While walking along the Oregon coast at sunset, Andrew Lee noticed the sea stars draped over the rocks and braved the tide to capture the scene.

Explore the Pacific Northwest

Travel with NWF to see the gorgeous landscapes and wildlife of Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and the Columbia River Gorge from August 5 – 10, 2012. Learn more and book your seat today >>
 

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

Beach erosion in Botany Bay, South Carolina has allowed the ocean to encroach on trees along the coast. Photo by Cas Galiszewski.

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

The treasure to find was not jewels, but sand crabs. They are no bigger than a silver dollar and do not pinch when you find them, they just wiggle around and tickle a little bit. They like to bury themselves six to twelve inches just at the point where the water reaches the beach.

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Luckily, we had adults with us who grew up on nearby beaches searching for them. Otherwise, I’m not sure we would have known they were there. Before we found our first sand crabs, we walked along the beach and met another family who was searching for them and showed us how to scoop down into the sand to find them.

Once the children found the sand crabs, they would let them go and search for more. The children never tired of the adventure, and found new ways to dig: scooping, twisting, and “splash digging.” Even the threat of rain didn’t stop them, and our discovery brought more kids out onto the beach to join in the fun.

When we arrived home, we volunteered at the neighborhood school to spruce up an outside learning garden for the kids. Students enjoyed digging and planting, finding worms, frogs, praying mantis, and butterflies. As we transition into fall, think about giving your kids a place to dig–at home and at school–and see what you can discover.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. For her weekly online video series, “Get Out of the House” as well as Starla J. King’s guest blog series “Savoring Summer,” visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Hello Ocean is a sense-tingling read-aloud, whether your family is anticipating a trip to the beach or simply re-visiting memories. In poetic language, author Pam Munoz Ryan explores an ocean setting through each of the five senses. The little-girl narrator sees “amber seaweed,” “speckled sand,” and “bubbly waves,” hears the “screak of gulls,” smells “reeky fish” and “musty shells.”

The carefully researched acrylic paintings by Mark Astrella feature native flora and fauna and show a child taking in the natural world at her own pace. Through her senses and self-directed explorations, this little girl fully experiences and deeply intuits the wonder that is the ocean.

This book was one of my daughter’s favorites when she was a preschooler (she’s now nine). We’d read and talk about Hello Ocean no matter the season. Some of its pull may have been the sea’s unique beauty, but I think there was another powerful draw as well: the invitation to be fully alive to the natural world. On her own, my daughter would often play a kind of “five-senses game.” She’d look closely at a stick, a stone, or a pond, for example, listen to its sounds or the sounds she could make with it, smell, touch, and yes, sometimes, taste it.

Hello Ocean invites us, adults and kids alike, to slow down, to be more aware of our senses and the world around us. In his recent Green Hour Blog, Robert Kesten, executive director of the Center for Screen Time Awareness, cautioned that modern technology (computers, TV, video games) takes us “out of the world in which we live.” So, too, does our hurried pace of life. Commutes can be long, chores many, hours few, and schedules complex. Ai-yi-yi!

Like many modern parents, I can certainly get swept into a multi-tasking frenzy. But–hey!–there’s an ocean out there, beckoning, and even that tree in the backyard is calling. Would you and your child like to take five (five minutes and five senses) and experience either or both?

Hello Ocean is by Pam Munoz Ryan, and was published by Charlesbridge Publishing in 2001. For ages 1 to 7 , it is available in a bilingual English/Spanish edition.

Mary Quattlebaum is the author of 15 award-winning children’s books, including Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns (Random House) and two chapter-book sequels, all set in a city community garden. Check www.maryquattlebaum.com for activities connected with Mary’s books.

Throughout human history, blood sucking insects have devastatingly spread bacteria, viruses, and blood-borne parasites: responsible for an astonishing number of deaths due to bubonic plague, Chagas disease, dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, malaria, rabies, sleeping sickness, St. Louis encephalitis, tularemia, typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, West Nile fever and others.

This is not to say you will actually catch any of these while you are exploring the outdoors, it is just to say those diminutive bugs are a force to be reckoned with. In many parts of the world such diseases are still rampant, but luckily here in the U.S. the most common one we have to worry about is West Nile (though the likelihood of you getting that is low–there were only under 3,700 cases last year). Regardless, life is better when we can avoid bug bites. But are there ways of doing this without using the equally hazardous option of DEET-packed bug spray.

DEET, or N-Diethyl-meta-toulamide, is the most widely used active ingredient in bug sprays. DEET should never be used on infants younger than 3 years old. It poses mild risk to children (regardless of concentration), anyone with sensitive skin, or anyone using it repeatedly. Testing has shown that there are positive mutation results in mammal cells, suggesting potential carcinogenic effects. It is also classified as an irritant for skin, eyes and lungs by the European Union. Further animal testing showed brain and nervous system effects at moderate doses along with endocrine system disruption and reproductive effects at high doses. Apart from potential risks to human health, DEET, as a chemical pesticide, is also not so great for the environment, with potential wildlife and environmental toxicity, particularly to freshwater wildlife.

• More information on DEET
• More information on a popular bug spray that uses DEET

With the potential dangers of conventional bug repellent, there are some great natural ones on the market, but the best way to ensure what is in your product is to make it yourself. It is fun to try and you can rest assured there aren’t any hidden ingredients and you can tailor it to your taste.

** You should note that not all essential oils are safe for use on pregnant women or infants. Always look up the essential oils you are using when you are pregnant, breast feeding, or intending to use on little ones. The best bet for pregnant women who want to avoid bugs is citronella and tea tree essential oils mixed with carrier oil or water.

Making a Natural Bug Repellent Spray

4 oz distilled water
40 drops citronella essential oil
20 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops cedar essential oil
10 drops lemongrass essential oil
5 drops basil essential oil

Put your essential oils into a sterile dark colored glass or plastic spray bottle first then fill the rest of the bottle with 4oz of distilled water, pure witch hazel, aloe vera juice, green tea brewed in distilled water, or any combination of these that you like. Shake the mixture before using and then spray on skin before heading out and be sure to keep it near by if you are out and about. You could easily make this a body oil if you’d like more staying power and don’t mind a greasier feel, just replace the water with any carrier oil of your choice but be sure to avoid clothing.

If it is too late and you’ve already been chewed up you can make your own soothing oil to alleviate the itch and irritation of bug bites. * * You should note that not all essential oils are safe for use on pregnant women or infants. Always look up the essential oils you are using when you are pregnant, breast feeding, or intending to use on little ones. The best bet for pregnant women who already have bug bites in search for relief is eucalyptus and  lavender essential oils mixed with carrier oil or water.

Making an Anti-itch Bug Bite Soother

4 oz carrier oil of your choice
40 drops peppermint oil
20 drops lavender oil
20 drops tea tree oil
10 drops rosemary oil

I tend to use a blend of apricot kernel and sweet almond oils as my base oil but you can use any vegetable oil you have around; olive oil, canola, sunflower, or soy oil would work just fine. Pour your base oil into a sterile dark colored glass or plastic bottle (if you don’t have one that is dark colored store it in a cabinet, light breaks down the oils rendering it less effective). Add the drops of essential oils. This is a potent blend so be sure to avoid sensitive areas (eyes, nethers, etc). Try a test patch if you are sensitive to be sure it works for your skin type.

Have fun making your goodies and enjoy the great outdoors even more with fewer pesky bugs around!

If you are interested in other handmade eco-friendly skin care products or recipes please visit my website, StrawberryHedgehog.com.

There was a time when going “down the shore” (as we call it here in Philadelphia) meant following certain traditions and rituals. First, I’d arm myself with the tools of the trade: a stylish beach bag containing a towel, sun tan lotion, a novel, and a radio. Then I would find the flattest beach with the fewest shells–avoiding that stinky, smelly line of seaweed washed up on the beach from the night before. I never swam in water deeper than four feet–for fear of sharks. And I rarely put my feet on the ground when I was in four feet of water–for fear of stepping on some unknown creature. And I avoided those pesky, noisy seagulls.

These days, my stylish beach bag has been replaced with a backpack. Sunscreen took the place of tanning lotion years ago. Field guides are my “novels” of choice. I never take a radio to the beach–I’d much rather listen to the sounds of the waves and the birds. I inspect the strandline (that line of flotsam and jetsam washed up from the night before) for treasures like egg cases. I appreciate the stinky, smelly wetlands I drive through to reach the ocean for what they are–incredible food farms. I know now that there’s no such bird as a “sea gull” (it’s a generic term for many birds within the gull family). And I know that “jellyfish” and “starfish” are now called “sea jellies” and “sea stars.” And “beach bunny” has a new meaning, too.

My beach walks have become nature walks!

The last days of summer have new meaning, too. They are the last days that I’ll see butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers. They are the days that grow shorter and cooler far too quickly. And while it’s sad to say goodbye to the fun in the sun, soon the skies will be full of migrating birds. That’s the beauty of nature–to every season there is a tern, or a hawk, or an eagle.

For fun activities and seashore facts, check out Take A Beach Walk!

See you in the outdoors!

Jane Kirkland is the award-winning author of the “Take A Walk®” series of nature discovery books as well as “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard,” the acclaimed educator’s guide to helping students discover nature in their schoolyard. To learn more about Jane and her books visit: www.takeawalk.com.