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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 29 NEED URGENT CARE? We've got you covered! • Board Certifi ed Physicians • Fast Diagnosis and Treatment of non-life threatening illness & injury • Vaccines, X-rays, lab tests • School and Sports Physicals Open 7 days a week for your convenience No appointment necessary Most insurances accepted E x c e l - U r g e n t C a r e . c o m Fishkill 845-765-2240 Goshen 845-360-5530 Mon.-Fri. 8am-8pm, Sat. & Sun. 9am-4pm find as your venture forth. Encour- age your child to use their senses - sight, sound, smell, and touch - to help them feel intensely alive. As you approach a meadow, look for wildflowers, or listen for a screeching hawk, as you may have stumbled upon its territory. You and your child might spot it swooping down to catch a tasty field mouse, offering an opportunity to teach them about the food chain and "the circle of life." Get down on your hands and knees and look for insects trekking through the grass. You might spot an ant hill with hundreds of scur- rying ants moving with a purpose and carrying bits of leaves they have chewed off that are bigger than they are! Head over to a forested area and compare the bark and leaves of the trees you find there. To gain an even closer look at the intricacies of nature, bring along an inexpensive magnifying glass. Look closely at the squiggly patterns on a leaf that might be the trail of a leaf miner insect. This exciting find could lead to looking for more evidence of insects on other nearby plants. What about inspecting a spider web full of seed pods? What a find! Have you ever looked at colorful wildflow- ers - like a fall aster - up close and personal under a lens? It is a truly magical experience. There are many ways to enjoy the diversities of nature. You and your child can pursue whatever peaks his or her particular curiosities: flow- ers, birds, insects, soil or wildlife. The idea is to be awake, alert and engaged in the natural world. Take a blanket, lie down on your back and gaze up at the sky. Grab a pair of binoculars and go bird watch- ing. Hang a bird feeder outside of a window. Artists, poets and scientists have always been inspired by nature. Why not you and your children? It is an exciting universe to explore! Just make sure to do an ever-im- portant tick check after your hike. Author Susan Hurd is owner of Hurds' Family Farm. A portion of the farm property has nature trails and is a National Wildlife Certified Hab- itat, where wildlife may find quality habitat-food, water, cover, and plac- es to raise their young. The farm has a pollinator garden that attracts bees and butterflies. A hole in the limb of an apple tree at the Hurd's Family Farm in Ulster County is an example of the fascinating curiosities that can be discovered by taking a close look at nature. This hole – maybe started by a hungry woodpecker – seems to have become "home" to some type of bird or rodent.