INTRODUCE CHILDREN BACK TO NATURE- IN YOUR BACKYARD!

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Note: Scroll down right-hand margin to "(A-59) Attention Deficit Disorder" for free videos on this topic.

An estimated 63 million U.S. adults watch wildlife around their homes. At the same time, a huge number (80%) of us have private lawns that we care for. We spend around $40 billion per year to maintain and improve our yards, and the growth is accelerating as the U.S. population matures. So, why not add wildlife-friendly gardening to our lawn activities? It is a healthful activity both physically and emotionally and provides us and our children with a connection with nature. This is especially true for urban dwellers, who have a limited connection that may amount to a patch of green that surrounds their home. Also, bringing nature back to our yards would help win the war against Nature Deficit Disorder, which is a growing ailment among our children.  

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Create A Wildlife-Friendly Yard believes that if you create a wildlife-friendly patch in your yard, nature will take advantage of it...they will come! The monarch butterfly and other dwindling butterflies, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals can be saved by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in our yards. Praying mantis, catbirds, monarch butterflies and a host of other wildlife visit, nest, lay eggs, and rear young in my yard because of the plants, bushes, shelter and water I provide. I hope you do the same in your suburban or urban yard as well! You may want to join Monarchwatch, and create a Monarch Waystation in your yard.

CWFY also believes that America save the dwindling populations of wildlife, one yard at-a-time. Why? Because of the huge amount of land devoted to home lawns. For example, there’s 27.6 million acres of turf grass in the U.S. and 21 million acres of this acreage consists of home lawns(1). And, the average American lawn is 1/3 acre(2). Home lawns account for roughly 18 million acres(3). Amazing! There are 50 million homeowners maintaining residential lawns(4) with over 31 million acres of grass, an area equal to the New England states.

Another comprehensive 1995 study estimates that the total amount of residential lawns in the United States ranges from 14 to 26 million acres, with 17.7 million acres as a conservative estimate. The national average lawn size is about 1/5 of an acre for the 85 million households with a private lawn.

We can counter urban sprawl one yard at-a-time!
Further reading:

• Save A Child From Nature Deficit Disorder
• Backyard Nature Kits For Kids!
• Nature Deficit Disorder and Wildlife-Friendly Yards

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

References:
[1] Borman, F.H., Bamori, D., & Geballe, G.T. (2001). Redesigning the American lawn: A search for environmental harmony. (2nd ed.). Connecticut: Yale University Press.
[2] Templeton, S.R., Zilberman, D., & Yoo, S.J. (1998). An economic perspective on outdoor residential pesticide use. Environmental Science & Technology, 2, 416A – 423A.
[3] Kline and Company syndicated studies on professional and consumer turf and ornamental markets (1976 thru 2000) and EPA’s National Home and Garden Pesticide Use Survey (1990).
[4] The Lawn Institute, 1855-A Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008.
[5] Vinlove, F.K. & Torla, R.F. (1995). Comparative estimations of U.S. home lawn area. Journal of Turfgrass Management, 1(1), 83-97.

LEARN HOW TO CREATE A BUTTERFLY GARDEN!

Visit the huge Butterfly Garden Store. We have 14 aisles!
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In the store, the beginning aisles are stocked with adult and children's books and magazines about butterfly gardening. The aisles turn into children's butterfly toys and games with actual live butterfly rearing kits, butterfly nets, etc. Turn a young child onto nature...in your own yard! The video is from the Smithsonian Butterfly Habitat Garden and has some great tips on maintaining a butterfly garden.

MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 READY TO BEGIN RESEARCH PROJECT

It's a sunny day and in the 50's here in NW Ohio (Fremont), about 12 miles south of Lake Erie. I'm getting Monarch Waystation No. 613 (WS613) ready for another spring, summer  and fall of Monarch fun! The tulips are up and showing, but the milkweed haven't even sprouted yet.

We had 80-degree temperaturesl ast week, but these record-setting temps had no effect on early milkweed sproutings.

This year, I plan on conducting research to measure the Monarch productivity at Waystation No. 613, since its location represents the 25,000,000 small to medium-sized lawns in suburban settings throughout America. Although the Milkweed plants are not even sprouted yet, I have each individual plant and clump of milkweeds marked with an identification. The photo (below) is marked "2 SMW", meaning it's the second clump of milkweed and it's Swamp Milkweed. I also have marked "CMW" for Common Milkweed and "TMW" for Tropical Milkweed.   

Monarch productivity will be recorded for each milkweed clump.

I will record varous factors for each milkweed clump, which total 48 milkweed clumps in my side and back yards. These factors include: number of eggs laid, which milkweed species Monarch's prefer to lay eggs on, number of eggs laid per plant and per leaf, number of eggs parisitized on plant before collection, no. of eggs collected, no. of eggs hatched, no. of caterpillars raised, no. of OE incidences, no. of chrysalis' formed, no. of adult Monarchs hatched, checked for OE, and released, tallies of other butterfly species visiting WS613, etc.

Several years ago, I collected over a hundred eggs off my milkweeds and this resulted in 80 adult Monarch butterflies being released. Since then, through discussing better ways to raise Monarch caterpillars in the Monarchwatch forums, I've learned to cut down on parisitism from insects and from OE infections.

Further Reading:

• Wonderful Children's Book On Monarch Butterflies
• My Last Monarch Butterfly at Waystation No. 613
• Backyard Nature Kits for Kids!
• Monarch Butterfly Happens With Dana Bolen at Maumee Bay State Park Monarch Research Station

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

FIGHT NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER- INTRODUCE YOUR KIDS TO THE OUTDOORS!

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Note: Scroll down right-hand margin to "(A-59) Attention Deficit Disorder" for free videos on this topic.

Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors describes hiking, trekking, camping, climbing, biking, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, whitewater rafting, and mountaineering with children of all ages. It highlights 50 family adventure trips--close-to-home, budget-wise, and national parks and how to plan, pack, and organize trips, especially tricky with infants and toddlers and extended, mixed, or blended families A helpful guide for parents who want to keep traveling, remain active in the outdoors, and get their kids interested in nature and the environment. Blends interactive parenting and coaching skills with outdoor sports, adventure, and travel. Taking children on camping trips or rafting trips can be a challenge, but by balancing safety and adventure, independence for older children, and family participation, everyone can have fun. A section on safety includes basic first aid and what to put in emergency kits.
Further reading:

• Save A Child From Nature Deficit Disorder
• Backyard Nature Kits For Kids!
• Nature Deficit Disorder and Wildlife-Friendly Yards

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

BALD EAGLE DOES BREAST STROKE!



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Ever See an Eagle Do the Breast Stroke? View this video taken at Mallard Lakes subdivision in Baton Rouge. Someone had shot a nutria (river rat), and it was floating dead in the water. I can't believe what this eagle did to bring that nutria in. Click HERE to watch an  Eagle doing a breast-stroke...talk about problem-solving!
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it! Contact us on the secure Bpath Mail Form.