At-Home Activities
With most schools and jobs shut down, many of us are staying at home. That doesn’t mean we can’t engage with our natural and cultural history, though! Here are some ways to keep enjoying the National Heritage Area and beyond while you are staying safe at home.
The Junior Ranger activity booklet is self-guided and can be completed at home.
Junior Ranger
April 18th is National Junior Ranger Day, the perfect day to become a Junior Ranger! You can complete the Junior Ranger Booklet at home and email us to receive your badge. The activity booklet guides you through nature, culture, and history within the National Heritage Area, from the stained glass windows of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit to the rugged landscapes of Arabia and Panola Mountains. Email us at info@arabiaalliance.org when you are done!
History Harvest at Home
Everyone has a story to tell about their family – including you! We want to hear those stories, so we’re starting a new program called History Harvest at Home. We’re digging into our family archives by finding old family photos and other memorabilia while we shelter in place. Share your story with us on social media with #HistoryHarvestAtHome, or send it to us directly here.
Nature Journaling
Parents looking for ways to engage their kids with nature can try out nature journaling! Nature journaling provides kids (and adults) a way to write about, draw, and think about the natural world all around them. Sketch a songbird, press leaves between the pages, make rubbings of tree bark. Deepen your connection to nature with nature journaling.
The COVID Chronicles
We are all living through a historic time – and the DeKalb History Center wants to hear from you! Through their COVID-19 Chronicles project, the History Center seeks to gather the stories of people during the pandemic. Make a video, write a short letter, or send in artifacts that describe your experience. Learn more here.
Look for songbirds in the trees. Shown here: a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).
Birdwatching
Whether you live in a house or an apartment building, birds are all around us. All you need is your eyes, your ears, and a window or a walk outside. The Cornell Lab for Ornithology has wonderful online resources to identify the birds you see all around you, including distinct markings, behavior, and calls.
Arabia Mountain
Dominated by two granite outcrops, the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area offers natural wonders, compelling history and heart-pumping activity. This nationally significant landscape includes vibrant history, breathtaking beauty and intriguing cultural changes from early settlers to immigrant rock cutters, Trappist monks and one of the oldest African-American communities in Georgia.
