Found and Never Lost

I made something once that doesn't exist anymore but that I'll never be without.

When I was a kid, in one of my issues of either Your Big Backyard or Ranger Rick, I found an activity for making a miniature naturescape by gluing things I discovered outside to a sheet of paper. Although the creation went into the garbage long ago, I can still see and feel the way the pine cones stuck to the paper, their scales fanning out like flowers.

The National Wildlife Federation, which publishes Ranger Rick, has now made its suggestions for children's nature activities available online. On its family fun page, the organization shares crafts (they use pine cones to make snowy owls), recipes, songs, contests, and outdoor activities. Near the bottom of the page, visitors can search the offerings by age, season, type, animal, and subject.

Resources like this make finding ways to create your own memorable experiences with the environment easy, so don't forget about it.

Wild Landmark

This month, the National Wildlife Federation is celebrating its 75th anniversary. February 3 marked the official day, and I wanted to acknowledge the milestone and NWF's impact on me.

I grew up reading the organization's kids' magazines (first Your Big Backyard and then Ranger Rick).  With nature all around me and a love of animals already in place, the magazines seemed a natural fit. I still remember learning how to make art out of cones and leaves.

For a long time, I didn't know NWF published the magazines. Then, as an adult, I started looking for environmental organizations to support and selected NWF as one of them. When I discovered that the organization was responsible for two of the publications that shaped my youth, I figured I had made a fitting choice.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, NWF. Thanks for helping articulate my relationship with the environment and for helping others explore their connections to it.