This is such an awesome trip idea! I was a Girl Scout Leader for over a decade, running ages 5-18. When covid hit, they shut us down. 7:30 is a salamander, and they do come in all colors. What state are y'all in? Looks like a wonderful trip! 😁
We’re in Ohio. Zalesky is about an hour or so south of Columbus. This was a shakedown hike for our annual Appalachian Trail hike. I actually didn’t think we needed to do it, but the scouts wanted to make sure they were prepared. They clearly were. It was a lot of fun. The group I’m in doesn’t need a very big reason to spend a weekend in the woods. :-) I talked to a naturalist at a different park where I went for a day hike yesterday. I showed him the animal pictures. The snake is a ringed neck snake and the amphibian is a skink. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.
I’ve enjoyed being a scout leader. Covid hurt our troop severely. With all the pressures that scouting is under, Covid was the last straw for our troop. We’ve merged into another local troop.
@JonsDadHikes I've noticed more skinks in PA, too. I have a feeling they're migrating north because of climate change. Down south, they used to be everywhere.
