Spring? Is that you?

It might not look like Spring outside, but we sure have been trying hard to make it Spring inside the Nature room this week.  Seed planting has begun!  

Tomatoes, peppers, kale, spinach and lettuce seeds were started and we already have sprouts!  I had some great help from some little hands.

We planted the seeds in the dirt and gave them a drink of water.  We put them in the sunlight and waited for the seeds to sprout.

We also planned out our dream gardens using old seed catalogs. 

Here are some great quotes from the week that will warm your heart. :)

"I'm dreaming about blueberries!"

"I'm planting a whole bunch of celery that I like."

"Tomatoes are very, very good for us."

"My seeds like the sunshine, just like I do!"

Meet a tree!

After a long, harsh winter, our trees needed a little extra attention.  We went on a tree hike to meet a few trees and found some great ones!  We measured the circumference with measuring tape, looked for buds on branches and explored the roots, trunk, branches and bark.  Check out the pictures below!

Signs of Spring

Although the first day of Spring isn't technically until March 20th this year, we were able to find lots of signs that sunshine and warmer weather is on it's way!  Here are a few signs of Spring that we found during a scavenger hunt here at CCDS!

 

Puddles and water!

Buds on trees!

A warm breeze.









Sunshine on our faces.

Melting snow.








We also listened for the birds to let us know that Spring is on it's way.  The chickadee's Spring song sometimes sounds like they are saying "Cheese-burger!" or "Hey baby!"
(or "Hey Chicky" as one student suggested).  Follow the link below to hear what this sounds like.

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=12

Happy almost Spring!

Park Ranger Abby

On Monday, February 24th, we had a special visit from Park Ranger Abby.  She works for the National Park Service at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.  

Prior to Abby coming to our school, the children were able to discover what it is like to be park rangers in the career corner of the Nature Room.

After lots of practice being park rangers, the kids were excited to meet a real, live park ranger.  Abby taught us about animals that live in or near the Mississippi River.  She brought fur from deer, coyote, fox, skunk and other animals for the kids to explore.  Check out the pictures below!

Thanks for coming to visit, Park Ranger Abby!