Nature Explorers
WEEKLY outdoor enrichment
for ages 6-12

​Each year we choose a nature focus for our programs, and this year will be centered around frogs in our ecosystem. We've had the year of the bird, snake, and tree with each one serving a purpose. Birds, to hook new birders and share about the great backyard bird count. Snakes, to help dispel myths, turning fears into facts and knowledge. The tree theme celebrated our first year as Three Pines Project, allowing us to learn not just about pines (and the many ways our southern forests are adapted to fire) but so many other native tree species and their unique attributes. Year of the Frog came about while watching frogs along the pond bank at Abbey with my Program Director, Christy. We decided it would be fun to make frog and toad costumes since the two of us are always together and share similarities with that classic duo including that one of us is tall and the other small. I feel like it clicked in both our minds, and we just KNEW 2026-27 would be the Year of the Frog. Since making that decision we can't stop learning frog facts, skills, ideas and games!

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We'll look at the land around us, noticing where frogs fit in, what adaptations or hazards affect their populations, and what lessons we can learn from these animals. Last year was the Year of the Tree, and we incorporated pi to estimate tree age (and made pies to celebrate all the oldest trees we found). Trees allowed us to zoom out and look at time on a much slower scale, whereas frogs we will zoom in, with big transitions happening within weeks and months instead of years and decades. These yearly focuses help us deepen our knowledge and see how all these different plants, animals, and fungi share space and resources. Other ways the Year of the Frog will show up: Community Science initiatives like Frog Watch, guest speakers, kid-made frog field guides, frog studies, movement games, nature journalin,g and lots of stories and songs. 

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Why frogs? Frogs matter because they act as environmental indicators, control insect populations, and are vital to supporting the food chain. Their glandular skin reacts quickly to pollution, serving as an ecological warning system. They're cute, prolific and easily observable...

making them a great focus creature for the year!

                                                                                   -Kevina Casaletto, 3P Founder & Executive Director