Monument Days with The Crest’s Nature Day Camp have moved to Greensprings Mountain Loop Trail! Our Summer Interpretive Rangers, Meaghen O’Rourke and Christina Gilbert, hosted their first amazing group of campers at this scenic and lushly-forested trail on July 19, 2023.

The younger students, aged 6 to 8, known as the “turtles” took a short hike to a viewpoint overlooking the valley below. While hiking they practiced “zooming in and zooming out,” by playing games that encouraged their curiosity and practiced their skills for closely examining their environment. The kids learned how to identify pinecones, examined what makes up a lichen, and compared the shapes of different types of bird feathers. Sometimes the best hikes are the ones where you don’t go very far from the trailhead!

The older students, aged 9 to 11, went on a more adventurous hike around the entire loop trail. They examined the many different types of trees that can be found on this trail, and enjoyed the many vistas. They also had some exciting animal encounters where they got to observe a ribbon snake and several lizards basking in the sun.

At the end of the day, we all gathered together to share stories and play more games. It was a wonderful ending to an educational and fun day.