Monday, November 2, 2026
Today's adventure was inspired by one of our Earthkeepers, who had spotted a pond on a map near Gibbons Park and wanted to go investigate!
We loaded up the wagon, gathered our field guides, and set off in search of it. Our Earthkeeper was especially interested in finding frogs and toads, so he kept our Reptiles & Amphibians field guide close by, reading about different species and sharing what he hoped we might find along the way.
As we crossed Blackfriars Bridge, he wanted to drop something into the river, but we didn't have anything to drop! We decided to collect some stones on our return trip and do a little experimenting then.
We followed the Thames Valley Parkway, stopping frequently to investigate interesting plants, explore little areas along the path, and take in all the changes happening around us. There was plenty of milkweed and sumac, and so many different colours, shapes, and sizes of fallen leaves.
We stopped at Wish Bridge, where a few years ago some of our Earthkeepers discovered the water absolutely teeming with fish in the middle of winter! Our Earthkeeper was fascinated by that story, and we spent some time watching the minnows swimming below.
At another stop along the river, we discovered something that looked like a mushroom. We all took turns investigating its unusual texture. The outside was slimy, while the inside felt almost like a roll of wet paper towel. Our Earthkeeper picked it up, made a face, and exclaimed, "It feels like chicken!" Haha!
One of the more meaningful moments of our walk came when we discovered a dead mole. We talked about what might have happened to it, sharing different theories, before deciding to give it a proper burial. We made a little cross from twigs and vines and laid the mole to rest.
Our Earthkeeper offered a particularly sweet thought: "I hope he's doing great in heaven! Just in the afterlife with all his other mole friends."
We continued on, eventually finding a culvert with shallow water. It seemed like a promising place to search for frogs, but despite our efforts, we only spotted water striders.
Finally, after nearly two hours of walking, exploring, and stopping to investigate just about everything that caught our attention, we reached the pond we'd set out to find!
And wouldn't you know it, our Earthkeeper caught a tadpole! He seemed genuinely surprised by his discovery, especially after all that searching.
We spent some more time exploring the area, discovering some enormous, gnarly willow trees and a katydid that prompted another visit to our field guides.
Our walk back was a little quicker, although we still made plenty of stops. We remembered our plan from earlier and collected stones to drop from Blackfriars Bridge. We experimented with different sizes, watching the splashes and ripples they created in the water below.
Back at Heron Tree Estates, we enjoyed some free play, researching with our encyclopedias, working through puzzle games, and adding to our nature journals. We even managed one last adventure down to The Flats, where we caught a couple of grasshoppers before heading home.
I really enjoyed how much of today's adventure was guided by our Earthkeeper's own curiosity. He had spotted something interesting on a map, wanted to find it, and we made a whole day of following that idea. Along the way, there were plenty of opportunities to investigate, make predictions, consult our books, and discover things we hadn't set out looking for.
And after nearly two hours of searching, finding that tadpole was a pretty great reward!
Thanks for a great day, Buds!
