Have you found a unique and colorful geode? Did you stumble upon a well-preserved fossil? Then head on over to the Nature Swap at the Big Backyard between 12:00 - 3:00 pm on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. Kids can bring in cool finds they’ve discovered in the wild and trade them for a similar item at the swap. While it is an exciting and educational experience, the swap’s emphasis is less on the actual items themselves and more on children’s engagement, enthusiasm, and experience.

The program’s goal is for families to spend more time outside together, for kids to get excited about wildlife and to create profound experiences connected to the environment. Not only are items found in the wild accepted, but also nature-oriented artistic and creative items such as arts & crafts, journals, photos, etc. In addition, the program also holds monthly “quests” that can be completed for a maximum of 5,000 points per quest. This allows kids to save up and trade their points for a bigger prize, such as a 50,000-point fossil.

However, there are a few rules to the swap. Firstly, they cannot accept anything collected from birds or turtles because of the Migratory Birds Act, Eagle Act and the wood turtle’s conservational interest in Rhode Island. This might make taking bird or turtle items illegal, especially if most people don’t know the difference between species of birds or turtles. Horseshoe

crabs are not accepted either; they are highly valued in the biomedical industry and a permit is required to remove them from their habitat. The final rules are that only two items can be traded at a time and no items from domestic animals or pets such as a bunny’s fur or a pet snake’s skin. Besides those specific items, please feel free to jump into nature with your family and see what you can find!

With this program, the possibilities of learning and discovery are endless. Many people would be surprised as to what treasures, species and other natural wonders lay hidden all around us right in our backyards. Through the activity of searching and collecting, children can build a lifelong appreciation for exploration and the environment. An average wooded area near your house, or a park in your neighborhood, can go from seeming like any other ordinary place to a biodiverse and rich area that’s teeming with flora, fauna, and natural history. Most importantly, the fond memories created in the process is what will truly tie the experience together.