow quiver
- a didgeridoo
- Or even a boat or canoe!
Other projects to be made with different parts of the yucca or agave plants:
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- String or rope. Cordage!
- Harvesting the fresh stalks or flowers of yucca for food
- Sandals
- String bags (there is a museum in Oaxaca, Mexico dedicated to this)
- Or even a Surfboard!
***If you liked this project or have any comments or questions, please email me at JulianD@wyp.org ***
Materials needed:
- Pine cones
- Nut butter or honey, your adhesive. ***Nut butters are great, but if you're feeling brave and want a real sensory experience, honey is your sticky friend
- Bird food. ***Can be dried fruits, meal worms, cheerios, seeds, or a fun blend. Some good seeds include: Sunflower, Safflower, Nyjer or Thistle, Millet, Shelled and Cracked Corn, Peanuts, Flax...
- A butter knife/spoon/stick
- String/ribbon/yarn/wire, something to hang up your bird feeder
- Scissors to cut the string/yarn/wire
Adventure
1) Take a stroll to your nearest pine tree with a bag.
I have spotted many pine cones on scattered along the sidewalk at McKenzie park, down De la Vina street, and all around Los Carneros Lake. If you bump into one of these beautiful pines on your way to the grocery store or while walking the dog, take a minute to gather a few pine cones.
2) Make the Pine Cone Bird Feeder.
Find a space that is easily cleaned or where it is OK to scatter bird food/sticky materials. Gather all your materials in this space. Spread your adhesive all over the grooves of the pine cone. Make sure there it is thoroughly covered, nice and sticky to hold the bird food. Then start pouring/sticking the food on. Once your pine cone feeder is complete tie a string around it and find a nice place to hang it... on a tree branch, off the porch, wherever a bird might come snack.
3) Observe.
After your feeder is hung up and birds have discovered it, watch to see who visits. How frequently are they coming? What are they eating?
Late spring and early summer are great times to adventure down streams and explore what kinds of life inhabit the shallow pools. What if we imagined that we were tiny like the creatures that lived in these creeks?
Ready...Set...Go!
Something has shrunken you and your only way to travel is by building a raft. Build something that will float and not get stuck in the shallows but will be able to survive the rapids. Below is a video of how to make a raft. Sticks and string were used to tie it all together. Watch out for the waterfalls!
Try out different raft designs and sizes. Find out what gives your raft balance and makes it flow smoothly past any debris.
Raft Derby
If you’re with a friend or sibling, try a friendly race to a chosen destination. Agree on some contest rules, like how many times you’re allowed to assist a stuck raft or how many seconds you have to wait before re-releasing a stuck raft. Maybe you want a challenge and will try to see who can keep a light-weight stone or object on top of the raft the farthest?
Beyond
Now that you can make a small raft, try making a life-size raft. You can use driftwood logs at the beach instead of sticks, and strong rope like paracord instead of string. Goleta Beach or Haskell's Beach, where the creeks run into the ocean, are great places to look for materials. Good Luck!
*Questions, comments, epic raft videos can be sent to JulianD@wyp.org *
Oh, what joy to fly through the sky on a rope swing in the forest! Here we will share how you can bring a portable rope swing on your adventures.
Step 1. Get a strong rope, we like to use rock climbing rope, as they are very strong. The length of your rope depends on the height of the tree you will hang it from - a 40ft long rope would do great for many of our Santa Barbara trees.
Step 2. Put that rope in a bag and bring it on your adventure!! Have your child carry the swing on the adventures, this will empower them and is also a great activity to build their proprioceptive sense. The proprioceptive sense is their perception or awareness of the position and movement of their body in space, and is developed by doing activities like carrying heavy things which give feedback to their joints. This sense, sometimes referred to as the sixth sense, is important for self- regulation, coordination, posture, body awareness, the ability to focus and speech.
Step 3. Find a sturdy stick as your seat - make sure it is at least as thick as an adult's forearm, with a hand saw cut the branch so that it is about 2 ft long, this depends on the size of who will be using the swing. I am sure your children can come up with some fun ways to measure how long the stick needs to be for their bottoms! IF you don’t have a hand saw- no worries, wander around and you will find the perfect stick!
- Also think about how the seat will feel, is it soft and comfortable or is the bark super scratchy? Will it hold your weight -can you break it if you tried?
- You can decide to keep this stick in your swing bag or to bring a saw on your adventures to harvest your seat each time, I prefer bringing my seat along with me each time.
- When harvesting your seat, you often can find a sturdy dead branch on the ground rather than harvesting from a live tree. Either way, bring in mindful harvesting. You can ask the tree for part of its branch, you can give a gift in return, you can form a relationship with the tree by learning about it through your senses…
Step 4. Find a tree branch to hang your swing from. It is very important to check the health of the tree and the particular branch before swinging on it. Does the tree have leaves? Or are the leaves brown? Has this tree lost any limbs? Are there fungi growing on the branch or the tree?
- Also investigate which direction the swing will go - you don’t want to hit a tree!
Step 5. Tie the end of your rope to your seat, tying a knot in the center. I often simply do 3 overhand knots. Pull on it to double check its strength.
- A swing with the knot in the middle rather than two knots on either end, provides your child an opportunity to work on core strength. Balancing to get on the swing and swinging on it will engage the core and support your child's healthy development.
Step 6.Throw the seat connected to the rope up and over the tree branch, this may take a few tries and make sure to have everyone clear out of the way so that it does not hit anyone!
Step 7. Tug on your rope and double check that it is sturdy!
Step 8. Tie the other end of your rope to the trunk of the tree, wrap it around the trunk three times and then tie at least two overhand knots.
Step 9. Once again test out the swing. Your child can do this by sitting on it and bouncing up and down to check the strength. Make any needed adjustments.
Step 10. Swing and ENJOY!!!
In setting up your swing remember that you will need to take it down at the end of your time there - do not tie it in a way that makes this impossible.
While this is one way to set up your portable rope swing there are many ways to do so and it can be a great time to practice different knots if you or your child are interested in doing so.
Also many of our trees in the Santa Barbara area are stressed from past droughts, so checking their strength and looking for signs of their health is very important! Looking at the overall health of the forest is a helpful way to gauge if you have chosen a sturdy tree.
Have you ever been out to park, a creek or the beach with your children and they have brilliant ideas for projects but you simply do not have the supplies they need handy? Maybe they found the best piece of wood to turn into a bow and all they need is a piece of string but you do not have any?
If only you had what you needed right then and there, the momentum of their play can carry them forward into a deeper experience and maybe, just maybe, you can have a quiet moment alone-ish (because we all need that sometimes!). Why not make a portable craft kit that has anything and everything you may need on an outing to a natural space? Over the years, we have found that there are certain things children need most often while in the woods and the supply list reflects those needs. The kits are easy to put together and you most likely have most of the items you need for it at home already.
Supplies:
- Box, basket or bag to carry everything
- Scissors (adult size and child size)
- String (yarn, jute twine, hemp twine)
- Clippers (gardening style bypass pruners work well, they come in child size also)
- Folding saw
- Sandpaper
- Glue
- Hand drill
- Drill bits
- Sewing needles
- Thread
- Felt or felted wool(for stitching. You never know when you might need an eye patch in the woods)
- Needle nose pliers (not essential but we have used them more often that you would think)
- Digging spoon (regular flatware tablespoon that is sturdy. We have dug giant pools with our digging spoons)
- Watercolors, or watercolor pencils
- Brushes
- Small cup for holding water (or not, if you’re sitting by the flowing creek)
- Watercolor paper
Encourage your children to help you come up with a supply list, maybe they have ideas that are not on this list that would be a nice addition. Let your children help to gather the items and place them in the box or basket. When they help to put it together, they have some ownership over it and take pride in helping to keep it well stocked and cleaned.
Young children who are still working on fine motor development in their hands will need help with cutting tools. Using tools is a wonderful time to talk about tool safety and etiquette as well as harvesting etiquette. It is important to take only what you will be using and to bury the little bits and pieces of cut materials and grasses under the leaf litter. This shows good manners as we are keeping the areas we use cleaner than how we found them and it shows care for others because who loves coming upon a space where there are a lot of cut up branches laying around?
When you put this kit together, think of what your children might need when they are out and about. What do they usually ask for when they are playing? But, do not forget to think of what YOU might need also. Maybe you like to paint while your children play, or write in a journal? Maybe you enjoy stitching?
Encourage your children to carry the craft kit when you go on adventures. It is good for their development to do heavy lifting and they feel proud to carry things for the family.
Sometimes having a simple craft that requires few or no tools is a treasure to have in your magical “Mary Poppins” bag. This is so helpful when you are out and about or you just need something for your children to engage in but you did not bring a craft kit with you. And, who doesn’t love a fancy crown? Leaf crowns can lead to rich imaginative play and if you wear it upside down, it is more like a pixie hat.
Supplies:
- Sycamore Leaves or any other semi dry leaf with a stem on it. Sycamore trees often grow in and around creeks and rivers (in parks, Liquidambar trees are lovely. You know the ones that change colors in the fall with the spiky balls that hurt real bad when you step on them barefoot?).
- Clippers or scissors (optional)
Directions:
1) Gather plenty of leaves. For a child’s head, you will need at least 5-8 big sycamore leaves. Make sure the leaves are pliable enough that they do not crumble when handled. Very dry leaves can soak in a creek for several minutes or sprayed with a spray bottle to become more pliable.
2) Cut or break the stems (petiole) off of the leaves and save in a pile. This is what you will use to stitch the leaves together. If the stems (petioles) are too tiny, twigs can be used instead.
3) Place one leaf on top of the other, overlapping slightly. Use one of the little stems or twigs to pin the two leaves together. It goes through both in the front to the back, then back through to the front again. Think pinning two pieces of fabric together.
4) Continue pinning the leaves together until it is long enough to fit around your child’s head (or yours!).
If you have older children, gathering leaves is the perfect errand to send them on, whether you are in the creek or just in your yard if you have fallen leaves. Have your older children make crowns for the whole family. This is a moment that they can be truly helpful.
Transformation: Dressing up, wearing a mask, using our imagination are all ways to transform, to transform into another being.
One key skill the young child learns through this transformational play is empathy. As a child transforms into a Rabbit about to be snatched up by a fox, they begin to feel the feelings of that rabbit. To expand upon this we can help them shape shift by making masks.
Making masks also develops fine motor skills, patience, hand eye coordination and more. This craft will require your help - so it can be a family ‘in breath’ as Kelly described in our newsletter, a time where we are present together. Masks can be as simple or elaborate as your children can imagine. This is also a great craft for older siblings to be a part of.
What you need:
- Scissors
- Felt (felted wool sweaters work great too)
- String
- Needle
- Thread
- Glue (optional)
- Buttons, feathers, sequins and other fancy decorations
Directions:
1) Decide what you would like your mask to look like (encourage your child to draw a picture so you have a better idea of what they are imagining)
2) Draw the outline on your felt, including where the eye holes should be- measure to fit your child
3) Cut out your felt
4) Cut holes on the sides or stitch on the string or elastic
5) Use elastic (if you have it) or thick string to tie your mask on
Optional Additions
- Glue feathers on or other lightweight decorations on
If this was a fun project for your family and you want to make more masks, there are some great templates online. I really enjoy First Palette’s animal mask templates!
- Adult large or extra large t-shirt
- Scissors
- Paper for pattern (or just eyeball it)
- Acrylic paint or markers
- Paint brushes if using paint
- Cups for water (for paint)
Directions
The first thing you want to do is measure your child to make a pattern (or you can just cut out a shape without making a pattern). Have your child stand with their arms straight out to their sides. You will measure from wrist to wrist across their back. That will be how wide you will make the wings. Half of that measurement will be how long you make them.
The bear measures 30” from wrist to wrist so the measurement for wings for the bear would be 30”x15”. The pattern I used was for a child’s wing span of 34” so half of that is 17” for the length. Since we are cutting on a fold, the pattern ended up being 17”x17”.
- Anything goes for the pattern shape but rounded edges seem to work best for t-shirt fabric as it tends to curl.
Lay out your t-shirt and place the pattern on the fold so that when it’s cut you end up with your finished wings.
Cut around the pattern. Then cut 2 long strips of t-shirt that will become the laces that tie around the shoulders. They should be ¾-1’ wide by about 20-25” long. Then cut 2 shorter strips that will become the laces to tie around the wrists. They should be ¾-1” wide by at least 10-15” long. When you stretch the ties they curl up. It’s best to cut the strips longer that you think you need so there is enough to tie.
Next, make small cuts in the wings for the ties to go. Cut 2 holes on each wing tip for a tie that goes around the wrists and cut 4 at the top back for the shoulder ties to go. **I marked the spots with blue sharpie so it’s easy to see where to cut**
Thread your long laces through the shoulder cuts and tie. Thread the smaller laces through the wing tip cuts and tie.
This is what the finished wings look like on the outside:
Now the wings are ready to be decorated with paint or markers! Here is where children can get very creative. Will they be painted like a butterfly you have seen in your yard? Will you make them more like bird wings and paint or draw feathers?
Watered down acrylic paint can be brushed on. Let dry for 24 hours then heat in the dryer for 10 minutes. When you wash them, most of the color will stay in the fabric. However, it is safe to say that the wing won’t need to be washed that often.
If you have older children, let them lead this project with their younger siblings.
GAMES & CHALLENGES
Take advantage of your imagination and movement with our nature-inspired games for all ages!
While we might not be able to travel far, our Imaginary Hide and Seek game can take you anywhere!
Need a game you can play solo or with a partner, and have some time to incorporate a craft? Try out our Stick & Willow Hoop game!
Want to test your awareness and reflexes against your friends? Play Cougar Stalks Deer! Catch me if you can! Build an obstacle course to test your agility and speed with The Prey Escape game.
This is a game of memory, mental mapping, awareness, and navigation!
Age Range: |
All ages |
Number of Players: |
2 or more |
Space and Time Requirements: |
This game can be played anywhere. Rounds can be anywhere from 2-10 minutes long |
Intro
Many animals out in the wild will use their incredible gifts of memory and mental mapping to survive. Scrub jays will collect hundreds, maybe even thousands of acorns; and will bury each one in a different spot in the earth to store for later. They have the incredible ability to remember where most of them are, and will unearth them to eat when food is scarce. Many different species of fish will swim up to hundreds of miles downstream to the ocean to feed, and return to the exact same pool where they were born to find a mate and lay eggs themselves. Without these abilities, scrub jays might have to work a lot harder to find food for their babies, fish might not choose a safe place to lay her eggs, and many animals would have a much more difficult time surviving.
How to Play
The goal of this game is to figure out where your friend is “hiding”, using your memory and awareness skills.
Rules
- Choose one person to be the “hider”
- Everyone else is a “seeker”
- The hider gets some time to imagine where they will be hiding. When they are ready, the seekers will get 20 questions total to figure out where the hider is hiding
- The questions have to be “yes” or “no” questions
- Before the game begins, everyone has to decide where the imaginary boundaries are. Everyone who is playing should know all of, or at least most of, the places where the hider is allowed to hide. Some examples of imaginary boundaries are:
- Somewhere around Santa Barbara (or your hometown)
- Anywhere everyone in the group has been (if you’re playing with family, this could include family vacation spots)
- Anywhere you would go on a Wilderness Youth Project Program
- The hiding spot can be as specific or as broad as the hider wants
How does it end?
The game ends when either somebody guesses the hider’s hiding spot, or when 20 questions have been asked and the hider still hasn’t been found!
Game Variations/Challenges
- You can expand your boundaries to the Multiverse: maybe you want to hide in a storybook’s world? Or a movie’s world? If you play this way, try to make sure that everyone who’s playing knows the world where you are hiding.
- You can expand your boundaries to different time periods: maybe you want to hide somewhere in Ancient Egypt, or on a pirate ship!
- You can always change the number of questions allowed to make the game easier/harder, or even allow questions beyond “yes” or “no” questions.
Tips and Strategies
- When you are a seeker, keep in mind that some questions you ask will be more helpful in narrowing down hiding spots than others. For example:
- “Are you hiding in the Double-Decker Cave at Lizard’s Mouth?” eliminates one potential hiding spot, but…
- “Are you hiding in a place with lots of boulders?” eliminates a lot of potential hiding spots
- When you are a hider, keep in mind that the seekers will be asking lots of questions about where you’re hiding. Make sure you pick a hiding spot that you know pretty well so that you can answer all the questions accurately!
Post-Game Discussion Questions
- Was it easy or hard to think of spots to hide?
- As a seeker, what kinds of questions were the most helpful?
- Next time you go out into the world, pay attention to what you tend to notice the most. Do you notice landmarks? Trees? Animal life? Maybe now you’ll notice good hiding spots!
If you’re the parent of a child who has been in a Wilderness Youth Project program before, then you know what we mean when we say “kids love sticks!” Chances are, you might have a few stashed in the trunk of your car, or maybe your backyard, or the garage. Well, now is the time for that stash to come in handy.
For this game, everyone will need one good stick at least the length of your arm. What kind of stick is up to you. Some sticks have special powers that allow them to flex, others might have a hook or a broken limb. The important thing is that your stick is strong and straight.
Where to play?
If you are at home, a backyard or a clear driveway will work well. Open fields or nearby parks can be great as they allow for this game to spread out. Make sure to take note of any potential objects that might become a tripping hazard or areas that might have cars or other people.
What you'll need
The next thing you’ll need is a hoop or ring. One of the best and free resources we have for making hoops is the Willow tree that grows near almost any creek, stream, or wet area here in Santa Barbara. Willow, which is in the Genus Salix, is one of the strongest and most flexible plants. This is why it has been grown, cultivated, and tended to make baskets and for all sorts of uses. Click here to learn more about a local species of Willow.
Once you’ve located a Willow Tree, look around the base for any green, red, or brown, thin young branches. Or if you are near a creek, look for any fallen over trees that have new shoots growing up to the sky. These will be the easiest and lightest for bending into a hoop. If you have some pruning shears, those will work best for harvesting, but a sharp knife or even a rock can work. Cut it as close to the base of the stem as you can.
Now it’s time to bend it into shape. You can watch this short video of how I like to bend my willow branches into a hoop. Warm up the branch by bending it little by little. Then it should feel flexible enough to twist how you want it too. If you don’t have access to finding a Willow tree, try other plants, shrubs, or trees to see if they can bend into a hoop. Or find another object that would work as a tossing ring.
The Game
Here are two different throwing techniques to try:
Single Player:
- Toss the hoop up into the air and try to catch it back on your stick before it hits the ground. How many times can you do this without dropping the hoop?
- Place different objects out in front of you like a rock or a stick stuck in the ground or aim for a branch in a bush or tree that you can reach. Now try to lob the hoop onto the object. How far away from the object can you get while still getting the hoop around it?
Multiple Players:
- Toss the hoop back and forth between players. How many successful passes can you make without dropping the ring?
- Place different objects out in front of you like a rock or a stick stuck in the ground or aim for a branch in a bush or tree that you can reach. Now try to lob the ring onto the object. Assign different points for objects that are harder or easier to get the hoop around. Keep score or just play for fun.
Challenge:
Try tossing with your opposite throwing hand. Try tossing with your eyes closed. Try turning around backwards and tossing. Find a second stick for your other hand. Now try to toss back and forth between your hands.
Share: What feelings does it give you to toss? And to catch? Did your throwing and catching skills improve? Did you develop any tricks or techniques?
Reflect: How could you make it more challenging? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to the stick you chose?
Integrate :What are some other ways you can have fun with just sticks?
*Liked this game? Please send me your reflections and/or any questions or feedback. Email me at JulianD@wyp.org*
Cougar Stalks Deer is a game of stealth, awareness, and quick reflexes.
Age Range: |
All ages |
Number of Players: |
2 or more |
Space and Time Requirements: |
This game can be played in almost any amount of space: you can play in a room, throughout a house, along a trail or sidewalk, or in a small or large open space. Each round can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes long. |
Intro
When deer are grazing (looking for food), they take a few bites of grass or other food, then perk up their heads, scanning their surroundings for threats. They see movement really well, and have excellent hearing. Cougars therefore have to be stealthy to hunt deer. They’ll crouch down low, and sneak up to the deer when their heads are down. When deer look up to scan for threats, the cougar will freeze, not making any noise, and try to be as still as possible so that the deer doesn’t see them. If all goes well for the cougar, they’ll be able to sneak close enough to the deer to pounce!
How to Play
The object of the game is for the cougars to successfully sneak up on the deer without being “seen”.
Rules
- One person plays the “Deer”
- Everyone else is a “Cougar”
- The Deer and Cougars start the game as far apart as possible within the playing area
- Choose an object or an action to be the “reset”. It can be anything from a piece of furniture, to a rock or tree, to a “high five” from somebody. The “reset” works best when it is far away from the Deer
- The Deer is grazing--they pretend to be looking for/eating food, not paying attention to their surroundings. Every once in a while, they stop grazing to scan their surroundings for threats, especially if they hear something or sense movement nearby
- The Cougars are stalking the Deer--when the deer is grazing, they try to sneak closer and closer. When the deer looks up to scan for threats, the Cougars should freeze
- If the Deer sees any movement from the Cougars, or hears any noises while scanning for threats, they get to point at those Cougars that moved/made noise. Those Cougars have to go touch the “reset” object or do the “reset” action immediately before stalking the Deer again
How does it end?
Cougar stalks Deer ends when either one Cougar or all the Cougars successfully tag (or get within 6 ft of) the Deer. Before the game starts, you can decide how your game will end.
Game Variations
- If you have at least 6 players, you can have 2 Deer for an added challenge! If either of the Deer hear you or see you moving, you have to go “reset”
- If you get to play this game outside, add “the Smell Factor.” If the wind is blowing and the Deer can smell approaching threats too, from what wind direction should the Cougars try to sneak from so that the Deer can’t smell them?
Tips and Strategies
- It’s very helpful to watch the Deer at all times so that you know when you’ll need to freeze
- As you play, pay attention to the Deer’s body language. Learning how to read your Deer’s body language will help you figure out when they’re about to look at you!
- It’s harder to move silently when you move quickly. Keep this in mind when you’re deciding how fast you want to move when the Deer is grazing
- When you play the Deer, be honest about whether you hear someone/see movement. Don’t just point at someone because they’re close to you--the game is more fun when played by the rules!
Post-Game Discussion Questions
- What strategies worked well?
- What strategies didn’t work well?
- How could we change the rules to make the game more fun next time?
- What other animals stalk other animals?
- Is it harder to be the deer or the cougar in this game?
- Out in nature, is it harder for the deer to survive, or harder for the cougar to survive?
- Can you sneak up on a real wild animal using the skills you’ve learned in this game?
Inspired by “Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature” by Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown
The Prey Escape is game of speed, body awareness, creative design, and creative movement.
Age Range: |
All ages |
Number of Players: |
1 or more |
Space and Time Requirements: |
This game can be played in a room, throughout a house, or outside. It works best in places with diverse obstacles and materials. Each round can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes or longer if wanted. |
Intro
Think of any prey animal you want. How does that animal escape from predators? If a coyote is chasing a rabbit, the rabbit might crawl quickly into a hole or run through a tight space in some thick thorny bushes. If a cougar is chasing a deer, the deer might leap quickly up a hill or over a few fences. If a house cat is chasing a lizard, the lizard might climb vertically up a fence or tree. If an egret is hunting a frog, the frog may dive into the water and swim as deep as they can. There are many different strategies and movements that a prey animal might use to escape from a predator. If they move quickly enough through and around obstacles, they will likely escape from becoming a meal, and live another day!
How to Play
The object of this game is to build an exciting obstacle course, and to move through it as quickly and as safely as you can. If you can time yourself, the goal is to beat your time every time you repeat the course!
Rules
- If you’re playing by yourself, spend as much time as you want building an obstacle course out of the materials and obstacles you have available to you. Make sure to ask your parents before you use household objects like furniture!
- If you’re playing with more than one person, you can split into two or more teams. Everyone decides how much time you get to build your obstacle course, and each team works together to build a course
- What kinds of obstacles can you create? All different kinds!
- Objects you can hop over
- Objects you can crawl under or through
- Sections where you have to move your body in a certain way (such as crouching down, walking backwards, hopping from object to object, etc.)
- Objects you have to climb over (trees or rocks or furniture)
- Objects or sections you have to roll across (down a grassy hill, across a bed)
- Tasks that you have to accomplish (like knocking down a stick tower with a rock from far away…)
- Anything you can think of!
- When everyone is done building their obstacle courses, each team explains how to move through their course
- Everyone takes turns trying out all the obstacle courses. If possible, time everyone’s attempts.
How does it end?
The Prey Escape ends when no one can beat the fastest time for each course!
Game Variations/Challenges
- If you’re playing in teams, have everyone from your team attempt each course. For each course, add together the entire team’s times. Whichever team has the fastest total time wins!
- Name each obstacle after a prey animal that might make a similar movement! For ex
ample, if one obstacle is hopping from rock to rock without touching the ground, you can call it “Lilypad Frog Leap”! - If you have another person to play with, one of you can play as the Predator and one of you can play as the Prey. Have the Prey start the obstacle course. After a short head-start, the Predator starts the obstacle course. If the Predator can catch up to the Prey before they finish the course, the Predator wins!
Tips and Strategies
- Always make sure to have a parent examine your course for hazards before you attempt it!
- When designing your course, make sure that your obstacles are easy and fast to set up again once someone has gone through the course
- It feels really good to have people cheering for you when you’re attempting an obstacle course! Cheer for others when it’s their turn!
- Before you start a course, take a moment to imagine what it would really be like to be a prey animal escaping from a predator. Think about how your life depends on precise movement and speed!
Post-Game Discussion Questions
- Were there obstacles that you designed or tried that worked well, or were really fun? Why?
- What about obstacles that didn’t work as well, or weren’t as much fun? Why?
- What was the most challenging obstacle?
- Did you imagine yourself as a prey animal escaping from a predator when you did the obstacle courses? Were your times faster when you did this? Did you imagine yourself as a particular animal?
- Next time you get the chance to go outside, find any animal. Get as close as you can to this animal. When you get too close, notice how it escapes from you. Does it fly up high? Does it dive into the water? Does it scurry into a bush? How many different styles of escape can you notice out in the wild?
Inspired by “Coyote’s Guide to Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature” by Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown.
ART ACTIVITIES
Let the sights, sounds, textures, and colors of nature inspire you and make some art!
Interested in learning more about local species? Check out our coloring pages, in English and Spanish (click to download):
- Acorn Woodpecker / Carpintero Bolletero
- Western Fence Lizard / Lagartija de Centro Occidental
- Starburst Anemone / Anémona Starburst
Here’s an activity you can do from home. Ever wanted to catch your shadow or a flower's shadow on paper? Wondering what your shadow or the shadow of a tree looks like at different times of the day?
YOUR OWN SHADOW: “This is a partner activity best played on a sunny day. First make a large piece of paper by flattening out used paper bags and pasting or taping them together. Then, hang the paper on a wall, the side of a building, or a tree, or place it flat on the ground. One partner assumes a position of their choice, or makes a shadow animal with their hands, so that their shadow falls on the paper. The other partner traces the shadow on the paper, and together you can paint in the details.
This project can lead to an awareness of sun and clouds as well as an observation of the positions of the sun at various times.”
FLOWER: With the sun above or slightly behind, hold a flower above a piece of paper so a shadow is on your paper. Trace the shadow. After you trace it, you can color, paint or pencil.
TREE: With the sun overhead, sit under a tree, so the branches and leaves cast a shadow on your paper. Trace the shadow. If it’s windy, it could be tricker since the shadow might move.
OTHER OBJECT: Find anything that you want and hold above or have a friend hold it above. You can create an entire collage of nature shadows and color them in.
Activity taken from The second cooperative Sports & Games book by Terry Orlick
*If you want share, send your favorite shadow drawings to JulianD@wyp.org*
Have you ever seen a flower, and wished that you could paint with its colors? Not only is this possible--it’s easier than you think!
All you need are 2 materials for this project:
- Colorful flower petals
- Paper
With a parent’s permission, go on a whimsical flower gathering wander. Remember--flowers are parts of living things, so always harvest with respect and kindness. Can you think of a way to “give back” to the plants? “Giving back” can look like you singing for the plant, giving it some water, picking up trash around it, or any other intentional gesture of gratitude you can think of.
Watch this video to see how to paint with petals:
How did your Petal Painting come out? I’d love to see it! If you’d like to share what you created, send me an email at stef@wyp.org
If you’re anything like I am when I’m out in nature, you probably have a pile of nature treasures somewhere that you have collected and brought home. Maybe it’s a pile full of shells and bones...maybe you’re a driftwood collector...or maybe you just really love rocks. Painting your rocks or other treasures is a great way to give them new life and purpose, and they make fantastic gifts!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Rocks, driftwood, or other paintable treasures
- Acrylic paints
- Paintbrushes
- A paint palette (sometimes I use an upside-down plate, or a piece of cardboard
- A cup of water
- Old newspaper to protect your table from paint
- (Optional) Pencils
I like using rocks and driftwood that are as smooth as possible. The bumpier your treasure is, the harder it will be to cover it completely with paint. There are some surfaces that paint does not stick to as well as others--you’ll have to experiment to find out what you like painting on best!
Once you have all your materials laid out, you’re ready to paint! If you’d like some ideas and tips, keep reading!
Flow Painting
Maybe you have young kids, maybe you’re not sure what you want to paint, or maybe you just really love colors!
- Squeeze out the colors that you want on your paint palette
- Experiment with mixing together parts of those colors to make new ones
- Before you start painting your treasure, mix in a little bit of water with each color. This helps to conserve paint--you get more color for the same amount of paint!
- Let the brushes take the paint wherever it feels like they want to go
Simple Subjects
There’s nothing wrong with simplicity! Maybe you have younger kids, maybe you’re not looking for anything too complicated.
For this example, I chose to paint some ladybugs on a rock. Needing to do some experimenting myself, I chose to have two of them have a white base coat, and two of them have a red one:
After the white base coats had dried, I gave them a red coat:
I discovered that the red color came out brighter on the ones with the white base coat!
After the red coats had dried, I painted the black details, and let them dry. Ladybugs on a rock, hooray!
After I discovered that using a white base coat was a good idea, I gave all my other treasures a white base coat before continuing:
Kind Words
Maybe the thought of painting a subject sounds hard, or maybe you want to share some kind words with your neighborhood.
- If you’d like, you can paint your words directly on your treasure.
- You can also paint a simple background onto your rock
- If you want to create a nice blended effect like mine, make sure to experiment with how wet your paint and brushes are to find the right blending ratio!
- Let your background dry completely
- Use a fine brush to write your words on your treasure
Mini Landscape
Maybe you have some experience with painting, or maybe you want a challenge!
- Imagine a scene that you want to paint
- Think about all the different pieces that you want to include in the scene
- If you want to, you can use a pencil to draw the scene on your treasure before you start painting
- I like using different brushes for different colors
- Remember to let colors dry completely before putting more colors on top of them, unless you want to blend your colors
Creature Rocks
Maybe a piece of driftwood you found looks JUST LIKE a giraffe, or a turtle, or a baby dragon, like the one I found did!
- After my initial white base coat, I gave it a colored base coat.
- If you want to, use a pencil to mark where the different parts of your creature will be painted
- I liked using black paint lines to outline the different body parts
What should I do with my painted treasures?
There are lots of things you can do with your painted treasures! Here’s a short list of ideas:
- Place them in your garden or your room
- Give them as gifts to family, friends, neighbors, or friendly strangers!
- Hide them in (safe) sneaky places for your family to find by surprise
- Find a good street corner, park, public planter box, or other spot in your neighborhood to leave them so everyone can see them
I placed my baby dragon in my garden amongst the flowers.
I placed my kind words on a street corner where lots of people would see it. Maybe someone who needs it will even take it home with them!
Questions
- Where did you find the treasures that you painted?
- What kind of treasures did you like painting on best?
- How smooth or rough were your treasures?
- Did you learn anything about painting?
- What are you going to do differently next time?
- Did you place any of your treasures out in public places where people could see them?
- How do you think people will feel when they see your painted treasures?
Did you create something you’re really proud of that you want to share? Need some more painting tips? I’m happy to share in your joy and curiosity and frustration! Send me an email at stef@wyp.org to connect with me!
In coastal California, crafting cut-out cardboard critters is a cool, creative way to connect with our courageous crawling companions close-up! Come catch these crazy creatures!
Click on the links below to view and print out a critter template! Iif you don’t have a printer, you can use the template to draw your own similar shapes.
You’ll Need:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paint, Markers, or Crayons (optional)
Steps:
- Cut out animal parts from the templates.
- Trace onto cardboard and cut out.
- Cut the slots no wider than the thickness of the cardboard otherwise the animals will wobble.
- Paint or color the animals parts however you’d like or you can leave them as cardboard.
- Assemble the parts by matching the letters and sliding the slots together.
- Release your creatures into the wilds of your home!
You can use the templates provided or make up your own cardboard cut-out critters!
Tips when making your own:
- Try to think about the critter in a 3-dimensional way.
- Look at pictures or observe in person how the animal looks from the side, front, and back
- Think about the proportions of legs to the body and ears to the head
- If it's not a 4-legged animal, be creative with how you make it stand
Bigger Project:
Make the same critters but much larger and cut them out of wood. Then you can climb all over them!
This project was inspired by The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Sayre Wiseman
***Comments, Creations, Concerns, please come connect with me at JulianD@wyp.org ***
By Ann Bumby
One way to combat Zoom fatigue is to spend your breaks outside in nature. This activity will help you tune into your surroundings and bring you into the present moment.
Step 1. Head outside, and take a few moments to observe the colors you see in natural objects around you. You may be noticing flowers, rocks, leaves, tree bark, or something else you find.
Step 2. Are some colors easy to find? Difficult? You may begin to notice more subtle shades, or colorful pieces of objects that you hadn’t noticed before. Feel free to get down on hands and knees, inspect things closely, climb a tree to look at new angles, turn over rocks- find new ways to observe!
Step 3. Begin collecting objects, with the challenge of finding at least one for each color of the rainbow.
Step 4. Arrange your objects in a way that you enjoy. This can be in rainbow order or not.
Step 5. Take a photo to share, or keep your art for yourself. You may even choose to leave it in a place for others to find and enjoy.
PLANTS
Not sure where to start? Check out this guide to growing a medicine garden, written by Alena of Earth Tide Botanicals!
Interested in more plant medicine? Check out our elderberry tincture or plantain salve recipes or harvest milky oats for a tea or tincture!
Join Nicholas Farnum for a walk up Rattlesnake Creek to visit his favorite plants.
By Alena of Earth Tide Botanicals
Now more than ever is a meaningful time to break ground and grow food in your garden, no matter how small the space. Even a postage-stamp sized yard, or a few large pots clustered on a sunny porch or stoop, can grow an incredible amount of food for your household. Growing food and connecting to a whole-foods based diet is such a lovely way to honor the changing seasons and connect more deeply to self-reliance and the other-than-human world. Time spent outdoors, as well as the fresh nutrition that a veggie garden provides, are also essential elements to supporting your immune system in the midst of this pandemic.
Try to find a little space in your burgeoning food garden to grow some medicinal plants as well. Many plants have chemical constituents developed over thousands of years of environmental changes and adaptation that impart health benefits to humans. There are plants that speed the healing of cuts and bruises, plants that stimulate immune health to prevent or reduce sick time, and plants that gentle and soothe our nerves, providing relief from stress. Medicinal plants are easy to grow, reliably drought-tolerant, decorated with beautiful flowers that pollinators and other beneficial insects adore, and provide an incredible abundance of fresh plant material for health-supporting herbal teas, tinctures, and salves.
PREPARING TO GROW
The first step is to begin with healthy soil. Medicinal plants do well in challenging circumstances. In fact, many of the chemicals that provide health benefits are responses to stress in a plant’s environment. Mediocre soil and sparse watering will make your medicine garden even more potent!
As you break ground, stir in about an inch or two of rich, homemade compost or worm compost from the garden store. Compost provides a buffet to the many microorganisms alive in our garden that build rich soil. Compost is really all you need to grow medicinals. Think also of how you will water through the summer: you can water a small space with a hose, but in a slightly larger space drip irrigation is best. This is plastic tubing that releases water a drop at a time to plant roots. Try to keep your water use as minimal as possible: medicinal plants probably need to be watered only once a week, even in the hottest part of late summer. Before watering, stick a finger in the soil—if the top two inches are still moist to the touch, you can wait to water.
If you are gardening in pots, add more compost. Potted plants also benefit from a seasonal fertilizing regime. Every other month or so, water in with compost tea or kelp meal, stinky but life-giving amendments that feed the billions of microorganisms alive in each pot of healthy soil. Plants growing in pots will also need additional watering—check on them every three to four days (though still water only when the top two inches of soil have dried out).
WHAT TO GROW
My essential medicine garden includes yarrow, a graceful native plant with fragrant leaves and white flowers that pollinators love. Yarrow leaf and flower is an incredible ally for immune support, since it increases circulation and has antibiotic and antiviral properties. Yarrow is also an important first aid plant: the fresh leaf can be pressed onto cuts to stop bleeding instantly, or to reduce the size and pain of a bee sting. Yarrow does wonderfully in a pot.
Calendula (also known as pot marigold due to its vigorous life as a potted plant) is a low-growing plant with brilliant, sticky yellow and orange flowers that attract beneficial insects and honeybees. The flowers also have powerful skin-healing qualities: calendula oil is included in many skin products because of its ability to reduce scar tissue and heal cuts and scrapes.
To make your own calendula oil, simply fill a mason jar of any size half full with calendula and the rest of the way with an organic oil of your choice (such as olive or sunflower), making sure that all flowers remain submerged in oil. Allow to sit for at least two to four weeks, shaking occasionally, before straining out and composting the flowers. The finished product is an infused oil that can be thickened into a cream with beeswax and coconut oil, or used as an oil for external applications to cuts and scrapes to promote faster healing.
Two of my favorite herbs to grow in pots for tea are tulsi (holy basil) and chamomile. Tulsi leaves and flowers and chamomile flowers make a delicious tea that soothes our nervous systems.
Tulsi is a tonic adaptogen, a kind of plant that repairs and rebuilds the body and mind from chronic stress.
Chamomile flowers are soothing for digestion and nerves. Chamomile is the famous “sleepytime” herb, since it is a relaxant and sleep aid. Chamomile is a wonderful herb for kids.
Lemon balm is a brilliant green herb which provides armfuls of fresh tea from even a single plant. Lemon balm leaf and flower are deeply calming and uplifting in times of sadness or depression. Kids love the sweet, lemon-y taste and respond well to lemon balm’s calming effects, especially if kids are prone to restlessness. Lemon balm eases stress, tension, anxiety, and sadness, so it can also be a good bedtime remedy.
PREPARING YOUR HERBAL REMEDIES
Drinking tea from fresh herbs you pick daily in your garden is a simple and effective way to incorporate these plants into your life. To make a strongly medicinal tea, brew at least 1-2 tablespoons of leaves and flowers to a cup of water. Let sit for at least two hours before straining and heating up to enjoy.
Drying herbs is extremely easy, and provides tea through the winter. Simply spread plants in a thin layer (don’t pile them) on a well-ventilated surface such as a basket or screen in a warm and dark place. It is important not to expose tea herbs to direct sunlight which degrades their quality. Once plant material gently crumbles to the touch, it is dry enough to pack into glass jars and store in a cool, dark space for future use.
You can also make simple herbal tinctures and vinegars with plants from your garden. A fresh tincture is simply a jar which you fill halfway with firmly packed leaves and flowers, then fill to the top with either a high-proof alcohol or vinegar. Allow to sit in a dark space for at least two weeks but up to several months, before straining to enjoy a spoonful at a time.
WHERE TO BUY PLANTS
Some of my favorite local sources for medicinal plants are Yes Yes Nursery, which offers local delivery with a minimum order amount. You can see a list of what is available at www.yesyesnursery.com. Island Seed and Feed in Goleta also has a healthy selection of medicinal plants and offers curbside pickup. Crimson Sage Nursery is a solely medicinal plant nursery with a vast selection which ships live plants straight to your door. You can visit their online catalog at www.crimson-sage.com. Many medicinal plants are easy to grow from seed. My favorite source is Strictly Medicinal Seed, which provides detailed growing instructions on each packet: https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/.

Use: For the common cold and flu
WARNING: Elderberry is a wonderful plant and one that deserves our respect. The ripe berries and flowers are edible but leaves, twigs, unripe berries and bark are all poisonous. They contain cyanide and can do harm to humans.
CAUTION: Make sure you use Sambucas nigra or Sambucas mexicana. All parts of Sambucas racemosa (Red Elderberry) are poisonous.
Elderberry has a very high Vitamin C content and is a great immune booster, especially during the winter months of cold and flu season. This tincture can be used before you feel any symptoms, as a preventative when you start to feel the symptoms or as a way to boost your immune system when you are in the thick of a cold/flu.
INGREDIENTS:
Quart jar with lid
3-4 cups fresh or dried Elderberries
80 proof vodka
DIRECTIONS:
Clean your jar with hot water
Put the Elderberries in jar
Pour the vodka in so the berries are just covered
Lid the jar and shake, shake, shake
Label and date your jar
Try to shake it once a day.
Let it sit for at least 30 days before you strain it. You can let it soak for longer, up to a year.
To take as a preventative use 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. If you have symptoms of a cold or flu take 2 teaspoons 3-4 times a day for 2 weeks. For kids, cut the dose in half.
You can harvest Elderberry and use the fresh berries. Make sure you are harvesting in an ethical way and somewhere safe (i.e no pesticides, heavy exhaust, etc).
You can also order Elderberry extract or powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. It is a great way to support Wilderness Youth Project programs because Mountain Rose Herb gives a portion of its proceeds to WYP with every purchase made from our website. Simply click here or on banner below.
Use: For soothing cuts and scrapes.
Known to WYP kids as the band-aid plant this Plantain salve is great for bee stings, cuts and scrapes, and poison oak. Common Plantain was brought to the United States by Europeans. The Native Americans, observing its spread, named it "white man's footprint" or "Englishman's foot" because wherever the white man stepped, Plantain seemed to grow. Plantain is found everywhere in Santa Barbara. It can be seen in gardens, lawns, along trails, in sidewalk cracks, etc. The very young leaves can be added to salads, or cooked as greens. The older leaves are still edible but are not as palatable as they become tougher and a little bitter. Plantain is very high in beta carotene (A) and calcium. It also provides ascorbic acid (C). Make sure you are harvesting in an ethical way and somewhere safe (i.e no pesticides, heavy exhaust, etc).
You can order plantain, beeswax and vitamin E Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs, a partner of Wilderness Youth Project.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. dried or 3 oz. fresh Plantain leaf powder
½ to 1 oz. Beeswax
½ tsp Vitamin E oil
1 cup Olive oil
Small jar or tin
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, mix Plantain with olive oil.
Simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes.
In a separate pan melt the beeswax.
Carefully pour into the herbal oil and blend well.
Add the vitamin E oil which serves as preservative.
Last, check for consistency.
Dip a spoon into the Plantain Salve and let cool.
If it is too hard, add more oil. If too soft, add more beeswax.
When it is just right pour into a small jar or tin and cover tightly.
Watch the video below to learn how to make a milky oat tea to nourish and calm the nervous system!
Instructions:
- Harvest the seeds while they are still green (or in the "milky" stage--when squeezed, they produce a white liquid).
- Place the seeds in a metal bowl, not a basket, for later use!
- You can make a tea by steeping the oats in boiling water OR
- Create a tincture by packing a jar with the oats, filling with apple cider vinegar, and steep for 2 weeks.
video by Nicholas Farnum
Follow along with Nicholas as he visits some of his favorite plants in Rattlesnake Canyon.
VIRTUAL NATURE EXPERIENCES
Explore a variety of wild spaces and species, near and far!
EXPLORE SANTA BARBARA
Explore Santa Barbara with our interactive map! Click a location to read a place profile, watch a sit scene, and get ideas for exploring!
While most areas in Santa Barbara are still open, you can stay up-to-date on all California State Park closures and other park-related COVID-19 news here. Please remember to keep a six foot distance from others, regularly wash your hands, and tread lightly on the land.
Browse through our flash connection & adventure activities for each place below the map!
FLASH CONNECTION: Different Habitat, Different Life
There are two main habitats in Camino Corto Open Space: the wide open grassy fields, and the shadier riparian strip. What do you notice about the plant and animal life in these two different habitats? How are the plants different? Are they greener in the fields, or underneath the trees? Can you see more birds in the fields, or amongst the plant life in the riparian strip? Where do you hear the most birds?
ACTIVITY: Scavenger Hunt
Despite its relatively small size, Camino Corto Open Space has many hidden fun spaces to find! See if you can find everything on the following list:
- A red barn
- 3 bridges
- A big patch of nasturtiums
- A circle of really tall eucalyptus trees
- Where the horses live
- A big patch of blackberry bushes
- A bush big enough for you to crawl into and sit inside
- A vernal pool (or where a vernal pool would be if it had been raining)
- A creek (or a dry creekbed)
FLASH CONNECTION: Tuning In to Smell
There are many different habitats to find at Campus Point. Can you smell the differences between them? Inhale deeply when you’re down on the beach, focusing on identifying the distinct smells of this region. Do this again when you’re up on the mesa surrounded by plants...can you tell the difference? Do this at least one more time, when you’re right next to the lagoon. Is this smell different from the other two? Where are all of those different smells coming from? From plants? Animals? Something else? Now, smell a little closer...smell some leaves, smell some water, smell some dirt. Can you find what is making all of the different scents that contribute to the overall smell of each habitat?
ACTIVITY: Sneaky Paws
Despite the relatively small size of the Campus Point area, there are a surprising number of exciting mammals who live here...coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes, and even red foxes are commonly spotted around the mesa and lagoon. Where do you think you could look for them and find them? Try getting down on all fours and imagining where you would hide if you were a large four-legged living on a small, busy mesa. Can you find trails and dens in the brush where these four-leggeds might walk and live? With a friend, pick a stretch of trail, and scout for poison oak along the sides of the trail. As long as there’s no poison oak,, have your friend count to 60, while you hide somewhere along the stretch of trail, in a spot where a four-legged might hide. When your friend is done counting, have them walk the stretch of trail, trying to spot you. Did they find you?
Switch roles--now have your friend hide while you count to 60. Did you spot them? Think about how all of these species--coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes, red foxes--are currently hiding somewhere nearby. If you can, try and be up on the mesa after the sun sets, during dusk. You will likely see one of these four-legged friends… where and how do they like to walk? Do they walk in straight lines, or do they meander? Do they like walking on human trails, or smaller trails?
FLASH CONNECTION
Enter the park through Stanwood Drive West. You will see a steep grassy hill to the east. A trail switches back and forth to get to the top. Once at the top, take a moment to admire the majesty that surrounds you. You can imagine yourself in that hilltop scene from “The Sound of Music”, taking in the beauty that surrounds you. Then, using your common sense, try rolling or running down the big grass hill. Strive for a feeling of floating and lightness, rather than out-of-control speed.
ACTIVITY
Enter from Mountain Drive South, the trail just before the bend, but any part of the park can do. You’re more likely to see animals if you go early in the morning or around sunset. As you enter the trail heading towards an open field, begin to quiet your mind and your thoughts and focus them on what you can see and hear around you. This is a great time to practice “Owl Eyes” or using your peripheral vision to notice any small movements out of the corner or your eyes. As you enter the trail, keep an eye out for any brush rabbits or ground squirrels darting across the trail or moving through the field. Looking off ahead, pick out a destination where you can try a “Sit Spot.” Once you’ve found your spot, you can set a time or just approximate in your head to sit as still and quietly as you can for 10-30 minutes. After 10 minutes is usually when the excitement begins and your awareness has turned on. Here are a few examples of questions you can ask yourself:
- What creatures have begun to move around me?
- What flowers are blooming?
- What smells can I sense?
- Which direction is the breeze blowing?
- What does the air taste like?
- Where are the birds and what are they doing?
FLASH CONNECTION
The creek is LAVA! Taking the trail can be a great way to get up the creek quicker, but following the creek from the parking lot can be a rewarding challenge. Try rock hopping up the creek and pretend that the creek is one big flowing stream of LAVA! Pick out a section to see if you can make it without getting your feet wet. Once you make it to a big pool, reward yourself by soaking your bare feet in the cool clear water. You can also play this game with your family at any point. Have someone call out THE FLOOR IS LAVA! and start counting down from 5. Everyone must get on top of a rock or log before they count to 0. As you progress, start playing with fewer seconds. This game is a great way to turn on our awareness of our surroundings.
ACTIVITY
Looking to get some energy out? Try building a small rock & debris dam on a section of the creek. Watch how quickly you can create a deeper pool. Ready to quiet your mind? Try making your return trip a silent walk back down the creek. Notice what sounds and creatures you didn’t see or hear on your way up.
FLASH CONNECTION: Looking Up
Stand at the highest point. Take a look around and see if you can identify the 4 directions and the main feature you see or feel in each direction. If it’s a clear day, how far can you see? If it’s cloudy, which way are the clouds moving?
ACTIVITY: Guided Drawing
Find something to draw. A pinecone, a flower, unique leaves or the mountain range even. First try to draw the object on your paper while only looking at the object. No peeking at the paper. Sometimes this may be easier using one line without ever lifting the pencil. Compare drawing with your friend or family member or share in a laugh or be amazed. Second, find a comfortable spot with a good view of the object and take your time with the drawing. Draw what you see. Count the points on the edge of the leaf or the number of petals on the flower. How many peaks are there in the mountain range? Take a photo and email it to us!
FLASH CONNECTION: Listen to the Sea of Yellow
Among the mustard stalks and flowers, there are many voices with much to say! Listen: can you hear warbles, calls, songs, trills, and alarms? How many voices can you hear? What do you suppose they might be speaking about? Try to spot a bird and wait for it make a noise. Close your eyes and hold the image of the bird for a moment in your mind. What did your imagination choose to highlight?
ACTIVITY: Recovering Land
It was not so long ago that cattle roamed SMFP as part of an active ranch. More recently still, roughly ¾ of the preserve burned in last year’s Cave Fire - the firelines cut across the foothills and marked the southern border of the fire. If you look closely, you can see the lasting effects of both forces on the landscape.
Start by trying to find evidence of the burn area. Due to the rains, and to the fertilizing power of the burn itself, black mustard (Brassica nigra, most of the tall yellow plants you can see) and other fast-growing non-native invasive species have increased their spread and may be obscuring evidence of the burn. Instead, look out and around: can you spot charred or crisp leaves on taller shrubs? How about the trees? Continue along the trail as it descends to Atascadero Creek and back up the steep uphill. If you look back down the drainage, can you see how far down the creek the fire burned? If you continue on the trail, you will eventually cross the fire boundary into an area that was unburnt. Can you spot this transition?
If you keep walking, you will descend again to Cieneguitas Creek and the habitat restoration area alongside it. How many of the native plants do you recognize? Compare how many different plants are on one side of the trail with the other side. How might grazing shape the land so that the non-native invasive species prosper? On your way back to the trailhead, you might try some grazing of your own - without using your hands, take a bite of a mustard flower cluster. Though it’s quite spicy, helping native plants retake their former habitat always tastes delicious.
STORYTIME
Check out local organizations and resources for the community below!
Connect to nature with audio stories / Conéctate a la naturaleza a través de audio historias
Pipilo is a collection of bilingual audio stories about nature connection and emotional intelligence, in English and Spanish. These stories are narrated by a community of storytellers, including Wilderness Youth Project Staff such as Nick the Noodle, Gloria Sanchez-Arreola, Mario Mendez and Dan Fontaine. These stories are fun and adventurous, and help children process life experiences, build empathy, appreciate and celebrate other cultures, and fall in love with the natural world.
Pipilo es una colección de audio historias bilingües basadas en conexión con la naturaleza e inteligencia emocional, en Inglés y en Español. Estas historias son narradas por una comunidad de narradores, incluidas algunas personas de la organización: “Wilderness Youth Proyect”, como Nick the Noodle, Mario Mendez y Dan Fontaine. Estas historias son divertidas y aventureras, y ayudan a los niños a procesar experiencias de vida, a desarrollar empatía, a apreciar y a celebrar otras culturas, así como también ayudan a enamorarse del mundo natural.
Here are some of our favorite nature-inspired poems from writers we love.
SYCAMORE
The sycamore calendar starts in November,
not with the buds but the building of buds
deep in the sap, with branches shorn and bare
bark ready to warm quick in short days, the mud-
mulch rich with leaves that gulped up the sun.
Leaves, done with their work, have released their hold
and pattern the canopy’s shadow with gold.
The trees, like I want to be, steadied by the year
they leave behind, letting the dead wood drop.
Hear how summer crunches when we walk on it.
WINTERING
Finally, the winter is willing to chill us.
The heavy quilt uncasketed from the cedar chest.
Its weight presses us all night
Like leaves in a summer camp scrapbook.
It is the season to be cradled by older arms
And dream of the giant redwoods upstate,
a history of heavy thread and stitches
Thimbled through the batting.
Everything made of older things.
THE FLOW
When the water comes, it brings the mountain
and sings the story of the shifting ridge,
summons green to bloom along its edge.
Shapes the hills with patient excavation.
Water comes and carries what we were:
wind-torn leaves, the old path washed away,
the swallowed reflections of hunter and prey.
Brings ash and remains of the bear flag bear.
When water comes, thirst rises for reunion with the river.
All are sullied by the journey.
What blessing to reclaim our purity,
leave the salty stories for the ocean.
We are renewed, to wonder which came first:
that flow of water or this endless thirst.
OLD HABITS
I needed to renounce familiar things—
I wasn’t going away, I thought, but towards.
Now, pulled out of black waters,
wet towels draped across my back,
my old home will not hold me anymore.
Who can teach a caterpillar joy
when, comfortable with creeping, she must fly?
Craving leaves, she finds her teeth are gone
and though her life has been a holding on
she no longer feels steady on her branch.
When does she forget her other parts—
bright wrapping-paper wings around
her hungry, crawling heart.
POND
The lazy center
The lazy center is a green neither
sharp nor fading, reminding
not of before nor after.
Picture the waterweeds have always been this high.
This July fable, forever
verdant and felt. For once
a war has not been sighted,
is not negotiating the daily toll.
Come home is not a letter home.
The dock is weathered but from what weather?
The velvet moss
but when did it grow?
Perfection will disallow memory. Take your pick,
the mind is full of ponds.
I wore the dock smooth just by imagining
summer. Close your eyes
and see the same still water
warming in the sun as when they are open.
Gabriella Klein, from Land Sparing (Nightboat Books 2015)
CONSENSUS
What if we can’t wake to birdsong and what if
of the weather
we are afraid?
Afraid you will leave me, afraid
I will fail.
Our daughter thinks
until I explain
she only came from me.
The sky rains and rain
all the more becomes the sea.
Each time the body
reproduces itself,
then outgrows itself.
My, my. We have been in the wind a long time. Consensus
Gabriella Klein, from Land Sparing (Nightboat Books 2015)
A STONE IN MY HAND
In the cave of first birth
the bears gather
move around inside each other
thick with bone and fur
look out with the eyes
of the many
all this I hold in my hand
deep green jade with streams of rain
tears that cover the land
I stand at the entrance
breathe in the sounds
that hum in my ears
- stories written in books
talk the ways they live
yet few of us see them
alive
right here
right now not killed
hung on walls or
spread on floors to walk on
the bears crowd together
voices deep in my throat
this stone so solid
bodies of young and old
locked in the cave of time
our hearts beat in tandem
we inhale what we know
the weight of it
in my hand
A GIFT FOR TODAY
How can it be that feathers fly?
They drift in and out of windows,
fall like leaves through the air
and dance to the tune of the wind.
I find them resting in corners
or hiding behind my bookcase,
surprises out of the blue
while birds pretend otherwise.
Don’t they know when a feather
decides to fly, drift away
from practised routes of travel
to lighten the load, so to speak?
They curl into the palm of my hand
as if to show me there’s more
than just what the eye sees,
more than the words that roll off
my tongue. Each feather, large or small,
whispers its own story, a language
my heart knows only as an echo
of its own long and true telling.
A BLESSING
Dear Tree–
You are there every morning
when I wake up
you breathe into the night
while I sleep I dream
the wind is a friend you welcome
into a dance wild and free
you refuse no visitor
from the racoon down the street
the crow who strides your branches
or the lowly caterpillar who’ll munch
every leaf given the chance
I watch you spread arms and
turn your face to the sun
I have rested my back to yours
felt the warmth coming up
from roots that dig deep
to touch the tips of my fingers
I sing to you
hum words only you can hear
you drop acorns at my feet
so I may feast on your bounty
you tap me lightly on the head
want me to pay attention
to what travels the air between us
I lift my heart to yours
A GOOD DAY
Frog jumps into my throat at night
wakes up with me
in the morning
has to try out a new song
ribet-croak ribet-croak
This frog
isn’t getting any younger