12 April 2008

Last night, we packed up everyone to go over to Indian Creek Nature Center. They were having a frog walk which I thought the children would just have a blast with. Unfortunately, when we left to head over there it was sprinkling a little, so I was hoping we weren't going to have another rash of bad weather that had us hanging out in basements and interior hallways like the night before. When we arrived, there was only two other people there for the walk (and the guide), but we were assured it was still on.

Nate was so excited about seeing the "froggies and fishies" (as he persisted in calling the tadpole). The guide had a small tupperware container of tapioca (bead-like things) in a gelatin-like mixture. Nate stuck his finger in it, "Gross, slimey!" The guide laughed and explained that it is supposed to feel like frog eggs. A while later some other people showed up, late, and she passed around the faux frog eggs again. Nate wandered up to her with a pleading look on her face. She responded, "But you didn't like it last time!" She handed them over and Nate stuck his finger in there gamely. "Slimey!" He wiped his finger on his pants and everyone laughed.

She had one reversible puppet showing how a frog changes from a tadpole to a frog. Nate seemed interested in that. I thought it was pretty neat. After that we all listened to frog calls and ways to remember what they sound like. The spring peepers sound like jingle bells, the western chorus frogs sound like running a finger over a comb, and the leopard frogs (?) sound like a wood pecker.

The trails were flooded so we didn't get to do the "walk" part of the program, but we drove over to the wetlands to hear the frogs in person. Nate was fascinated by the train nearby, but he also loved listening to the frogs. Sammi was, I think, just happy to be doing something other than sitting around the house.

I think one of the more important things she mentioned was that with the way frogs operate - taking in moisture through their permeable skins, etc. - it is really easy for them to become sick from all of the pesticide run-off from people putting chemicals on their lawns and from farmers. She said that frogs are sometimes called the "Barometer of the Environment." She also mentioned that this year has been declared, internationally, the Year of the Frog.

From the Year of the Frog website: "The IUCN has classified four amphibians in the U.S. to be critically endangered, the Mississippi gopher frog, the Chiricahua leopard frog, the mountain yellow-legged frog, and the Wyoming toad. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed thirty-seven amphibian species under the Endangered Species Act. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums may be their only hope for survival."

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Last week, sight unseen, I had talked to one of the women that work at the center about volunteering for them. Aaron, myself, and the kids had so much fun last night that I'm really glad I'd had the faith to do that. I go in on Monday to talk to - ironically - the guide that we had last night about what I can do and where. Meanwhile, tonight they are having a talk by one of the local CSA farmers about her thoughts on why "Food Matters." I'm looking forward to it.

Right now, though, I get to go work on a farm for Local Foods Connection. I'll be honest. My life has gotten a lot more interesting now that I'm volunteering actively in my community. Before I just sat at home watching kids and doing homework. I am enjoying how I'm getting out and doing things (for free!).

I hope your weekends are all doing as well as mine!

Labels: mommy blogging, random, volunteering