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Monthly Favorites
September's Theme is "Raptors: Help from Above!"
This week's favorite:
Trick or Treat! With Halloween approaching but with plenty of time left for craft nights, I present to you a beautiful raptor-themed costume tutorial from make-it-your-own.com. Using a T-shirt, felt, and fabric glue, this is an easy way to create a one-of-a-kind handmade costume for your child (or yourself!). Customize the colors and shapes however you'd like.
Past weeks' favorites:
Have you ever been driving around Napa Valley, suddenly spot a hawk soaring over the vineyard, and thought, "Wow! How beautiful! How- wait . . . is that even a real hawk?" You've probably seen hawk kites flying over vineyards--they are quite common. The idea is to fake birds into thinking they are a real bird of prey. Do they work or not? You'll have to ask a vineyard worker! Click on the "hawk" to check them out a little closer.
Just like humans, birds of prey care diligently for their young when they are small and vulnerable. This fun craft can be a bonding experience for you and your child, as it requires two sizes of hands- one small and one big! Check out this step-by-step guide from ourkidthings.com to make cute Bald Eagle puppets out of paper bags.
August's Theme was "Wild in the Garden!"
This week's favorite:
Beneficial insects provide our neighborhood ecosystem with so much value--including pollination, pest control, food for wildlife, and endless opportunities for learning and entertainment! Why not provide a safe space for these insects to reproduce and overwinter? Creating this space is a fun, creative way to create cool-looking insect habitat using recycled and found materials.
Past weeks' favorites:
If you are a family that loves to craft, this one is for you! This resources from How Wee Learn has tons of crafting activities that involve seeds. Since the end of summer is the perfect time to begin seed saving, you should be able to find lots of pretty, interesting seeds to use in your creations. Have fun with it!
A favorite for the adults! If you don't already know about Calscape, allow me to introduce you. This incredible tool, developed by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), allows you to find plants that fit a wide range of specifications, including bloom time and color, pollinator types, ease of care, drought tolerance, and so much more! It makes finding native plants for your space- whether you have a massive backyard or containers on an apartment balcony- easy.
For kids, what's better than a day of play outside in the summer? (Not much!) Here are four fun outdoor biodiversity-themed games for your kids and their pack of wild animals errr... friends!
July's Theme was "Compost Heroes!"
It's safe to say we are all familiar with growing vegetables in our gardens. But what about mushrooms?? It might be strange to think of, yet it is entirely possible! Plus, their mycelium adds benefits for the soil and other plants growing there. It's a win-win!
In our area, it is possible to grow King Stropharia, or "Wine Caps" in our gardens! All you need is proper preparation and King Stropharia spawn to get started! Here is a great tutorial on how to grow these delicious, massive mushrooms at home!
Have you ever considered starting your own worm bin? If you just asked yourself, "umm, what is a worm bin??" check out this video to see what these compost heroes can do!​
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Worm bins can be a great way to bring the benefits of worms (and their castings, or poop) into your home composting system. They are clean, simple, not smelly, and effective, when done right.
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Here is a very well-done instructional guide to creating your own worm bin! Worms away!
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Check out this fun, simple craft activity with your kids! Learn how to make sweet little mushrooms out of recycled egg cartons.
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