Fall Nature Scavenger Hunt
Get outdoors with a nature scavenger hunt at Gabis Arboretum at PNW. Build natural environment awareness and try to find nine natural fall objects, whether you are a beginner or advanced. No matter how many objects you find, your participation helps with health and wellness.
Program participation is free. Arboretum admission fees apply for non-members.
Dates
September 22 to December 21
Beginner Scavenger Hunt
See if you can find the following natural objects at Gabis Arboretum! Need a hint on where to look? Just click the accordion to learn more.
After a plant has flowered it will produce a seed. The dried crispy flowerhead of a plant will contain its seed. The prairie is an easy place to find seeds in the fall.
Pinecones are found on pine trees. There are many pine trees along the eastern end of bluebird trail, as well as in the railway garden.
Mushrooms are found along the ground or on rotting wood. They are most easily found within the woodland.
The most vibrant red leaves in the fall are from maples. Gabis has a brightly colored maple growing in the railway garden.
There are deer everywhere at Gabis. If you want to see one, just wait in the woods for a while and remain quiet.
Many plants produce berries in fall to spread their seeds. Heron and Owl trail are good places to see berries on vines and shrubs.
There are many kinds of animal scats as there are animals. Look for scat that has hair in it or seeds, and you will know it is from a wild animal and not a dog.
There are many ponds at Gabis Arboretum. One can be found next to the railway garden.
Gabis is home to many native oaks. Oaks can be found growing in the woodland, on owl and heron trail.
Advanced Scavenger Hunt
See if you can find the following natural objects at Gabis Arboretum! Need a hint on where to look? Just click the accordion to learn more.
These are not a fungus but a collection of unrelated eukaryotic organisms. They can be found in damp, shady areas on the surface of rotting wood. A species that can be found at Gabis is dog vomit slime mold (Fuligo septica), which can be found on rotting wood.
This is a medicinal mushroom that is found around the world. At Gabis Arboretum, it can be found growing on dead trees in the woodland.
Many praying mantises can be found in the prairie in the fall. They are well camouflaged so they can be hard to spot.
These fruits are a delicious mixture of pineapple, mango and banana. They are a native species and ripen in October. They can be found growing near the Meyer pavilion.
These galls are created by the goldenrod gall fly. With the many goldenrods in our prairie, they are easy to find on the stalks of goldenrod.
These are bugs that eat the developing seeds of maple and ash trees. They are brightly colored to warn animals not to eat them as they are toxic to eat. There is a large silver maple tree next to the willow hut that they can be found on. They can also be found in the adventure garden, crawling on the shed, where they try to get into for the winter.
These hornets look aggressive, but if you don’t bother them, they will not bother you. They can be found collecting nectar and hunting other bugs in the fall.
This crow-sized hawk is a hunter of birds. They can be found at Gabis in the woodland and prairie.
This small shrub is covered in thorns and produces fruit that has thorns around it. They can be found growing in the woodland.