Arrowhead Enjoys their First Annual Family Nature Night
Students at Arrowhead Elementary School and their families came out Thursday night ready to experience everything their first annual Family Nature Night had to offer! Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and our partners offered a variety of activities while the savory aroma of pizza drifted through the halls. With help from school staff and CPW volunteers, the event was a spectacular time!
The trivia wheel whirled again and again, determining what category a question would be asked from. Delighted hands searched for the perfect prize to reward anyone who answered a trivia question.
The Barr Lake State Park table was bustling with activity the entire evening! Children and adults alike colored a boating safety template to print onto a white t-shirt. Hot off the press, many were proud to display their artwork by wearing their new shirts for the rest of the evening.
History Colorado offered exciting games of history bingo, and after many people posed with state symbols for a photo opportunity.
The City of Aurora Morrison Nature Center offered insight into a creature that many are fearful of….
Spiders!
With fun spider facts and trivia, families learned that these crawly critters are nothing to fear. They are an important part of our ecosystems and rarely harm humans (even the black widow on display).
The Butterfly Pavilion also dispelled myths about insects and arachnids with an array of live specimens and biofacts. Of course, kids loved the “I Love Bugs” stickers!
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies focused on our flying, feathered friends. Families were enthralled with the owl mount and the display of an owl’s skull and talons. They were shocked at the diversity in bird skulls and eggs- both sights that are rarely seen!
Also rarely seen up close, the variety of furs and pelts that the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge brought! Families were delighted to feel the soft and coarse furs, and to examine their beautiful patterns.
With help from CPW staff, kids shouted with delight as they caught fish at Backyard Bass. And with some guidance from A&H Adventures and a CPW volunteer, kids tried their hand at archery. Many jumped in line over and over again, improving every time and quickly hitting bullseyes!
At the Generation Wild table, families explored great ways to get outside. How many things could you check off the 100 Things to do Before You’re Twelve list? Tracking animals using their unique paws as clues was a good way to start! Sometimes people even brought knowledge they had just earned from the trivia wheel to help them identify certain tracks! Kids also saw who could jump the furthest, comparing their own leaps to those of animals’.
As 6 pm rolled around, the raffle commenced! Kids dug through their own pockets or reached into their parents’ pockets to find their ticket and listened closely as the winning numbers were called for many great outdoor prizes. Two families went home with family museum passes courtesy of the History Colorado Center. Preceded with a drum roll, SOLE staff drew the winning name for the grand prize, an annual state parks pass!
The SOLE team would like to thank the Arrowhead staff, our partners, and our CPW volunteers who made this Family Nature Night a great event! We can't wait for next year!
