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Descubre el Bosque — Discover the Forest
August 18, 2023
We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it...
-George Eliot, 1819-1880, The Mill on the Floss
-George Eliot, 1819-1880, The Mill on the Floss
The quote above continues:
…if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers as we sat lisping to ourselves on the grass, the same hips and haws on the autumn hedgerows, the same redbreasts that we used to call ‘God’s birds’ because they did no harm to the precious crops. What novelty is worth that sweet monotony where everything is known and loved because it is known?
For many, it seems difficult to find our way to ‘the earth’ as George Eliot describes — to spaces abundant with flowers, birds, trees and nature. Thus, I was delighted by a recent conversation with Alice Cohen, Environmental Education Specialist for the United States Forest Service. In our wide-ranging conversation, she shared Discover the Forest / Descubre el Bosque. Whether you’re in urban, suburban or rural areas, these fabulous twin websites help you map your local forests, parks and nature programs, offering helpful information including brief descriptions, distance and directions, featured activities and web links.
The sites also offer activity suggestions for anyone wishing to explore these places with children – including tips on identifying plants, trees or rocks, stargazing, fossil hunting, navigation and geocaching, and even digital storybooks to complete with your own nature photos.
The sites, developed by the US Forest Service and several partners, would be a wonderful resource to inspire field trips and explorations or to share with families.
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsEugene, OR, United States
Cheryl, I'm glad you found this helpful! And thank you for the important work you're doing to connect children and families with nature! You might also like what you find in the family resources from natureexplore.org (The Families' Club Kit) and the many resources linked at the Children and Nature Network.
self employed
San Marcos, TX, United States
Thanks for sharing this wonderful resource. I am in the process of developing a nature enrichment morning for a local playgroup for mommies with infants thru preschool. I also run a nature camp every June for 4-10 yr olds. Always looking for new resources, Thanks!
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