Wings in the Forest--A Garden Chronicle for 2011 (entry 6)

While many were away for Spring break a small group gathered with big equipment to get the soil loosened for some growing. Plenty of pea, sunflower and radish sprouts are taking off, while the transplanted sprouts from home are nowhere to be found--maybe next time we need to wait longer before bringing them out into the elements. The small group gave me an opportunity to listen more and here stories about worm farm experiments at home. I enjoy hearing that the young friends are carrying home ideas and dreams from the garden.

Blake and Mindi tilled the soil and added manure and peat moss--I look forward to seeing what happened to thetill this weekend. Then everyone helped put in a mulch path to protect the new till from footsteps.

Cheienne (one of our teen friends) took the quiet afternoon to go volunteer in the nature center, maybe she will give us a personal tour sometime.

Little friends caught some bugs that were using their colors to communicate, which naturally fit into
our afternoon activity.

We were able to get a rain garden started and we

experimented with

a water conservation system--hopefully it
will work. The little ones
loved sitting in the rain garden before
and after we added water, so
a few of us had some cold, some naked, and
some muddy kids to
bring home for warm baths.

Mindi and Blake offered an afternoon activity that was a big hit with all ages. They showed us that animals use colors to hide, show off and warn. Then each friend made their own animal and put it in its habitat, as we took a nature walk together we heard stories about the new fictional and real animals and how they use their colors in nature.

One new animal was lucky enough to find a habitat that matched perfectly and even confused some of us, after a littler research I believe it may be a Pink Ladies Slipper. Some of us even got to fall into random holes hiding under the leaves--I wonder what made those holes?

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