Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

by Judi on Mar 27, 2008

Earth Day is officially April 22, 2008. While celebrating our planet on this day is a nice idea, it’s even nicer to implement earth-friendly ideas throughout the year, every day if possible. With spring and summer right around the corner, it’s easy to do things to help you, your family and the environment. Here are some good earth day activities and ideas.

Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat in your yard by providing food sources (such as plants, seeds, nuts, nectar), water sources (pond, stream, bird bath), covered areas (rock pile, bird house, thickets), places to raise young (pond, thick shrubbery, nesting boxes), sustainable gardening (mulch, compost, chemical free fertilizer). Once you’ve done this, you may register your habitat for certification. Visit the National Wildlife Federation for this and more to do, not just on Earth Day, but every day.

My favorite garden shoes (ok, I’ll admit it, they are my favorite summertime shoes.. I wear them all the time) are my sloggers. I bought my last two pair from Target for about $10. My daughter recently bought some similar shoes (what are they called, that have the holes in them that everyone wears?).. well, from another site (and I’ll give them credit if I come across it again - Found it - Hip Mama’s Place is where I first saw them) I found out about Polliwalks - talk about some adorable summer / garden shoes for kids!

Container gardening is an easy way to build a garden in confined areas. Try planting specific garden pots, such as a “salsa garden pot” using a pepper plant, a tomato plant and a few herbs like cilantro, basil or oregano.

Use the USDA Hardiness Zone Finder to make sure the plants you plant in your flower beds will withstand the weather in your area. Or just visit their site - National Garden Association for SO much info.

Set up a worm compost to get some of the best and natural fertilizer there is available and let those little red wigglers gobble up your kitchen waste. Setting up a worm compost is easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can make a wooden box, or even use a plastic bin (like a Rubbermaid container).. the key is to provide moisture, bedding and your compost shouldn’t smell foul. One of my long time favorite sites for worm information is WormLady.com. She has great, simple information on worms red wigglers in particular, sells them and also has some links to further information.

If you aren’t able to plant your own garden, your area may have a food co-op or other program. These programs allow you to purchase local in-season veggies all spring, summer and into the fall. This helps the environment too as well as supporting local farmers! To minimize getting to burned out on the same veggies every week, go in on it with a friend.

Get active - meet up with your community and clean up the neighborhood. Whether it’s just picking up trash or planting flowers and mulching the local part, it all helps and this activity brings the community together.

Save energy by joining Project Switch - switch out your costly, ineffective incandescent bulbs to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Join the World Wildlife Organization for their countdown to this 2008 Earth Day - but really, Earth Day is every day - so no matter which year it is, every little bit helps. Make A Change.

If you eat meat, go free range - the meat is healthier because the animal is healthier and usually treated more humanely. Recent studies have shown free range animals contain Omega-3 (a fatty acid essential to human health), whereas contained/caged animals do not. Hmmm…

Now, for some fun activities and information, visit Earth Day at Kaboose - some terrific crafts - like coffee grounds fossils, lady bug rocks and tin can herb containers. Plan an Earth Day Dinner - Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus and for dessert have some Mudpie Cookies.

Above all, make your earth celebrations activities you and your family enjoy. Happy Earth Day!

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Birds Abound

by Judi on May 23, 2006

I added a new bird bath to the back yard.  I found a really nice plant saucer, red even, in hopes of attracting hummingbirds to it, since they like the color red. It’s nearing the end of May and I have yet to see even one.  I thought I took a few pictures of it, but I can’t find any.  I need new batteries or I would check the camera.  Is it considered camera abuse when you use it to the point the batteries are so dead, it won’t even turn on?

Last week, I saw the cat drinking out it.  Lovely.  It is low, sitting on a cut tree stump.  Can’t imagine that’s very encouraging to the birds.  I won’t have another outdoor cat again.

The other day, I saw Abbey, the Dog, drinking out of it.  Unlike the cat, she didn’t have to reach up to get her licks.

Finally, the other morning, a few starlings were playing in it.  Starlings are not my favorite birds, as they tend to be bullies and rather messy and piggish in their feeding habits.  Because of them, I’ve taken to only feeding safflower seed - starlings don’t care for it and leave it alone.  The regular cheap mix, they would hog and make a huge mess with it.. presumably because they don’t like to share.  But, hey, where were having fun in the bird bath.

All the birds love the bird bath water dripper.  I see them play in it daily.  I also added an oriole feeder to my collection, filled it with oriole nectar, jelly and orange halves… so far nothing. I’ll keep holding out hope.  :)

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Attracting Orioles with an Oriole Nectar Feeder

by Judi on May 9, 2006

Attracting Orioles

Similar to other homemade wild bird and butterfly nectar recipes, Oriole nectar requires only two main ingredients; water and white sugar.

Oriole nectar feeders are available through wild bird retail shops. Feeders are similar in look to a hummingbird feeder, but are orange rather than red and have larger feeding holes. Designs vary, but some include an area to put fresh fruit (oranges, mashed bananas, grapes, etc). Or, if you prefer, skip the nectar altogether and just feed fresh fruits - there are other more specific feeders for fruit.

Directions for Homemade Oriole Nectar Recipe

Oriole nectar is made in a ratio of 1 part white sugar to 6 parts water.

1. Bring your water to a boil.
2. Add sugar.
3. Stir and remove from heat.
4. Let cool.
I like to let fresh nectar cool in the feeder, but I don’t put the feeder outside until it’s completely cool.

Nectar storage: it stores up to 2 weeks in the fridge or several months if frozen. I put my nectar in a clean 1/2 gallon (obviously empty!) milk jug, which clearly I write Oriole Juice on the side.
(Tip: Use an ice cube tray. Once frozen remove and store in a freezer safe baggy.)

Beyond nectar, Orioles like to munch on a variety of bugs (caterpillars, beetles, wasp, etc.) and are particularly fond of grape jelly. I have read they are fond of cherries (maybe some cherry jelly next to that grape?) and blackberries (some jam, perhaps?). They also like fresh ripe fruit, such as oranges, raspberries, cherries, mashed bananas, apples, pears, …. etc.

Enjoy! Have fun attracting wildlife and happy bird watching!

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
[http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/23/homemade-hummingbird-nectar/]

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Judi Cox is a wife and mother of 4 children. Her hobbies include making handmade soap from scratch, gardening, crafts, web design and maintaining Mom’s Little Garden ( http://www.momslittlegarden.com/ ), an online resource for pregnant mothers, as well as her personal website, Momma Muse (http://www.mommamuse.com/ ).
—
Copyright (c) 2006 Judi Cox
Permission is granted to copy and reprint this article keeping author byline in tact.

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A Toad

by Judi on May 5, 2006

I’m not sure if it’s a Fowler’s Toad or an American Toad.  I didn’t get any closer than to take a few blurry photos.  I was pretty excited to see this little guy.  He was hanging out right between the toad abode and the shallow water dish I set up under the water dripper. 

We had a really nice rain the night and morning before he was visiting (though, more likely just out eating and having fun).  I saw another toad across the yard too.  They both seemed a little small, only about 2 inches or so.  But, maybe that’s normal.  The last toad that took up residence in the abode was much bigger - closer to maybe 3.5 inches.

I did a search for ohio toads and came across Ohio’s Toads and Frogs.  One thing caught my attention right away:

“Toads eat slugs, earthworms, sowbugs, and a wide variety of insects and larvae. One report estimated that an average toad eats almost 10,000 insects during a three-month period.”

I wonder how many toads I can coax into coming to live in my yard.  If they would just each the mosquitos…… all of them.

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