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1 This book belongs to:

2 WELCOME to the New Hanover County Parks & Gardens Parks Stars Youth Program! What is a Parks Star? Parks Stars are citizens who are dedicated to caring for and improving New Hanover County s parks. Parks Stars are good stewards. A steward is someone who helps take care of something that belongs to everyone. To become a good steward, you have to learn about the parks and how you can help take care of them. By becoming a good steward and sharing your knowledge with others at a young age, you can help make sure our parks are around for many years. There are two levels of Youth Parks Stars based on age: Twinkle Stars - Age 0-5 Junior Stars - Age 6-12 How do you become a Parks Star? 1. Complete Activities 1-5 in this booklet. 2. Complete your choice of either Activity 6 or Activity 7 (you can do both if you want). 3. After completion, fill out the form on the last page of this booklet and take it to the Parks & Gardens office to receive your certificate and prize: New Hanover County Government Center 230 Government Center Drive Suite 120 Wilmington, NC Parks Stars will receive newsletters, additional activities and invitations to upcoming Parks & Gardens events and programs.

3 New Hanover County Parks Airlie Gardens Airlie Road, Wilmington, NC Arrowhead Park Arnold Road, Wilmington, NC Blue Clay Bike Park Juvenile Center Drive, Castle Hayne, NC Hugh MacRae Park Pine Grove Drive, Wilmington, NC Kings Grant Park Lord Byron Road, Wilmington, NC Monterey Heights Park Cathay Road, Wilmington, NC Northern Regional Park Old Avenue, Castle Hayne, NC Ogden Park Ogden Park Drive, Wilmington, NC Parkwood Park Canetuck Road, Wilmington, NC River Road Park River Road, Wilmington, NC Riverside Park Old Bridge Site Road, Castle Hayne, NC Smith Creek Park Shenandoah Street, Wilmington, NC Snows Cut Park River Road, Wilmington, NC Summer Rest Trail Summer Rest Road, Wilmington, NC Trails End Park Trails End Road, Wilmington, NC Veterans Park Halyburton Memorial Parkway, Wilmington, NC 28412

4 Activity 1: Sound Map What do you hear when you go to the park? There are many different sounds to be heard depending on which park you visit. For this activity, go to any county park and pick a spot to use your ears and listen to the sounds. You are at location X. What sounds do you hear? Draw a picture of what you hear as it relates to your location. Example: BIRD DOG X CAR LAUGHTER BASEBALL BAT

5 Activity 1: Sound Map Now it s your turn... X You are at location X. What sounds do you hear? Draw a picture of what you hear as it relates to your location.

6 Activity 2: Who Lives Here? A habitat is the home of an animal or a plant. Almost every place on Earth from the hottest desert to the coldest ice pack is a habitat for some kinds of animal and plant. Most habitats include a community of animals and plants along with water, oxygen, soil, and rocks.

7 Activity 2: Who Lives Here? Draw a line to connect the animal with their habitat. Circle the animals you see when you visit a county park.

8 Activity 3: Adopt a Tree 1. Go to a county park. 2. Choose your favorite tree! Give it a name. 3. Observe the tree. Draw what you see. Write what you feel and smell about the tree. Does it smell? Does it have flowers? What do the leaves look like? Can you identify what kind of tree it is? Are there other trees around it?

9 Activity 3: Adopt a Tree 4. Come visit the tree on a second day. What is different about the tree? Draw the tree as you see it today and describe the differences below? Does it smell different? Are the flowers the same? How did the leaves change? Can you identify what kind of tree it is with some help from an adult or internet? Did the environment around the tree change at all?

10 Activity 4: Looking at Leaves Go to a county park and bring a book and a crayon with you. Collect 3 leaves off of the ground. Create a leaf print by placing the leaf between your book and paper and then gently shading the paper over the leaf. Leaf 1

11 Activity 4: Looking at Leaves Leaf 2 Leaf 3 BONUS: Can you identify the type of tree each leaf comes from?

12 Activity 5: Traveling Seeds In this activity, you will visit a county park and collect seeds. This can be done in different ways: 1. You can pick them up by hand and place them in a paper cup or zip-lock bag. 2. A more fun way is to take a large sock and wear it over your shoes and walk around in a field or grassy area. This represents how seeds are dispersed by animal fur. After you have collected your seeds, take them home and separate them by categories of dispersal. For example: Floats on air: dandelion, cottonwood, cattail, orchid Bounces or rolls: acorn, pecan, tumbleweed (whole plant rolls) Sticks to animals: burdock, cocklebur, wild barley, Queen Anne s lace Flies through air: maple, ash, tulip poplar, pine seeds After you have separated them into categories, sketch them on the next page and label them with their name and dispersal category. You may need to use the internet to help identify some of the seeds. Examples of seeds in our area: Pine Seeds Acorns Dandelion Pecans Cattails Burdock

13 Activity 5: Traveling Seeds Draw the seeds that you collected and label them with their name and dispersal category. You may need to use the internet to help identify some of the seeds.

14 Optional Activity A Activity 6: Take Your Camera for a Walk 1. Go to a county park with your camera or smart phone. 2. Have someone take 5 pictures of you doing 5 activities. 3. Upload your pictures to facebook.com/nhcparksandgardens Or tape them here: 4. Create a story about your trip to the park by making captions for each photo. 5. Share your adventure with two friends.

15 Optional Activity B Activity 7: Geocaching 1. Go to and watch the Geocaching 101 video. 2. Create a geocaching account. 3. Use your smartphone or GPS to find a geocache that is located in a county park. Hugh MacRae is a great park to start in. Here is a map of the geocaches in Hugh MacRae: 4. Log your find on geocaching.com

16 Activity 8: Picture Time Create a picture of your favorite memory in the parks.

17 Congratulations! When you have completed your workbook, fill out the registration form below and take it to the Parks & Gardens office in the Government Center to Registration Form pick up your certificate and prize: 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 120 Wilmington, NC Phone: Hours: Monday Friday 8am-5pm Child s Name: Birthdate: Parent Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: *: *Parks Stars will receive newsletters, additional activities and invitations to upcoming Parks & Gardens events and programs. Websites consulted in creation of this booklet: