Brilliant Fall Leaves mean Fairies are Here to Stay!
Thimble and Blossom are back on North Country Trails this fall! While they're waiting to migrate south for warmer weather each winter, Thimble and Blossom stop over for a couple of months on our trails to enjoy the fall foliage, tuck in the bears for hibernation, and to answer all of your nature questions! They stopped by Nature Up North to tell us how excited they are to see who can find their homes and to deliver their clues. Visit one of the trails below and follow their clues to find where Thimble and Blossom live! Write a question in the notebook, or scan the QR code on the sign to fill out our form. Thimble and Blossom only hang out until the first sign of snow, so don't wait too long to go looking! The photos are in the same order as the trail clues below.
Stone Valley
Start on the path to the river’s right,
Step through the trees, with the water in sight.
Watch the current as it flows below,
Then follow the trail as it slopes down slow.
Continue through the woods, the path will guide you,
Until a bridge comes into view.
Cross with care, as the boards may shake,
By the tree ahead, our house awaits.
Indian Creek Nature Center
You will start your journey along the “Connector Trail”, a short and magical grassy shoot. Here you may hear chirping crickets, calling geese, or even the occasional owl hoot.
You will also encounter some colorful plants; red trillium, bunchberries, and the classic red leaves of maple trees in fall!
A short distance further you will encounter a sign. To “The Wetland Trail” you'll head by our design. Make a right turn onto a long boardwalk. Once you're here, keep your eyes open and try not to gawk, and the bounty of wildlife like the birds, frogs, and insects that call this area home.
Once you reach the end of this boardwalk, slow down and look very carefully with glee ... my house is near! It is nestled low down between two trees.
The Copper Rock Falls Trail
Us fairies love a bubbling brook, so walk past the big boulder and take a look.
Pause for a sit on the rock, take time without looking at the clock.
A bit further you'll find a bed of pine needles, that's where our home is, we're friends with the beetles.
Can you hear the water fall? We want to share the beauty with one and all.
Dan French is a 2021 graduate of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. While there, he majored in Sustainability with minors in General Business and Management. As an undergrad he had the opportunity to intern with the National Park Service's Office of Policy in Washington D.C., conduct self-led research on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid's impact on North American species of Hemlock, and was elected sectetary of his universities ultimate fresbee team, Bentley Icehouse. A native of Potsdam NY, Dan spent many summers cultivating his love for outdoor education at 4-H Camp Overlook where he was a camper turned staff for a total of 14 years. In his free time, Dan enjoys hiking in the Adirondacks and skiing when the snow allows. Most recently, Dan returned to the North Country after a one year term of service as an AmeriCorps member in Montana. He served as the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife (TM) Coordinator in Missoula and the surrounding area. Now that he's back, Dan hopes to expand his connection to the environment through whitewater kayaking, backpacking, and expanding access to the wonders of the North Country to anyone and everyone who wants to tag along.