Monday, November 23, 2009

Monroe, Mich. students planting natives on local TV

Science teacher Russ Columbus continues his great work at the Knabusch Mathematics and Science Center, part of Monroe (Mich.) Public Schools. In November, students planted seeds collected over the past few years to create a prairie on our campus that will be used by future students. They did the planting on school days from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM during the second week of November, 2009.

Toledo TV WTOL came and did a live story one of the mornings. The video is on their website. Go to WTOL.com and search for "Monroe students learn about planting".

This project has received awards from Wild Ones and the Wildflower Association of Michigan.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Michigan teen researches prescribed fire

A teen from southwest Michigan has won an award for her research project on using prescribed fire to maintain prairies.

See

http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2009/AH.html

Friday, October 30, 2009

Kids in Lowell Plant 1000 Trees

Elementary school students in Lowell, Michigan, planted 1,000 trees in October 2009. They planted oaks and maples of local genotype at the Wege Natural Area. Photos are available in the newsletter of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, page 10. Funding was provided by Dell Computer.

http://www.naturenearby.org/Data/Resources/File/Newsletters/LCWM%20Winter%2009-10%20Newsletter.pdf

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Joseph Cornell is coming to Ann Arbor in October

Anyone who is interested in kids and nature is probably familiar with the books by Joseph Cornell.

He wrote Sharing Nature with Children and other books. His work and workshops are known worldwide. His work focuses on connecting with nature and his techniques can be used by teachers, naturalists, group leaders – and of course parents.

Joseph Cornell will give a free public lecture Friday October 16 starting at 4pm in room 1040 of the Dana Building on U-M’s Central Campus in Ann Arbor

On Saturday October 17 and repeated Sunday October 18, Joseph Cornell will lead his workshop on Sharing Nature with Children.

This workshop leads participants through his flow learning techniques. Through learning games and active engagement workshop participants will learn activities and ideas used in his books, that really do work with kids. (I have used them for years!) The workshop is for adults that work with kids or want to engage kids in nature and deepening their connection to nature.

Each workshop is 6 hours with an hour for lunch. The same workshop offered Saturday, is repeated on Sunday.

Pre-Registration is essential as space in each workshop is limited.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Wings and Seeds - Zaagki Project in Marquette, Mich.

The folks at the Wings and Seeds - Zaagki Project in Marquette, Mich. have some great photos of teens making homes for butterflies and bees. They also show kids planting native plants in a greenhouse for later use in habitat restotation projects.

See their page at
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org/zaagkii.html

I'm looking forward to updates from 2009.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Buzzing the Hive - Introducing Kids to Honeybees

Buzzing the Hive
2:00 PM Sunday May 31, 2009
at the Eddy Discovery Center

Children and adults will enjoy this fascinating look into the lives of honeybees with educator and beekeeper Jane Levy. Observe an actual hive, and learn how the bees build the hive and work together to make honey.


Parts of this experience will include an 8 minute movie showing the capture of a swarm of bees in front of the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum (Once Upon a Swarm), a PowerPoint presentation about bees and beekeeping, and a chance to make a model of a bee to take away with you. Participants will learn about the importance of honey bees as pollinators for much of our food. They can try on a full beekeepers protective suit and taste the sweet honey from a local hive.

The Eddy Discovery Center is located at 17030 Bush Road 48118, between Pierce and McClure roads in Chelsea, Michigan. Take I-94 to exit 157 (Pierce Road) and go north to Bush Road. Take Bush Road west to the center.

This event is sponsored by the Waterloo Natural History Assn. For more information, phone (734) 475-3170.

Photo by Jane Levy.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Detroit School wins grant for pollinator garden

The Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School in Detroit has won a grant for Fly, Baby, Fly!:


This project will create a safe haven for butterflies to return to an urban area, bringing excitement, pollination, and enjoyment by students and community members alike.

Designed and maintained by students, it will become part of an outdoor learning environment for all children in this neighborhood school.

The grant was awarded by Monarch Live.

This school is featured in the PBS documentary, Where to the Children Play.

Photo by Connie Bank, The Garden Tutor.