Have you noticed birds building their nests, butterflies and bees pollinating the flowers, and tadpoles swimming in our creeks and lakes? Spring is such a great time to get outdoors and show our children all these magical transformations that happen in nature.

We just finished our “Feathered Friends” session at Spring Lake (see pictures below) and got lucky with seeing all kinds of birds, from the ducks and geese of course, to woodpeckers, turkey vultures, crows, scrub jays, red-wing black birds, red-tail hawks, a few Osprey, and more! The children learned everything from what makes a bird a bird, to the bird lifecycle, to how to identify or tell the difference between types of birds, and about nocturnal birds. 

Our next session is starting up on May 12^th in Rohnert Park, and is called “creepy crawlies”, focusing on insects and spiders! Fortunately this is a great time of year for this class as the air is buzzing and humming with many little critters to look at!

Finally, just wanted to give a recommendation, (a bit of follow-up from last month’s eco-tip about food) for a new restaurant in Napa called The Little Gourmet - “a kid’s restaurant that’s grown-up friendly!” (www.thelittlegourmetnapa.com) This restaurant offers a wonderful alternative for families wanting to eat out AND have their children eat healthy food at the same time that is creatively presented just for children!

Thanks, and hope to see you outdoors!

Stephanie Derammelaere