Solstice: Celebrating Winter

Mid-winter or Solstice (December 21) is upon us. Here in Wisconsin the sun is already setting at 4:30pm and not rising again until 7:30am.That's a loooong winter night! Winter Solstice, the time of nature's darkness, has long been celebrated by humans around the world. In Northern climates celebrations often include fire and light to signify welcoming back the sun, and turning toward the renewing days of spring.

While the nights are long, the days of mid-winter in Wisconsin are often sunny and bright.  Taking long walks in the winter sunshine can be rejuvenating and so very interesting. What do you see, hear and find? Where are all the animals and what are they doing to stay warm?  Where do they shelter and what do they eat? How are the trees living through the cold?

To supplement your winter wonderings (and wanderings) you might check out these amazing books. There are some for adults and some for children.

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich

Stokes Guide to Nature in Winter by Donald Stokes

The Longest Night by Marian Dane Bauer

Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here by Jean Craighead George

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis

Indoors there are many ways to continue to observe nature. A favorite is feeding and watching the birds outside your window. Young children can have an up-front seat to bird observation in the comfort of their homes. Many hours can be spent observing the ways that birds use their beaks to eat seeds, how they preen their feathers and how they chase away intruders at the feeder! KVR Instructor Barb Duerksen wrote a great post with tips and reminders about bird feeding back in October.

Collecting bits and pieces of nature and bringing them inside can be another wonderful way to observe and explore winter in the warmth of your home. Create an ever-changing seasonal nature table in your home! For more about creating nature tables, check out The Nature Corner: Celebrating the Year's Cycle with Seasonal Tableaux by M.V. Leeuwen and J. Moeskops.

Stargazing after the sun sets continues to delight during the winter season. Tonight, if the skies are clear from your corner of the world, check out this rare event with Jupiter and Saturn that is happening on solstice. If skies are cloudy in your area, there is a livestream available on the link. KVR Instructor and Astroeducator John Heasley also wrote about Winter Solstice Great Conjunction here. 

***

The Learning Outside blog will take a break until the week of January 11, 2021. We wish our readers everywhere opportunities to notice and appreciate the light of the new season. Thank you for joining us in 2020.

Weatherproofing Children (and Their Adults!) for Winter

Last week we posted about great local options folks have for winter activities. Part of getting geared up for winter is shifting our mindsets and being prepared. Norwegians have a term that's useful in considering weather-hardiness. It's friluftsliv, which means "free outdoor life." In Norway, there's a saying about there not being any bad weather...only bad clothes! 

So as the temperature drops and snowflakes begin to fly, we have some tips and ideas for not only getting your children ready to embrace winter's wonders, but for you, too.

Kickapoo Valley Forest School Leadership Team members Julia Buckingham and Ximena Puig recently led a virtual roundtable focused on winter and weather resiliency. Their presentation included the following great tips we'd like to share. Forest school students and their families will gain lots of experience in embracing all kinds of weather, and the guidelines we have for them work for everyone.

Embrace wonder.

Children absorb adults' energy and attitudes toward just about everything, and the weather is no exception. Be aware of how you talk about the weather and consider being open to the beauty of cold, the way the landscape changes, and the challenge of getting out to explore. Your excitement and wonder can spark the same enthusiasm in children, and this is an important aspect of developing winter resilience.

Dress in layers.

We can't stress this enough. Trapping heat in a base layer and middle layer can make a huge difference in comfort. Selecting an outer layer that repels water and wind is essential. You can always remove a layer, but adding one is difficult once you are out and about. Dressing appropriately helps children really explore without worry over getting wet and cold, and it can help you stay out longer if you've brought along snacks and a bottle of water. 

Wool is your friend.

Naturally moisture-absorbing and lightweight for it's warmth, wool is a great layer. For those who are allergic to wool, there are many alternatives made of synthetic materials or silk. 

Create systems for caring for outdoor gear.

Be sure to make a plan for drying your outdoor gear, hanging it for next time, and dealing with the puddles, mud, and mess that is an inevitable part of coming in from the outdoors. Involving your children by having reachable hooks and spots for muddy boots makes learning to take care of our gear part of the whole process of enjoying the outdoors. 

Julia and Ximena also shared great ideas for some activities you can do outdoors this winter including gathering treasure for ice suncatchers, making pinecone bird feeders, and telling stories based on animal tracks. 

There was a great recent feature on NPR about weatherizing ourselves for winter. Interspersed with fantastic cartoons by LA Johnson about dressing like an onion and eating snacks rich in fat, calories, and protein (yay!), this article and accompanying audio has some excellent tips for adults as we embrace this new season. 

When you come inside, don't forget to read books together about winter life and adventures to inspire your next outdoor day. Here's a list of 100 picture books to read with children. 

Wishing you a wonderful winter season!

Winter Trails

While snow has yet to stay on the ground here in SW Wisconsin, those of us who love winter are getting ready. Skis are being waxed, snowshoes are getting dusted off, and the layers of fleece and wool are coming out to stay.

Although long-term forecasts can be dubious, I'm holding out that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Farmers' Almanac will be correct in their predictions for above average snowfall in Wisconsin this year.

Winter is an exceptional time to get outside. There is nothing quite like a bright and sunny 10 degree winter day in Wisconsin. The ice crystals glint off every surface, the snow squeaks beneath your boots or skis and all the world is still.  Perhaps a hawk cuts an arch above you in the blue sky or you notice the tiniest trail of a busy seed-collecting rodent, but it is evident that this is a time of rest for nature.  A deep inbreath for us all.

As soon as there is enough snow on the ground, our crew will be out grooming those trails for cross country skiing.  The Kickapoo Valley Reserve maintains approximately 10 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails for both classic and skate skiing. The five miles of the Old Highway 131 Trail provide an excellent opportunity to experience the solitude and beauty of the Reserve. Other groomed trails include the Dam Trail, Old Harris Road Trail and Star Valley Road.  Additional trails may be groomed as time permits. The more adventurous are welcomed to make their own tracks into the wild.  Please note: Skiers may not ski on the snowmobile trail.

Even if you aren't a skier, there are so many ways to get out and enjoy the beauty of winter.  Check out the KVR Winter Trail Map here.  On it you'll find trails marked for cross-country skiing, for fat-tire bikes, and snowshoeing.  Before you come, visit our website and Facebook page for current winter trail conditions.

Most years spectacular ice formations can be found in the deep valleys that are home to sandstone rock shelters. This map marks they way to two of our favorite ice formation locations.  Please always remember that ice and rock are fragile--never climb on the ice formations.  Please take only pictures and leave only footprints.

There are copies of the Winter Guide Map available at the public bathrooms in the KVR Visitor Center Parking lot. Snowshoes (adult and child sizes) can be rented, by the day, for use on the KVR. They are $5/day for adults and free for children. Visitors will still need a day pass or annual pass to use the trails. There are not designated nor groomed snowshoe trails, although the summer trail system is easy to follow in the winter. Please always snowshoe along side the groomed ski tracks rather than on them, snowshoeing on the groomed ski track makes them difficult for skiers to use.

Bluedog Cycles in Viroqua is a another great place to rent cross country skis and fat tire bikes, by the day or the week. Winter fat tire biking (FTB) is a popular activity at the KVR. Bikes must be non-motorized pedal bikes, tires 3.7-5 inches, and 10 psi or lower. There are approximately 8 miles of  FTB trails on the Reserve.  Located on the eastern side of the property, FTP trails are winter trails (Jan 1 - March 15) and are subject to closure during the season. The following criteria must be in place for the FTB trails to remain open: 1)The ground must be frozen.  2) The temperature must be 25 degrees F or below. Closures will be posted at FTB trail heads, our website, KVR Facebook page, and at the Visitor Center. A current year annual permit or KVR day pass is required to use the trails. Users must stay on designated trails or adjacent roads. The FTB trails on the Reserve are not groomed. They are considered backcountry trails, are narrow and winding, and are shared with snowshoers and hikers. Please be courteous and practice friendly trail etiquette when encountering other trail users.

Snowmobiling is a popular winter activity in our region, and a segment of Wisconsin's self-funded snowmobile trail system winds its way through the Reserve. A local snowmobile club grooms and maintains the trail from December 15 through March 31, snow cover permitting.  Enjoy the Reserve's scenic ridges and valleys by snowmobile, the only motorized vehicle allowed to operate on Reserve lands. Snowmobile enthusiasts are required to stay on the designated snowmobile trail.

Star gazing is an excellent activity for clear winter nights. Visit the Driftless Stargazing Facebook page for frequent updates on what's visible in our local night skies, then bundle up and get out with a thermos of hot cocoa. 

Whether your goal is to get some exercise, find solitude, take photos or just notice the stark beauty that a fresh coat of snow brings to our landscape, you'll find fulfillment and rejuvenation along the winter trails of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.  We hope to see you out there!