Nature Center and Plants

Monday, April 12th we went with some of members from our northern Virginia homeschool group to a nature center to have a talk/walk about plants. This fit in nicely with the plant unit we've just started for science. We didn't actually know any of the people* in this smaller group, one mom planned the fieldtrip and invited anyone in the larger group who was interested to come along. Our homeschool group is for LDS homeschoolers in all of northern Virginia, so they were all from a city further away that I've barely heard of. One of the moms set it up for us to take this tour at the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park.


More Bluebells. Our park ranger told us they only bloom in the shady wet places near a stream or creek and are only out for a few weeks.


This park used to be a farm so the trees are only 80-90 years old. One of the trees, our guide pointed out to us, had a poison ivy vine wrapped around it that she guessed was 80-90 years old as well. It was 3-4 inches in diameter. Yikes.


The group of kids (or some of them) under a Dogwood tree (Virginia's state tree and flower). Buddy and Princes Sparkley are on the far right.


Just my three under the Dogwood tree with the Walney Learning Center in the background.


My boys.

*We'd been there about five minutes when the mom who planned it asked if my daughter knew some of the other kids. I looked over and saw that Princess Sparkley had already found the other girl about her age and they were BFF going around the nature center looking at turtles** and fish together.

**Two of the little turtles were out of the water, one using the other as a stepping stool for his front legs as they sunned on a rock in the lamp's light. Baby X told me "Two turtles. Two turtles cuddling."