1. Create a butterfly garden.

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard is to plant nectar-producing flowers that have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Plant them in a sunny spot in a group so they grow in clusters.

You can also bring butterflies to you by mashing up fruit and sugar and smearing it on a rock, tree, or other surface in your yard.

Make your garden as butterfly-friendly as possible by putting out a shallow pan of wet sand or mud for them to sip from, and by providing a few rocks they can use to bask in the sun.

2. Sing a song about butterflies.

While you’re hunting for butterflies or working away in your butterfly garden, pass the time by singing a tune about butterflies. Get the lyrics to “Blue Butterfly,” sung to the tune of “Baby Mine,” on our website, or get creative and make up your own.

3. Make a butterfly you can eat.

Fresh fruit is the perfect springtime snack, so use your imagination to whip up a fruity butterfly treat. Use two halves of a pear or a few apple slices for the wings, and for the body try a piece of celery, a carrot, or a banana. Celery or carrot strips also work great for the antennae. Decorate your butterfly with raisins, cereal, cherries, or anything else you like.

For another butterfly recipe, try making butterfly muffins.

4. Learn some fun facts.

Did you know that a butterfly can’t fly if its body temperature falls below 86°F? Or that they drink the tears of turtles? And they use their feet to taste? Curious kids can learn more by checking out this butterfly article from Ranger Rick Jr. and butterfly fact sheet from Ranger Rick.

5. Get crafty.

Use a coffee filter, a pipe cleaner, and pom-poms to make a beautiful butterfly that won’t fly away. Here’s how:

• Decorate the coffee filter with markers and then spray it with water.
• Once it dries, wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the filter.
• Glue pom-poms onto the clothespin and clip the clothespin to the filter.
• Bend the pipe cleaner to make the antennae.

More butterfly crafts:

• Folded Paper Butterfly
• Butterfly Pencil Topper
• Caterpillar Transformation Craft

Find more fun crafts, recipes, and activities in the Family Fun section of our new Kids website.

The poll, released by The Nature Conservancy, also links an inherent sense of pride with our enjoyment and protection of the outdoors.  It found that, from “Tea Party Republicans to liberal Democrats, more than four-in-five American voters say that conserving our country’s natural resources—our land, air and water—is patriotic.”  In short,

1. Conservation is patriotic, period.  Our ability to utilize and enjoy the great outdoors is a source of joy and pride to us as Americans.

2. If we fail to ensure that our children are getting outdoors on a regular basis, and thereby improving their physical and mental well-being, chances for academic success and interest in pursuing STEM careers, their future could be a bleak one.

To this end, we at NWF are working to pass the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act, which supports state, local and federal strategies to connect youth and families with the natural world, with an eye toward improving children’s health and supporting future economic growth and conservation efforts.

In addition, with encouragement from the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, of which NWF is a founding member, First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign released this video last week encouraging families to get active in the great outdoors.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now is the time for all of you go-getters to listen up and follow suit.  After all, as is the case for us and our compatriots, it is much easier to make the case for connecting kids to nature when it is a priority shared outside of Washington.  If voters understand how much is at stake in making sure all kids have safe access to the outdoors, so should Congress.

Coastal temperate rainforests of Cape Flattery (left) and Juneau (right). (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

In recent months, I’ve been lucky to spend time in four impressive places throughout this landscape. Check out the photos and information here, then connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or the comment boxes below to share the special or ordinary places that take your breath away! And do consider visiting our regional page, where you can learn more about how I’m helping preserve these beautiful places through my work with the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative.

Juneau, Alaska

• Why it’s special: Alaska is home to some of the last remaining true wilderness. It is a dynamic and liberating landscape, home to the spectacular Tongass National Forest, whales, bald eagles galore, and hundreds of migratory birds. It is not unusual to spot a humpback whale (or whales) tracking a school of fish through the water, the water peppered from above by birds (Arctic terns in my case) eating their fill of the fish.
  

  The deep aqua hue of the water at Cape Flattery was unique and beautiful. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann, Hipstamatic print)

• What I did: Hiking around Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier; shrimping
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Once you’re in Juneau, the hiking is free and public transit will get you to the glacier. Shrimping will require a buddy with a boat.

Cape Flattery, Washington

• Why it’s special: In addition to being the stunning gateway to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and a culturally-significant location for the Makah Nation, Cape Flattery boasts the cleanest recorded air in the contiguous United States. It smells amazing.
• What I did: Hiking and camping at Cape Flattery and on Makah Nation land. Bike riding from nearby Port Angeles to Sequim.
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Once you’re in the Puget Sound area, a car and camping equipment are the easiest ways to replicate the experience. Campsites are usually inexpensive (<$20). An extended bike trip is also a possibility.

 Arcata, California

Standing in the trees ahead, I felt miles away from the town. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

• Why it’s special: Look west to the ocean and east to giant redwoods. Even with homes in view, the sound of children playing in a nearby park, and students training to climb the giant trees, ambling through a stand of redwoods makes you feel as if you’re in the middle of a forest miles from anyone. Redwoods are magical, it’s as simple as that!
• What I did: A short walk through the city’s Redwood Park. I was in Arcata for work, convening a workshop of land and resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers to help inform climate change adaptation efforts in the region.
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Arcata, like Juneau, can be expensive to get to. Once you’re there, Redwood Park is a short walk up the hill from town. Highway 101/1 would be a beautiful way to drive or bike here.

Skagit Valley, Washington

Myriad shades of red, yellow, and purple abound at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann, Hipstamatic prints)

• Why it’s special: Skagit Valley boasts some of the most fertile and beautiful farmland in Washington State. The gleam of Puget Sound is visible to the west, the Skagit River winds its way through the Valley from the mountains to the east, and every April, thousands of tulips decorate the landscape in a panoply of bright color.
• What I did: The Tulip Festival! Twice!
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: From the Puget Sound area, the Skagit Valley is accessible via car, public transit, and bike (depending on your starting point). There is a small entry fee for Roozengarde and Tulip Town, but you can tour the fields for free.

]]> http://blog.nwf.org/2012/06/captivated-by-a-landscape/feed/ 0 http://blog.nwf.org/2012/04/my-run-in-with-a-mountain-lion/ http://blog.nwf.org/2012/04/my-run-in-with-a-mountain-lion/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:40:41 +0000 Kendall Mackey http://blog.nwf.org/?p=54508 Read more >]]> Working at NWF allows me to work on issues that affect our daily lives–like mercury and carbon pollution, but also issues that will shape future generations and their connection with nature–like preventing the expansion of dirty fuels such as tar sands oil and coal. But the point of most of what we do at NWF is to help kids get outside and reconnect people with nature.  After all, they are going to be the next voice for wildlife and conservation.

It’s hard to pinpoint the moment when I began to see nature and the outdoors as my own personal refuge, but the video below does share an outdoor moment that I will never forget–when I was a kid and I encountered a mountain lion.  Don’t worry, I was about 30 yards away from the mountain lion so there wasn’t much to be afraid of.  Here are some tips on what to do if you do come across a mountain lion.

This post is broadcasted from the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At that moment I realized that I was in someone else’s backyard–a species who had been calling those mountains home way before my Aunt and Uncle moved there.  These are the moments that I want to protect for other people, and is a reminder of why I love what I do. Wildlife habitat is being threatened at an unprecedented rate, and many are facing the threat of extinction, please take action!

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of nine NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in the Great Lakes, California, South Dakota, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Dirt can be beneficial for kids; it actually benefits the heart, skin, and immune system, and may even increase happiness (flickr | Mandajuice)

When my oldest son was 9 or 10 he went to his first sleep-away camp with the Boy Scouts. He spent weeks beforehand combing through the camp guide highlighting all the outdoor badges he wanted to earn at camp.

Being a diligent first-time mom I made sure he packed all the requisite items included on the “What to Bring” list including sleeping bag, bug spray, flash light, three or four pair of shorts, two pair of long pants, six to eight t-shirts, and of course underwear and socks for every day.

I had the normal trepidation about sending my child to camp for the first time, but I knew when he stepped off the bus a week later that I had no reason to worry. He looked filthy but was beaming from ear to ear and couldn’t wait to regale us with stories about his outdoor adventures.

A Surprise for Mom

Upon bringing our ragamuffin home, I decided I better tackle his laundry so began to unpack his duffle bag.  First item on top was a wet swimsuit, no surprise there. But under the swimsuit I discovered ALL the clothes I had so neatly packed for him, nicely folded as I had left them, clearly never having been removed from the duffle bag. It became evident to me that my son had lived all week in one pair of shorts and the one camp-provided t-shirt he still had on for the bus ride home, switching into his swimsuit for water sports. My guess is he even abandoned underwear altogether half way through the week. When I suggested a shower might be in order I got this “Mom, do I have to?” whine because somehow that week of accumulated dirt represented a world he wasn’t ready to let go of.

My take away from this experience was that when kids are having fun exploring nature, getting dirty, and learning about the natural world around them, clean clothes become irrelevant.  They become so absorbed in their world of green that many of our mom-driven priorities, like staying clean, disappear. It’s part of what makes being a kid so great. And getting dirty is a liberty we as parents should allow our children without remand.

Mom Learned Her Lesson

Needless to say, the next year when my son went to camp, his duffle bag was far lighter, having learned my lesson about what’s important when boys venture off into the great outdoors. I’m happy to say, my son , now 26, still loves being outdoors, hiking, camping, and fishing.  Playing in the dirt still gives him joy, but at least now he also welcomes a hot shower when he returns home.

Get Dirty!

Get  The Dirt on Dirt in NWF’s new report and share with us stories and photos  of your dirty kids, the best ones will win some fun prizes. The report details how getting messy outside actually benefits the heart, skin, and immune system, and how playing outside in the dirt increases happiness, reduces anxiety and enhances learning.

You can also check out NWF’s Activity Finder to sort outdoor activity ideas by your child’s age, time available, cost, and other filters to find what will most interest you and your family; check out other benefits of getting kids back outdoors; or see our quick Parents’ Guide about how to get started on getting kids outside.

Jan 6: Science Friday

Winter Wonderland? Wonder No Longer

The winter solstice has come and gone, making it officially winter in the U.S., with cooler temperatures, less sunlight, and, in some places, snow, ice, and frost. NWF’s David Mizejewski joins a panel of experts to discuss the different phenomena that combine to make up the season we call winter, and give tips for how best to appreciate the natural world in wintertime.

Jan 5: The Washington Post

Advice from a former obese kid

The new year has brought with it renewed pledges to make 2012 the year we finally take on the childhood obesity epidemic.

Max Greenberg has his own thoughts on this front. Greenberg works for the National Wildlife Federation and Outdoors Alliance for Kids. He’s an avid promoter of unstructured physical activity to combat the childhood obesity epidemic.

Jan 4: Foster’s Daily Democrat (op-ed)

Silent Swing: On Trips Through NH, Candidates Failing to Talk Conservation

Theodore Roosevelt creating the National Parks System to Richard Nixon establishing the Environmental Protection Agency to George H.W. Bush signing a strengthened Clean Air Act, Republicans have a long history of supporting common sense solutions to problems facing our wildlife, air, water and public health. Will this year’s crop of GOP candidates follow that conservative presidential tradition?

So far, the signs aren’t promising. I’ve heard plenty about jobs, but little of protecting the rivers, lakes and wildlife habitat that supports thousands of hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation related jobs across New Hampshire. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife, in New Hampshire 228,000 people spent $177 million on fishing in 2006. Every dollar spent on conservation programs here in New Hampshire delivers jobs and economic activity.

Dec 30: The Washington Post

Mild weather redefines winter landscape

At the National Arboretum, the white petals of snowdrops — normally an early spring flower — have unfurled. In Maine’s Acadia National Park, lakes still have patches of open water instead of being frozen solid. And in Donna Izlar’s back yard in downtown Atlanta, the apricot tree has started blooming.

It’s not in your imagination. The unusually mild temperatures across several regions of the country in the past few months are disrupting the natural cycles that define the winter landscape.

Dec 29: The Colorado Independent

BLM sage-grouse guidance ruffles some enviro feathers

Reactions from conservation groups both nationally and on the ground in Colorado have been mixed regarding this week’s U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) guidance for the preservation of habitat for the greater sage grouse.

The size of small chickens, the wild, mostly ground-bound birds are found on up to 47 million acres of federal land managed by the BLM in 10 western states, including Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Scientists say the bird is a key indicator species, but that populations have declined by up to 90 percent over the last century because of energy development, mining, grazing, residential development and invasive species of weeds in sagebrush country.

Dec 28: The Today Show

David Mizejewski with Cold-Weather Critters

David Mizejewski from the National Wildlife Federation introduces the TODAY gang to a few amazing animals, including an arctic fox, a snowy owl, a porcupine and more.

Dec 27: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (op-ed)

Keep drilling out of state parks

Pennsylvania’s state parks are special places. These public lands provide opportunities for families to connect with nature and for sportsmen and women to enjoy hunting and fishing. Our state parks also allow folks to escape from the stress of traffic jams and crowded cities for cleaner air and more peaceful moments.

Unfortunately, conserving these precious outdoor spaces for recreation and the quality of life they provide for Pennsylvania’s residents may conflict with another resource: natural gas.

New Mercury Limits to Coal-fired Plants

I’m struck by the power and potential the Obama Administration has this week when they finally issue standards (21 years in the making) that limit emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants from coal-fired power plants.

The new limits on mercury and other toxic air pollution will make the air that that my kids breathe cleaner as we explore the Great Lakes.

Bay Shore Power Plant Spews Toxics, Kills Fish

My kids have enjoyed this beach only once the past couple of years because it's just down the road from an old, polluting, coal-fired power plant. And Iszabel and Lucas want to go back!

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals are being released into the air and land. As the wind blows, the toxic pollution is carried into surrounding freshwater and neighborhoods.  Obviously, as a parent, I am quite concerned about the impact on my kids and everyone else – and the new limits on mercury shouldn’t have taken 21 years to take effect.

But this coal-fired power plant isn’t simply a deterrent to my family’s fun in the sun.  In fact, Bay Shore is costing our community plenty.  The plant sits at the mouth of what is arguably the most biologically productive river in the entire Great Lakes basin, the Maumee, and kills small fish by the millions every year.  A study conducted in 2010 estimates that Bay Shore’s fish kills cost Northwest Ohio’s recreational and commercial fishing economy $29.7 million every year.  Mercury from coal-fired power plants kills wildlife across the Great Lakes.

You’d think, with the Clean Air Act of 1990 signed into law by President George H. W. Bush, all responsible utilities would have done right on behalf of their investors, employees, ratepayers and communities in the 21 years leading to this week.  Nope.  In 2008, First Energy actually led a pitched battle seeking an increase in the amount of mercury it could release at Bay Shore.  It’s remarkable, really, considering how many other utilities around the country have made better business decisions the past two decades.

Ohio 2nd Highest Polluter of Mercury in U.S.A.

The Blade, Toledo’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, 175 years and counting daily newspaper just nails it in an editorial, ‘Hold Firm on Mercury’ published today:

Regulators must hold tight to the science behind their recommendations, and keep public health ahead of politics.

Ohio is the nation’s second-largest emitter of mercury. The new controls would be expensive, but so are the hidden costs that coal-fired power plants pass on to those who ingest mercury, a potent toxin that attacks the brain and central nervous system.

Mercury is especially harmful to young mothers and children. As it falls from the sky and settles on large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, mercury contaminates fish. The new form created in the water is many times more acute than what comes out of smokestacks.

Expensive?  Maybe.  But some in the utility and coal industry are spending $35 million for television advertising this week to delay these rules even longer.  And, as the Center for American Progress points out, the dirtiest and most obstructive utilities are sitting on $18 billion in cash reserves.

Take Action to Keep the Clean Air Act Strong

Speak up today to protect the Clean Air Act from polluter-led attacks.

The Szollosi's want to go back to a beach completely free from risks posed by mercury and other pollutants generated by coal-fired power plants. And they want this for other families, everywhere.

I grew up in a military family as passionate about recycling and nature as it was about patriotism and public service. I guess it’s no surprise these twin passions drive my favorite Veterans Day activities: thanking the veterans in my life and taking some time to Get Outside. This November, I’d like to share some of the opportunities available in Washington State.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share your Veterans Day and Great Outdoors stories on Twitter or our Facebook site!

1. Spend time with a veteran in our National Parks - free!

Admittance is free to five of our National Parks and Historic Sites over Veterans Day weekend, November 11-13. Which one will you choose?  The thick green and ancient feel of Olympic National Park? The mountain meadows and iconic trails of Mt. Rainier National Park? The wind-swept beaches and coastal rainforests of Lewis and Clark National Historic Park? Or perhaps you’ll tour the Fort Vancouver or Whitman Mission Historical Sites?

Cannon Beach, Oregon - Looking south from Chapman Point Image: flickr/OSU Special Collections & Archives

2. Remember Washington veterans at the Seattle Veterans Museum

4. Attend Veterans Day Ceremonies throughout Washington State

Events are scheduled the week of November 5-12 all over the state including:

Jimmy Carter lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, 11/11/1978 Image: U.S. National Archives

• Evergreen Washelli’s 62nd Annual Veterans Day Memorial Celebration will take place near the Doughboy Statue at the base of the Veterans Memorial Cemetary, beginning at 7 AM on the 11th.
• At the State Capitol Grounds, the 20th Annual Veterans Ceremony will take place on Friday November 10 from Noon to 1 PM, beginning at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located at the State Capitol grounds east campus plaza near the Capitol Skybridge.
• Tacoma War Memorial Park’s Veterans Day Service will begin at 11 AM on the 11th at 6th Avenue and MacArthur Street near the Narrows Bridge.

For further information on these and other events events, see the list prepared by Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs or CBS Seattle.

5. Explore Arctic habitat at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium – Retired & Active Duty admitted free!

Retired and Active Duty military members receive free admission to Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium on Veterans Day. November 11 also happens to be Artic Animal Play Day – learn about muskox, polar bears, walruses, and other Arctic animals. Be sure to visit the polar bear exhibit to see what it takes to survive in the cold Arctic environment. It’s harsh up there, and the rapid melting of sea ice polar bears depend upon doesn’t make it any easier.

For more information, connect with us on Facebook or check out our website!

Polar bears are long-time veterans of the Arctic. Learn how they're trying to adapt to their changing environment at the Point Defiance Zoo or nwf.org. Image: Christy Mazrimas-Ott

6. Tour the Museum of Flight with a veteran – Retired & Active Duty admitted free!

Join the Bottom Line Duo – a fabulous bass and cello duo – as well as the City of Tukwila Mayor and Councilmembers, distinguished veterans, and the Civil Air Patrol Overlake Squadron color guard for a Veterans Day ceremony from 11 AM to 2 PM. All U.S. Veterans and Active Duty military members receive free admission to the Museum of Flight on Veterans Day. Afterward, enjoy the miracle of flight by flying a kite in one of the area’s many parks and green spaces or simply enjoying unstructured time outside with a Green Hour or hours!

1. My, what pretty spiders we have

Big and small with eight legs they crawl.

Building their webs, one and all.

As insect controllers, they’ve got clout,

and make lovely window decoration, no doubt.

Don’t believe me? It’s really not a trick.

Check out this flick from our own Patty Glick!

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. This unlucky lady missed the best coffee around

Just down the street from our office is Vienna Mae Coffee- a delicious coffeestand with one of the most friendly small business owners and baristas you will ever meet. If we walk slowly enough and bring our lunches, a trip to this coffeestand can be our daily Green Hour. Locally-roasted, (usually) fair-trade, and (usually) organic coffee beans are transformed into delectable espresso treats. Add a scone or vegan cookie and you’re set! At least until tomorrow… 

All she wanted was a decent latte! Well...maybe her intentions were more Oz-dominating than that...

  3. It doesn’t take a full moon to transform this lovely creature

Spectacular specimen!

Becky McIntire found this beautiful caterpillar crawling across her driveway one morning. A quick email to Butterflies and Moths of North America and the identity of this small wonder was revealed: Antheraea polyphemus! This Polyphemus Moth caterpillar lives a solitary life, and might be found in oak, willow, maple, or birch trees. It also likes urban areas, so keep an eye out for one in your driveway! And check out an image of the adult Polyphemus Moth on Google – it has large, round, black markings on its wings that look like eyes. Maybe even eyes peering out from that Haunted House you’re thinking of visiting… 

4. What’s Halloween without a trip to the pumpkin patch?!

 Being near several river valleys and deltas, Seattle is surrounded by breathtaking and productive farmland. Just forty minutes north in Snohomish County, Rianne BeCraft and Patricia Tillmann explored two (yes, two!) different pumpkin patches in preparation for Halloween festivities. Check out our pictures from the corn maze and pumpkin patch here and tell us what you think on our Facebook site! 

Answer the questions about endangered species correctly to find your way through the Stocker Farms corn maze!

An absolutely stunning day at The Farm's corn maze and pumpkin patch.

 

Find your perfect pumpkin!

   5. Raiders of the Lost (Candy) Ark

Straight out of Indiana Jones, this pale visitor stopped by the office to enlist his dear friend Bodhi’s help. Bodhi is the best protector of the Candy Ark out there, and as you can see, he’s the only line of defense between us and the Candy Ark. Fortunately, Bodhi has a kind disposition and has allowed us to sample the candy if we will do him the honor of watching a trick. We are only too happy to oblige!

Bodhi and his friend say Boo!! Bodhi does the tricks and if you're brave, you get the treat!

 All images courtesy of NWF Pacific Regional Center – Seattle staff. Thanks! 

More Halloween Fun:

• Crows, ravens, owls and vultures: Nature’s creepiest birds?
• Get your “scary” animal fix, from vampires to zombie ants.
• Take a peek at a “spooky” animal photo gallery … if you dare!
• Halloween roundup: Get fun outdoor kids’ activities and more.

June is a special time to celebrate and enjoy the Great Outdoors, as proclaimed by President Obama and nearly all U.S. Governors.  This year, Great Outdoors month was full of all sorts of amazing events and activities around the country.

Please add a comment to this blog and tell us how you celebrated Great Outdoors Month!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read More about What NWF Was Doing with Our Amazing Partners during Great Outdoors Month:

• Has Your Governor Submitted a Great Outdoors Month Proclamation?
• Outdoor Fun Under the Sun at the White House
• Making National ‘Get Outdoors’ Day Fun and Easy for Parents and Kids
• Get Your Nature On!
• Grin and Gummy Bear It:  The Great American Backyard Campout
• Kids Pitch Tent on Maryland Government House Lawn
• Wildlife-Watching at Night:  Five Species You May Spot in Your Backyard
• Celebrating the Great American Backyard Campout in the Pacific Northwest
• NWF Campouts Connect Families to Nature