18Mar 2024 by catbird No Comments
Mushroom “Spore” Bombs

Mushroom “Spore” Bombs

Autumn, Craft Project, Earth Day, Garden, Nature Art, Play
As a member of the Plant Wonder Collective, each month I make a craft from the plant of the month. This March is coffee. I was really stumped trying to figure out what to make. Coffee and I are not friends. I had to stop drinking coffee cold turkey in my early 20s for medical reasons and I have never quite forgiven coffee for turning on me. And my husband, who drinks lots of coffee, leaves a little pile of gross coffee grounds on the counter every morning that makes me insane. So I decided I was going to do something with coffee grounds if it killed me. First I made some seed paper with coffee grounds, because of coffee’s high nitrogen content it should theoretically give those seeds a…
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14Mar 2024 by catbird No Comments
Worm Moon Seed Bombs

Worm Moon Seed Bombs

Craft Project, Full Moon, Garden, Play, Spring, Worm Moon
Jonathan Carver is credited as the source of the Worm Moon name, claiming it was a Dakota name. However, every Dakota resource I have found calls this full moon the Sore Eyes Moon, which refers to the glare of the sun off snow. (“Sore Eyes Moon” is how this moon’s name translates from the Lakota and Assiniboine dialects as well.) Allegedly, in the late 1700s, Jonathan Carver wrote that the worms actually refer to larvae that are emerging from winter hideouts around this time. Where I live in the Mid Atlantic, snow is receding in March, and spring is just starting to peek through. I often think of March as the muddy month. Worms make their first trip to the surface as the ground unfreezes and leave their little piles of…
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19Sep 2023 by catbird No Comments
Little Leaf Baskets to Store up for Winter

Little Leaf Baskets to Store up for Winter

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Craft Project, Foraging, Garden, Nature Art, Play
One of my favorite things about seasonal midpoints is that they reflect what is happening in nature-- and different cultures all over the place have similar observances. As I was researching Equinox around the world this year I stumbled across a random mention of the the French Republican Calendar- which was briefly instituted in France after the French Revolution. They instituted a calendar that began the year on the Autumn Equinox and had months named after things happening in nature. The first month was named for the grape harvest. This got me thinking about phenology which the science of tracking seasonal changes. (And one of my favorite things!) I decided to go for a walk in the garden and see what seasonal changes might inspire me. Sadly I don't have…
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Seed Saving

Seed Saving

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Garden
Collecting seeds in the fall garden is both useful and super fun for kids. Shelling beans is one of our favorite fall activities- crinkly seed pods make all kinds of interesting noises and provide free seed for next year. Seed saving is both one of the last tasks before the garden goes to bed, and a promise of next years growth. It’s the end of one cycle and the start of the next one. Sometimes I hand draw fancy seed packets- sometimes I stuff seeds in random unlabeled bags and forget about them. My Farm to Flight unit study includes a printable seed packet with a space to tell the story of your seeds— was it the biggest juiciest pepper? Was it a gift from your grandma? The stories of…
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Fall Apple Picking Hike

Fall Apple Picking Hike

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Foraging, Garden, Hike Ideas, Play
Ok so "hike" is a little bit generous here, but this is a great way to get outside, get exercise and procure snacks. And as I have mentioned, we love hikes with built in snacks. There is something about picking fruit off the tree that is inherently more thrilling than buying it at a store, and it makes children infinitely more likely to want to eat it. They have participated in the process so they are now invested. The best part is that when invariably get home with way too many apples, you can partake in one of our other favorite autumn traditions-- baking with apples!
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23Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Bake Bread & Cook with Grains

Bake Bread & Cook with Grains

First Harvest, Garden, Summer
August 1st is known as First Harvest, Lammas or Lughnasadh in various traditions. First Harvest is midway between the Summer Solstice (the official start of summer) and the Autumnal Equinox (the official start of fall) You can see then why it is a time that straddles between summer and fall. I think of it as peak summer- everything is ripening in the garden and there is almost more to harvest than there is time. There are berries and mushrooms to forage in the wood and a general sense of abundance. At the same time we are creeping closer to fall and I start to notice subtle little cues here and there. Historically, in Celtic tradition First Harvest marks the start of the harvest season. Ritual games took place and there…
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23Jul 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Tomato Harvest

Tomato Harvest

First Harvest, Garden, Summer
First Harvest (also known as Lammas or Lughnasadh) is frequently associated with grain and grain harvests. For me, early August is prime tomato harvest season though! This is the time of year that tomatoes taste their best, fresh from the vine and warm from the sun. No need for a recipe because they don't need much of anything to taste delicious. So go harvest some tomatoes-- either from your garden or from the farmer's market and just enjoy!
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23Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Wildcrafting Tea

Wildcrafting Tea

First Harvest, Foraging, Garden, Play, Recipes, Summer
The first harvest is all about, well, harvesting. Many people associate this day with grains and bread, but there are lots of other things that are at their peak and ripe for harvesting this time of year too. One of our favorites that you might not immediately think about is herbal tea. We harvest wild plants and plants from our garden, dry them and make a new tea blend each year. (Naming them is obviously part of the fun...) Past names have included "summer thunderstorm tea" and "firefly tea." Herbs to Harvest for Tea Try collecting a variety of herbs and then let children smell them and decide which ones they like together. Wash and dry everything and then crush them up in a mortar and pestle. (This step is…
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22Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Green Corn Moon Microgreens

Green Corn Moon Microgreens

Craft Project, Full Moon, Garden, Green Corn Moon, Nature Art
The August full moon is frequently called the Sturgeon Moon. This is because sturgeon were often caught in the late summer in the Great Lakes. I don’t live in the Great Lakes area however, and sadly I have never seen this cool fish. Instead I prefer to call this moon the Green Corn Moon because it better reflects what’s happening around me in August. Fields of corn are everywhere, and I can't seem to eat enough of it. This name mirrors traditional names used by several tribes: (Green) Corn Moon is used by the Algonquin and Ojibwe, Harvest Moon is used by the Dakota, and Ricing Moon is used by some Anishinaabeg. All of these names make reference to gathering maturing crops. Several tribes in the southeast have Green Corn…
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