First Aid Kit
There are first aid kits in the Discovery Walk Prop Closet. Be sure to check the contents of the kit when you put one in your bag. If you need more bandaids or other supplies, ask at the front desk. If a child needs a bandaid, you can hand the first aid kit to the other adult in your group to handle the situation. All incidents must be reported. See section below.
Poison Ivy
Oh yeah. We have it. We have lots of it. The main thing to know is that the oil in the plant that causes the rash, urushiol, doesn’t usually take instant effect. So, if you wash your hands (or other suspected contact spots) with soap and water soon after contact, you may avoid the rash. You can get urushiol from any part of the plant. We teach the kids this poem:
Leaves of three, let it be.
Vines with hair, beware.
Read more about poison ivy by clicking here.
Wildlife: The biggest “dangers” on our property are probably geese, bees, and mosquitoes.
- To chase a family of geese on their way so that mom and dad don’t get agressive trying to protect their goslings, have your group stop and applaud. This usually sends the geese scurrying for cover in the brush or nearest pond.
- Avoid the area near the old building where the demonstration beehive is located, especially on sunny days in spring and summer when the workers are busy gathering. If a child is stung by a bee, monitor him or her carefully until you get back to the building to report the incident. Your first aid kit should contain “sting kill” which will help take away the pain. But monitor for allergic reactions.
- A scientist from the Health Department has been monitoring mosquito populations at Audubon for years. He has never found one carrying a disease. When mosquitoes are plentiful, we avoid some of the wettest parts of the trail system. We also might carry an organic, non-toxic repellent… Technically, we should not put the repellent on the children. If the adult who came with the children wishes to apply it, that is his/her choice. An alternative is to encourage the kids to pick a stalk of Garlic Mustard and crush the leaves on their skin to repell the pesky critters.
Weather: We try to go outside rain or shine. However, our number one goal is that the children and the teachers have a good experience. If you sense the the teachers will be happier with an indoor experience, go with that! We monitor the weather each day that children are scheduled for walks. If there are dangerous storms on the way, we’ll let you know and you can plan your walk to stay near the building. If you find yourself far from the building and a freak storm comes up quickly, get to the nearest shelter. Don’t forget about the picnic pavilion on the west side of the property, for example.
Cell Phones: If you carry a cell phone, it can be used to call the Center in emergency situations. Of course, if it is a critical emergency, call 911 first! Be aware that while our mailing address is Jamestown, our nearest cell is in Pennsylvania. You will need an area code to ensure the phone call goes through. Audubon’s phone number is 716-569-2345. Please enter it into your list of contacts.
Reportable Incidents: If you have had to administer any first aid, or if there are unusual circumstances that arise, please notify one of the naturalists when you return back from your walk so that an appropriate report can be written. For example, there is a first aid log at the front desk on which we write the child’s name, describe the injury and the treatment given. If there were behavioral issues or a child falls in the pond and needs to borrow dry clothing, please notify someone on staff. We’d like to know about the incident through your eyes before a parent calls with the third hand story from his/her child.
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