Looking for more nature projects?
DIY Ornaments for the Birds
It’s never too early to start teaching children to appreciate and protect wildlife, and you can start right in your backyard. If you’re looking for some nature-themed projects you can do at home with your littles, check out “Wildlife Ranger Action Guide”, a new book coming out just in time for World Wildlife Day on March 3. Learn how to track and spot creatures close to home, and fun DIYs to make your yard a better place for wild animals. Available on Amazon and at storey. com, $18.95.
Nothing brightens up bare branches like a collection of birdfood ornaments. You can smear nut butter on pinecones or toilet paper rolls and coat with wild birdseed or thread oat cereal loops onto pipe cleaners. As an extra special treat for your feathered friends, hang up a few of these homemade bird cookies. MATERIALS Water Microwaveable mixing bowl and spoon
1
Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl. Add both packets of gelatin and stir. Heat 1/2 cup water in the microwave until boiling. Add it to the mixture and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
2
Add the sweetener and birdseed. Mix well. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to cool down for about 30 minutes.
3
5
Carefully pop the cookies out of the molds and remove the straws. Thread yarn or string through the holes and tie to make loops. Hang them outside and see who comes to visit.
When the mixture has firmed up, spoon it into the molds or cookie cutters. Press the mixture in firmly.
2 packets of unflavored gelatin 2 tablespoons (35 mL) corn syrup, molasses, or honey 2½ cups (600 mL) wild birdseed mix Several large cookie cutters or molds Scissors Plastic drinking straws cut into short pieces Yarn or string
4
Poke a straw into each mold to create a hole near the center. Let the bird cookies set overnight in the refrigerator.
Excerpted from Wildlife Ranger Action Guide© by Mary Kay Carson. Photography by Tom Uhlman. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
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