Get outside!

By Jacqueline Citriniti

Beginning April 19, the 8-week real-world scavenger hunt will encourage families to witness the awakening of spring and explore the outdoors together in the Capital Region’s naturally preserved spaces.

The Scavenger Hunt is timely, with Earth Day being celebrated on April 22. BCS hopes this event serves as an opportunity for children and their families to see nature up close and fosters the next generation of conservationists, all while increasing the amount of time children play and explore outside.

“The Bethlehem Children’s School is proud to join our local conservation partners in presenting the #exploremore Family Scavenger Hunt, which was born from our desire to get families outside and into the Capital Region’s treasure trove of preserved spaces,” said Christine Vaughan, Head of School at Bethlehem Children’s School. “Not only does it provide families a healthy activity to share each week, it also aligns beautifully with our school’s mission of ‘Nature, Wisdom, Wellness,’” she continued. “Teaching our children to embrace nature while they’re still young will help them grow to respect—and, we hope, protect—the natural world they live in, and all those creatures they share it with.”

Each Friday, beginning April 19, BCS and its partner organizations will post a clue to their Instagram and Facebook accounts. Participants will have until the following Thursday to adventure out and search for the answer to the clue on any one of 30-odd local preserves. When participants post a geotagged photograph of the answer, accompanied by the hashtags #exploremore and #naturewisdomwellness, to their Instagram or Facebook account, they’ll be registered in a weekly drawing for prizes. At the end of eight weeks, on June 14, a week before summer solstice, all participants will be entered into a grand prize drawing to earn a free week of Summer Camp at Bethlehem Children’s School.

“Every child should have the opportunity to explore and discover the wonders of our natural world,” said Paul Gallery, New York Preserve Stewardship Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. “Today’s kids will be tomorrow’s stewards, and the #exploremore project is a fun and engaging way for children and their families to enjoy nature together.”

“The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission is honored to participate in the #exploremore Family Scavenger Hunt with our local conservation partners, the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy,” said Executive Director Christopher Hawver. Hawver continued, “We thank the Bethlehem Children’s School for organizing this 8-week program to provide local fun and healthy outdoor activities for families of our region.

The Scavenger Hunt announced today by Bethlehem Children’s School was held at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, with local politicians David VanLuven, Dan Coffey and Darius Shahinfar also in attendance. For more info, including complete participation rules, visit: http://bethlehemchildrensschool.org/wordpress/exploremore

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