Nature Superstars: a new children’s program

Keep Wimberley Beautiful often collaborates with other organizations that have similar goals. One of those, the Hays County Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program, recently published a children’s activity and coloring book.

The 25-page book, entitled Beautiful Hays County, has striking artwork, and teacher-designed activities invite elementary- age children into their communities’ natural world. This nature discovery guide showcases eleven sites across Hays County — three here in Wimberley. Children are encouraged to go, know and grow with lessons and illustrations to teach them about bats at Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, geology at Jacob’s Well Natural Area and birds at Patsy Glenn Refuge.

As the book was written, we felt the book should mirror the content of the Texas Master Naturalist training program, so that as children and their parents read and color the book, they can appreciate Hays County’s rich history, natural diversity and remarkable beauty as a naturalist would.

The potential for the book is enormous. Its TEKS alignments and additional resources are online for parents and teachers to expand the lessons in history, science, math, reading and writing.

The most exciting offshoot comes this September. HCMN volunteers will bring the book alive for children with the Nature Superstars program. Free Beautiful Hays County books and stickers will be available on Saturday mornings to encourage children with adult supervision to explore, learn and play in each site’s natural setting.

“Wimberley’s young minds’ opening to nature is not a destination; it’s a journey,” Nature Superstars program coordinator JoAnn DePenning reflected. “In Beautiful Hays County, we encapsulate that journey through activities and illustrations that speak to our children’s innate curiosity. We inspire a sense of wonder that will last their lifetime.”