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INTRODUCING Guest blogger Rita Harris! Rita, an alumni of Trees For Tomorrow (TFT), was missing the Road Scholar opportunities on campus in 2021. Due to the pandemic, Road Scholar (a national organization that offers educational travel for adults) temporarily suspended programs from many of its providers, including TFT. Rita was looking for some Northwoods adventure with her granddaughters so they participated in TFT's Create Your Own Adventure packed with outdoor fun in late July. She writes:

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My granddaughters and I were looking forward to a trip to Trees for Tomorrow and a Northwoods vacation in 2020. Sadly, our plans were cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2021, the "Woods and Waters of Wisconsin" at TFT was not still not available through Roads Scholar so I contacted TFT to see if an adventure could be planned for the three of us. Kim (TFT Educational Department Manager) and Mandy (TFT Operation Manager), responded to my e-mail with several recommendations and I selected an experience that included a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

 

We stayed in a four-bedroom “rustic cabin” that had all the comforts of home. Madeleine (11) noticed a mother loon on the dishes with a baby on her back and one evening she took a picture of seven deer in the yard. Our four-day trip began by meeting three of the animal ambassadors at TFT: Sheldon the box turtle, and pythons Google and Greta. My squeamish grandchildren watched as I held one of the pythons.

 

Sylvania Wilderness was amazing! We hiked through acres and acres of a virgin timber forest. Todd, our guide and educator at TFT, told us about the lumber industry and how lumberjacks moved logs downstream. We learned about the CCC projects in WI and MI and land preservation after the lumber industry peaked in the late 1800’s. Todd helped us identify many of the special plants that grow in a forest, including the ghost pipe plant and wild raspberries.

 

     Educator Todd teaches Vivian about ghost pipe plants

 

Our other educator, Beth, took us to her secret raspberry patch - I’m sure we ate more than we picked. The highlight of the day was a trip to a bog where we found many pitcher plants. Beth gave each girl an eye dropper to collect liquid from the plant into a vial. The girls were looking for mosquito larva because the mosquito is the only insect the pitcher plant doesn’t trap. Afterwards the liquid was put back in the pitcher plant because “it is important to leave nature the way we find it,” according to Beth.

 

    Madeleine investigates the contents of a pitcher plant

 

We ended our last day back at TFT where Beth introduced us to the fourth ambassador animal, Apollo, a red-tailed hawk.  She also taught us how to use a compass to navigate. Before leaving that morning, we stopped at The Friendship House Family Restaurant in Eagle River for breakfast; the Alaskan Pancakes are over the moon DE-licious:  pancakes with strawberries, whipping cream AND and scoop of vanilla ice cream ❤️❤️❤️.

 

Harris and her granddaughters at the bottom of Bond Falls

 

Our 4 days at Trees For Tomorrow exceeded my every expectation. Thank you Kim, Mandy, Todd, and Beth for creating memories that will last a lifetime. Ten-year-old Vivian mentioned in her review that she wants to bring neighbors Josie and Henry next year when she comes. It may not happen next year, but I have no doubt Vivian will be back to share TFT with her friends. The seed has been planted.

 

Granddaughter Madeleine, age 11 from Boston, MA, said, "Todd taught me about the ghost pipe plants. I saw them again when we took a hike with Beth when I went to Michigan for the first time. Bond Falls is on Eastern Time - cool!  It was fun to do an experiment with Beth to look for larva in the pitcher plant. One of the best parts was the story she told about the two men whose bodies were found in a bog when hey had been sacrificed over two hundred years ago. It was fun to explore the Northwoods. TFT is really fun. I didn’t get bored (NOTE: pretty high praise from a youngster!).

 

Granddaughter Vivian Neal, age 10 from Boston MA, added, "Bond Falls was really fun and pretty - it was cool.  Picking raspberries in Beth's secret place was special and I promised not to tell where it is. I liked the story she told us about the two men who died in a bog and how they were sacrificed hundreds of years ago (NOTE: we have to hear this story from Beth!). It was fun to explore the Northwoods of WI with Trees For Tomorrow. I didn’t get tired at all.

 

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We are sure we’ll see Rita again when she either attends one of our scheduled programs or sets up her next Create Your Own Adventure Program!

 

Your own adventure is just waiting for you!! Adventure activities are offered year round and are seasonally dependent. They include but are not limited to: hiking, birding, biking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Programming can be added like learning archey or above wolves can also be added to your adventure. To set up your Adventure Program, call us at (715) 479-6456, email kim@treesfortomorrow.com or visit our website today to start planning!