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. 

Showing off our owl puppets!

Releasing a baby frog!

Proudly wearing our feather crowns!

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 

We have some wonderful news to report – Nature Tots is now an officially recognized non-profit and has obtained its 501(c)(3) tax exemption! While this does not mean we can yet offer the classes for free, it does mean we are actively seeking grants and other funding in order to do so! In the meantime, we appreciate your continued support and are happy to inform you that class fees at least are tax deductible! For anyone who has paid for a class this year and would like a receipt for your records, please contact me at stephanie@naturetots.com.

We’ve just completed our “What Animal Did That?” session (see picture below) which was a lot of fun and are now getting ready to start our “feathered friends” session on April 8^th, where we will learn all about the birds in our own backyard! Spring Lake is a great location for this class, as we always find a lot of different birds to see and hear!

Earth Day is this month on April 22^nd, and for some great ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day, and teach your children about what Earth Day means, check out http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/ for some great craft ideas and tips on how to boost environmental awareness.

Thanks, and hope to see you outdoors!

Stephanie Derammelaere 

We’re getting ready to start our first session of the year, “What Animal Did That?” where children will learn to identify signs of animal activity and learn about the animals that made them. Each week we will cover a different animal species, including insects and spiders, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. I want to extend a very special thank you to Barbie Hoffman of Leaping Lizard Rescue (www.leapinglizardrescue.com) for giving me several items that I am so excited to share with our Nature Tots kids!  

As you know, we have been getting a ton of rain lately which is so great for our watershed, our plants and animals, not to mention our farmers and vintners! While it’s great to cuddle up indoors on rainy days like these, it’s also a great time for splashing in puddles, finding earthworms, and seeing the beauty of a spider web laced with rain drops. A wonderful book and great reminder of this that I just read is called “The Sense of Wonder” by Rachel Carson. It’s a very short book and the description on the front captures the essence of the book perfectly, “Words and pictures to help you keep alive your child’s inborn sense of wonder, and renew your own delight in the mysteries of earth, sea and sky.” I can highly recommend this book!

Thanks, and hope to see you outdoors!

Stephanie Derammelaere