Clearview Elementary School families were invited to come out and play during Family Fun Day in the Clearview Forest last Saturday.

 

Sponsored by the Clearview Community Forest Committee, the event was held to showcase recent work that’s been completed on the restoration project and highlight some of the winter fun and activities the forest has to offer.

 

Attendees were greeted by Clearview teacher and forest committee volunteer Andrea Coulter, who informed them a “peppermint beetle" had been in the forest and their assignment was to act like wolves and follow its path by smelling the trees along the trail.

 

Families eagerly set out to accomplish their goal, aided by sleds that were available for them to pull their little ones on if they got tired tromping through the snow. Flocks of trumpeter swans honked their approval as they flew overhead throughout the morning.

 

Coulter explained the activity, which was provided by the DNR, was to illustrate how wolves mark and scent trees in the wild. The peppermint scent was applied to the trees waist high to be more kid-friendly.

 

Because the snow wasn’t very conducive for making snowmen, families took the corn, birdseed and carrots meant to decorate them out into the forest to scatter for the animals. 

 

Back at the trail head pavilion, there were snacks and hot chocolate for attendees to enjoy as they warmed up around the fire. There were also examples of a fairy house and bird feeders made from forest materials, and a variety of wood slices that kids could count the rings on to determine how old the trees were when they were cut down.

 

Aaron Lewis brought his children, Noah and Isabelle. Although they’ve attended other Clearview activities, it was the first time they’d come to one of the forest events.

 

“I thought it would be a fun family activity,” he said. “I surprised them by not telling them where we were going.”

 

Amanda Jackson’s children, Grady and Roscoe, are Spanish immersion students at Clearview. It was their first time coming to a forest event also. She explained she was curious about the forest and what had been done.

 

Also attending for the first time was John Bruns and his family. “It’s a nice day and a great opportunity to get out and see the forest,” he said. “It’s such a cool thing they have here, a great resource for kids to get out and learn.”

 

Each child who attended Family Fun Day at the forest was able to choose a coloring book and a brand-new snow-themed book to take home and keep. Some families took the opportunity to read their books together during the event.

 

The event was organized by Coulter and fellow volunteers Bernie Manifold and Gary Gohmann.

 

“Right now, we’re working on three acres of dense cedar trees that need thinning and trimming,” said Gohmann. “Things are starting to come together and take shape.”

 

Clearview is working with the DNR on a 10-year plan to restore the 42-acre forest. The project includes cleaning out dead and diseased trees, removing invasive tree species and restoring the grassy area of the property to natural prairieland. 

 

Trails and educational areas for teachers and students to utilize as learning opportunities are also being created, as Clearview’s goal is to use the forest for a variety of educational uses by creating an outdoor classroom just outside their door. The DNR has lessons and other opportunities for students to learn about the forest available for the school to use.