Cute critters in my outdoor class!

I finally got to teach my Habitat Hunters class outside at the old Freels Cabin today! I love doing programs out there! I had 2 4th grade classes from the local Catholic school. After showing them a slide presentation about signs of animals, we headed out to the field. The first thing we saw was a ~3'-long Brown-banded Watersnake; that sure got the kids excited!

While we were in the field near a wet area I heard one of the boys exclaim, "It's a frog!" We were amazed to see several tiny Spring Peepers hopping about. I had to keep reminding them that even though they are tiny ("pinky fingernail-sized), they are not "baby" frogs (that would be a tadpole). One of the moms held a Peeper on her hand so I could get a close-up photo. They are so cute!

Before the group left, they wanted to see the field mice I had seen earlier when I opened the storage cabinets. One pair had made a nest out of insulation material. I got a photo of the male when he jumped up on a roll of duct tape! These mice are cute, but they sure can make a mess! I'm looking forward to having Science Camp at the cabin in a few weeks. This will be my 20th year to do the camp, every year we've had lots of excitement sharing nature with the rising 5th, 6th, and 7th graders!