Get Lost in the Woods
Fall is a great time to take a hike. From state parks to city parks and natural areas to conservation areas and sanctuaries, there are many places to go and “get lost” in the woods. For destinations, you can check out the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website (MDC.MO.GOV/discover-nature), the Missouri State Park website (MOStateParks.com/Find-a-Park) or the parks and recreation sites for Johnson County (JCPRD.COM) or Wyandotte County (www.wycokck.org/parks/) in Kansas. Hiking Kansas City by William B. Eddy and the Hiking Guide to Kansas by John Young are also some resources to consider. If you want to head out of town, many great wooded nature areas are within a day’s drive. Weston Bend State Park is one of my favorite forests to visit in the fall, because the river bluffs provide great fall color viewing.
Don’t think that all you can do in the woods is look at the colorful trees. Families can enjoy many other activities in the forest. I like to keep a journal of the things I see on my hikes. It can be as simple as a list of wildlife, or it can include rubbings, photographs or sketches. In some instances, small things like dead leaves, shells, etc. can be collected; however, you should check the area rules before you take things home. Be sure you can identify poison ivy (don’t worry about poison oak or sumac—we don’t have them here).
Geocaching and letterboxing add a different dimension to a hike. Geocaching and letterboxing send hikers on a journey to discover a plastic box containing small objects or stamps and a log, called a cache or letterbox.
Letterboxing was invented in 1854 in England. It uses a series of linguistic clues, sometimes in the form of tricky riddles, to lead you to the location of a letterbox. The letterbox has a log and a stamp unique to that letterbox. Letterboxers also have their own unique stamps with which they mark found letterboxes. The goal is to collect as many letterbox stamps as you can.
Geocaching clues are in the form of coordinates. Most geocachers use GPS devices to find caches, but area maps can also be used. Most caches include a log book to sign and small inexpensive objects. When a cache is found, an object is taken, another object is left and the log book is signed.
Many geocache and letterbox locations are collected online at websites for the hobby. Consulting such a site can be very helpful on your treasure hunt. Some websites to learn more about these hobbies:
Scavenger hunts are also fun. Family members can compete to see who can find the most objects on their trip. Scavenger hunts also help improve observation skills. Some nature areas have scavenger hunts for visitors to complete. If you would like to try something different, make your own scavenger hunt for another family member to complete. Whatever you choose, have fun hiking this fall.
Heather Shields is a lifetime Kansas City native, naturalist and science teacher at Ruskin High School.