Nature- It's All Around Me

This past week was our busiest of the early season at PMOEC and, thus, I was able to spend more time with kids then I normally do. While the kids were the focus, there was no denying the beauty of spring creeping into our acreage. Walking up to the sensory course, the students and I marveled at the multitude of deer tracks along the side of Reber Rd. We talked about the way to identify these distinctive prints and the kids found more and more. In the forest we saw evidence of over-zealous plants. It was clear that some of the trillium had come up in the week of 80-degree temperatures early in March only to be thwarted by the nights of snow and frost that followed. Other, more shy plants that hadn't been comfortable enough to show their leaves at the first sign of warm temperatures are now standing proud and true. I spotted my first fiddleheads and learned that the translation to French is nearly direct, where they call them violin heads. This of course was an 'aha moment' for me, realizing that the word fiddle refers to the instrument, not the action that it appears the plant is performing as it unfurls upward. Red Efts are everywhere, derailing all of our class introductions because nothing is more interesting than a bright orange salamander walking across a dark asphalt road. This week we have another wonderful group down from Canada and are continuing to watch the leaves on the trees thicken the forest, changing the look of all of our picturesque views at PMOEC. Don't forget that on Saturday the 12th we are going to have our second annual PMOEC Yard Sale. We have a plethora of items; from housewares to clothes to sporting goods to I don't know what. All proceeds will help to ensure that we are able to continue to share wonderful spring moments with groups for years to come. Until next week...