Nature in Winter – 5 Activities for Alberta Families!

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We’ve got some ideas to help families make the most of their winter experiences in nature without spending a lot of cash!

 

  1. GET A CLOSER LOOK AT ICE AND SNOW CRYSTALS

    Head out to the trails on a frosty morning with a magnifying glass or your camera! Humid conditions in winter can create the most beautiful frosty crystals! Look for crystals on the surface of seed pods, spruce needles or moss. Collect falling snowflakes on a cold scarf to get a closer look at their beautiful shapes.
    Take a magnifying glass or use the macro setting on your phone and get some photos of the crystals you find.

  2.  BRING NATURE INDOORS

    When it’s just too cold, bring out your collection of pine cones, feathers and rocks! Create an arrangement of natural objects on your kitchen table. Practice drawing or painting nature in the comfort of your home.

  3. KIDS COLLECT WEATHER INFO!

    Kids! Keep a weather journal! Write down the coldest and warmest temperatures each day. Take a ruler outside after a snowfall and document the depth of a fresh snowfall. You can even calculate monthly averages to practice your math skills! Download free printable weather charts for kids here.

  4. GO ON A HUNT FOR SIGNS OF WILD ANIMALS IN FORESTS AND PARKS NEAR YOU

    How many types of animals live in our local parks and wild places? After a fresh snowfall, you will be amazed at the clues you can find about who lives in the forests and parks near you. Head out to a less traveled area for hiking and look for signs of animals – from tracks and scat to nibbled shrubs to old nests and tree cavities to antler rubs! The forest can reveal so much if you use your best observation skills. Download Alberta Parks Animal Tracks Booklet here.  

  5. GO ON A LICHEN HUNT!

    Did you know that we have around 1100 species of lichens in Alberta? Some have cool common names, like pixie cups, fairy puke or British soldiers. Lichens are actually not a single organism, but a combination of fungi, algae and sometimes bacteria. They live in a symbiotic relationship and have unique traits (shape, colour, substrate, etc.). You can find lichens on tree bark, rocks, metal, rotting stumps, on the ground, on old fence posts, etc. Take a magnifying glass to get a close look.  How many different types can you spot in our local forests? Visit Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute’s Lichen page for information on lichen identification.