Birding

Become a bird expert! Head into the woods in search of our fine feathered friends.  Have you ever come across a bird call in the woods that you didn’t know? The birding adventure pack encourages you to stop, look, and listen to the bird calls and songs you hear around you.

To get started take a look at the different birding hikes provided by the hiking maps in and around Castine and the greater Blue Hill Peninsula. Be sure to use the binoculars in the backpack to help you view birds in the distance.  Unsure of how to use the binoculars? Take a look at the video link in the activity pack before you set out birding. You can also use the guidebooks in the backpack or use the Merlin Bird app on your phone to help you identify and log the bird you hear and see.

To help you preserve and record your birding adventure you might decide to create a journal with the help of the activity pack. You can use your journal for future birding expeditions to note the location, time of day and interesting markings you observe. Look for signs of birds by noticing tracks, feathers, or bird nests on your hike. Then when you have finished your expedition, try some of the suggested imagineering activities to create your own bird or curl up and read some of the fiction and nonfiction books on birds from the suggested reading list.

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Biking

Cycling is a great fun! It keeps you fit and healthy, as well as give you skills to independently navigate everyday tasks. We encourage you to dust off your bike and try some biking trails with your friends and family.

This Biking Adventure Pack takes you onto trails so that you can cycle safely. In the pack you will find different biking trail maps, ideas to help you record and preserve your adventure, books to help you learn about cycling, and tools to help you fix your bike. There is also a list of books for you to read about biking for enjoyment.

Maybe you feel like decorating your bike to add some pizzazz to your spokes or handlebars?  There are items in the backpack that you can use to give your bike a makeover. Use objects you might have at home to create some noise as you go riding down the street.

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Hiking

The Hiking Adventure Pack is designed so that you unplug from technology and enter the world of nature. Robort Frost had the right idea when he took the road less traveled and we at Witherle Memorial Library hope you will too.

Get started by checking out the hiking activity packet. There are trail maps included to help you plan your journey. Choose a path from the many hiking quests at varying levels of difficulty and with different flora and fauna.  Learn how to use a compass to help you chart your course or follow a map. Always remember to let someone where you will be hiking if you are walking alone.

The guidebooks included in the backpack will help you identify animal tracks anytime of the year and locate plants and animals as well. You can choose to record your information in a journal or create your own nature bingo for your friends and family to enjoy.

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Insects

Whether you love or even hate insects this backpack is for you!  Insects make up 80% of the species that live on land, and include bees, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers, and beetles, just to get started. People cannot live without them as they are essential to the production of seeds, fruits, and vegetables through pollination as well as help to break down organic matter and even keep other pests away.  We need insects, so let’s learn about how interesting they are. This backpack will help see them up close as the fascinating creatures that they are.

Included in the pack are an insect net, a two-way magnifier that magnifies at 4X and 6X, an observation net that expands so you can view the insect moving, a dual-purpose observation container that allows you to view the insect from the bottom and the top.  Animal Safety! It is important when you capture insects using a bug jar or a net that you do so in a humane manner and are careful to let the insect go when you are finished observing them.

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Nighttime Exploration

The Nighttime Exploration Adventure Pack helps you explore the night sky and all of the creatures that make nighttime their time to venture out. 

The backpack includes two books  to help you familiarize yourself with creatures that are active at night, like owls, deer and spiders, oh my!   First, let’s take a look at the book, Wait Till It Gets Dark by Anita Sanchez and George Steele. Each chapter of the book spotlights a different nocturnal creature. And while learning about animals’ adaptations for navigating the world of night, you’ll discover your own surprising abilities.  The second book is, Night Creepers by Linda Stanek. This picture book will introduce readers young and old to animals that are active at night.  

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Rocks and Minerals

Rockhounding can be as simple as digging near hills or slopes or as adventurous as hiking and observing the many rock formations in a national park. Don’t forget to explore the beaches of Castine at low tide so that you can see the different types of rocks that wash up.  If you are collecting on rock faces do so with parent supervision.

The backpack includes books and specimens to help you to identify and better understand the rocks and minerals you locate. The first book to use in the pack is called Rock Hunt.  This book will take you through the steps to creating your own rock collections. You can use the specimen samples to help you identify the rocks and minerals that you find.  The Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals and Everything Rocks and Minerals will help you identify and track your treasures. Who doesn’t like fossils? You may not discover any fossils while you prospect, so we have included a fossil guidebook and a fossil collection that contains 15 genuine specimens for you to examine.

We have included safety goggles to protect your eyes while you are hammering rocks apart, a short-handed shovel for digging in rocky soil, a rock hammer to help you split and break rocks, and gloves to protect your hands.

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Seashore

Time to explore Castine’s beaches.  This backpack includes items for exploring and learning about the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it.

To get started take a look at the activity pack that is located in the backpack.  The activities take you on a critter patrol using the guidebook, Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars: Take-Along Guide. The guidebook will help you identify plant life as well as organisms such as clams, mussels, and crabs.  You can go in search of tide pools at the backshore or the mudflats at Hatch cove. A map with descriptions and directions will help you locate the pools. You might try a beach scavenger hunt using the alphaboxes sheet in the packet. Test your knowledge of all things ocean and beach.

When you are tired and need some relaxation, how about taking out the sand toys and building a sandcastle or other imaginary structure on the beach. You might want to play a game of tic tac toe in the sand using the directions in the packet or search for shells.

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