Mountain Tots - More than a Nature Walkabout

06/04/2026

YES and YES!

25/02/2026

BLOOD MOON, one week away!! 🔴 This year’s March full Moon is especially notable because it coincides with a total lunar eclipse! The eclipse reaches its greatest point at 6:33 A.M. ET on Tuesday, March 3, and during totality, the Moon can take on a coppery red or orange glow, which is why it's often called a Blood Moon.

During a total lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow gradually moves across the Full Moon, causing it to darken. This color change happens slowly and can be safely watched with the naked eye.

This lunar eclipse will be visible across much of North America, though what viewers see will vary by location. The Moon enters the penumbra at 3:44 A.M. EST (12:44 A.M. PST) and the umbra at 4:50 A.M. EST (1:50 A.M. PST).

Learn more at Almanac.com/content/full-moon-march 🔴

06/02/2026

This guy is the best weather guy ever. He’s actually not wrong most of the time. Only rarely and he has comic relief 🤣

27/01/2026

😎 Can you guess what it is?

Track Tuesday is here again, and this one is a bit more tricky. If you need a hint, think about a popular case of mistaken identity in the bird world. This animal is also pretty clever, and won’t shy away from some wild leftovers. For scale, the closest wingspan imprint is about 45 inches wide (or equivalent to approximately 5 bananas).

Who made these tracks?

The answer will be revealed on Wednesday!

13/01/2026

“Brain breaks” exist only if we misunderstand how learning works.

Movement is not a pause from cognition. It is a biological driver of learning.

When children move, multiple brain systems activate and integrate at once, including those responsible for balance, timing, memory, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. This whole brain coordination is what allows learning to occur.

Movement increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain and stimulates brain derived neurotrophic factor, which supports neural growth, synapse formation, and long term memory. It also activates the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, which are foundational for attention, spatial reasoning, language processing, and self regulation.

For young children, learning develops from the body up.

Neural pathways for thinking, problem solving, and regulation are built through repeated sensory motor experiences. Short, isolated bursts of movement cannot offset long periods of physical restriction.

Calling movement a “brain break” reverses biological reality. The brain does not learn in spite of movement. It learns through it.

12/01/2026

Play is far more powerful for children than many adults realize.
It’s actually the key to learning!! 🧠

"We need to consider that young children learn in quite different ways [than adults]. They learn by comparing physical experiences, by interactions with other people and their own feelings. And they learn an enormous amount through their imagination.... Play is what pulls together the logical and creative parts of the brain." - Professor Doris Fromberg

Watch Dr. Doris Fromberg's TEDx Talk here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpM_jbVopo

24/12/2025

Colorado’s collared gray wolves remain most active in the northwest, with no sightings near urban centers yet. 🐺 LINK IN COMMENTS👇

21/12/2025

First day of Winter whether it feels like it or not. 😂

05/10/2025

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