The Care and Feeding of Born Naturalists
(Page 3 of 4)
Just grab a line and a pole (for about $15 you can pick up
a simple spin-cast reel and rod outfit, plus some hooks,
sinkers and worms) and head together for the nearest
fishing hole. Catching something is the only real
requirement. Farm ponds often are best, and most owners
will give permission if you're looking to fish with a
youngster. A stocked commercial fishing lake is a good
first-trip choice, too.
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What's that—you haven't done much fishing yourself?
You're not sure you know enough to take your son or
daughter? That's great: You get the added pleasure of
discovering fishing together. Just grab two lines and
poles—and maybe peruse a book on the basics
beforehand.
GET THE REAL STUFF
You should've seen my youngest son's wide eyes when he
opened the Young Astronomer's SuperPower Telescope ($250)
for his birthday. More importantly, you should've seen his
look of utter disappointment that night, when we set the
thing up and aimed it at the sky. At every touch the
plastic scope shook on its flimsy tripod like a
three-legged giraffe. Stars skittered about in the lens, no
more distinct than tiny fuzzy bouncing dots. Focusing was
impossible. Not even the moon came in clear.
I returned the "kid stuff" and for less money bought real
stuff: An honest tripod, a binoculars mount and a good pair
of 8x42 binoculars (8 refers to the magnification factor
and 42 is the millimeter diameter of the lens). Mounted on
the tripod, the binoculars pull in night-sky objects sharp
and bright. Stars and constellations multiply as if by
magic; the moon's landscape jumps out like a relief map.
Plus, the binoculars alone are great for daytime bird- and
animal-watching (and general child-style spying).
Toy microscopes usually disappoint, too—and are not
nearly as much fun for a child as the real-stuff
substitute: a quality hand lens. The microscope stays home
and provides dim views of prepared slides. A hand lens
folds into its own protective case, pops in a pocket and
performs amazing transformations of bugs, rocks and almost
any other everyday object. Dandelion flowers sprout throngs
of yellow Dr. Seuss-like characters; moss magically blooms
into a wizard's wilderness; tiny violets burst into ornate
bearded orchids; earthworms bristle with hairs. A good 10x
hand lens (higher magnification makes viewing difficult;
lower is less revealing) costs between $15 and
$40—truly a bargain.
The real-stuff-not-kid-stuff principle applies to many
other nature- and outdoor-related items, too: tents,
sleeping bags, backpacks, butterfly nets you name it. Get
the real thing.
