On an exploratory family hike in Briones Regional Park, we came across a fallen manzanita branch. Being a scavenger by nature, I convinced Alex to pull the massive branch out of the brush so we could break it into smaller limbs and bring it home. With the kids’ help, we carried enough manzanita bounty to fill the back of our van. Having just taken down the big branch over our mantle, this discovery was very timely indeed. The smooth, mahogany colored bark looks great against our brick hearth. Take a look at our latest find:
Do you enjoy scavenging in nature, too? If so, tell me about your favorite souvenir from the great outdoors.















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Love this post! Nature scavenging is a favorite pastime for our family as well. My 4 year old son Cole recently found a tiny animal skull and you would have thought he had uncovered a diamond! We put it in a glass container and it resides on his dresser. Another favorite find is a gnarly piece of driftwood we found on Lake Chataqua in New York, it has bits of rock implanted in it that are so cool. We made Cole a “bowl of wonder” and he puts all of his “finds” in there – buckeyes, rocks, shells. Nature scavenging is the best, you never know what you’ll find! Love that branch!
Kris, so great to hear from you! Thanks for sharing your love for nature finds. You should take photos of them for your son so he can remember them years to come!
Mine were the black birch tree trunks that become living room curtain rods in our NJ house. Alex had a key role in that scavenger hunt, too!
I’ll always remember those curtain rods and the birch limbs that decorated the tent at our wedding!