4-H Green Science Adventure Camp: Week 1, Day 5

Good evening, friends and family! Today was the last day of camp for the first week of peppers here at MSU Tollgate Farm. Although I’m sad to see my little peppers go, I’m glad we had such a great week together learning about the world around us.

The Green Peppers!

Today the peppers gathered for their last pepper party (Moo!).  Mr. Alex, Ms. Jackie, Ms. Mandy, and Ms. Courtney recapped what the peppers learned the day before and explained the plans for the day. To start off the day, the peppers spent time with the cow and goats. Brownie was eager to go for a walk around the property. The peppers walked her up the road, and Brownie took every opportunity to try every inch of grass along the way. She never seems to fill up!

Brownie trying to eat on the go!

Afterwards, Farmer Roy explained the process of making maple syrup. He took the peppers into the Maple Woods and helped them identify maple trees. After identifying a maple tree he showed them three different tools to tap a tree. The peppers also had the opportunity to practice carrying two heavy buckets (just like they would have done if the tree had filled them up with sap!). Carrying sap is hard work but the peppers showed off their muscles and would be very helpful to Farmer Roy in the early spring.

A Green Pepper walking with the contraption on her shoulders.

In the Garden Kitchen, Ms. Katie had some maple syrup to share with the peppers. They helped her make popcorn and each had a chance to drizzle maple syrup over their own plates of popcorn. The peppers loved the sweet treat and were eager for seconds, and thirds!

The Yellow Peppers enjoying some popcorn.

To end the morning,some peppers spent time in their garden plots picking vegetables to look at and bring back to the Garden Kitchen. Others made seed balls, which are balls of clay that hold seeds inside. Seed balls are great for dry areas because the seeds are not stimulated until it rains. Making seed balls was a messy process, but the peppers had fun throwing the final products into open fields.

Look how dirty seed ball making can be!

After lunch, the peppers learned about beekeeping. They observed honeycombs and even made their own candles! Peppers learned that bees are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton made of chitin and a segmented body with pairs of jointed appendages. Bees are social animals that live in colonies. A colony consists of drones (males), worker bees (females), and the queen. The queen is the only bee capable of stinging multiple times without dying! It’s not hard to tell who’s in charge!

Silly Yellow Peppers!

At the end of the day, each pepper group put on skits for all the other pepper groups. The Green Peppers sang “I Like to Move It” (like from the movie Madagascar!).The Yellow Peppers  did the chicken dance (who doesn’t love the chicken dance?!).  The Orange Peppers did a funny skit about an invisible bench (so silly!). The Red Peppers did a funny skit about an overnight camp (Too bad they couldn’t stay! We could have told camp stories in my pen!)

Silly Orange Peppers!

After all the silliness was over, it was time for the peppers to say their goodbyes. I’m glad I had the chance to meet a wonderful group of peppers and share life on the farm with them. Thank you for a wonderful week, peppers! I can’t wait until we meet again! Don’t forget to relive our adventures together in the pictures below!

Silly Red Peppers!

Until next summer,

Clifford the Calf

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One Response to 4-H Green Science Adventure Camp: Week 1, Day 5

  1. Kristin says:

    Oh, these pix are so much easier to see now that I’m off the iPad.
    What a GREAT TIME! Way to go, group leaders! You certainly worked hard all week. My son had fun every day and it appears he learned a few things, too. 😉

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