Katie's Forest Finds

Katie's Forest Finds

What Katie Found " Last one to the top gets gobbled by a grizzly! " Ben yelled as he pushed past Katie and scrambled up the trail after their parents. Katie was examining a grand butter- yellow flower growing in the middle of the trail. As she plucked the blossom and dropped it into her open backpack, she imagined how terrific it would look in her nature collection.

She'd just begun collecting a few hours ago, but Katie had already discovered all kinds of interesting objects: a mammoth pinecone, brown acorns topped with miniature, fuzzy hats, and now this flower.

A sudden rustling and crackling in the woods made Katie spin around, recalling Ben's taunt. Her brother was only teasing about grizzly bears, wasn't he? Glimpsing a tiny creature behind her, Katie laughed. Luckily, Ben wasn't nearby to see her struck with terror by a chipmunk! Nevertheless, she knew she shouldn't let the others get too far ahead. She zipped her backpack shut and slung it over her shoulder, then sprinted to catch up with the rest of her family.

New Territory " We have arrived! " Katie's father announced. " Now, what is our first order of business?" " Flop down and rest, " said Katie's mother, as she eased her heavy backpack off her shoulders. “ Take off our shoes and jump in the stream! " suggested Ben. Excellent ideas, Katie thought, but her father shook his head, saying, “ The first thing we should do is set up camp while it's still light. "

They located a level spot, and soon she and Ben found themselves hard at work clearing away loose rocks and other debris while their parents unpacked the tent and set it up. Once the setup was completed, Katie and Ben's father told them they could explore until dinner. “ Watch out for the grizzlies! " Ben warned his sister before he charged off. " Are there really grizzly bears around?" Katie asked her father. “ No, " he said, “ but there are other varieties of wildlife you might see if you keep your eyes open. " " I saw a chipmunk, " she said, " but it ran away. " " Typically, wild animals will hide or run away when they see humans, " her father said. “ Remember, this is their territory, and we're strangers here. "