NATURE HIKE

On Sunday, November 10, we went to Erna Nixon Hammock Park to learn more about nature, work towards a patch, and have fun!

The Ranger, Brandon (no, not "Bob", as someone suggested!) showed us all the most interesting plants, trees and fungi that are native to our part of Florida - and a couple of "invaders" that are being a nuisance. We smelled some nice leaves (remember the "froot loop tree"?) and some not so nice leaves (stinkweed). Talking of smells - we were all happy to get away from that vulture and whatever he was eating! Yuck!

After we completed the tour, we had a well-earned drink and snack, and Ms. Denise and Mrs. Hindsley were very impressed with how much everyone remembered.

When we had finished eating, we had time for a game before the parents came: Sometime when we're hiking we may want to sneak up close for a look at an interesting animal. To demonstrate how hard it is to be quiet in the woods, we played a game called "Don't Wake the Bear". Forming a circle around whichever blindfolded girl was the 'bear', the girls were picked at random to try and approach silently enough to touch the bear before she heard them coming. The floor was gravelly and littered with dry leaves, and it was a lot more difficult than it everyone anticipated. I think only two girls managed to get to the center unheard.