Grab & Go Kids Planner: Track Wild Animals and Leave No Child Inside

After a short tease of spring last week, winter has made it clear that it is not letting go so easy. Yet, as I prepare this, last nights snow clings to the branches and I cannot help but look out the window and admire the beauty. Add a few brilliantly colored Cardinals to the display and it is simply breathtaking.

It is certainly time to get the family outside to enjoy the changing of the seasons. Here’s a selection of organized activities you might enjoy with your family.

• The Sierra Club and Pringle Nature Center are teaming up to present the event Leave No Child Inside from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at Pringle Nature Center in Kenosha. Take the entire family as they demonstrate different ways we can enjoy the winter weather. There will be indoor board games as well as outdoor activities. Hot dogs will be cooked over the fire for lunch, but please bring a dish to pass as well. Though registration is not required, it would be appreciated so they can better plan the food.
• One of the ways we can help minimize our impact on the environment is by composting. As a society we tend to bag up and discard, or even burn, the organic fertilizers that nature provides in the form of grass clippings and leaves, and when it comes time to fertilize our gardens, we go to the store and buy fertilizer. This is neither environmentally or financially sound. Attend a Backyard Composting Workshop at Havenwoods State Forest on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and learn how to compost in your own backyard and save money, the environment and grow healthier plants.
• Head out on a Discovery Hike: Winter Animal Tracking and look for signs of animals that are active during the cold months at Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center. Dress for the weather and afterwards enjoy some hot cocoa and a story time. This is happening on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon and is for kids ages 4 and older accompanied by an adult. Call (414) 964-8505 to register.
• The hawks, owls, eagles and other raptors are some of our most fascinating and admired animals. From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Schlitz Audubon Center is presenting a program Sky Hunters: Word with a Bird. Come and get close up views of some of these amazing animals presented by an experienced raptor handler.
• Would you like to teach your children that as stewards of our environment, sometimes it takes a little bit of work? From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, help the crew at Bong work on some projects. Those participating in this workday at Bong State Recreation Area get a free one-day entry to the park as a bonus. This activity is most suitable for ages 10 and up. After the workshop, take advantage of your free pass and go enjoy one of their many trails. For more information or to sign up, call (262) 878-5607.