A school group recently visited our main camp. They were a keen bunch (happy to be outside and out of the classroom I suppose), and all wonderfully behaved. It was a pleasure to have them here.
One of our programs had them studying habitats, and they were out on the Yellow Trail looking for and discussing what habitats existed in the woods. Our instructor had them tipping over rocks and logs, and many found red-backed salamanders as well as one amazing blue spotted beauty.
Unbeknownst to us and the teachers, one of the little salamanders travelled in a water bottle back to the school. The student was so intrigued by the salamander that they decided an amphibian companion would be great.
However, the hitchhiker was discovered and after some phone calls, was transported back to Camp Kawartha to be released in the same area she came from. Once free of her travel case, the salamander (we named her Toby) made her way through the leaf litter and scrambled under a nice, big rock in no time.
That group of students learned many things during their day-long visit, not the least of which is to leave animals, plants, insects where you find them. It is great to admire, even touch, but please do not take them home!
What a fantastic life lesson for this class…and for us all.
