Native November and Secrets of the Forest

Monday: Native November

With Thanksgiving right around the corner we dedicated this day of School Break Camp to the acknowledgement of the indigenous people that have lived on and cultivated the land around the South Platte River before us. We studied the animals that the indigenous people would have shared the land with, what they might use the animals for, and some tools they would have made. We also learned about some of the stories and games that have been passed down through generations to share knowledge about the land and its creation, and to have fun recreating. We waited for the sun to heat up the river before getting in for Critter Crawl and finding so many cool critters. Most of which would have been in the river while the indigenous people lived along it.

Tuesday: Secrets of the Forest

On this super sunny Tuesday we spent lots of time exploring the urban forest around us. We encountered a pair of kestrels, lots of native plants, and of course many critters at Critter Crawl. We also dug into the complex ways that trees and fungi can communicate with each other. Then we dissected the ways in which trees and human bodies are similar and different. As always, lots of crafts were made and laughs were had. Overall, we had an amazing last two days to the SPREE Camp year.