Keep Wimberley Beautiful

Schools in Hays County are closed due to COVID-19 for the foreseeable future.

Are you an adult (be you parent, grandparent or teacher) looking for ideas of ways to interest youngsters in a stimulating and productive activity? Let me tell you about the new child-oriented Facebook page developed by the local Master Naturalists of Hays County.

Outdoor activities are restricted to backyards and neighborhood walks. So Hays County Master Naturalists created a kid-friendly Facebook page to virtually introduce youngsters to nature. Their teachers might even find it a useful resource in this age of virtual classrooms.

E-Nature for Kids ( https://www.facebook.com/HaysCountyMasterNaturalistKids/ ) is posting periodic updates on plants, butterflies, birds, etc. that people (including kids) might see on neighborhood walks in Central Texas. Last week, for example, I posted a picture of Damianita which is now blooming and visible on a neighborhood walk. Some questions (along with the answers) designed to enhance learning and observation are included if you click on the “see more” button.

Wow this is fun. I always wondered what that plant is. A Master Naturalist posted a picture of Antelope-Horns Milkweed that is also blooming now. They even posted a milkweed with a caterpillar in it along with a description of Monarch Butterflies who depend on Milkweed. There are also links to online nature activities cooped-up kids might enjoy.

I especially liked two of the posted videos. One was of a deer and a turkey interacting! Another video showed a porcupine climbing up a tree. What is so great about E-Nature for Kids is that many of these postings are local Hill Country plants and animals that share our environment. So if you want to know what is going on in nature in Hill Country and enhance your outdoor time, have a look at E-Nature for Kids. It is okay, you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it.

Written by Jackie Mattice,

Hays County Master Naturalist