Good Morning Watershed Explorers,
Happy Monday! You are doing great learning from home, keep working hard!
Have you heard the saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes." This is a call for preparation. There are several guidelines that explorers can follow to ensure that every visit to nature stays safe and fun.
Clothing is just the beginning, but it is one of the most crucial. Not wearing the right clothes can mean the difference between an exceptional experience in nature and a disastrous one. Dressing in layers can be extremely helpful, especially since Rhode Island weather can change hour to hour. Layers will allow an explorer to either remove or put items back on to suit the temperature. A good raincoat and boots are helpful too. If you want to be even more prepared and are exploring nature often, rainpants are a fantastic addition to the outdoor wardrobe. Many explorers lack the proper footwear for exploration. Having a solid pair of hiking boots or sneakers can keep your footing secure and your feet comfortable on any terrain (ground). If you are just out in the backyard, any sneakers should work, but if you are heading out to the woods a solid pair of shoes might be needed. Explorers who dress properly can spend the whole day enjoying nature and keep the weather from dictating their time.
As we approach the warmer months, bugs will definitely start to impact exploring. Putting some safe insect repellant on clothes and hats can keep biting insects from being super pesky. Ticks are another beast altogether. However, performing a nightly tick check will help to keep explorers safe. Ticks need to be attached to the skin for more than 24 hours before they can transmit disease, so a thorough nightly tick check should do the trick!
Sun is another factor that can brighten, or darken an explorer experience. Explorers should apply sunscreen prior to heading out to explore and reapply if exploration is longer than a few hours. Wearing a hat and sunglasses can also help to limit exposure. If it isn't too warm it would also help to keep on long sleeves and pants!
Hydration is important too. This means filling your body with lots of water. No explorer wants to faint while exploring!
Poison Ivy is a plant that can turn a positive day of exploring into a negative one. Here is a great site to visit so that you can learn to identify poison ivy and be able to avoid it! This site is nice because it shows how poison ivy looks in different seasons. https://www.poison-ivy.org/identify-poison-ivy-poison-oak You can also visit GoLocalprov to read this great article on poison ivy https://www.golocalprov.com/health/three-plants-that-might-ruin-your-day
Explorers should not only remember to keep themselves safe, but also their environment too. Remember the saying, "take only pictures, and leave only footprints". If you keep yourself and the environment safe, exploring will be a very positive experience!
Much Love,
Mrs. Morissette