The hikes, planned and led by Bernadette Hoyer, recently retired preschool teacher, were designed to provide the children with opportunities to see, feel, smell and listen to nature and to provide a positive experience with nature and the outdoors.
The children learned about how to prepare to go on a hike and each packed water and a trial snack. Handy binoculars helped the children to look for colors, signs of animal activity as well as birds and butterflies along the way. The hikes also focused on care and respect for the natural world. The children learned about Leave No Trace ethics and helped to collect litter from the trails.