Birds in our area speak southern and Auburn University has a Museum of Natural History. Two fun facts we learned while exploring native birds with Dr. Geoff Hill, “one of the nation’s leading ornithologists and curator of the AU Museum’s bird collection” at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center.
Saturday morning at the Kreher Preserve is a fun family outing, especially when Dr. Hill is leading a walk through the trails and sharing his knowledge and expertise along the route. Only four miles north of campus, it’s open from sunrise to sunset daily. Admission is free. The six miles of maintained trails, a sensory garden, and a creative nature playground are only a few of the opportunities providing a low-key outdoor outing in nature.
This morning, we grabbed the binoculars and loaded up the littles to take part in one of their many excellent educational events. Today was about local birds. Dr. Hill led us on a forty-five minute walk through the woods and grasslands, sharing fun facts along the way.
The littles and I have the Merlin and eBird apps already loaded on my phone. So, before we left the house, they’d already been out in our yard and identified twelve different species of birds. We were excited to attend the event.
As we walked, Dr. Hill stopped periodically, identifying birds and explaining their habits, habitats, and food sources. He said, “I quit identifying birds by sight twenty years ago. Now I just identify them by their sounds.” He was spot on. I had the Merlin app up as we were walking and every time it identified a bird by sound, he immediately named it and pointed it out. He explained that birds have regional dialects and may have a slightly different call depending on what area of the country they live. He also taught us whether it was native to our area or only passing through on its migration north.
Once back at the amphitheater and outdoor classroom, we could assemble bird feeders, discover for ourselves how different birds’ beaks were specific to their diets, and even dissect owl pellets to find out what they’d been eating. (Fun fact: Owl pellets are clumps of indigestible materials collected in an owl’s gizzard and then regurgitated.) We found small bones and talons and lots of other interesting stuff. One of the littles made a face and asked, “Wait, this is poo?” but she was so fascinated by what she was discovering that she didn’t even slow down.
We finished the morning with a stop at the Nature playground. Here, we found a human-sized eagle’s nest and a water play station complete with a hand pump and plenty of items to direct the flow of water along about a thirty-foot path of pools and channels. There was also a tree house, a swing, and lots of other fun and creative play areas for kids of all ages to explore.
The Kreher Preserve is a great place to spend a Saturday, or any day for that matter. Dress in clothes suitable for getting wet and dirty and consider bringing a lunch because you won’t want to leave. This outreach program of Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences is a hidden treasure in the forest just waiting to be discovered by you and your littles.
There is usually something going on and there are special events planned seasonally. From Spring Break and Summer Ecology to Woodland Wonders Preschool and Summer Adventure Camps, you can register on their website at https://kpnc.auburn.edu/ or contact them at preserve@auburn.edu . They also hire teachers to support their programs on field trips and their preschool program as well as Birthday parties. These are only a few of the many ways to experience nature at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center.
See you in the woods!
Blessings!
