Audubon Center

Audubon 1 Audubon 2 Audubon 3 Audubon 4 Audubon 5 Beaver 1 Beaver 2 Beaver 3 Crayfish Evergreen Frog Find Fungus Lichens Millipedes Moose Tracks Moss River Salamander Spring Salamander 1 Spring Salamander 2 Stream Search Water Finds 1 Water Finds 2     Click on any of the links to view student videos from the field trip to the Audubon Center.
On Wednesday, October 10th our classrooms enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at the Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont.  We participated in their Fall Discovery program, exploring the fields, ponds, and forest for evidence that our natural world is preparing for winter.
We participated in activities which taught us about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, different kinds of seeds and how they travel, what lives on and under the forest floor, and the life and hard work of beavers.
The woods and fields of Vermont are filled with many different kinds of seeds.  Each kind has its own method of travel, allowing them to scatter themselves throughout the forest or field.  We learned that some seeds stick to things so they can be carried to other areas of the forest or field.  These seeds are called hitchhikers.  Other seeds are light enough to be carried by the wind.  Some find their way to other areas by allowing themselves to be eaten by various creatures and deposited elsewhere.
The streams of the forest were filled with many kinds of interesting creatures.  We loved seeing how many different kinds we could catch.
	We found a few frogs.  As you can see we were very gentle with them and eventually let them go back to their homes.
Here are some examples of other things we found.
A sample of quartz and gneiss that we brought back and added to our growing rock collection.
Here is a spring salamander that we found.  Our guide from the Audubon Center told us that this is the first one she has ever seen!
The beaver ponds were fun to explore.  We saw evidence that the beavers have been busy preparing for winter.  They are adding to their dams, securing their lodges (homes), and gathering food.
Vermont is a beautiful place to live and learn.  As we left the Audubon Center, we came away with a better understanding of all the hard work that the natural world goes through in order to prepare itself for the upcoming winter.
	Beautiful signs of autumn!

Click on the apple to return to Orchard School's Home Page.

Page created by fourth grade teachers Chantelle Mitchell and Sarah Vachereau
and Donna Macdonald, Orchard School's Library Media Specialist.

Digital images and videos were taken by fourth grade students.

This page last updated: 11/04/07.