Individual and Family Activites
AUTUMN SEASON LEADERBOARD (October, November, December)
(this board resets to zero at the start of each season)
Who’s in the lead this season? Build up your Pathway Points by reporting your Landmark activities!
| Placement | Group Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Chickadees | 21 |
| 2 | The Nature Nuts | 12 |
| 3 | The Walmsley Five | 4 |
| 4 | Jackson Family | 3 |
Early Years (birth to 5 years)
Curious Chickadees
Landmark 2 (Meet Animal Friends)
We enjoyed getting to know these curious chickadees on our latest forest hike 🙂
The Nature Nuts – Nov. 7, 2020
Spot the Flock
Landmark #2 (Animal Friends Monthly)
We took a bike ride along a wooded trail near our house this week to enjoy the warm weather. The trial skirts alongside the Otonabee River and we stopped along the way to watch a large flock of Canadian geese resting on the water. We sat quietly at the edge of the river and watched as they tipped upside down in the water to feed or just paddled gently in the water. They didn’t seem to mind that we were there and my daughter thought it was so funny when their tails went straight up in the air. 🙂
The Nature Nuts – Nov 5/20
Fall Hikes!
Landmark #1 (Explore Together Weekly)
We have been enjoying family hikes every weekend this fall. We typically head out on a handful of our favourite routes but today we discovered a new trail system- The Stony Lake Trails. We had so much fun winding our way through new forest routes and discovering new areas to stop and explore.
The Nature Nuts – Oct 25/20
Middle Years (6 to 9 years)
Muddy Puddles
Landmark 11 (Celebrate Each Season)
Our weekend hike was all about mud! The kids had a blast squishing in huge mud puddles along our route. The recent warm and wet weather meant there were lots of muddy parts to choose from!
The Nature Nuts – Nov 29, 2020
Climbable Cedar
Landmark 9 (Special Outdoor Place 2X)
We have been regularly visiting a conservation area close to our house for a full year now. We have explored all the trails and noticed the changes throughout all four seasons. During each hike, the big highlight is always the many climbable cedar trees along the route. The kids eagerly run down the path to search out some of their favourites (which they have named!). No hike is complete without visiting the ‘horse tree’, ‘the sloth tree’ and a group of trees lovingly referred to as ‘the playhouse’.
The Nature Nuts – Nov 8/20
Meadows and Milkweed
Landmark #12 (Nearby Plants and Animals)
Today we went to a nearby conservation area and had so much fun exploring the different trails. While the forest trails are always fun, by far the favourite route to go this time of year is along the meadow trails for one simple reason: milkweed! Today we found the milkweed pods had all burst open and the seeds were spilling out. We spent a long time gathering handfuls of milkweed seeds to blow into the wind!
The Nature Nuts – Nov 7/20
Intermediate (10 to 13 years)
Skateboarding Skills
Landmark #17 (Three New Outdoor Skills)
These little Chickadees took advantage of this amazing November weather to learn a new skill. Skateboarding at the Lakefield Skate Park is a great place to learn!!
The Chickadees – Nov 6/20
Edible Food
Landmark #18 (Natural Area Booklet, Blog or Video)
We looked around the yard for plants that were edible according to the… book.
Then we made our own reference book with what we found.
Chickadees – August 31/20
Cattails
Landmark #17 (Three New Outdoor Skills)
My mom and I went to Barnardo Park with hand clippers and cut some cattails. I only cut down 3 of them that had cattails on them because the brown cattails are the most important part of the plant because it spreads the seeds for plants to grow next year. We brought the tall reeds home and with string I showed my mom how to tie them into a cattail mat. First Nation Peoples used to use this technique to make beds, baskets and clothes. I learned this at Camp Kawartha. I also fluffed the brown cattails and put it in a bag. We brought it camping and use it as a fire starter.
Nature Ninjas – Aug 25/20
Senior (14 to 17 years)
Helping the Earth
Landmark 26 (Volunteer in Three Ways)
After a windy week, a lot of garbage has been noticed blowing around town, so the girls decided to use their break to clean it up!! Safety first of course, as they found these extended arms at the Friendly Dollar Store in Lakefield, to use. Don’t want to actually touch any of the garbage!
The Chickadees – Nov 20, 2020
True Wilderness
Landmark #27 (Wilderness Trip)
Quetico is a true wilderness park – campsites and portages are not marked, the lakes are big, and the portages can be rough.
I’d wanted to paddle Quetico for years, but always figured it was too far to drive. But we all decided it WAS worth the drive … and the drive itself was fantastically scenic for the most part..
The Douglas Family – Aug 17/20
Down the rapids
Landmark #27 (Wilderness Trip)
Our family spent a glorious 8 days canoeing through Quetico Provincial Park. Such a great way to recharge the batteries, and we went DAYS without thinking or talking about COVID. Just us, together, with our two canoes, tents, food great sense of adventure.
The Douglas Family – Aug 16/20