Tillamook Forest Center
/On Friday, the Otters and Whales loaded a big yellow school bus and rode to the Tillamook Forest Center. At the forest center, we were treated to a 2-hour program that included a Homes and Habitat walk. Our guides told us a story of a girl named Jackie and a shrew that led her to discover the multitude of living things in the forest. We learned that the forest houses creatures large and small such as: grubs, beetles, earthworms, banana slugs, salmon, eagles, and woodpeckers. We also learned fun hand motions to represent each creature – ask your student if they can remember what they are.
When our groups were not on the trail, we were exploring the forest center exhibit hall which was packed with artifacts and history of the Tillamook forest. The salmon tunnel was a big hit with the Otters! We also got to walk to the top of the lookout tower and see what it was like to be a ranger keeping an eye on the forest. Directly outside of the exhibit hall is a pond that holds 65,000 gallons of collected rainwater. While we were busy estimating how much water was in the pond, we discovered a group of newts swimming and burrowing in the pond. Our guide told us that they are preparing to lay eggs. Every direction we turned was met with a new and interesting discovery.
There is so much to uncover at the forest center. It is FREE and open to the public. Here is a link for more information: http://www.tillamookforestcenter.com/index.html
We are very grateful for the parents who joined us for the day and to the forest center guides for putting on such a fun program. (See our thank you video on the Watch & Listen tab.)
