Armed with shovels of all sizes and colors, a mixed group of kids and adults tackled a small, square plot of snow in the Plainsboro Preserve.
by Charley Falkenburg, Special Writer
PLAINSBORO — Armed with shovels of all sizes and colors, a mixed group of kids and adults tackled a small, square plot of snow in the Plainsboro Preserve.
A few boot tracks away, others were binding large tree branches together, sorting stalks of Evergreens and parsing out white and black plastic garbage bags.
Two hours — and several red noses and cheeks — later there stood a sturdy snow-coated survival shelter, ready for the next storm Mother Nature decides to hurl at the East Coast this winter.
A group of about 20 people came to the Plainsboro Preserve on Saturday, Feb. 8, to learn how to use nature’s resources when in dangerous situations — particularly ones that involve frigid temperatures. They soon found out that sometimes the one thing that makes them cold could also be the one source of insulation that keeps them alive — snow.
After bundling up, they all went outside to put their knowledge to use by building a snow survival shelter.
Stomping and crunching, the crew made their way through the snow to the designated building spot. Immediately, Evan Cowell, 9, of Robbinsville dropped to his knees and got busy tying large branches together for the frame.
”He enjoys environmental programs, plus, we’re taking advantage of this weather,” said his grandmother, Joan Enright of Robbinsville. “We’re out enjoying this beautiful New Jersey winter — and eagerly waiting for spring.”
Nearby, a woman held open a white garbage bag while a young boy shoveled snow inside, creating what would serve as the shelter’s door. A few teenagers from the Middlesex County 4-H Environmental Club flitted around, helping where needed.
”We’re just trying to enjoy the snow, you know, with all these storms coming,” explained Gunjan Jhaveri, 15, of Edison.
Like many of the builders there that afternoon, it was Mr. Jhaveri’s first time building a shelter. However, others like David Bronovicki of Piscataway had been around the block a couple of times.
Mr. Bronovicki had learned many survival skills and constructed a few shelters in the past through the Boy Scouts. Fortunately, he had never been in a situation where he needed to use them.
”Programs like this bring the kids back to nature,” he explained, as the group went foraging for more branches. “Plus, you never know when this might come in handy. It’s always good to have a little bit of knowledge.”
With the frame together and covered in plastic bags, the group patted, crammed and packed heaps of snow on top to provide ample amounts of insulation for warmth — a tactic that instructor Anna Wright-Piersanti said could stave off hypothermia. She also had the group line the shelter’s floor with evergreen branches as a mattress.
With the final chunk of snow in place, the shelter was finished and big enough to fit one person — an important feature necessary to trap enough heat to stay warm.
”This kind of activity gets across the idea there are all kinds of ways to survive when you know what to do in the cold,” said sanctuary Director Nancy Fiske. “Just because there’s snow doesn’t mean you still can’t go out and see what’s going on in nature.”