We went on a school field trip yesterday with some of the home school moms and kids in our Wednesday group. We went to Bays Mountain Park and spent the day. While we were there we learned a lot and witnessed some incredible nature. We prepared for our trip by studying snakes and Wolves. This was so they could appreciate these creatures as well as not be frightened by them.
We actually got to watch them feed the wolves. A mamma-to-be dear had been hit by a car and so the park recycled this road-kill into a meal for the pack of wolves. They will actually travel 25 mile radius to get road kill so if you hit an animal or witness a fresh kill call them. It makes the loss of the life of the animal worthy... at least I think so. (I am one who dodges wooly worms in the fall as I see them on the road and I cried once when Ernie ran over a turtle which I had him turn around to try to save.) Anyhow...
This was a fabulous lesson conclusion on predators and prey (without the hunt and actually death of the animal witnessed). It also was an interesting lesson where baby dear come from. I am sad to say the dear had twins in her belly which is typical for dear to give birth to twins.
And speaking of babies, we moms learned how snakes mate. Not that we rubbernecked or anything. It was kind of funny (I'm snickering like a teenager here). We diverted the attention of the girls to the other snakes so as not to have to breech any questions. I really don't think they would have noticed, but still...
Here are my pictures. Beware some are a little gruesome. It wasn't really that bad. It wasn't at all what I expected. They did not attack it and the Alpha male made the under dogs do all the work. I never thought about how much work it is for these dogs to eat. I love how the male in charge sat back and let the others do the work.
When I was their age, I was still at the Bambi level!
ReplyDeleteme too, dennis! bambi's dad dying was about all the dead deer i could stand.
ReplyDelete:) We had long discussions about hunting and eating real animals when Olivia was much much younger. Her uncle Danny is a big time hunter and Ernie likes to hunt so we had to talk about eating meat and where it comes from and that God says it is ok. You all are funny. It is all natural. Those wolves just don't have the thumbs and tools necessary for making the job easy and not messy.
ReplyDeleteI won't get into other things that are shocking to most that my girls are not affected by. :)
effected I mean.
ReplyDelete