How Do Chickadees Survive Winter?

The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most common birds in the northern half of North American meaning you have probably seen one or many in your backyard. Since these birds are so common, you might have noticed they’re still around eating from birdfeeders. But shouldn’t they be migrating by now? Most birds have migrated Read More »

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Simple nature alphabet activity

colored D page for dragonfly

A child saw that the alphabet on the wall at Westport Schoolhouse only went from A-J. “Did the alphabet only have that many letters back then?” she asked. The volunteer laughed and answered that the rest of the letters were just not put up, but we didn’t want to confuse children further, so the rest of Read More »

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My Giving Tree craft

Crafts don’t always come together the way you think they will. I had a brilliant idea this morning to make place cards with leaf etchings on them, and I tried it out. Yikes. Ugly. If you come up with something pretty with that idea, let me know. So instead, I decided to post how to Read More »

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Be a bee! Learn how to make your own antenna

headbands with pipe cleaner antenna

After Halloween, has your child been begging you to let him or her wear his or her costume again? Do they want to dress up every day? Here’s a fun craft to make that might curb their dressing up craving — bee antenna. You’ll need: A headband Four pipe cleaners Two beads Start by taking Read More »

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Under the Sea handprint fish craft

fish handprint

It’s getting cold outside, and when it’s cold outside what do we dream of? Warmth! OK, some may have said snow, but I think many dream of having warm summer days back. And when I think of summer, I usually think of the water or the beach, so I decided to make a fun under-the-sea Read More »

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Perfect Halloween nature craft: Spooky leaves!

leaf jack-o-lantern

Seasonal crafts that you can make with supplies you find outside are some of the best crafts. And what is there in abundance at this time of year? Leaves! So, for this craft, your first goal is to head outside with the kiddos and pick up three to five of your favorite leaves. We have Read More »

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Teaching our children to appreciate nature

It breaks my heart. Someone intentionally ran over two young raccoons a few blocks from my house. Kids at a day care were encouraged to throw rocks at a snake and hit a bat with foam bats. I heard both of these stories within the past day, and they just give me a pit in Read More »

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Dig a little deeper, paint a little browner

prairie clay

I (Kiley) know I made this exhibit at the Dickinson County Nature Center, but this might be the most boring thing I’ve ever written. Thirty-six inches down in our soil, you will find loam which is characterized by common, fine, distinct brownish yellow mottles, a weak fine prismatic structure…yikes. It continues but I won’t bore Read More »

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