Aullwood Audubon — Attraction in Englewood

Wow! Amazingly beautiful spot. Gorgeous property to walk through while following the markers to locate the trolls through the woods and beyond. Well worth the small cost of admission. Park near the visitor center if you are planning to see the trolls. There are other parking areas which lead you off onto other trails away from trolls. I typed Aullwood Audubon Visitor Center into Google maps to locate directions to parking lot where you pay entrance fee, get map and directions to view trolls. Closed on Mondays, and short hours other days- check photo with hours attached. General admission is free for children 3 and under, $8.00 for children 4 to 12, $12.00 for adults 13 to 64, and $10.00 for seniors which includes viewing all of the world class sculptures by Thomas Dambo, the world’s leading recycle artist from Copenhagen, Denmark. I love that his stories and sculptures originate from the joy he got from telling stories to his younger sibling, growing up. “He has a unique vision as a world renowned creator and recycle art activist. His use of reclaimed and repurposed materials and his goal to help people reconsider what they regard as 'trash' is central to that vision, and is an important conservation message that Aullwood shares. In Aullwood's specific “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” exhibition, birds, nature and conservation are all reflected in the trolls’ story as written by Thomas Dambo. The “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” story is posted in the lobby of the nature center and farm discovery center, as well as being available online and available for purchase with a commemorative troll map for $5.00.” Thoroughly enjoyed the walks to see the trolls through the absolutely beautiful grounds. All were accessible by walking along paths or meandering through fields in foot . At times there are inclines, roots, rocks. I saw a couple of families using strollers and wagons successfully to support children as needed. Total walk we made to see all trolls and farm animals was 2 miles. Being that you are walking up and down across rough terrain at times ( and in hot weather conditions the day we visited) the walking distance seemed further than that. The natural beauty of the park is amazing. Well worth a visit for so many reasons! Highly recommend- I made a return visit to accompany family members on their first visit...

We LOVE THE DAMBO TROLLS! I found the Dambo Trolls online as we have seen the one's in Kentucky last year. So of course we had to go see Bo, Bodil, Bibbi and the Nest! That was our main focus for the trip. The trails were well marked and maps pretty simply to follow. We went to the Farm first and then drove to the Center. The Farm itself was really nice. We had fun visiting the ducks that were very chatty. The herb garden was beautiful. While in the barn to see the horse's there was a barn cat that came right up to us to get petted and loved on. We think the male cat's name was Pappy? But he reminded us of the cats we used to have. He followed us around so we really enjoyed getting to love on him. The trails were so pretty. Getting to see the Dambo trolls and give them hugs was fantastic! The inside visiting area at the barn was really neat. At the Center the trails were also pretty. You can either cross the stream on rocks or cross a log to get across to go see Boddil and the nest. It is so impressive that Boddil is standing on one leg! The Nest was huge and there were so many cute toys inside and sitting area's. Lots of different ways to get in and out the the nest especially for smaller people. There were lots more trails that we did not explore. Inside the Center was pretty cool for great learning. The turtles are actually friendly. We got some neat gifts also....

We love visiting Aullwood, but in this review I want to sing the praises of their summer camp program. I have been sending my kids (2-6 years old) there for the past three summers. I don’t think I could find a more perfect camp for them. The camp weeks focus on some aspect of the natural world for the basis of their exploration. They spend lots and lots of time outside- hiking, exploring the creeks and ponds, bird watching, observing insects, caring for the farm animals, building shelters etc. The learn so much! They also integrate other skills in fun ways. They enjoy listening to and reading books and poetry, sing, create art, older children research, and make observation reports. They even practice public speaking at their closing ceremony in a fun, non-intimidating way. The counselors are a wealth of natural information. They are very patient and kind with the children. I often hang around the farm or the nature center with my younger child and have observed all happy and caring interactions with the counselors. The ratio is very good. There is a lead counselor and an assistant for every camp which max out at ten campers. The camps are half day which is a nice length to contrast to the long school day length especially for the younger campers. I plan to send my kids for...