I’m beginning to think I should buy carbon credits to offset the driving I do for the 30×30 Nature Challenge.

Last Thursday afternoon we drove to the east side for a bike along the Red Head Marsh walking trail. But we couldn’t find the right entrance. We tried one trail but we hit the water’s edge after walking about 50 feet. I thought about trying to find the right entry point, but Jack and Ella were complaining about the cold so we left.

To buy myself time to think of something else to do, I drove to a Bulk Barn about 10 kilometres away to pick up some items we needed there. (We did encounter some wildlife there – sea gulls perched atop the store facade)

Sitting in the parking lot with the car running (it was cold outside!), it occurred to me that the kids would love to go Rockwood Park – another 10 kilometres away in the city’s north end. They have playground equipment and nearby horse stables. The kids would get to play – which is what they’d prefer over a nature walk with dad – and say hello to the horses.

Poor Ella was still a bit sick with a fever (see Day 8 post) but she was a good sport for me and Jack. She let me push her in a swing while Jack raced around the park and played on the slides.

We engaged in a staring contest with two horses (crossing the “nature” component off our list) and then headed back uptown to pick up Janet from work. We had planned to have a picnic supper at a park in Rothesay, 15 kilometres away.

I think we went through a quarter of a tank of gas that day. There’s got to be a better way to do a nature challenge.

Jack, Ella and Mark are taking part in the David Suzuki Foundation 30×30 Nature Challenge. On the weekends they take Janet along with them. If you have any suggestions for places they should visit, e-mail Mark: fmleger@gmail.com

{ 0 comments }