Maple Tree "Helicopters"

Leanne over on the FIAR boards has just begun a weekly Nature Study challenge with the goal of getting all of us outdoors to focus on and enjoy God's creation all around us.  This week the topic is to choose a tree to follow as the seasons change.  

The kids had begun studying our Maple trees this past spring (before I dropped the ball when baby arrived).  We attended an Audubon Society class on maple sugaring in March and received a ton of great maple materials - so those all got pulled out again today.  I presented the kids with the pile of coloring pages before lunch and allowed them to flip through and color for as long as they wanted.  Later in the day I sent them out to study the trees on their own.  My oldest was excited to identify the trees herself and commented that it was much easier "when the trees are wearing their leaves."  After a while of poking, picking, climbing, kicking, hanging, and pulling on our poor Silver Maple trees, they became fascinated with the seeds - which we call "helicopters," and we had a great time throwing them up into the air and watching them spin and float on the breeze.     

Back inside we made these seed toys from another great handout at the Audubon Society:

I remember playing with maple seeds with my sisters when we were kids.  We loved them!  Each spring we would happily toss handfuls up into the air and watch them twist and turn their way back to the grass.  You know what - I did exactly the same thing today, and I loved it just as much.  It's funny how simple things can make you feel so happy.

And on a completely unrelated nature note:

We have a pair of bald eagles nesting on Blueberry Island directly across from our living-room window at camp.  We noticed them last weekend and could see the progress on the nest when we returned 4 days later.   It was too windy and cold for me and the baby to go in the boat to get a close-up view, but we'll try to go and take some photos next weekend.  How amazing is that?