A Reason to Look Forward: Critter Discovery
With our signature event postponed, we’re looking forward by looking back on brighter days
Yes, the 15th Annual Walk for the Woods is postponed (originally scheduled for this weekend)—with a new date yet to be determined—but we can still daydream about spending time outdoors together in days to come. One of the most beloved activities at the Walk for the Woods is the “Critter Discovery,” which takes place on the banks of Bacon Ridge Branch, the stream that runs through the Bacon Ridge Natural Area.
For many years, a team of biologists from Coastal Resources, Inc., have volunteered their time and equipment to gather aquatic wildlife from the stream so that children (and curious adults!) who attend the Walk can get an up close glimpse of the life teeming in our local waterways. Hikers young and old learn about lampreys, river chub, sunfish, American eel, frogs, and more!
It’s pretty much guaranteed that kids will leave covered in mud after a day spent exploring—and we wouldn’t have it any other way! We are always inspired to see young citizen scientists connecting with the natural world.
Looking for resources to explore the outdoors from indoors? Here are a few we like:
- Project WILD from Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
- US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Environmental Education Resources for Teachers, Parents, and Kids
- National Geographic Kids Ocean Portal
- Oceana’s Ocean Animal Encyclopedia
