Summer vacation is here at last! As your kids embark on their three months of freedom, you can keep their minds, bodies and souls engaged by taking them to visit a wildlife refuge. Across the country, tucked away in Bayous and canyons, estuaries and marshes, hundreds of wildlife refuges are open to the public. These pristine sanctuaries are living and breathing classrooms of ecology and are a rare opportunity to see ecosystems in there unadulterated state.
I recently ventured to the southern Maine coast and visited the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is scattered along 50 miles of coastline, but accessible in the town of Wells. A well maintained trail guides visitors through woods and along the periphery of estuaries and salt marshes. Young visitors can observe migratory birds species nesting and listen to the reeds rustle along the banks of the salt marshes. This is a great opportunity to write and draw in a nature journal, play “I Spy” with native flora and fauna or learn about the local ecosystem.
To find a wildlife refuge in your area, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services website, and be sure to check out their ideas for visiting with kids.
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.
Did you know that last week was Arbor Day? On Arbor Day, people all around the country plant trees in their communities. If you haven’t planted a tree, it’s not too late! Trees do many wonderful things for the planet, like filtering carbon dioxide from the air and giving us oxygen to breath. When planted near a house, trees provide shade that cools the home in the summer, helping to save energy. Planting trees native to your area is a good idea. They require little maintenance and provide homes and food for the creatures in their ecosystem. To learn more about how you can get started planting trees visit the Arbor Day Foundation.
Today we have great suggestion from “Sam’s Mom” about raising chickens with kids. Thanks for sharing!
When my child’s Montessori school teacher brought an incubator and chicken eggs to the classroom, we were not aware of the profound impact it would have on our daughter and the important life lessons we want for our children. She patiently watched the eggs in anticipation of the day the shell would give forth to the little fuzzy bits of life. She picked out her favorites, and helped with feeding and caring for the chicks in the classroom. We were asked to adopt some of the chickens, and couldn’t resist. Sam cared for her chicks under a heat lamp in the utility room, and once they were old enough to leave the heat of them lamp, we moved them outside to the chicken coop. Sam soon found the chickens to be less friendly with their newfound independence, and her relationship with the chickens evolved. She helped with watering and feeding the chickens and watched them mature into egg laying hens. She was proud to have a rewarding relationship with the hens she raised from chicks, and told everyone she knew about the hens she fed, who fed her in return. Wow! At three years old, our daughter learned the importance of caring for animals, and learned acceptance of how relationships with animals and nature evolve with new meaning. But, one of my personal favorite lessons, was that of sustainable living. Our chickens eat feed, and a lot of very delicious leftover bits of organic and whole foods, they live on our land, and the eggs they lay for us, are healthy, local, and appreciated. The hens are part of our daily ritual, an extension of our family, and the springboard for other green topics in our household, including recycling, composting (both table scraps and chicken poop), growing our own fruits and vegetables and water conservation. The rewards, low cost and ease of raising chickens is one every family should consider. Go green with chickens for children!
“If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” -Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson, (1907-1964) was a writer, a scientist, an ecologist and a brave advocate for the environment. As a young girl, Rachel’s mother nurtured her daughter’s love of nature. She studied the sea, plants and wildlife, and taught others about the living world around them through her books and articles. As a young woman, she became the Editor-in-Chief of all publications for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she wrote pamphlets on natural resources and conservation. Carson strongly believed that people are integrally linked with nature, and must learn to care for it, rather than overpower it. One article she wrote, “Help Your Child to Wonder,” (1956) aimed to teach people about the wonder and beauty of the living world.
In 1962, Carson published the book SILENT SPRING, and with it the environmental movement was born. The book was written to raise awareness of the great harm that synthetic chemical pesticides had on the environment. It took great courage for Carson to speak out against the agriculture and chemical industries. But she firmly believed that we as human beings are just as vulnerable to the toxic pesticides we spray on our fields, homes and trees as the insects themselves are. In defending her book, Rachel Carson stated: “We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven’t become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe. Man’s attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature.”
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!
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.
