Wildlife Animal Camp: Wednesday
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Welcome to Day 3 of Wildlife Animal Camp! We're already halfway through the week and looking forward to all the fun in store.
Garden duties vary from day to day. There are times when we need to get down in the dirt and pick weeds and others when we can spend time harvesting fresh veggies right from the ground. Pepper groups did a little bit of both today. The green beans picked by the Yellow Peppers will be used in Garden Kitchen later this week!
Morning Garden Kitchen started off with a tasty Baba Ghanoush. Campers helped by squeezing lemons, chopping garlic and scooping out the cooked eggplant. Afternoon snack and photos are listed below.
Veggie Bird Nests
- 2 leeks, shredded
- ¼ head of cabbage, shredded
- 4-5 medium potatoes
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions: In a large bowl, toss leeks, cabbage and potatoes to combine. Squeeze firmly 5-6 times to slightly wilt them and drain excess liquid. Add the eggs, flour, salt and pepper and mix until well coated. Next heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place as many mini “bird nests” (about two and a half inches in diameter) on the cooking surface as possible. Cook four minutes on each side until a deep golden brown.
Many campers haven't experienced holding or petting chickens prior to visiting Tollgate. Week after week, getting to hold chickens seems to be a favorite among the kiddos.
We discovered some wildlife around the pond! Orange Peppers stumbled upon a crayfish on their way to canoeing. Miss Katy and a few Stewards scooped it up in a habitat container so that campers could take a closer look. After making a few observations, they released it near the pond.
Campers partnered up and joined a Steward or SIT to take their turn around the pond in the canoes.
We've really been making it a priority to cool off this week. What better way than running through the sprinkler!
One of our STEM projects this week has been Nest Building. We saw campers using a multitude of techniques to put their nests together. Some found that they needed help making their twigs stay together so they opted for tying with long grass or creating a paste from mud. All methods had their pros and cons.
In an effort to explore more of the wildlife around us, Pepper Groups went on a hike. Their focus was on the different vernal ponds that are housed in our woods. We found that there was an abundance of frogs. Green Peppers had a really interesting conversation about what makes a vernal pond different from a normal pond.
When asked if they thought that fish could live in a vernal pool, one Green Pepper had the following response,
"No, because it's too shallow and dries up during some of the year."
They were really thinking about what an environment needs to have in order for different species to survive. They found that while fish couldn't thrive there, the ponds were great for mosquitos and frogs.
Reminder: Send your camper with a bathing suit and towel since we will be setting up a slip and slide in the afternoon. Closing Ceremony begins at 3:30!
Additional Safety Tip: While we do our best to protect ourselves from bug bites and sunburns, some accidents inevitably happen. Be sure to check your camper for bug bites and even ticks every evening. Our proximity to these natural hazards puts us at risk for exposure.
