Spring Nature Scavenger Hunt

These spring flowers are native to Europe and North Africa. They grow back each season from bulbs in the ground. They can be found at Gabis on our daffodil hill in the first parking lot.

There are spiderwort flowers that can be found blooming in the prairie as early as May. There is also Siberian squill growing along the entrance road and at the depot.

Gabis has red squirrels, gray squirrels and fox squirrels. If you have trouble finding them then sit still in the woodland for a period of time and they will become active.

Moths are most easily seen later in the day and at night. They can be found flying around a light source.

Look around a muddy bank of a stream and you will likely see animal tracks. You may see deer, beaver, raccoon or opossum.

These will probably find you, before you find them. While walking on Owl or Heron trail look to the sides and you will likely find them.

Look for a three-leaved (or four if you are lucky) clover in areas with cut grass. Try walking on the grass mounds by the first parking lot.

Look for the bright yellow flowers in garden beds or in grass. The adventure and rose garden are good places to look for them.

The ponds at Gabis are one of the best places to see birds flying. Maybe you will get lucky and see a kingfisher catching a fish.

This is a colony of bacteria that live together symbiotically. They create a gelatinous mass to protect themselves. A common species we have at Gabis Arboretum is Nostoc commune, which can sometimes be found growing in the gravel parking lot.

Do not confuse a bumblebee for a carpenter bee. A bumblebee will have hair on its abdomen, while a carpenter bee’s will be shiny and hairless. Bumblebees can be found visiting the spring ephemeral flowers on owl trail.

These large birds can be seen and heard flying overhead during the spring migration. They will land in the wetland area occasionally at Gabis.

These camouflaged ground-dwelling birds can be challenging to find. They are most easily seen and heard at dusk in the spring. During this time, they will be performing their mating ritual. They will fly into the sky and come twirling down in a corkscrew.

Trillium grandiflorum can be spotted on owl trail. These showy plants seeds are dispersed by ants.

This flowering tree can be easily spotted when in bloom. There is a redbud tree growing on the eastern edge of blue bird trail.

This is a tiny species of frog that can be challenging to find. They can be heard almost everywhere at Gabis in the spring at dusk.

This invasive species has an oniony smell when picked. If you can find this species and are confident in your identification, please pull it out of the ground by the roots. They can be found growing on goldfinch trail.

When the mosquitos are out, so are the dragonflies. Find a body of water and you will see the dragonflies darting through the air.