We had a wonderful first day of Summer ZooCamp yesterday, learning about all things with wings.  We started with birds and learned that bird wings aren’t just for flying – they’re for camouflage, attracting mates, showing dominance and warning away predators too!  We made a “flashy flyer” – our very own brightly colored bird and took a trip into the rose garden where we learned about why and how birds, their eggs and their chicks are camouflaged.  Being camouflage experts, we took turns hiding our own bird/egg/chick and being foxes or snakes searching for them in the grass.  For snack we made “bird seed” – individualized concoctions of popcorn, chocolate chips, cereal, raisins and marshmallows and learned that birds eat half their body weight each day!  In our animal interviews we met a pigeon, a radiated tortoise and a leopard gecko.   

Here is an activity you might want to try with your kids tonight:

Build a Bird

Birds come in all shapes, sizes and colors – and all for very special and very different reasons.  Visit the website (http://www.rwpzoo.org/education/KidsNCritters.cfm) to download the the templates of bird beaks, heads and legs to build a bird with your child.  How does your bird’s head, beak and leg shape help it to survive?  Take it one step further and create a name and habitat for your bird! 

Until tomorrow,

 Jen Karow – Manager of Family Programs

By Lynne Mclain
Roger Williams Park Zoo Manager of Interpretation and Graphics

Spring is here! A butterfly garden is a great first garden project for children. By planting your garden now, you will see the benefits throughout spring, summer and fall. They can be as simple or complex as you want.  A well designed garden needs relatively little upkeep.

In order to best attract butterflies both host plants, for egg-laying and caterpillar food, as well as nectar plants, for adult food, should be planted. Man-made pesticides should be avoided as they can harm the butterflies that you are trying to attract. Natural pest deterrents, such as crushed egg shells spread around the base of plants to ward off slugs, and natural fertilizers, such as compost or manure, are safe and effective means of caring for the plants.  Mulching is a great way to provide water retention & inhibit weed growth.

 Creating your Butterfly Garden

• Pick a sunny spot and prepare the soil by turning and aerating it with a pitchfork.  You may want to add nutrients to your soil by using natural compost or manure. 
• Cone Flower, Pentas, Milkweed and Butterfly Bush are good combination of plants for a butterfly garden.  A mix of nectar and host plants will increase the attractiveness of your garden for butterflies.  
• Holes for the plants should be twice the diameter of the root ball.  Gently loosen the root ball and place plants in the holes. Fill in with loose soil and water.
• Different butterfly species will come to your garden at different times of the year.   You may see Monarchs, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails or Spicebush Swallowtails to name a few.  As you continue to water and care for your garden, each year you should attract more butterflies. 

Once your garden is planted the fun isn’t over!  Keep interest alive by having your children care for the garden (including watering – the best part!) and by keeping a nature journal, either worded or pictorial, recording the butterflies that stop in your garden. 

For more information on this fun family activity, you can consult our Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom web pages. In addition, Peterson Field Guide to Butterflies and Moths is a good resource to help with the identification of the garden visitors.