I will not deny that the mosquitoes were by far the worst I have ever experienced today for Woods and Wetlands! To be honest, I wasn’t sure we’d make it very long without waving the white flag and calling parents. But every time I thought about it, someone would discover something amazing or suddenly get distracted and we were having so much fun! So we kept going. And we all wore mosquito repellent. (Which I normally do not need to do!) I took so few pictures because I was not only having a good time, I was busy batting away and swatting mosquitoes too often to pull out my phone! If this doesn’t improve, I may have to consider postponing Woods and Wetlands until a change of weather or whatever brought out these tiny vampires brings them back again! In any case, here are some photos of pieces of our afternoon.
*Not pictured: a great deal of time spent eating wild apples!
Right away kids started noticing amazing mushroom collections!She discovered that branch was dead, even though the tree was still living. Yes, that can happen!Ah, the ever popular Tilted Tree!This would be the, “Before,” picture, running INto the swamp. We came out shortly after that. It was dense as a jungle!Hmm. Glad it was warm; not so glad the bugs like it too!Asters. We looked for how some plants are flowering and others are making their seeds for the fall.Like tiny stars!Happy explorers!I don’t know this plant!Everyone came to tell me I just had to see these bright, orange mushrooms out in the swamp.And we are all done being in the swamp for today!I had asked a few kids who needed to be re-sprayed to stand with their arms to their sides. It then turned into a mass silly photo.Huge mushroom!This kind reminded me of popcorn. I really need to get a mushroom book.Climbing one of the wild apple trees in search of more snack…On the boardwalk picking asters and jewel-weed (also called, “Touch-me-not.”)Playing with cattails.Anything that can be climbed on, will be climbed on!Goldenrod and astersWe noticed a mass of tiny ants on the playground as we came up from the woods. We gathered around to watch what they would do with one of our apple cores.Ant-watching is more easily done when we aren’t swatting mosquitoes!
I am an and outdoor educator with a master's in early childhood development. I taught elementary school for 20 years and now own Woods and Wetlands LLC, offering programs for local children to engage in nature study through play and exploration-based learning. My programs are all outdoors in whatever "wild" spaces are available. I live in Rockford, Michigan with my husband, dog, and three cats. My unique, therapeutic, one and a half hour programs help children to connect with the natural world and with themselves.
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1 thought on “Despite the Mosquitoes…”
Wish I was a kid again. 👧 Mosquitoes are horrible!
Woods & Wetlands 
Wish I was a kid again. 👧 Mosquitoes are horrible!
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