Hello, nature explorers! The continued warm temperatures this month are WEIRD but welcome; we have been enjoying the heck out of this beautiful weather! For a goal-directed activity outdoors, try finding a rainbow of leaf colors! Trunk or

Hello, nature explorers! The recent rains have created a really cool phenomenon at Root River Park . The debris from the floodwaters is still present (typically as long grass wrapped around tree trunks), so you can easily see how high the

Hello, nature explorers! I look out the window and see yellow and red leaves just starting to sprinkle their way across the treeline ....then I step outside and get hit by the heat wave. 😅 My kids and I are enjoying oodles of water play

Hello, nature explorers! The last couple months have been a WHIRLWIND for me, both at work and at home. Now that the chaos has settled a bit, I feel like I'm finally pulling my head above the water again. I missed June's newsletter, so I'm

Hello, nature explorers! I hiked at Root River Park last weekend, and saw SUCH A huge variety of flowers! Revel in these spring ephemerals before they're gone for the year!! Can you guess the ID of the ones in this picture? Answers below!

Hello, nature explorers! It's been fun experiencing EVERY season this month , right?! 😂 After the big blizzard, we noticed that behind People of Hope, there were areas where the snow was so little that you could see the grass poking

Hello, nature explorers! I call February "plague month" , and my family has had even more than our usual share of life-altering hardships this month. In case anyone else is struggling too, I really love the uplifting and beautiful

Hello, nature explorers! Every winter, I am awed anew at the unique beauty the cold weather brings !! This is a picture of our beloved Root River from a couple weeks ago (so special as we had our first few years of groups at Root River

Hello, nature explorers! Did you catch the intense aurora borealis on November 11th? I love the stars twinkling through in this photo of the view from my house in the middle of the city!! My youngest turned 3 years old that night, and this

Hello, nature explorers! Are you loving these fall colors?? This was my view when i parked at People of Hope one recent morning. 😍 You can keep up with the leaf color progression at the MN DNR Fall Color Finder map. Find the colors!

Hello, nature explorers! RTAAF's Autism Walk on Saturday, August 16th was an extremely well-run event that created community around those excited about supporting and celebrating autistic kids and families. What a treat!! If your kids had

Hello, nature explorers! We had a novel discovery this month in group: for the first time EVER, we found and were able to hold a TURTLE!! This was a baby spiny softshell, and had a loooong neck when it reached out to try and bite us, so we

Hello, nature explorers! While reading a delightful book called Something in the Woods Loves You by Jarod K. Anderson, I found these bleeding heart beauties along the stairs behind People of Hope. You never know what love notes are waiting

Hello, nature explorers! 'Tis the season!! My daughter snapped this picture from up in a tree right next to our garage. Life is sprouting all around us! 😍 See you at Earthfest! This is one of my favorite events every year. 🎓I learn new

Hello, nature explorers! The buds of plants and trees can look SO different from the leaves, and this is the time of year to view them up close. This picture is of the red maple right behind the main building at People of Hope. Easter Egg

Hello, nature explorers! Have you spotted any signs of new life in your daily routines? I have these snow drop flowers that grow every year right along the side of our house, next to the driveway, and it's been a delight to see their

Hello, nature explorers! SO EXCITED to welcome 2 new members to our Nurture in Nature team this spring! More on them below. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have these top-notch individuals working with me. The addition of

Hello, nature explorers! If you love our storytimes during the warmer months, you've got a chance to experience a winter version on Saturday, Feb 1st 10:30-11:00 at Spark ! We'll be a part of their "I love to read" month this year again!

Hello, nature explorers! At the end of each group meeting, we do a rose/thorn/bud reflection where we talk about what went well, what was harder, and what we want to do differently next time. As I reflect back on 2024, some of my biggest

Hello, nature explorers! Fitting in two newsletters in one month, because there are some really great events (both virtual and local) coming up that you'll miss out on (or pay more for) if I wait. Keep reading to find opportunities for you