Howdy Folks!
It certainly has been an interesting winter so far, hasn’t it?
I can’t help feeling excited as we draw nearer towards the summer months. There is still a thin coating of ice left on the ground, but the days have been bright, sunny, and rather mild. Purple finches, black-capped chickadees, and white-breasted nuthatches have been singing melodiously in the trees, while at night, I have been hearing the haunting calls of the barred owl as well as a rather spooky sounding eastern screech owl.
Walking in the forest incites such a sense of wonder. As I roam around the sanctuary, it is difficult not to smile as you see the small sprigs of wildflowers poking out from underneath a patch of ice.There is a wonderful sense of joy that I get hearing the scurrying of squirrels and chipmunks amongst the snow-covered leaves. Already, it smells like summer. The pine needles on the ground have been heated long enough by the sun to release their fragrant aroma, a smell that takes me back to my very first year at Wildwood.
The deer have been drastically more active as the snow continues to melt. Surely, the know that soon spring will be here. The gardens will be turned over soon, allowing last year’s plants to return their nutrients to the earth and help ensure another excellent harvest. I can only hope that we have enough hands available to help take in the wonderful bounty that is our gardens.
Spring is almost upon us, and with it, the promise of another amazing camp season. I dearly hope to see all of you there again.
Get up, get out, and enjoy nature!
-Johnathon