Giving Back

This week we are talking about giving back to the earth. As consumers we buy items that take a lot of resources from the earth. However we often don’t think about how to replenish these resources. This issue is actually the main problem when it comes to any environmental issue. We take and consume from the earth but we don’t take the action to replenish the source for future use.  However as I have mentioned before we don’t want to bombard our little ones with the negativity of human related issues that they cannot grasp. Instead we should teach them how to love and be compassionate to our earth. Let’s teach them to show compassion by “giving back”. Giving back will hopefully teach them the basis for future understanding that we must replace our resources and not to take advantage of the precious land around us. Nature play is easy to implement in these types of activities. We are getting into nature in order to give back, so each encounter gets us outside directly with hands on.

Taking Action

You can take action by giving back in many different ways. Put something out that the animals can directly consume like bird feeders or squirrel snacks. Or sharing your space by making toad abodes or bug hotels is also beneficial. There are plenty of ideas, just use your imagination. Try some of these ideas at home with your children.

1.    Squirrel Snacks

I see a lot of squirrels and birds eating unnatural foods and carrying unnecessary body fat because of the food scrapes we leave behind. If we are going to contribute to squirrels’ diet, why not provide something healthy. This a great way to show our kids what is an appropriate diet for different animals. You can simply string hemp, rope or craft string with rings of fruits and vegetables. In the picture above they used left over orange peels for seed “holders”.

2.   Sharing Spaces

Sharing the space we have with the surrounding wildlife is also a great way to give back. There are several ways you can share your space. Toad abodes are simple and versatile. They are made with plant pots or any cup shaped tool and you dig the pot half into the dirt creating a little hidey house.

Bug hotels are another nifty home for insects and maybe some small reptiles. The idea with bug hotels is to create a space with lots of different “pockets” for the insects to hide in. This project is also very versatile to your imagination.

3.    Planting For Friends

There are also many plants you can bring into your home garden to encourage the flourishment of the environment. Planting native plants, whether flowers or vegetables can provide a habitat for different insects, birds, or small mammals. Here are some beneficial and native plants to add to your garden:

1.     Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea: This beautiful purple flower in the garden attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

2.    Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis  The bright red flowers lasting from July to October make Cardinal Flower a favorite for attracting hummingbirds. 

3.     Beauty Berry, Callicarpa americana is a coarse textured shrub with opposite leaves and small light lavender sessile flowers which are fragrant and attractive to beneficial insects.

4.   Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa is a bushy perennial

with bright orange flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

These are just a few ideas that can help you teach your little one how easy it is to care for and nourish our local environment right outside the back door. Sending creative vibes your way!

Photo Sources

Squirrel feeders; http://sherisilver.com 

Girl with toad abode;  http://www.learn2grow.com 

Bug Hotel; http://vintagewithlaces.blogspot.com/

Butterfly Milkweed; http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/milkweed-plant-seed-resources/asclepias-tuberosa-butterfly-weed/