Penguin Adventure – Nature Study at the Reserve

Galápagos Penguin Adventure Study at Betty Steflik Memorial Reserve

Yesterday, Emmett and I went to Betty Steflik Memorial Reserve for nature study club and Fun Friday. The shade was chilly and the sunshine felt great. It was really the perfect weather to study the Galápagos. Emmett had some free play before we sat down. At noon we ate our packed lunch. Something about eating picnic style makes food taste better. After we cleaned up we started studying. I brought some penguin adventure pages to test out and use in our nature journals. I’m really happy with how they turned out.

Emmett and I talked about the Galápagos Islands, the equator, and all about Galápagos Penguins. We even pretended to be Galápagos Penguins shading our “webbed feet” from the sun using our arms. To use the worksheet I designed, Emmett read all the info and we talked more about it as he went through it. He drew a line representing the equator on the map. Underlined parts that were important to him. He colored the penguin. To finish off the “lesson” he logged what he learned and observed in his field journal.

After Our Penguin Adventure Study

My parents, sister, and nephews joined us for a walk around the reserve when we were finished with our studies. The wooden walking trails were unique to us. You don’t often find them while mountain hiking in Virginia. We were lucky to be there while the tide was low. The clear water made it easy to see lots of wildlife beneath the water’s surface.

At the completion of our hike we spotted a gopher tortoise. It was a truly amazing sight to see. The gopher tortoise is a shy, vulnerable species in Florida. We stood at a distance and observed it quietly. Before I could take a photo, the gopher tortoise went back into its sandy burrow. My camera was still filled with amazing wildlife. I’m hoping I might get the chance to see it again sometime.

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Tip for Expedition Leaders:

Before diving into species studies, introduce your homeschooler to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. You’ll find a circular icon on my animal pages with text inside. These icons represent the specie’s conservation status at the time I created the page. This is a great way to bring kids awareness about endangered species.