Nature - It's in our Hands

As caretakers of Mother Earth, we have a full-time job in the spring. Wherever we walk, we need to use gentle footsteps and keen eyes to avoid trampling the tiny green sprouts just beginning their new lives. What interesting things did we notice when we remembered to look down?

As botanists, we need to know if a plant grows taller or wider before we know how to track its growth. What surprised you the most when you checked on your plants from last week?

Not everything that grows in the spring is good for the environment. Learning to identify plants, helps us know which ones should stay and which ones need to go. Garlic Mustard is the most invasive species in our area. Why is it harmful and how can we protect other plants from it?

As we were looking so closely at the natural environment, we noticed other items that did not belong in nature. How can we become better caretakers in terms of the garbage we create?

Coyote put together a bag full of different tools for us to use during wander time. Which ones can you name and which ones did you try today? Antman gave us some tips on how to use tools safely. See if you can explain to someone why the ‘please and thank you’ rule is so important when sharing tools.

Birds can also use our help in the springtime when they begin to start their new families. As nature’s caretakers, what did we do today to make their job easier? We really enjoy when Antman (Robert) comes to share his skills and appreciate him finding the donated materials for this project. The next step will be to find the best locations for these nesting boxes so that the chickadees and wrens will have safe places to raise their young.

Learning New Skills

Saying goodbye to special people who help out at nature school isn’t always easy. What was easy though was to let River Otter and Oriole know how much we appreciated each of them. Thank you for being our caretakers this past month. We know that many lucky students will benefit from having you as their teachers!

Remember...we need nature as much as nature needs us.

What can you do to become a better caretaker of nature?