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The Greenway Foundation

The Greenway Foundation

Revitalizing Rivers. Reconnecting Communities.

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October Camps: Spines, Stories, Scales, and Slime

Thursday, No Backbones Required

What do insects, spiders, snails, and centipedes have in common? They’ve got no spine! Today we investigated decomposers, predator-prey relationships, and played games that helped us understand the strange characteristics of invertebrates. In the afternoon we even dove into the river to search for more specific kinds of invertebrates called macroinvertebrates; like crawdads, scuds, and many kinds of larvae that need the river to survive. 

Friday, Legends & Lore  

On this chilly Friday we explored nature through the lens of Native Americans and Indigenous animals learning nature stories, legends, and oral histories!  We told stories of our own and ones all about the importance of animals in modern and ancient societies of Colorado. We created comic book pages full of lore for Chompers, ourselves, and the other critters in and along the South Platte River. Then, we took to the river to find lots of these critters as well. Luckily the crawdads love how cold the water was. 

Monday, Scales & Slime

For our last in October we searched for snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs, and toads. We visited the aquatic habitats of our amphibian friends and sunny spots where reptiles may be found in and along the river. We saw a river snake slither from one habitat to another as it crossed the South Platte River and explored the differences between snake scales and salamander slime. 

Published: October 16, 2023
Category: Elementary, SPREETag: Camp, Johnson Habitat Park
SPREE

About SPREE

South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) has been introducing Denver area youth to the river through school excursions, day camps, weekend events, internships, and summer employment for over 40 years. Learn More

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The Greenway Foundation

1820 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202

info@greenwayfoundation.org

303.481.1974

FEIN: 51-0193575

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