For starters, we here at the National Wildlife Federation have some great seasonal suggestions for gifts, crafts, and ways to help wildlife near you. Here are just a few:

1. Prepare your yard for wildlife this winter
2. Make a wreath for the birds!
3. Encourage your kids to go out and gather up sticks, pinecones, and acorns, and then make these simple, but lovely, picture frames, ornaments, and jewelry.
4. Check out this selection of holiday gift ideas that will encourage kids to go outside and play.
5. Get everyone outside for a birding adventure with the Christmas Bird Count!

Elsewhere on the Web, some of our favorite bloggers weigh in with terrific seasonal ideas for the whole family.

1. Kari at ActiveKidsClub.com: Nothing beats a steaming cup of hot chocolate when you come inside from playing on a cold day, right? Kari has a nifty Hot Chocolate Kit gift idea, along with her favorite hot chocolate recipe. Check out her holiday ice craft, too.
2. Debi at Go Explore Nature: Look for Debi’s list of 10 holiday gift ideas for little nature explorers and for her winter nature scavenger hunt activity.
3. Melynda at Your Wild Child: This site has lots of fun-with-ice ideas and some awesome Advent Adventures, too.
4. Marghanita.com: Here you can discover how to make an oak leaf mobile from willow branches, oak leaves, and pinecones, and find more ideas for Winter Fun for Kids.
5. Melissa at Adventure Tykes: Got a nature-loving little one, aged five or younger? Then you’ll want to peruse these gift ideas.

Got more recommendations? Add them below! But in the meantime, Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Here is just a sampling of young people I’ve recently written about and why I believe in the power of youth!

Amazing Kid # 1: Addison is a boy whose family often “fosters” greyhounds, taking in these dogs whose careers at  racetracks are over and finding them new homes. But not long ago, Addison and his parents fell in love with one of the dogs named Nocchi and kept him. (This is allowed!)  Addison took the pooch to obedience classes where the dog excelled at basic commands, such as “heel,” sit,” and “stay.” Soon after completing basic training, Nocchi was ready to learn how to become a therapy dog, so he and Addison could visit nursing homes and give the residents a dash of four-legged charm and sweetness.  Team Addison and Nocchi proved to be a great team with a knack for greeting nursing home residents.

“Nocchi always makes the people there smile,” says Addison. “That makes me feel like I’m doing something really good!”

Amazing Kid #2: Kaycee is another dog-lover. She takes in puppies who will become future companions of the blind. She keeps each pup for up to 18 months, helping to train and acclimate it to all sorts of situations, from school playgrounds to busy shopping malls and streets.

“Raising a guide dog takes a lot of time and effort,” says Kaycee. “But it’s fun, and I’m happy I can help.”

Amazing Kid #3: Orren happens to be a chicken-loving boy. He is totally into raising chickens in a humane way. He shows his prize fowl off at county fairs and sells their eggs. (He doesn’t kill the chickens for meat.) He also uses his Website to actively speak out against cruel livestock farming practices and participates in conferences on the subject.

When asked why he loves chickens especially, he says “They all have personalities, likes, and dislikes. I have one hen, Paprika, who is The Boss. I generally do whatever she says.”

These are just a few of the great kids I get to “meet” and interview. There’s hope for our world with such inspiring human beings coming of age!

Kids Bring Their Curiosity to the World of Nature

As an editor at Ranger Rick, one of my favorite jobs is to prepare the column called “Ask Rick,” which appears frequently in the magazine.  It features questions sent to us by our readers, and our answers to these.

Reading these questions, I am reminded frequently of the innocence and sweetness of children–and of the importance of encouraging them to look around the world of nature and ask questions. Here’s a grab bag of some of my favorites:

• “My mom said I can get a pet mouse when I’m ten. Can you please tell me how to wait until then without thinking about it?”

Another personal one:

• “I am going to get a ten-gallon fish tank. Will my 17-year-old cat bother it?”

And who wouldn’t be touched by these questions?

• “Does it hurt when deer get their antlers?”
• “Do penguins snore?”
• “Can a spider get caught in another spider’s web?”

I also get to see the general letters that our readers send us. Here’s one I loved so much that I taped it to my cubicle:

Dear Ranger Rick,

I love your wildlife books. They are good. You are cute.

Love, Morgan

What greater joy is there in life than to be reminded of the sweetness and innocence of childhood–and to feel the impact of that on the youngsters we touch?

Terry admits, “I loved this assignment because it gave me the opportunity to talk to some very cool people and to learn a lot about what they do.”

It’s All About the Animals

What Terry discovered as she spoke with these folks was how much they respect the animals they work with–and how at times these animals seem to show very “human” traits.

Who Knew Whales Could Be Cranky?

For instance, one of the people featured in the article was Lynn Schraber, Senior Animal Trainer at SeaWorld in Florida. Lynn told Terry that, just as in any human classroom, some whales are very easy to train. Others are hyperactive with short attention spans, and take more patience to work with. Lynn also said that sometimes whales can get cranky and refuse to cooperate with their trainers. Wisely, the trainers then leave them alone or give them really simple things to do.

. . . and Penguins Were Curious?

Another person Terry interviewed was National Geographic Marine Biologist and Crittercam-inventor, Greg Marshall. Greg loves penguins, partly because they are so curious. Once he dived into a sea where there wasn’t a penguin in sight. But before long, lots of these birds seemed to just materialize out of nowhere and soon surrounded him. They appeared to be trying to figure out what kind of creature he was and what he was doing in their underwater world.

Dogs Sometimes Need a Whisperer

Terry also spoke with Cesar Millan, a dog behaviorist with his own TV show, “Dog Whisperer.” Cesar regularly gets called in to work with dogs that may be fearful, shy, compulsive, jealous, or aggressive–sort of like people. Cesar shows dog owners how to correct behavior problems by taking charge in a calm and assertive manner.

Cesar told Terry that he never went to dog-training school to learn what he knows. Instead, he picked it up on his own–by observing the 10-dog pack his grandpa had. He also acquired knowledge by starting out as a dog walker years ago.

See for Yourself–the Wonders of Animals!

But wait! You don’t have to be an animal expert to enjoy the creatures in your life. Why not go outside with your children and quietly notice the nearby wildlife. What are squirrels doing this time of year? When does a fox pass through your yard or the nearby park, or at what time of day do deer come by? You get the idea.

While you’re at it, why not study the behavior of your pets more closely, too. How many different ways does your dog use its tail or its ears to express itself? What part of its body does your cat groom first?

Maybe you and your family will discover, as Terry’s subjects have long known, that it’s our connection to our animal brothers and sisters that enriches our everyday lives and brings us joy.

Libby Schleichert is a Senior Editor at Ranger Rick magazine. Follow her as @EPSchleichert on Twitter.

Another favorite spot was a nearby brook. There I’d plop myself down and listen to the soothing sounds of the gentle waters tripping and flowing over rocks. I’d turn over the stones at the bottom of the brook to see what little creatures lived there. Some days, I’d head for this spot when I was upset. (Life with a moody, depressed, angry father was tough.) Here, in my secret hiding place I could cry my heart out.

Always, I’d return from these long solo treks feeling much more at peace than when I’d set out. You might say that nature empowered this shy, withdrawn, overly sensitive girl to emerge a bolder, more centered, and relaxed version of myself. Study after study today shows that spending time in nature does, in fact, help kids to become calmer and more self-disciplined–oh, and smarter, too, dare I mention!

Of course I had no idea back then that these childhood adventures in the “wild” were anything but fun! Certainly they instilled in me a lifelong love of nature. Nor did I have any inkling that one day my love of nature would lead me to my current job, working on a magazine dedicated to helping today’s kids develop that same connection. Seriously, how lucky can one girl be?

Sadly, as Meagan Francis, author of an article, “How to Get Kids to Play Outdoors” (Good Housekeeping magazine) comments, “In America today, a child is about three times more likely to play video games regularly than to ride a bike.” And she details the other grim facts about the growing obesity, childhood diabetes, and other health consequences of this indoor generation.

Francis suggests ways to get kids outdoors with a minimum of parental angst:

• Establish Ground Rules: With certain rules, such as insisting kids let you know where they are going, when they’ll be back, and a promise to check in at a certain time, it can be just fine to let older kids, at least, head off in a group.
• Set a Schedule with Other Parents: A group of neighborhood parents can plan a certain time when their kids are all allowed outside and several pre-approved places where they can play together. That way, there is no argument “There is nothing to do outside or nobody to play with.”
• Be a Role Model: There are many fun, outdoor family activities. Hiking, camping, fishing, exploring national parks, for starters. And what about building bird houses, gardening, or creating a tree house or a fort–either temporary or more permanent? Maybe the kids can even spend the night outside in the tree house or fort!
• Give Kids Responsibility: Get your whole family involved in outdoors activities, something as simple as running to the store down the street, or planning a hike, or a trip to a park.

I’d also add Geocaching to this list–it’s a high-tech treasure hunt using a GPS device. Or for the low-tech version, try Letterboxing.

Read the article for more tips on overcoming the barriers that keep us inside.

There’s magic just beyond your door waiting to be discovered! So what’s stopping you and your family?

Libby Schleichert is a Senior Editor at Ranger Rick magazine. Follow her as @EPSchleichert on Twitter.

Of course, like any job, mine is not—are you ready for this?—always blissful. There are days of writers’ blocks, of difficulties getting a story wrapped up, of dealing with blunt criticism. Still, working on this wonderful magazine often does seem like a dream-come-true.

My favorite day on the job?

I’d have to say it was the time I got to hang out with elephants.

(photo by aprilandrandy)

I was writing a story about Marie Galloway, the elephant keeper at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Since I live maybe 20 miles from the zoo, it made sense for me to go there and interview Marie in person and get a feel for what the life of an elephant keeper was like. I had known Marie via our email correspondence for nearly 10 years, but had never met her in person before. She had always responded cordially to various elephant questions I had sent her. So I was looking forward to finally meeting her.

Marie couldn’t have been more cordial or forthcoming. She greeted me upon my arrival and took me immediately to meet the zoo’s three Asian elephants—two “girls,” Shanthi and Ambika, and Shanthi’s son, Kandula. My first impression of the animals? They were large–very, very LARGE. (An Asian elephant can weigh up to 11,000 pounds!)

Marie then got busy giving the elephants their morning baths. She demonstrated how well trained each was, knowing how to follow her commands to roll over, lift up their feet, one by one, and generally comply with the whole bathing-grooming gig.

As the morning went on, I learned some fascinating tidbits about Marie’s charges. For instance, Ambika is a 60-year-old female, one of the oldest Asian elephants in the country. Her trunk and ears are dappled pink, something that happens to elephants as they age (like our hair turning gray).

And Marie related a story that demonstrated how the herd has adopted her as one of their own and watches out for her. One time, a while back, a helicopter flew distressingly low over the zoo. “The next thing you know,” commented Marie, “I found myself inside a protective circle of elephants, a place usually reserved for calves.” Obviously, the elephants weren’t going to let any harm come to their favorite human!

Later in the day, while I was in the exercise yard with Marie and the two “girls,” she turned to me and asked, “Would you like to pat Ambika and Shanthi?

I said, “Sure.”

She beckoned me to come over and urged me to pat the elephants by their ears. Boy, was their skin ever wrinkled and leathery to the touch! (Hmm, baby oil, anyone?) Soon afterward, Shanthi uncurled her trunk and waved it in front of my face. Marie explained, “Shanti is sniffing your breath. It’s her way of trying to figure out, ‘Do I know you? Have we met?’”

That made me smile. Being sniffed by an elephant had to be one of the coolest experiences of my life. And working at Ranger Rick, on days like this one, that ranks pretty high in my book, too.

Libby Schleichert is a Senior Editor at Ranger Rick magazine. Follow her as @EPSchleichert on Twitter.