Susie Spikol - The Animal Adventurers Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed—50 Activities to Get Wild with Animals

One warm summer night, not too long ago, I went up to the garden. Something small was eating the carrot greens just as they were pressing their way out of the soft ground. A glistening track of silver, sparkling in my flashlight, caught my eye. It shimmered, leading me through a tangle of eaten vegetables. And then it happened: I fell in love with a snail.

A small brown snail was bending my garden greens and engulfing my seedlings. I picked up the penny-sized creature. Cradling it in my palm, I held my breath, waiting for it to feel brave enough to peek out from its spiraled shell. Slowly, so slowly, I felt the snails cool foot slide out against my skin. I watched as it lifted its long, antennae-like tentacles. At the tip of each tentacle sat an eye, taking me in. On that warm June night, I sat in the garden holding that tiny snail andI didI fell in love with it.

It isnt so unusual for some small, unsuspecting creature to capture my hearttoads, bumblebees, salamanders, red velvet mites, star-nosed moles, woolly bear caterpillars have done it before.

This is why I get along so well with the children I teach. We stop and notice. We lean into the things we find. Our eyes are open, our hands outstretched. Once, I watched a young boy encounter a milkweed tussock moth caterpillar. He was holding it up to his nose and sniffing it. He said, It smells just like me when Ive been outside all day. Of course, I had to sniff it too. He was right.

The small things in naturethe things we can hold, touch, or lie down next to and watch closelythese are the things that open our hearts as children. These are what remind us of our connection to one another. When we stretch out a gentle finger in invitation to the snail, the worm, the caterpillar, the dragonfly, we knoweven from, and perhaps especially from, a young agethat we are both alive in this one moment together.

Stop and open your eyes, shift your perception. There are wild animals all around us almost every moment of every day. Whether its hearing the blue jays call or catching little brown toads, everyday creatures are waiting to wake up your and your childs curiosity and sense of wonder. Start small and think local when it comes to offering and exposing your children to opportunities to wildlife. We have everything we need in our own neighborhoods to get started falling in love with this world and what it has to offer.

Are you an animal person? Do you find bears, butterflies, or turtles more interesting than people? If holding a frog, humming to a snail, following a fox track, or hooting to an owl are things youd like to do, youve come to right place. Read on and discover secret tried-and-true steps to uncovering the world of the everyday wild creatures in your own neighborhood. No matter where you live, animals live there too, and you only need to know a few simple things to start exploring.

Tips

* Pay attention! Wild animals are all around us. Slowing down, tuning in, and being quiet will help you notice them. Dont forget the tiny things, like the red velvet mite, who is even smaller than the head of a pin, or the jewellike hummingbirds of your world. Every animal is someone to meet.

* Practice kindness. Animals are living, breathing creatures, just like you. When you have the chance to be up close and connect with them, be just as kind and friendly as you would if you were meeting a person.

* Safety first. Your animal adventures will have you exploring at dawn, dusk, and night. No matter where or when you are going, always let a grown-up know. If you go on a night adventure, bring along a grown-up. Also, practice personal safety by paying attention to your surroundings and making sure the animals you are searching for arent a danger to you.