Earn your very own badge and certificate by becoming a Hemlock Bluffs Junior (age 5-8) or Senior (age 9-12) Explorer. Just complete the activity booklet while exploring the nature that Hemlock Bluffs has to offer! You can complete the booklet in one or multiple visits.

How to Become an Explorer:

1. Pick up your free booklet at the front desk, or download and print it out.
2. Read page two for requirements.
3. Complete the appropriate activities.
4. Show your completed work at the front desk and receive a free badge and certificate.

Ages 5-8

Download Junior Explorer Book

Ages 9-12

Download Senior Explorer Book

Bring your binoculars and/or turn on your listening ears! Come meet the birds that call the preserve home. Our Birding By Ear Guide can help you get started. 

February's Backyard Bird Count Birding Guide

What is Citizen Science?

Citizen science is a way for the general public to help scientists gather and analyze data. Scientists can use the public to help gather data from all over the country or world, helping them get much more and from more locations than they could on their own. Participating in a project allows you to be involved in a real science project gathering real data.

Who can do Citizen Science?

Anyone! Some projects have specific locations they want you to survey. There are projects about everything from birds to streams to astronomy and so many more. Projects are great for individuals, families, school groups, and even scout groups. Some involve using a computer or smartphone to take or submit data. Some projects can be done entirely from your computer. Projects vary in the amount of time and how frequently you need to collect data. Some projects require a few supplies or have a small fee for participation. 

Projects to Get You Started

You can participate in many of these projects at your home or neighborhood. If you collect any data here at Hemlock Bluffs, please follow the posted park rules and, most importantly, stay on the trail. We have sensitive habitat and do not want you to damage it in your quest to collect data.

• iNaturalist
  • Take pictures of the plants and animals you find and upload them. Experts can help you ID them and you can learn more about the world around you!
• Feederwatch
  • Track the birds that visit your bird feeder and submit data.
• Bud Burst
  • Record leaf, flower, and fruit data about trees and plants near your home.
• eBird
  • Upload and view bird sightings to a database.
• CoCoRaHs
  • Measure rain, hail, or snow in your backyard and upload data to a national network of volunteers to see how precipitation can vary in a small area.
• Bumblebee Watch
  • Upload photos of bees that you find and have them identified.
• Globe at Night
  • Record data about the brightness of constellations in the sky at night.
• Phylo
  • Play a game that helps sort genomes by their similar sequences.
• Stream Selfie
  • Take a picture of your favorite stream and upload it for science.
• Globe Observer
  • Using the GLOBE app, take simple pictures of clouds, land and more.
• Smithsonian Transcription
  • Transcribe old museum labels, field notes, photo albums and more!

 Benefits of Gardening With Children

• Gardening promotes a healthier lifestyle by providing a fun way to exercise, as well as encouraging you to eat more fruits and vegetables.
• You can help cultivate love and respect for the land as well as a sense of responsibility for its stewardship.
• You will attract wildlife to your yard by supplying food, water, cover and a place to raise young.
• You will provide a place to help conserve native species.
• Learning about the plants in your garden can foster a love of nature in your child, giving them a reason to unplug from their electronics.

18 Things You Can Do In Your Garden With Children

1. Make a toad home in your garden.
2. Hang a bird feeder and/or install a birdbath.
3. Plant a variety of native species that will provide color and blooms all season long.
4. Have a picnic or a tea party in the garden.
5. Visit your garden in the rain.
6. Go on a bug safari.
7. Make mosaic tiles or stepping stones to go in your garden.
8. Use a field guide to identify bugs, birds, and other animals in your garden.
9.  Keep a nature journal together of what you see and hear.
10.  Camp out in your backyard, identify nighttime sounds.
11. Plant vegetables, then eat them.
12. Plant caterpillar host plants, such as parsley or milkweed, and watch for visitors.
13. Look for different kinds of pollinators.
14. Create decorative plant labels.
15. Create a fairy garden using miniature objects.
16. Start a compost bin.
17. Recycle items to make fun garden crafts such as a flower pot, bird bath, or painted rocks.
18. Draw or paint your favorite flowers.

No Garden or Yard?

1. Hang a hummingbird feeder. Hummers will reach your top-story apartment – they can fly high and have even been seen around ship masts!
2. Rent a space in a community garden, or create one if there isn’t one in your area.
3. Many garden features such as planters, wind chimes, bird baths, and bird feeders can be made or purchased to attach to railings, window sills, and other spaces.
4. Create a container garden.
5. Volunteer at your local park.
6. Visit a farmer’s market or nursery to learn about plants.
7. Grow herbs in a hanging shoe organizer.
8. Grow an epiphyte – known as “air plants,” these are species that take nutrients from the air, and therefore, do not need soil.
9. Create a terrarium – it takes care of itself!
10. Visit a “pick your own” site, such as an apple orchard or berry farm.