Point Reyes National Seashore Association – 2013 Dinner on the Pacifc Plate Auction
Auction Ends: Sep 22, 2013 05:00 PM PDT

Online Only

Nature Detective Kid Club: Outdoor Nature Games and Exploration at Point Reyes for Twelve

Item Number
152
Estimated Value
Priceless
Sold
1000 USD to stremple
Number of Bids
13  -  Bid History

Item Description

 

Remember one of the greatest joys of childhood ­– spending time outdoors discovering the wonders of nature? Recreate those moments with your children on this amazing 4-hour outdoor detective adventure for twelve with award-winning naturalist, Sharon Barnett of Marin Nature Adventures. 

Sharon will guide your group in the art of becoming official Nature Detectives through the powers of careful observation, nature games and other clues that can tell you a lot about the world around you. With magnifying glasses and binoculars in hand, you will explore a variety of habitats around Point Reyes National Seashore.  Your group will help search for important signs of animal life including tracks, scat, tufts of fur, smells and sounds that may lead to an important discovery. Your group will also learn how to identify key plants, including the ones to stay away from, as we search out leaf shapes, sizes and patterns. This is a perfect adventure for families with children or grandchildren, teachers or environmental educators, or as a unique birthday party idea.  All participants will receive a Point Reyes patch and be inducted as official Point Reyes Nature Detectives.

The winning bidder will also receive three books that will help them learn the importance of spending time out in nature and how to continue to create fun outdoor adventures for generations to come. Your personal library will include: 

Last Child in the Woods, the first book to bring together cutting-edge research showing that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development—physical, emotional, and spiritual. What's more, author Richard Louv, proves nature is a potent therapy for depression, obesity, and ADD.

The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms, a book by nationally recognized naturalist and artist Clare Walker Leslie who has been igniting children’s curiosity about nature for more than 30 years.

I Love Dirt!, by author Jennifer Ward presents 52 open-ended activities to help you engage your child in the outdoors. No matter what your location—from a small patch of green in the city to the wide-open meadows of the country—each activity is meant to promote exploration, stimulate imagination and heighten a child's sense of wonder.

Sharon Barnett is a Terwilliger Environmental Award winner for excellence in environmental education.   She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and sense of wonder with others, especially children -- who love her!  Known to many children as "Sharon Heron", she has been teaching environmental education for more than 10 years.  A native of Upstate New York, she has a BA in Environmental Studies from University at Buffalo, an MS in Education from Dominican University and has studied ecology in California, New York, Florida, and Alaska. Throughout the year, Sharon teaches science at Marin Country Day School and Beginning Hiking for College of Marin. She has also designed and led programs for Point Reyes National Seashore Association’s Field Institute, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Walker Creek Ranch, Richardson Bay Audubon, Marin Art and Garden Center, WildCare, High Country Passage and custom tours through her own company, Marin Nature Adventures.

Gather the kids and become Nature Detectives together, bid today!

Item Special Note

Funds from Dinner on the Pacific Plate Auction help fund important park preservation and environmental education projects at Point Reyes National Seashore. All donations made above fair market value will be tax-deductible.

This package includes:

A 4-hour naturalist-led hike for twelve people, children encouraged. Children must be accompanied by at least two adults. The winning bidder must schedule this event with Sharon Barnett based on availability.

( 12 ) Point Reyes patches for all participants

( 1 ) copy of Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv

( 1 ) copy of The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms by Clare Walker Leslie

( 1 ) copy of I Love Dirt!, by Jennifer Ward

Items can be picked up in Point Reyes, or special arrangements can be made to ship items.

Offer expires September 21, 2014

Learn more about the donor at: www.marinnature.com/