Double issue to celebrate Weeks 13 and 14 of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv"
Daylight Savings arrives along with many signs of spring!
Spring forward!
Spring Daylight Savings has arrived! We have a double issue this week to mark the end of Week 13 and the start of Week 14 of our “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” adventures. With the return of more daylight hours, there is much to enjoy outside. We hope the ideas in this week’s newsletter inspire you to gather friends and family and celebrate the transition of seasons from winter to spring as we head into the final stretch.
1. A memorable “Woodcock Watch” to welcome early signs of spring
If you live in the Northeast or northern Midwest United States, or the adjacent southern Canada areas, it’s time for the “Woodcock Watch.” Do an online search for nature organizations near you that offer programs or spaces for this annual, early March birdwatching event. Raritan Headwaters Association in Bedminster, New Jersey has been offering a Woodcock Watch program for many years and Friluftsliving Family finally had the chance to check it out. Even better, MorMor (Norwegian name for grandmother) was able to attend and meet Lauren (GMTW illustrator and outdoor education director extraordinaire for Raritan Headwaters)!
The program was led by knowledgable guide Alan Rennie and it kicked off with a delightful PowerPoint presentation on the unique bird we were about to see in the nearby meadows. (It also turned out that MorMor was sitting next to his wife in the audience who pulled out a Norwegian flag hat when we bundled up to head outside!) New friends made.
Woodcock facts:
This bird really does look like a softball with wings and a long skinny beak. They are the slowest flying birds at 5 miles per hour.
The woodcock is truly amazing. It returns to the Northeast in early spring to do a wild aerial dance to attract a mate, all while making a very distinct “PEENT!” call. They also do a groovy dance on the ground when looking for worms (their main source of food).
The birds can be found in meadows surrounded by trees. Their calls and dancing begin at dusk, just after sundown.
Groups of bird enthusiasts who gather for a Woodcock Watch are very fun and include people of all ages!
It’s well worth it to venture out for some bird watching in early March, whether for the Woodcock or other spring birds. As we say goodbye to winter, the birds are wonderful heralds for the spring season ahead.
2. What’s on your S-P-R-I-N-G-O card?
For this week’s activity guide, we’re playing a game that can span from Week 13 to 14 and beyond. It’s an early signs of spring game and we’re calling it, SPRING-O. Think BINGO, but venture outside to play and find signs of spring to mark on your Spring-o card.
Gather family and friends to play with you, or head out on your own. We’re providing two versions of the SPRING-O card in this week’s downloadable activity guide. One has signs of spring added to observe in our Northeast neck of the woods, and the other is a blank template you can use to add the signs of spring that are local to where you live.
Download the activity guide and follow us on Friluftsliving Family Instagram to share early signs of spring observations. Let us know when you get SPRING-O! #15weeksoffriluftsliv
3. Raspberry “brrrrr”-et Recipe of the week
In late February, Tacy attended an online program through the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum led by Emily Vikre, cofounder of Vikre Distillery in Duluth, Minnesota. It was called “Cocktails for Everyone” and included great recipes and tips for inflecting cocktails and mocktails with Scandinavian touches.
It was perfect timing to get inspired to create family-friendly drinks to celebrate the final weeks of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv!” Here’s the recipe for a Daylight-Savings celebration mocktail and cocktail we were inspired to create from what we learned in the class. The berry and lavender give hints of the seasons to come. We’re calling it “Raspberry brrrr-et” in a nod to Minnesota’s own (Prince and Vikre), skål!
Ingredients
1/2 c raspberries, plus a few extra for garnish
1 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 T culinary lavender buds*
Sparkling water
Grapefruit juice
Juniper gin (or any London dry gin)
Instructions
First, make a raspberry-lavender syrup. You will be able to bottle and refrigerate it to use in many drinks.
Combine the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan off the stove and crush the raspberries into the sugar. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes (no heat).
Put the saucepan on the stove, add the water, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring.
Add the lavender and continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve or strainer.
Allow to cool and pour into a jar or bottle to store.
For a cocktail: Add 2 oz raspberry-lavender syrup, 2 oz gin, splash of grapefruit juice, and fill remainder of glass with sparkling water. Adjust any of these ingredients to taste.
For a mocktail: Add 2 oz raspberry-lavender syrup, 2 oz grapefruit juice, and fill remainder of glass with sparkling water. Adjust any of these ingredients to taste.
*If you’re not sure about purchasing an entire jar or bag of culinary lavender, know that there are many easy recipes and crafts to use it in for the spring and summer months ahead to infuse some nature.
4. Ways to gather
March Full Moon: The “Worm” moon will occur Thursday, March 13th into Friday, March 14th with an extra special lunar eclipse that creates a “blood moon” with a reddish hue. For the Eastern Time zone, totality will be from 2:26 AM to 3:31 AM. Enjoy this spring full moon anytime you can in the days leading up to or after its peak.
Frog peeping: Now is the time to hit the trails near vernal ponds and streams to hear the sounds of frogs! The peeper frogs and wood frogs are emerging and making their mating calls. In New Jersey, some great places to stroll and listen to frogs are Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, the Great Swamp, and Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve.
Make your plans for a 15 Week Finale: Our last week of winter adventures is almost here! Start planning for your “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” finale to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. The Spring Equinox is on March 20th.
Here’s to sharing ideas and getting outside with a “free-air-life” ethos, gnome matter the weather.
So excited for Spring, but will miss your weekly newsletters!