Wellfleet Conservation Trust announces Tales & Trails: Nature Walks for Young Explorers, a new program of after-school walks through some of Wellfleet’s conservation areas. The walks will be led by Heidi Clemmer, author of a new series of nature books for children. The program will expose kids and families to the beauty of Wellfleet’s conservation lands while teaching them about the habitats and wildlife of the outer Cape. Each of the walks will focus on a different eco-system and will be paired with one of the books in her series.
There are six walks throughout the year. The program represents an expansion of a pilot walk offered last October, when a group of nine elementary school children listened to Clemmer’s Salt Marsh Secrets and then explored the salt marsh eco-system around Hamblen Island Park and Uncle Tim’s Bridge. “The first walk was so well received by kids and parents alike that we decided to offer more,” commented WCT President Dennis O’Connell, “and we are delighted to work with Heidi Clemmer.”
After 21 years as an elementary school teacher, Heidi Clemmer retired and decided to devote her leisure time and energies to her true passion: teaching children about nature. With illustrator and collaborator Marisa Picariello, she has launched an ambitious nine-title nature book series called Cape Cod Eco-Tales. Tales & Trails: Nature Walks for Young Explorers is a program that combines the educational content of Clemmer’s books with a live ‘hands-on’ experience in Wellfleet’s conservation areas.
On the walks, children get to listen, explore and create: they hear a nature story told by the author herself, explore the corresponding ecosystem, and then create their own souvenir of the experience in art, writing, or photography. “In addition to being a thoroughly enjoyable family activity, we hope it will foster an early appreciation of our surrounding natural resources in our kids,” added O’Connell, “something they can keep throughout their lifetimes.”
The walks are planned for Wednesday afternoons and are geared towards children 6-9 accompanied by an adult, although all are welcome. There is no cost to participate. Advance registration is required. The walks begin at 2:30PM at locations designated on the WCT website. Tales & Trails is funded by WCT and supported in part by a grant from the Wellfleet Cultural Council, a local agency which receives funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
See photos and descriptions from specific Tales & Trails events here.
Wellfleet Conservation Trust 