My family loves to hike in the Adirondack Mountains, located in the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park in upstate New York, and we've always wanted to know more about the plants and animals that live there. That's why my husband, Jeff, and I took our daughters, Samantha, age 13, and Annie, 11, to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. At this hands-on nature museum, we delved into the wonders of the vast and wild park, visiting live animals, exploring indoor educational exhibits, and having lots of outdoor fun.
Address: 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, New York
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from November 1 to Memorial Day. Check the website for extended spring and summer hours.
Admission: $15 for adults; $9 for kids ages 4 to 14; free for kids under age 4
Contact: 518-359-7800;
wildcenter.org
1. Indoor Marsh
Our first stop is a re-created wetland exhibit, where we see wood ducks swimming past bugs with such eerie names as body piercer and toe biter. Annie coos at a painted turtle as he climbs onto a rock below a spotlight. Farther on, squeezable bulbs let the girls smell common boggy scents. "I like the wintergreen," Annie says, "but the mink — eww."
2. Meat-Eating Plants
A cross-section display explains how the pitcher plant lives. We learn that bees, crickets, and even frogs are all potential meals. Nearby is a sample of sphagnum moss, which often grows near pitcher plants. Samantha runs her fingers through the moss, then stands on a pillow that simulates the feel of it underfoot. "It's like quicksand," she says.
3. Stuffed Animals
In the Naturalists Cabinet exhibit, Annie is riveted by the stuffed creatures and preserved plants on display, from coyotes to wild blue orchids. Together the girls study a collection of fake animal scat, before checking out a computer that matches visitors' attempts at birdcalls with the real things, using spectograms, or visual representations of sound.
4. Into the Wild
My girls get to exercise their imaginations at the Pines, an outdoor play area made from tree branches, logs, and stumps. Immediately Annie starts building a fort, while Samantha balances on a huge log like a gymnast. Afterward, we stroll along one of the many hiking trails, taking in the scenery. It's even more beautiful now that we know so much more about it.
