How to build a fire.

Lighting a camp fire quickly and effectively is a skill every camper should have.

Regardless of experience level, age, or gender, one of the first skills that is a must have is the ability to make fire. 

In her video Grace talks about the tricks she has learned to find the right fuel for her fire. Before you watch her video she has a few safety tips.

" Always have a grown up with you to light a fire, to make sure your safe and cut the wood. never use matches with out permission"

Grace,

An Alberta Rambler

How to build and light a fire

 

 

 

Geocaching 101

After five years of geocaching and to date 740 find The Alberta Ramblers have decided to go after their geocache badges at the cub and scout levels, here is what they have to say.                      

"Searching is half the fun: Life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party."

Jimmy Buffet

How to build a Geocache

How to use a GPS to hide a geocache

A father's day Jasper ramble.

On June 14th 2014 the Alberta Ramblers went to Jasper National Park for a Father's Day ramble. We spent the afternoon hiking around Maligne lake and Lake Annette. Here's what they found.

Black bear, moose, elk, mule deer, baby bighorn sheep, a mountain goat, numerous birds among the best the yellow rumped warbler, and gray jay (whiskey jack). The gray jay being a new find on our life list.


"I loved seeing the baby bighorn sheep, and having a picnic in the mountains."

Grace, Alberta Rambler
 

" My favourite part of the day was the hike and taking pictures such as fallen logs under the water"

Laura, Alberta Rambler

Beginners Bird Walk

 On June 8th the Alberta Ramblers went out on a beginners bird walk hosted by the Wild Birds Unlimited Store. Among the birds we saw today were Red wing blackbird, Mallards, Gulls, Canadian geese, Red necked Grebes (building a floating nest), House finches, house sparrows,  Brewers blackbirds, Common grackles, Common terns, magpies and crows.


 "Today I went on a bird walk with my family, hosted by the Wild Birds Store. It is important that we go on bird walks so we can learn there food and habitats so we can protect them and sure they don't die out"

Laura,
Alberta Rambler

"Today I went Bird watching with the wild birds store. I really like to go on hikes and look for birds. I want to see all the birds in the world. I like to learn about how important nature to us.

Grace,
Alberta Rambler

We are very happy that there are groups like the Young Naturalist club and the owners of the Wild Birds Ulimited Store to share their time and knowledge with us. Thanks to them we added three new birds to our life list.

Check out Wild Birds Unlimited here http://edmonton.wbu.com/

Thanks so much,

The Alberta Ramblers

How you can tell the weather is changing

"Hello, I am working on the Observers badge and the Naturalist badge with my cub pack. Check out our video about the changes in weather"

Grace Bolster,
Alberta Rambler

"Today I am talking a bit about weather. The badge I am working on is the Observers badge and Observers badge. The reason for this video is that I am interested in the weather."

Laura Bolster,
Alberta Rambler

 

"Whether the weather be fine,

Or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather

Whatever the weather

Whether we like it or not."

Anon.

How Animals Survive the Canadian Winter

The Alberta Ramblers are at it again. This time they come to you with breaking news on how animals survive the Canadian Winter.




 "See how birds Fluff their feathers to stay warm"
 Laura

"They do camouflage so they don't become food, I don't think they want that"

Grace

Migration Poem

No more flowers,
On the trees,
Said a buzzing,
Bunch of bees...

No green grass,
On which to feast,
Said a wild wildebeest...

It’s too cold,
To flit and fly,
Said a monarch butterfly...

What should we do?
How can we live?
When environments,
Cease to give…
Conditions change,
What's on our plate,
It’s time to move,
We must migrate!
Migration’s moving,
Swim, run, fly,
From a place,
Too cold or dry,
To a place,
Where food is found,
Migration’s moving,
To new ground!

 

The observations of young naturalists

March 29th 2014 The Alberta Ramblers headed back to the Wagner Natural Area to finish off working on their Naturalist and Observers badges. Here is what they found.

We did a squirrel video, a deer bed video, a rabbit video, a porcupine video. We went for a nice hike, we saw lots nice tracks and we finished our naturalist and observers badge. It was Awesome!

Grace Bolster,

Alberta Rambler

 We went to Wagners Bog for a hike. we saw plants, animal tracks, and a Squirrel Midden (not Mitten). we did videos for our blog, worked on our Observers badge and Naturists badge. We had a fun time.

Laura Bolster,
Alberta Rambler                                                                                             Squirrel Midden

Beaver hills dark sky preserve anniversary.

Sept 1, 2013 we spent the day at Elk Island National Park. Celebrating the anniversary of the Dark sky preserve. The fist thing we got to do was Solar viewing. Looking at the sun through safe  telescopes. We had lots of fun and our friend Kaleb joined us. 

First Nations astronomy presentation: We listened to a First Nations teacher sing songs and tell us the First Nation legends of the Stars. Our favorite song was the Thunder Bird song. Later that night he told us stories of the stars on the beach and sang songs to the spirits.  Our favorite story is how the wolf, Coyote, and fox gave us their pups so people had dogs.

 Laura and Grace,

The Alberta Ramblers

The Star

~Jane Taylor

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. When the blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night. Then the traveler in the dark, Thanks you for your tiny spark, He could not see which way to go, If you did not twinkle so. In the dark blue sky you keep, And often through my curtains peep, For you never shut you eye, Till the sun is in the sky. As your bright and tiny spark, Lights the traveler in the dark- Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Tree Planting with the Young Naturalist Club

On August 14, 2013 my family and I had a blast learning about trees and planting them. We got to pick one from a bunch of trees planted it to help the forest grow!

We did a game called huga tree. It's where you have a
blindfold on and you have to find a tree and feel it then you
have to go back to the groop. then you take off your tree.

Finily we went and pulled noxious weeds out of the
ground. I like going to nature nights!

Laura Bolster,
an Alberta Rambler

 We went tree planting and it was fun.
We weeded to and it was not fun. We played a game, it was really fun.
 The game was called hug a tree.  I like to plant trees, I planted a forest and
it is cool! I had fun.

Grace Bolster,
an Alberta Rambler

Lake levels experiments at Ross Lake

Some summer time experiments while out camping that we really liked to do, from our pond discovery pack that we got at Whitney Lake Provincial Park. We had a lot of fun!!

Laura & Grace

The Alberta Ramblers

We are going to catch something.....right Dad?

“Fishing is much less about the fishing, and much more about the time alone with your kid, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing 

The Alberta Ramblers up early to enjoy some quality time wetting their lines at Ross lake. Here's what they have to say about the beginners rules to fishing.

 

 

Lichen and Moss Diversity

On Wednesday July 24, 2013 my family and I spent the evening doing activities with the Young Naturalist Club. We went on a nature walk. While we were on our walk we looked at fungi and lichens. Lichens are a combination of fungi and alga.  They help each other live.  Fungi gives protection, and alga gives food.  They are pals together like peanut butter and jelly.  We got to look and see what some types of moss and lichens looked like, we found wild raspberries and there were lots of thistles and stinging nettle.

We played a migration game. We had to run from summer to winter and back again. I'm glad I'm not a caribou.

We did a craft with moss. We had to trace an animal or bug, colour it in and it's environment, then glue on moss. Mine was a lady bug, I made it for dad.

Last of all we went and talked about moss and lichens. We each got to keep a piece of it. We learned a lot and had a great night.



Laura,
An Alberta Rambler.






Last night me and my family went to a family nature night. We went for a walk in a forest, the theme was about moss. There were stations, one of the stations was a craft. The craft was moss pictures. One of the stations was a walk, on the walk we looked at moss and lichens. The last was a migrating game. You were a Caribou that had to migrate. Did you know Caribou eat lichen and moss.

The last station was learning about moss and lichens habitat. At the end there was a draw I did not win.  The Young Naturalists have asked me to write a story about what I am doing.  Look for an article in the next newsletter. I had a great night!



Grace,
An Alberta Rambler

We really have great times with the young naturalists club. The activities are great, the staff young, enthusiastic, and well informed. They bring experts in to talk with the kids and share their knowledge. The girls are working through their silver level activity book with the young naturalist club and enjoying it very much. The are to very interested and active young ladies who are applying what they have learned to their Scouting and family lives. On behalf of all the Alberta Ramblers we thank Candace and all the organizers of the Young Naturalist club. Please keep up the great work and fun family times.


Yours in Scouting,
The Alberta Ramblers

Birding with the Young Naturlist Club

Wednesday July 10, 2013

The girls participated in birding with the young naturalists at Hawrelak Park.

 

Grace: "One fun game was to learn how birds use thief beaks. I had a for so lots of things were easy to get, but the tiny beads were very hard"

 

Laura: "tonight I learned other animal will use bird houses and feeding platforms to build their own homes. Like the squirrel home in this picture."

 

Mallards, Golden eye, and American widgeon were some of the birds we saw tonight, and a pretty rainbow.

What's new

Please be sure to check out our flora, fauna and other ID pages on our Blog to see all the fun things we do.

She blinded me with science.

The first attempt at a science video by the girls. Please keep in mind as you watch that this is 100% their own from, design, and style. The experiment is part of their silver level young naturalist club book.

Summer fun

Our week camping trip June 2013.

Hi my name is Grace. For ten days my family went camping. Me and my sister Laura slept in a tent. It is a campground. There is also a lake. In the lake there was swimmers itch. Swimmers itch is a bug, if the bug gets you it will make you itch. 

We identified birds, trees, and flowers. One tree is a trembling Aspen. It makes its own sunscreen. One bird is a Red Winged black bird. It is mostly black but it has red on the wings. One flower is a wild rose. It is Alberta's Provincial flower.

I love camping.

 Alberta's Light House. Near Clyde Alberta.

Eastern Phoebe found at Half Moon Lake.

The highlight! Watching a family of 4 Downy Woodpeckers learning to live.

Street legal racing and Castrol Park Raceway

Cubs and Cars at the Catrol Raceway in Alberta Canada.  May 31, 2013, Five friends, loud cars. snacks and burnin rubber! Good times were had by all.

 As the girls explained Laura got a evening street legal racing for coming in Second in her division in the Northern Lights Council, Western Trails/ Buffalo Plains Area Cub Car Rally. Scouts Canada in partnership with Blackjacks Roadhouse in Nisku Hosted a sky box, snacks and drinks to the winners. Laura along with her sister and a few friends were privileged to enjoy the Sky box all to themselves and take in 3 hours of great Street legal racing.

Lost of smokin tires

Happy Winner

Modified Sleds

Scouting Sisters

Favorite car of the night

 

 

 

fastest cat @ 200MPH

Our sky box view

Thanks to Northern Lights Council, Castrol Raceway, and Blackjacks Roadhouse for making such a great night possible!