Toddlers Take Nature Tour In Sarasota Park

The Sarasota County Government's "Little Naturalist" is an exciting nature program that exposes children ages 2 to 4 to Florida foliage and wildlife.

The children received a short, guided, nature walk where they were involved in a a variety of hands-on, nature-themed activities. They also received a snack and ended their adventure with a story courtesy of Brie Ondercin, their guide.


"On our walk, we are going to see bugs, birds and sticks," Ondercin told the children."

"I love bugs and sticks," replied 3-year-old Anthony Lewis.

Ondercin said she came up with the idea for the program three years ago after she took her own kids on a two hour guided tour for adults. She said her 6-year-old and 3-year-old got tired and, well, a little bored.

"The other walks were great for adults, but they were too academic for the kids," she said. "The county employs retired doctors and authors to lead those tours. I just thought, this would be great if it were shorter and designed for children."

Ondercin said they now rotate parks and do one "Little Naturalist" tour every month.

On Tuesday they toured Phillipi Estate Park. Each child was given a color wheel and asked to identify things in nature that were the same hue. Ondercin pointed out birds, flowers and even a bee hive.

"If anyone is allergic please run past," she said.

The kids were also asked to pick up a variety of leaves from the forest floor and to refrain from eating some very appealing purple berries that were growing sporadically along the trail.

2.5-year-old Charlie White said his favorite part was the color wheel.

His mother, Liz White, said she was coincidentally playing at the park when she saw some kids gathering to take a tour. She and her two children joined in.

"I think it's great," she said of the program. "I didn't know it existed, but you run out of things to do with them."

At the end of the walk through the woods, the kids made bird feeders out of string and Cheerios, some of them eating the materials as their own bird snack. Then they glued the leaves they had collected to construction paper, and were crowned "Princes and Princesses of Phillipi Park."

The day winded down with a story. And after that? Well it was nap time, for the kids, and I'm guessing, for the parents as well.