Ideas for Outdoor Play and Exploration
1. Enjoy a simple walk, run, hike on our trails (while practicing social distancing) and get some needed fresh air and sunlight. Maybe you have an old field guide to dust off, a child's gym class to conduct or just need a minute to yourself- nature trails are the best place to do this and more.
2. Look for signs of spring and wildlife movements by exploring animal tracks.
3. Try a walking meditation, or find a great spot at a Preserve to sit and meditate! We recommend the wetland overlook at Otter Creek Preserve, where we run a Summer Solstice Meditation with Kripalu Yoga and Wellness Center every summer!
4. Take your yoga practice outdoors! Foster-Blake Woods Preserve provides ample shade and a cliffside River view, while Zenda Farms Preserve has a lovely grassy area with a historic backdrop. You can also try out some virtual yoga with our partners over at River Yoga!
5. Venture into your backyard at night for a Stellar Scavenger Hunt, designed by TILT and Clarkson University Professor and Observatory Director Joshua Thomas.
6. Make your walk in nature more engaging with some technology! Identify any living thing, be it plant, animal, or fungus, with a snap of your camera using the Seek App, and record your sightings using iNaturalist to inform scientists and managers!
7. Look for and report invasive species on your hikes with iMapInvasives. For resources about invasive species, check out our partner SLELO PRISM. And if you would like to help report sightings and conditions on TILT Preserves, become a Preserve Stewardship Volunteer!
8. Do you enjoy birding, or just want to learn more about the birds at your backyard feeder? Use Merlin to help identify birds, record your bird sightings on eBird, and participate in this year's NYS Breeding Bird Atlas! For more bird resources, including birding cams and training, check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
9. Have a camera or smartphone? Try your hand at some nature photography. Send TILT your photos, and remember to use the hashtag #iamthe1000islands for a chance to be featured on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
10. Plant a tree for the environment in your own backyard! Contact our For the Trees sponsor All Seasons Landscaping to purchase trees, and check out the Arbor Day Foundation for a ton of great information on tree plantings.
11. Download some of our old KidsTreks booklets and create your own outdoor adventure! Learn about invasive species and pollinators with some fun activities.
12. Download previous issues of our TILTKids Newsletter from 2019, 2018, and 2017 for some crafting and book ideas. And sign up for or renew your TILTKids membership to receive our Summer 2020 edition in the mail.
13. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and Youtube for engaging posts, photos, and news!
14. TILT is so grateful to be a part of this River community. We encourage everyone during this difficult time to support your local businesses that support land conservation in the 1000 Islands. Order take-out, buy a gift card, shop online, or do whatever you can to help make our community stronger. Click here for a full list of our 2019 Sponsors.
We will continue to update our list to give you ways to connect with nature every day!
