Earth Day!

Let’s make every day Earth Day!  Earth Day is a yearly reminder of how precious this beautiful planet is! Each blade of grass, tiny insect (even those pesky mosquitoes), breath of fresh air, glass of clean water and delicious plate of food on our table, it's all earth’s bounty!

Earth Day heralds spring for many of us in the north, (well we’re still holding our breath in Montreal) and the warm sunshine helps the buds burst forth!  As the leaves and blooms appear, the insects magically fly out from their winter hiding places eager to get busy and thrive.

Some insects have been having a difficult time over the last few years.  You may have heard about bee colonies collapsing or that the monarch butterfly numbers are declining.  All insects needs a plentiful variety of native plants.  This basically just means plants that are indigenous to the area where you live.  For monarch butterflies there are a variety of milkweed plants that provide them with the nutrients they need, and honey bees are happy with all kinds of flowers - they just need variety!

Let’s start a Garden Revolution!  Wherever we are, we can plant some flowers, a bush or a tree.  Imagine for a moment that you are an insect flying across a landscape dotted with cities or vast monoculture crop fields.  Suddenly you behold a glorious splash of color waving up at you.  

Did you know that honey bees use a group of movements called the Waggle dance to inform their fellow colony members about the exact location of a good food source!  The Busy Buzzing Bee Song will help get your kids dancing the Waggle dance!

Learn more about monarch butterflies and how to Plant a Garden for them!!  Sing the song, 

I Saw Butterflies Kissing Today with kids and see if you can find some of the creatures mentioned in the song.

If you're looking for a fun and engaging way to incorporate Earth Day lessons into your daily routine, check out the Little Earth Charter (click on the button at the top).  Kids will love Earth and Rosie's colorful and lively animated segments. And remember, Earthday is Everyday!