Little Boots at Miami Whitewater

Little Boots Hiking Club went to Miami Whitewater Forest on Oakleaf Trail, which we had checked out earlier (see previous post), but this time we had a little more excitement.

Snake

Another Snake

Another Another Snake

Turtles

Beaver evidence!

We started our adventure with new friends as we continue to learn about Leave No trace and on this hike it was "leave room from the wildlife" because we were able to see quite a bit of it today. One of the first signs of wildlife was the evidence of beavers! I am still so excited to possibly see beavers one day. We prepared a goodie bag and had a few things for families to do after the hike as they talked about what they saw and the new friends that they made!

Beavers are busy busy mammals and they reengineer the land. When available beavers burrow in the banks of rivers and lakes. We think that these two creeks off of the main lake are becoming beaver dams. It is unconfirmed at this point. But beavers also transform less suitable habitats by building dams which is what we think happened in this area. Felling and gnawing trees with their strong teeth they create massive structures to block the creek and turn it into a larger pond.

A few missing people, but look at these amazing Little Boot Hiking Club members!

Snake Sighting #1 and #2

Snake Sighting #3

We made sure all Little Boots could get a good look, but also stay away from the snake and its habitat.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Lao Tzu) In the end, the kids loved the hike and it was a successful hike. We made new friends and were able to have new experiences. We hope to not just have #guentheradventures, but continue our adventures with #littlebootshikingclub

Here is what we packed in the goodie bags:

1. Recipe

2. Beaver Coloring Page

3. Make a Beaver craft