‘Spring Critter Roundup’ For Children During Vacation Week

WOODBURY — Students in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 are invited to participate in spring vacation workshops at Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust during the week of April 17-21.

The program is called “Spring Critter Roundup,” and each day will focus on a different animal theme. Participants will explore wild places within the Flanders campus and learn about various habitats and animals. Playful activities will increase environmental awareness and build a love of the natural world.

Program topics will be as follows:

*Monday, April 17: “Keep on Track,” with children learning about tracking wild mammals that make their home within the Flanders 200-acre nature sanctuary, and discovering predator-prey relationships, animal defenses, and diversity in the animal kingdom;

*Tuesday, April 18: “From Eggs to Legs,” where children will spend time bird watching and looking for nests and seeing if there are any eggs being hatched, and listening to bird calls, learning about bird behavior, and building a bird puppet;

*Wednesday, April 19: “Pond Plunge,” when students will grab a net and a bucket and hike to the pond to discover frogs, tadpoles, turtles, dragonflies, and salamanders, catching and releasing a variety of critters;

*Thursday, April 20: “Farming Friends,” which will start with a hike to Flanders’s North Barn to see sheep, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, a horse and a donkey, and then continue with a visit the antique tool museum and a hayride; and then

*Friday, April 21: “Insect Investigations,” when children will spend some time looking under logs to find bugs and slugs, and hike to discover beetles, ants, caterpillars and some crawly surprises.

Pre-K sessions will be held from 10 am to noon, and students in kindergarten to grade 5 will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost per session is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers.

Students may enroll in one or multiple sessions. Participants should dress for outdoor activities and bring a snack.

Registration and prepayment is required. Call Flanders at 203-263-3711 for more information on this and other Flanders programs.

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering educational programs for all ages and to land conservation and stewardship efforts.