Another Monday at the Pond

This was our final Monday heading to the same pond.

This week we focused on beavers.

We started by walking around the edge of the pond looking for signs

that a beaver had been here.

We found several old trees that had been chewed.

 

We also searched in among the grass at the edge of the pond

in hopes of finding frog eggs.

We did find eggs but they were salamander eggs

so we put them back.

As we walked around the park I asked the children to collect thin sticks

so we could build our own beaver lodge.

We talked about how beavers cut down the trees.

That their teeth are much stronger than ours.

Since we couldn't use our teeth to cut the branches we collected,

and I didn't think the parents would be happy if I gave

their children knives, I brought vegetable peelers to do the job.

It took some practice and most had success with peeling the bark off.

With our sticks we built a lodge starting with sticking the sticks

up like a teepee.

We added mud from the pond to help hold it together.

I was impressed how the children really got into handling the mud.

Our finished lodge.

When asked how the beavers get into their lodge, a few children answered;

by underground.

Next the children completed the last page in their pond study booklets.

Draw a beaver and it's home.

Pretty awesome picures.

Finally we had visitors from Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society

talk with us about beavers.

They introduced a lot of new vocabulary for us, like;

semi-aquatic, mammal, herbivore, and more.

A friend lent me a beaver skull and we were able to check out it's teeth.

Next week we will visit a different pond.

In the meantime another friend shared this great video about 

beavers.