Sprouts: February 27th
The days are getting warmer, and with that, Finny the Fairy encouraged us to become Spring Detectives! Using our senses, we set out to notice the small but exciting signs of the season changing—birds migrating, plants emerging, animals waking up, and the shifting weather.
One of the most fascinating finds this week wasn’t from spring, but from the past—a red-tailed hawk skull. Thanks to my husband, we had the opportunity to examine this incredible piece of nature up close. The kids had some fantastic observations and questions:
🦅 “It has a curved beak because it’s a predator.”
👀 “I wonder why the eye hole is so big?”
🦴 “I wonder what attached to this part here… oh! I think it’s the neck!”
It was amazing to see their curiosity come to life as they pieced together what this bird’s life might have been like.
Birdwatching at Our Sit Spot
At our bird-watching sit spot, we were lucky to spot sparrows, a bald eagle, and our brave little chickadee—who now eats from the feeder while we stand right beside it! Slowly but surely, we’re earning its trust.
Snow Forts & Forest Caves
Even with the warming weather, there’s still plenty of snow to enjoy! During free play, the kids transformed a snow fort into their own cozy hideaway. They:
❄️ Dug new tunnels and holes
🛋️ Built “couches” out of packed snow
🌲 Decorated the entrance with fallen pine needles
🥨 Snacked inside their “cave”
It’s incredible to watch their creativity take over in these moments of unstructured play.
Maple Trees & Gratitude
While enjoying our snacks, I read two Indigenous legends about maple syrup—Manabozho and the Maple Tree and The Legend of Chief Woksis. We talked about the hard work it takes to turn sap into syrup, and what that teaches us about gratitude and appreciation. The kids shared ideas on how we can thank the trees for their gifts:
🍁 Leaving small offerings
🌳 Giving them hugs
🌿 Taking care of them—no peeling bark or snapping branches
Afterward, we set out to identify maple trees for tapping. We learned how to tell sugar maple and Norway maple apart by their bark, and we also practiced identifying trees by looking for opposite vs. alternate branching—a simple trick to determine if a tree belongs to the maple family.
Tree Huggers & Tapping Trees
Hugging trees is already a regular part of our forest school days, but today, we learned how tree hugs can help with maple syrup too! How do we know if a tree is big enough to tap? By wrapping our arms around it! If our fingertips don’t touch, it’s ready to share its sap.
Exploring Riverwood Arches
We visited a new spot this week—one that didn’t have a name yet. After some discussion, we decided to call it Riverwood Arches, inspired by the two beautiful arching trees that frame the space. There’s something special about naming a place together—it makes it feel like ours.
In this cozy thicket, we spent the afternoon:
🌳 Climbing trees
☃️ Rolling giant snowballs
🐕 Building a “snow dog”
🍃 Swinging on vines
It’s already becoming a favorite, and we can’t wait to return!
Meeting Our Feathered Friends
Finding the ducks and geese took a bit of a hike this time, but it was well worth it! We’ve been feeding them for a few weeks now, and our connections are growing. While Alfred, our fully white duck still stands out, we’re getting to know others too—Cappuccino, Remi, Bobby, and Petunia.
Spending time in the same places each week allows us to form deep connections with nature. We start to recognize the trees, the plants, the animals, and recognize that we’re not apart from nature, we’re a part of it. The more we observe, the more we care.
As spring slowly makes its way to us, we’ll keep watching, listening, and wondering—because nature always has something new to teach.
Thanks for a great day Earthkeepers!
