Our favorite Children's Garden - Morton Arboretum

Our visit to the Morton Arboretum to see the Troll Hunt art installation included some time spent in the Children’s Garden, the award-winning, 4-acre, interactive, educational, and super-fun garden. Filled with numerous different areas of exploration, the Children’s Garden is the most fantastic nature-themed play area I have ever had the chance to explore!

The Children’s Garden has two main areas: Backyard Discovery Gardens and Adventure Woods. The two are linked by a Central Plaza, and have ten smaller, themed gardens within. Engaging and interactive activities abound throughout, and just outside the Children’s Garden is an additional Maze Garden, a one-acre puzzle of hedges, complete with lookout tower.

“At The Morton Arboretum, imagination lives, curiosity grows, and kids flourish in the Children’s Garden. Splash through secret streams, climb colossal acorns, and slide down giant tree roots all day long. Explore, learn, and play among trees and the natural world.”

Leaf Station at the Morton Arboretum Children's Garden

Upon entering, stroll the Kids' Tree Walk and Tree Finder Grove, and spin the one-ton kugel ball in the Central Plaza.

Then head into the Adventure Woods portion of the garden. There you'll encounter Wonder Pond, Under the Trees, Grotto and Secret Stream, Grassy Meadow, and Evergreen Walk and Lookout.

The kids spent more than an hour playing in the stream, building dams and waterfalls. The Lookout was another favorite spot, complete with hanging bridges and multiple vantage points to the Children's Garden, seemingly located far up in the tree canopy. 

The tadpoles that hatch each spring in Wonder Pond are American Toads. This is a natural occurrence, but if you asked the kids, each glimpse of a tadpole was a magical happening! Bring a dry change of clothes if being dry is important to you, otherwise keep playing and the kids will be dry by the time they get in the car... unless they find the stream!

Next, in the Backyard Discovery Gardens area: Curiosity Garden, Bloom, Zoom, & Sprout, Every Which Way, and the Windmill Garden. The Every Which Way Garden allowed the moms to sit down and rest for a bit, while the kids played among tree 'roots', examined live pollinators in the monarch waystation, and learned how it feels to be a plant being watered in the giant mister - yes, you'll have to give them another hour to dry out again!

The Children’s Garden hours vary by season; please visit their website for more information. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while visiting the Children's Garden, and there is an employee stationed at the entrance to help monitor that kids don’t leave the garden without their parents.

In addition to the Maze Garden, there are two other nature play spaces on our grounds: Mud Kitchen and Word Garden. Visitors to the Arboretum through the end of 2018 can also participate in the Troll Hunt; see my post Hunting for Trolls at the Morton Arboretum.

Hunting for trolls at the Morton Arboretum

My last visit to the Morton Arboretum was a lifetime ago, but when I heard about the new art installation “Troll Hunt,” I knew we would be making the trek to Lisle during our sojourn in the Midwest. What more appropriate way to become reacquainted with the arboretum and hunt for trolls, than with best friends from my days in the UIUC forestry program? Of course a relaxing day strolling the paths of this Chicagoland institution wasn’t in the books – we hit the trails with three moms and eight kids, severely outnumbered but in for a fantastic adventure.

Meet Little Arturs!

The six trolls and one troll hideout is the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, and are crafted entirely from reclaimed wood and natural materials. The 15 to 30 foot tall sculptures serve as protectors of our environment: “The trolls share the Arboretum's desire to care for trees; however, they seem suspicious of humans. We need you to join the investigation and help trolls and humans come to understand each other. What will you discover when you join the hunt?”

Sneaky Socks Alexa had a 'human trap' set up, and was lying in wait to set it off...

“Troll Hunt” first opened in the spring of 2018, and will be on exhibit through 2018 and possibly into 2019. Bearing a resemblance to the trolls of European folklore, the enormous statues were a huge hit with the kids; we spent all day at the arboretum, split between troll hunting and the Children’s Garden.

Rocky Bardur is right off the parking lot - seems like someone parked a little too close!

Step one: Pick up the Troll Hunter's Handbook when you arrive. The trolls are located between two feet and ¾ of a mile from the nearest parking lot, spread over the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres; to see all the trolls, the total hiking distance is six to seven miles. A Morton map and the Handbook will help you find a logical route to visit the trolls, as well as provide prompts to find a clue for each troll; this will allow you to locate the Troll's ‘secret hideout,’ the seventh part of the installation. We opted to visit a few of the closer trolls by foot, and then drive to the remaining sites; see this link for info on accessibility and closest parking lots. You can also rent bicycles (or bring your own), as well as buy tickets to the troll tram; the 1½ hour tour takes you to 4 trolls with less than ½ mile walk at each.

The Troll Hideout

Step two: Try not to spend all day at the Troll Hideout! Once you’ve found all the trolls and filled in the blanks in the Troll Hunter’s Handbook, put your heads together to figure out where the hideout is located. It’s a short hike in but worth every step! There is a giant tepee structure for troll strategy sessions, and everything from a giant-sized mancala game board with pine cone pieces, to a troll-size toothbrush and other troll essentials! The kids took turns posing in the cauldron, banging the giant drum, cooping one another up in the human-size trap, and holding conferences in ‘troll court’. I spent my time admiring the imagination and craftsmanship behind every little detail of the hideout, photographing the shadows created by the tepee, and covering my ears whenever someone found the drum!

FYI: Morton Aroboretum has a Reciprocal Admissions Program with Hatcher Woodland Gardens in Spartanburg and the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, as well as the North Carolina Arboretum – please visit the website for more details. http://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/find/statebystate Or, visit on a Wednesday for $5 off an adult ticket.

Troll Hunt, a Fairy Tale

The purple martins of Lake Murray

A late summer trip to Lake Murray to watch the purple martin phenomenon has been on my South Carolina bucket list for more than five years, ever since one of my Fish & Wildlife Service friends told me about this amazing experience just 1½ hours from Greenville. This year the stars aligned when The Nature Conservancy announced the purple martin migration boat cruise on a night when we could make the trip.

Photo credit: Roberts

The cruise was aboard Catch the Spirit, a dinner yacht that is also available for public booking; see the Spirit of Lake Murray website. We pushed off from the dock located on an arm of the lake near Oswald Park, and soon were within sight of Dreher Island State Park and the main body of Lake Murray. Our destination: Bomb Island.

The 12-acre island is formally known as Doolittle Island, named for the commander of the 1^st US air raid on the Japanese Home Islands during WWII. The raid was planned in Columbia, and B-25 pilots often practiced on the island, hence the nickname. Records indicate that at least five B-25s crashed into Lake Murray during this period; three were immediately salvaged, and at least one remained abandoned in 150 feet of water until September 2005 when it was once again brought to the surface.  (Today the aircraft can be viewed at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama.)

More recently Bomb Island is famous for a different form of aviation - the purple martins. Today Bomb Island (also labeled Lunch Island on some maps) is the largest purple martin sanctuary in North America, with hundreds of thousands of birds flying up to 160 miles every evening to roost there. From the first week of July through the end of August, the purple martins begin congregating over the island at dusk, putting on quite a show with their murmuration.

Purple martins are the largest type of swallow in North America, on average 7.5 inches long and weighing 1.9 ounces. The males are solid black, appearing a glossy purple in the sun. As we cruised through the waters of Lake Murray to a sun slowly slinking in the sky, we started seeing the birds swooping overhead, passing us on their way to the island. Two, then four, then ten at a time. Before we even saw the dozens of boats gathered around Bomb Island we could see the cloud of martins circling above.

The closer we approached, the thicker the sky was with martins. According to the TNC naturalist, the swooping and swirling is a social behavior, not a feeding or mating ritual. The masses appear to descend into the trees to roost, only to take up into the sky again and again for an encore, all the while hundreds more birds are flying in from around the lake.

In late summer after leaving the nesting colony, the purple martins gather in large flocks to socialize, rest, and feed on the insect populations in the area, building and storing fat that will fuel their trip to their wintering grounds in Brazil. The dry island with low thick brush provides a sanctuary from predators and a micro-climate warmer and less windy than land. An individual martin may use a roost for several weeks before moving on, but the migratory roost lasts for about 8 to 12 weeks or more until all the birds are gone.

Every morning the purple martins exit the roost all at once, just before sunrise. The air is so thick with the birds that they show up on the National Weather Service radar; to see it for yourself visit the NOAA radar website for the region between 6-7am, and check “loop” & “auto update.” On the one morning I was able to get online in time there was some cloud cover over Columbia, but the bulls-eye was still visible.

The Lowcountry and GA populations are better visible on this radar shot, source here

Although the Bomb Island roost is well established and has been used for many consecutive years, the number of birds can range widely. A wildlife research biologist at Clemson University studied the roost in 1995, making visual surveys to determine size of the roost, and then comparing it to radar images from NOAA. His estimate was that the total roost population numbered at least 700,000 birds, possibly the largest purple martin roost in the world. However in 2014 the martins didn’t show. Using doplar radar researchers found a roost on Lake Monticello, with a portion of the birds possibly moving southeast to join a roost on Lake Moultrie. They were back again a few years later... My best guess as to the number of birds this year – maybe somewhere around 200,000-300,000? Regardless, it was simply breathtaking.

Out west purple martins usually nest in abandoned woodpecker nest cavities, but here in the southeast the martins depend on humans to build them bird condos, made from wood or gourds. There are two practical reasons for attracting a martin colony to your homestead; first is that they are voracious insect eaters, and the second is to scare away certain less desirable birds. The birds prefer roosting in homes placed away from tall trees – another reason why they might return to Bomb Island year after year, as the bombing runs destroyed most of the trees years ago.

There are still a few weeks left to catch the purple martins before they leave on their epic journey to South America. Grab your binoculars, load up the boat, and head for Lake Murray; a cruise to Bomb Island to enjoy the aerial acrobatics show will become a summer tradition.

Major League Fun at TCMU

Parents of baseball fans, you’ve got one month left to experience the “Big League Fun” exhibit at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate GVL! The engaging baseball-focused exhibit explores the science and math behind the sport, while staying true to the sights and sounds we’ve grown up with.

Through role play, trivia and technology the exhibit immerses visitors in the world of major league baseball. My boys immediately head to the batting cage “Batter up!” where they don helmets, grab a bat, and step up to the plate. The screen shows the ball’s trajectory & how many bases a runner could cover with each hit, and keeps track of the swing count. Tip: the sensor in the ball tee can get touchy, so if the screen doesn’t say “swing away” go ahead and give it a jiggle!

We also had fun customizing baseball cards for all three kids – check out the Greenville Drive logo! Or, choose your favorite MLB team...

Parents, take a seat in the bleachers while the kiddos step into the announcer’s booth to give a play-by-play of a clip from a real game, then join them to listen to the broadcast they’ve recorded. Or, become a customer at the ticket booth and concessions stands; your little vendor will enjoy all the fun props.

Older kids will enjoy “Keeping Score” where they can answer trivia, calculate batting averages, and solve physics-themed problems. There’s also a camera and green screen that allow your baseball fan to interview coaches, players and fans, for live game coverage.

Other simulations involve pitching from the pitcher’s mound, throwing from the infield/outfield, and catching fly balls – all from the safety of this carefully curated exhibit. You’ll easily spend an hour exploring Big League Fun, leaving plenty of time to experience the rest of the museum on one of these last hot or rainy days before school starts up... perfect for the parents with kids too little for a Drive game!!!

PS The Greenville Drive have a week of home games coming up next week, from August 15^th through 21^st for those looking to get to a game. The season is almost over; the last four home games are scheduled Aug. 31 through September 3^rd, so don your Drive gear and head to Fluor Field before another season is in the books…

Aviation History in Tuskegee

On our travels this summer we’ve driven several stretches of Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, and when researching the topic, I was interested to learn there are honorary Tuskegee Airmen sections of interstate all over the US. We’ve got a section of Interstate 95 in Colleton County right here in South Carolina, near the Tuskegee Airman Memorial in Walterboro. However it was on our return trip from the Florida panhandle that we were really able to delve into this aspect of aviation history, with a stop at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Alabama.

Tuskegee Airmen NHS Hangar #1

In the early 1900s, aviation was closed to African Americans, military aviation completely inaccessible. When Congress passed the Civilian Pilot Training Act in 1939, they intended to generate large numbers of pilots who could quickly transfer into military aviation if needed. When programs were established in colleges around the country, they included six black colleges, thanks in part to the efforts of the National Airmen’s Association of America. One of those programs was at the Tuskegee Institute, 30 miles east of Montgomery, Alabama.

In May of 1940, the first class of CPT pilots completed their elementary flight training at Kennedy Field. After legislature such as the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 were passed, pressure from civil rights organizations and the press eventually led to the establishment of the segregated 99^th Pursuit Squadron in January 1941. Tuskegee Institute’s Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Air Field were the only training facilities for African Americans throughout the war, and the achievements of the Squadron's pilots came despite continuing racism and segregation, in Tuskegee as well as at overseas bases.

There is a Park Service Jr. Ranger Program at the Historic Site to help children understand the exhibits

By the end of the war almost 1,000 pilots had been trained. Even more impressive is the number of African Americans trained for service in the US Army Air Corps… 17,000 men and women were schooled as mechanics, communications & electrical system specialists, armament specialists, medical technicians, cooks, clerks, parachute riggers, air traffic controllers, flight instructors, bombardiers and navigators. All are known today as Tuskegee Airmen.

Taking in the view from the control tower

Start your visit to Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Hangar #1 with a site orientation video and a look at two restored vintage airplanes and various exhibits. Continue on to Hangar #2 to see a wide assortment of artifacts and exhibits, including a replica P-51 Mustang. The initial Hangar #2 was destroyed by fire in 1989, but at the rear of the reconstructed hangar is the original Control Tower. Climb up to view where clearance to take off and land was given before stopping at the Bookstore for additional literature or a souvenir. Other structures onsite include the Cadet House, Army Supply Building, Auxiliary Storage Shed, Bath and Locker House, and the Skyway Club, the rec facility servicing all military ranks and civilians at the time.

The George Washington Carver Museum and Tuskegee Institute Information Center

While in Tuskegee, make sure to budget time to also explore Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. It was here, in a repressive post-Reconstruction Alabama, that a celebrated university and symbol of African American achievement was born. Many of the buildings constructed while Booker T. Washington was president still stand, providing an architectural aspect to the history lesson. Both sites are free to the public; see websites for hours. Bottom line; the Tuskegee Airmen NHS provides valuable insight into our nation's history - military, civil rights, women's rights, aviation - as well as echoing the recurring theme of the last century: persistence and triumph in the face of racism and discrimination.

Tompkins Hall at Tuskegee Institute