I recall many days of my childhood in Ontario, Canada on school field trips where we were asked to identify trees, plants and animals. These were always great memories for me and helped opened my eyes to the natural world all around us…even in our very own backyards. Looking back now, I’m amazed at how much emphasis, the canadian public schools placed on educating their youth about nature. It has certainly left a lasting impression upon me and how I view the world. I try to pass this wonder on to future generations.

The weather this past week has just been perfect in the central and western parts of Virginia. Fall is certainly underway and we have been trying to get out as much as possible to soak it all in. This was a great opportunity to do some leaf hunting. My son has enjoyed watching the leaves change and he also loves tree identification with his trusty tree guide. We didn’t have to go far, we had enough species of trees in our neighborhood to keep him occupied with a good field activity. We were going to collect leaves and seal them up in wax paper.

We hunted for acorns of many varieties of oak: white oak, red oak, chestnut oaks. It appeared that sugar maples were still far from turning in our neighborhood. Gum trees were yellowing and so were sycamores.

Once you have found your collection of leaves, simply lay them out on kitchen wax paper. Cover it with another layer of wax paper and iron them. The heat will keep the two papers adhered to one another and your leaves preserved inside.

All in all, it was great way to get outside, feel the sun and admire nature. Enjoy and be safe everyone.