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Mud Pies: Bird Feeders

February 20, 2019 @ 3:30 am - 5:30 am

Bird Feeders infographic

February is National BirdFeeding Month! This celebratory month was created to educate the public on the wild bird feeding and watching hobby. Enjoy making bird-feeding crafts with your little ones, and take time to look at and identify birds together in the Forest!

Mud Pies is a relaxed, drop-in-and-play program that encourages interaction between adult and child. Each week, a natural science topic is explored through station-based activities, free play, and a guided walk. Come discover the joy of sharing nature with your child!

Mud Pies meets every Monday-Thursday from 9:30-11:30 am at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. This program is for children ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. One adult is required for every two children.

Mud Pies is $3 per child for members or $5 per child with daily admission.

A Mud Pies membership is available for $100 per year. This provides access to Mud Pies and Wild Summer Days for all children in a household for an entire year.

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More about Bird-Feeding Month:

On February 23, 1994, John Porter (R-IL) proclaimed February as National Bird-Feeding Month when he read a resolution into the Congressional Record. Below is the formal resolution that he read.

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize February, one of the most difficult months in the United States for wild birds, as National Bird-Feeding Month. During this month, individuals are encouraged to provide food, water, and shelter to help wild birds survive. This assistance benefits the environment by supplementing wild bird’s natural diet of weed seeds and insects. Currently, one-third of the U.S. adult population feeds wild birds in their backyards.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, backyard bird feeding is an entertaining, educational, and inexpensive pastime enjoyed by children and adults. Bird feeding provides a needed break from today’s frantic lifestyles. Adults enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness afforded by watching birds — nature serves to relieve the stress and can get one’s day going on a tranquil note.

Young children are naturally drawn to the activities involved in feeding wild birds, which can serve as excellent educational tools. Children can identify different species of birds with a field guide and can learn about the birds’ feeding and living habits. These observations can then provide excellent research opportunities for school projects and reports.

Feeding wild birds in the backyard is an easy hobby to start and need not overtax the family budget. It can be as simple as mounting a single feeder outside a window and filling it with bird seed mix. For many people, the hobby progresses from there. They discover the relationship between the type and location of feeders, and the seeds offered in them, and the number and varieties of birds attracted. Parents can challenge an inquisitive child’s mind as they explore together these factors in trying to encourage visits by their favorite birds.”

Details

Date:
February 20, 2019
Time:
3:30 am - 5:30 am

Fontenelle Forest is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit.

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