Youngsters get hands-on adventure

There was plenty of action and adventure last Wednesday in Camp Polk Meadow as Karen Parker and Ginny Elliot guided and encouraged seven kids, three moms, one granddad and a photographer on an exploration of insect and bird life in the meadow.

Throughout the morning, intense focus was followed by cheers of delight as grasshoppers, a praying mantis, and even a little snake were discovered, collected and released.

Thanks to the restoration and preservation work of the Deschutes Land Trust, Camp Polk Meadow is lush with deep grasses and vegetation this year, adding to the sense of adventure for the young naturalists as they trek through waist-high grass toward Whychus Creek.

From April to November, Deschutes Land Trust sponsors over 120 outings on trust properties. Directed to people of all ages in the community, guided adventures are designed to bring the work of the land trust into public awareness as well as promote pleasure in the life and beauty of the areas the trust is protecting and preserving.

More information about the Deschutes Land Trust, properties in their care and dates and locations of future walks and adventures can be found at their website, www.deschuteslandtrust.org.