Our day began and ended with breezy overcast conditions, and as luck would have it, that’s just what was needed to kick our day off with some kite-flying! The winged contraptions were up and soaring as some campers watered our plantings from a few weeks back, and others investigated turtle-shell rattles and tiny drums.
In our morning circle, we whispered our gratitude to our neighbor, and around the circle it went in utter silence. Then we sang a new song, and a couple campers volunteered improvised verses. We were surprised with some amphibian field guides and introduced to what would be our adventure for the day, and we played a game called Amphibian Freeze Tag, where all of us little frogs sought to escape the forced hibernation of winter (and could be “thawed” by the hug or high-five of another frog).
We had snacktime in the field, and discussed what a vernal pool was, and what was an amphibian vs. a reptile, and why would frogs need a vernal pool to safely lay eggs, etc. Then we hiked roundabout to find our way to a vernal pool across the road and down a ways, where some gooey frog eggs were found and held and put carefully back in the water, and many a rotten log was searched in pursuit of salamanders—we found so many! Along came the field guides, into which we looked to match the salamanders we found with their pictures and names.
We hiked back down into Big Field, grabbed our bags, and headed over to camp where free play ensued until lunch, some of which was spent exploring the marsh beside our camp with field guides in hand. The group listened to a story called “Taming the Kelpie,” about a young farmer in Scotland named John who, after the heartbreaking loss of his horse, and the subtle encouragement of an elder, dares to seek the help of a famed and feared “water-horse.” The day ended down in Big Field again, at play.
—River Otter and the Roly Poly Team
April 21, 2022