Friend of Nature

Requirements

• Explain:
  • How to become a friend of nature
  • How to pick a flower and when it is allowed
  • How to protect trees, nests, etc.
• List the names of three different trees and do a bark rubbing of each.
• Collect four different kinds of leaves and compare them.
• Do one of the following:
  • Explore (or observe with a magnifying glass) all the things you can see in a ten square- foot area.
  • Explore a yard or park and talk about what you see.
• Do one of the following:
  • Take a nature walk and collect items of interest.
    • Show or tell about the items you found.
    • Make them into a collage or poster.
  • Visit one of the following and tell what you saw:
    •  Zoo
    • Park
    • Wildlife area
• Grow one plant or one bulb and make drawings of it at three different stages of its growth.

Answers

• Tell how most pollutants are caused by people and their disregard for the creatures God has created. A child is not too young to help by taking proper care of trash and human waste. Teach your group to have an appreciation for the nature God has created and to protect plants, trees, birds, and animals.
• A naturalist may help you with identification. Place paper on tree bark and lightly rub a crayon over the paper. Compare and talk about the different rubbings and how each tree is unique, just as people are, and very special in its own way.
• Collect leaves from at least four different trees. You may wish to teach the children how to press, dry, and preserve them. Compare and study the leaves through a magnifying glass.
• Your search may be for any item of nature found on your walk or just live creatures such as worms, caterpillars, ants, or beetles. Allow the Adventurers time to describe what they have seen.
• When you visit a zoo, park, or wildlife area, etc., search for the smaller, often unnoticed creatures including small birds, animals, plants, and flowers.
• For best results, carefully follow the directions that come with the plant or bulb.