Butterflies can be deceiving. Their beautiful patterns and delicate wings make them seem like they are all for show, but they are actually very important to the health of gardens. When they visit a flower to drink its nectar, they help to pollinate it by spreading pollen from one part of the flower to another. Insects who do this are known as pollinators, and ensure that our plants continue to grow month after month and year after year.
Did you know that you can observe beautiful butterflies right from your own backyard? Here’s what you do…
– Butterflies love nectar! Talk to your local nursery to find out which nectar flowers are native to your community. Plant a variety in your yard or in in pots on your window sill.
– Slurp, slurp. If you look very carefully, you’ll see that butterflies drink nectar through their proboscis, a long straw-like snout.
– There are over 700 species of butterflies in North America, how many can you find in your neighborhood?
You can also observe butterflies at public museums and gardens all over the country. To find an exhibit in your area, click here.
Watch your little bud grow!
At long last, Spring has sprung! How do we know that spring is here for good? Yes, the weather may feel warmer, but as we all know, good weather is no sure bet in March. We know that spring is here at the first sight of buds poking through the ground and from the branches of trees.
Fun Springtime Activity:
- Find a bud that has just begun to grow. Tie a colorful string loosely below it so that you can be sure to find it again.
- Every day draw a picture or take a photography of your little bud. If you can, draw or photograph the bud so it is the same size in each picture.
- Once the bud has fully bloomed, stack all your drawings or photographs together. Flip through your stack and watch your little buddy grow all over again!
Wintertime Scavenger Hunt
Calling all Green Kids & Parents!
It’s wintertime, and in many parts or the country, animals are hibernating, the branches are bare and the ground is covered in snow and ice. It’s much quieter outside in the winter, but there is still much to see, hear and smell. How many of these things you can find on a scavenger hunt?
While some animals hibernate or migrate south, many stay and can be spotted all year round. What animals can you find?
- Can you spot a bird with it’s feathers fluffed to keep it warm?
- Can you spot a rabbit hopping to it’s burrow?
Sometimes animals are hard to spot, but if you listen carefully, you can hear them going about their business. How many animal sounds can you hear?
- Can you hear birds chirping, squirrels chattering or coyotes howling?
- Can you hear animals chomping on food?
Animals need a home just like we do. Can you spot these places where animals might live?
- Burrows in the ground
- Nests in bare branches
- Piles of sticks and leaves with nesting insects
Food is much harder to find in the winter. If you were an animal, where would you look for food?
- Can you find a place where animals might go to eat?
- Can you find a place where animals might go to drink?
- Can you find a place where an animal has stored some food?
- Can you find chew marks from where an animal has nibbled on bark?
Snow, dirt and mud are great places to spot animal tracks.
What kind of animal tracks can you see?
