Kerry Wood Nature Centre
6300 45 Ave T4N 3M4 Red Deer, AB, Canada

Welcome to Origami Monday on Saturday because I missed Monday. Today, let's make a traditional tulip. It's a bit different from our other folds, but just takes a little patience. This is a two-part fold, so you'll need two pieces of paper. Since the second piece will be used to make the leaf and stem, you may want to use green paper. Flower Photo 1: With the coloured side up, fold your paper in half and unfold. Fold in half the other way and unfold. With the white side up, fo...ld your paper in half diagonally and unfold. Fold on the other diagonal and unfold. Holding your paper coloured side up, bring two opposite sides together at the fold. Photo 2: Flatten the shape into a triangle. This is called a balloon opening. Fold the upper layer of the left point to the top point. Repeat with the upper layer of the right point. Flip the shape, and fold the left and right points to the top point. Photo 3: Flip the upper layer of the left side to the right. Fold the upper left edge down to the centre. Repeat with the upper layer of the right side. Flip the shape, and repeat the steps from the start of this photo. Open the upper layer of the left side from the centre to find the pocket made from the folds. Photo 4: Insert the corner of the upper layer of the right side into the left side's pocket, as far as it will go. Flip the shape and repeat these steps, starting with "open the upper layer of the left side" on photo 3. There will be a tiny hole at the bottom of the shape, which you may want to make slightly bigger with a pencil tip. This next step is easier if you have a balloon inflator like the one pictured, but if not just try to keep the paper as dry as you can. Holding the shape by your thumb and forefinger to keep the tucked-in corners in place, blow into the hole to inflate the shape. It takes a little bit of practice, so don't worry if your first try doesn't work. Photo 5: Here's the inflated shape. Gently fold back the outer layers at the top to make petals. There's your finished tulip. Leaf/stem Photo 6: With the white side up, fold your paper in half diagonally and unfold. Fold the upper left edge to the centre. Repeat with the upper right edge. Fold the lower left edge to the centre. Repeat with the lower right edge. Photo 7: Fold the new lower left edge to the centre. Repeat with the lower right edge. Flip the shape. Fold the bottom point up to the top point. Fold the left side to the right and crease sharply. Open the shape slightly, and pull the outer layer of the top point to the left. Photo 8: Close the shape so the leaf folds down slightly. Place the flower on the stem. Different papers fold differently, and a group of paper tulips makes an interesting tabletop display. You can get them to stand by placing them on a tray filled with washed or ornamental sand. It's a quick substitute garden for those of us without a yard. Happy spring folding!

Ok Red Deer, Saturday morning it's all yours. Final touches and cleanup are happening today; the project has been cleared by the team. You can explore the new structure starting tomorrow. The blind section is identical to the previous structure. The windows are a little different. The walkway out is 60 feet longer, extending the deck 220 feet out into the lake. It's a completely different viewing experience. Thank you for your patience during this project. We think you'll agree, it was worth the wait.

It's #CanadaBookDay and #WorldBookDay! Many of us have books that have affected our lives. Here are a few books that helped shape one of our naturalists' career. What are you reading these days?

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Odd choice of pictures, I know, but a warm weather trip to the dump last weekend got me thinking about how to make every day Earth Day. I recently watched Wall*E (one of my favorite films), and the dump trip brought back this scene. Did you know you can't forage at the dump? It's for safety reasons, but it also results in still useful things left with good intentions becoming waste: like these two water barrels. If you look at the picture, you can s...ee many other things (like bikes, chairs, and plant stands) that could have been refurbished, repaired, donated, sold, or repurposed to extend their life. Even old barbecues can extend their grilling season with a little love and some new parts. Long post short: take a second look at your "waste". Can it be repaired? Does it have a new purpose? Can someone else use it? If we can keep it out of the landfill as long as possible, we can keep Wall*E's world an unnecessary future. See more

April 22 is Earth Day, which means you might see elementary students in Fairview, Grandview, and Clearview Ridge cleaning up litter as part of the Green Deer Spring Cleanup Campaign this weekplease drive carefully and give them a honk or wave of encouragement! If you still need to register your family, club, or business for Green Deer, you can do so online at https://forms.gle/X6o3ZtWpzsDAU2sY6. Registration is free & easy and you’ll be entered to win a new barbecue and $200 in gift cards!

Your last sneak peak before we open it to the public. We hope you enjoy the new bird blind as much as the old one. Thanks IMC for your amazing work.

It's the first Astronomy with Alice of 2021! Today, Alice shows us some of the cool things we can find from the constellation Orion. Background Image Credit: H. Raab

Today is the official Start of Christmas Shopping Day for some people. So if you are really stuck and need gifts for the whole family come on down. We have mi...smatched socks, puzzles, kids toys & books, mittens, toques, beeswax candles & DIY kits, bird books, bee houses, bird feeders, seed & suet and so much more! Come on down we are open 10 - 2:30pm. Last chance to be the best Santa ever! See more

Welcome to Trudy Eikerman Mills, the current artist in the Marjorie Wood Gallery! As the building is still closed, we're trying something a little different. Trudy will be telling us the stories of "The Abandoned House that Isn't" over social media, until such time as we can welcome her and her work in person into the MWG. To start, here's a bit about the artist and her vision: "I love nature. The natural habitat around us has been my passion throughout my life. I grew up on ...a farm in central Alberta. My fondest memories are walking/riding through the pastures and the birch ridge on our farm. Nature has inspired my artwork. I always loved to draw and paint. As a child my art mentor was my maternal grandmother. Grandma Pearl was an artist and she taught me to paint with oils. I like to experiment with different mediums. I work with oils, acrylics, watercolour, alcohol ink, gouache, pencil, pen, permanent inks.... Nature is my focus. Recently, my granddaughters are my inspiration. I want my granddaughters to understand and have a respect for the creatures who live among us. These animals have to overcome increasingly greater obstacles for their survival in a world that is becoming more populated with humans. The family farm has an abandoned house on it. The creatures that reside in the old house are the players in the stories. The stories I tell my granddaughters begin with, On a farm there is an abandoned house. Well, it was abandoned by people. When the people left, many animals moved in. There are no people living on the farm, although people come to camp and to enjoy the outdoors." The story starts with Pauline Porcupine .to be continued"

Be a super hero to a bat and consider a bat house or bat house kit as a Christmas gift. We have painted unpainted and DIY kits. Every purchase gets a free pos...ter from Bat Alberta with lots of great information about these amazing creatures. We are open today until 4:30pm and tomorrow 10-2:30pm. See more

The American Birding Association (ABA) chose the Pileated Woodpecker as its 2021 Bird of the Year, and it's a great choice. We'll be featuring some Pileated Woodpecker facts in future posts, but for now here's a comparison of the three black, white, and red woodpeckers that regularly come to the feeders at the Nature Centre. On the left, the small Downy Woodpecker, in the middle, the Hairy Woodpecker, and on the right, the Pileated Woodpecker. #birds #birdfeeder #woodpecker #UrbanWildlife

With all the Christmas gift giving don't forget the birds! We have a new line of suet ball feeders that the nuthatches, woodpeckers and chickadees love. Add cranberry peanut butter balls and the birds will be delighted!

The River Glen Milk Bar on Ross Street. c. 1935 Located in the old Auditorium Hotel, later renamed the Park Hotel. The Busby family owned the hotel , the Milk B...ar as well as a dairy farm on the west side of the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary (their house is now known as the Allen Bungalow). The school built on part of their property was named River Glen after the farm. Ted Cutlan tells me that the Milk Bar was a great place on a hot summer's day to get a cold beverage, particularly, as the sign in the window indicates, you could get a tasty pastry to go with your cold tall glass of milk. Kathy Tippie tells me that she appreciated the fact that if she ever went to the bar at the Park Hotel, she could reassure her parents that she had merely stopped by the old Milk Bar.. :) Red Deer Archives P318 See more

From all of us Kerry Wood Nature Centre and @Fort Normandeau we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Instead of cooping yourself up inside this holiday season take a break, enjoy the gift of nature and #explorereddeersbackyard Tourism Red Deer

Please note that, following last night's Council meeting, people are required to wear masks in all civic facilities. That includes inside the Nature Centre. This is not the place to debate the bylaw. Any such comments will be deleted.

You were wondering if it's happening, and now it's almost here! Tickets for our online screenings of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour go on sale at 8:00 a.m. this Thursday, November 26. Support the Nature Centre from the comfort and safety of your own home while enjoying the best the Banff festival has to offer. Go to https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-150744 on November 26 to claim your program!

If you are out walking the trails in this amazing weather don't forget to stop in and purchase a copy of our Kerry Wood Nature Centre Calendar. Proceeds go directly to support the Kerry Wood Nature Centre.

If you are rushing around last minute consider these gift baskets for bird and garden lovers and kids too! Open 10 to 4:30pm

Welcome to Origami Monday. With a modified Red Deer Lights the Night coming up on November 21st, I thought it would be a good time to start on Christmas decorations. Today, let's make a tree. This is a good project for scraps of wrapping paper. Photo 1: Fold your paper in half and unfold. Fold in half the other way and unfold. Fold in half diagonally and unfold. Fold in half on the other diagonal. Lift the right point and open it. Push the point down to the bottom point and p...ush the upper flap back to the right. Flatten the shape. Photo 2: Repeat with the left corner. Fold the bottom edge of the top layer of the right point to the centre, crease, and unfold. Lift the whole top layer of the right point, open it, and push it flat. If you have trouble flattening the very top, use the tip of a bone folder or pencil to make sure that it's fully open first. Photo 3: Flip the right side of the layer you just flattened over to the left. Fold the remaining lower right edge to the centre, crease, and unfold. Open the layer and flatten it as you did before. Flip the shape and repeat the steps from photo 2 and 3. You should have an upside-down kite shape. Photo 4: Flip the layers until there are four on either side and you have a fully-coloured (no white showing) side facing up. Fold the whole bottom point up, crease, and unfold. Take the top layer of the bottom point and tuck it up into the shape. Flip the layers to the next fully-coloured side and repeat with each of the bottom point layers. Open the shape and adjust the angles so that it will stand upright. There's your finished tree. You can trim your tree with a decorative pin pushed through the top, or add a Christmas sticker. I glued on a lucky star. For our lucky star instructions, go to https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/3939736119390149/ or check our Instagram archive. Happy Christmas folding!

With today being our last Christmas origami project, I've done a round-up of our nine themed folds for anyone who would like to revisit them. Here are the links: Christmas tree: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4114784525218640/ Multi-piece star: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4149552561741836/... Gift box: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4154995417864217/ Star-shaped box: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4172204179476674/ Double-layer star: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4178671488829943/ Envelope: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4194563660574059/ Santa: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4208483555848736/ Dove: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4211200325577059/ Wreath: https://www.facebook.com/133513543345778/posts/4213655608664864/ Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

It's #NationalBirdDay, and this photo contains a clue about this year's Bird of the Year. Does anyone know what it is?

Enjoy the City Hall Park lights and decorations from the comfort of home, featuring special guests from Stantec, City Hall and even the North Pole! Stay tuned f...or more details on the Stantec Santa Bus, touring Red Deer neighbourhoods December 5 and 12, at www.reddeer.ca/rdlights. Be sure to tag us in photos of your festive decorations online! #rdlights

Waskasoo Holiday Light Contest tonight from 6:00 -8:00!Waskasoo Holiday Light Contest tonight from 6:00 -8:00!

Hit the mark and our resident long haired interpreter (not Todd ), will be sporting a mullet that'll make you smile next time you're in! If you cant donate, please share!

Welcome to our last Christmas Origami Monday. Today, let's make a wreath. This project is perfect for reusing wrapping paper scraps, but look for matte paper rather than slippery coated paper. It's easier to work with. You'll need eight square pieces of paper. Photo 1: Fold your paper in half. Unfold. Fold the left edge to the centre crease. Fold the right edge to the centre crease. Fold the shape in half at the centre crease. Rotate the paper so that the centre crease is at ...the bottom. Photo 2: Fold the upper left corner down to the bottom edge. Repeat with the right corner. Fold the shape in half and crease sharply. Repeat these steps with the other seven pieces. Hold one piece so that the points are up and the double-edged (as opposed to four-edged) side is on the left. Hold the next piece with the points to the left and the double-edged side at the bottom. Slide the points into the slots at the right side of the first piece as far as they will go. Photo 3: Repeat with the other pieces. Slide the points of the first piece into the slots of the last piece. Push the shapes towards the inside to tighten the fit, and adjust the angles. Slippery papers may need drops of glue under the edges, but matte papers should stay on their own. Add a hanging loop and any decorations that you might like, and there's your finished wreath. Depending on the size of your papers, this project can be anything from a door wreath to a tree ornament like mine. Please consider using recycled/reused paper for your project, and happy Christmas folding!

Need a place to rest your glasses? These are Beary useful. Made locally and great stocking stuffers!

From the Friends of the Kerry Wood Nature Centre Society. They've just launched their Facebook page. Click the link and give them a follow.

Welcome to another Origami Monday extra for the lead-up to Christmas. Today, let's make a dove. I'm using coloured paper for clarity, but if you want a white dove use white paper. Wrapping paper scraps make colourful doves. Photo 1: Fold your paper in half diagonally, and then fold in half again. Make sure the open point is at the bottom. Fold the upper layer of the bottom point up to the right point. Flip the paper, and fold the bottom point up to the left point. Photo 2: Fo...ld the upper layer of the bottom point to the top edge and unfold. Lift the upper layer and push in the creased point using the creases as a guide. This is an inside reverse fold, and we'll be doing several more. Flatten the shape. Flip the shape and fold the bottom point up to the top edge. Unfold. Photo 3: Lift the upper layer and inside reverse fold the creased point. Flatten the shape. Fold down the left point so that the tip is at about the level of the bottom edge. Unfold. Lift the upper layer and inside reverse fold the creased point. This is the beak/head. Fold the upper layer of the right point up to make a wing. Photo 4: Flip the shape. Fold up the upper layer of the left point to match the other wing. Fold down the new left point so that its edge meets the edge crossing the body. Unfold. Lift the upper layer, and inside reverse fold the creased point to make the tail. Fold down the upper layer of the tail, and fold the remaining layer to the back. Flatten the shape. Photo 5: If you'd like to hang the dove as an ornament, poke a hole up through the bird's back and thread a piece of yarn or ribbon through it. There's your finished dove. Happy folding, and see you for one last Christmas fold tomorrow!

Looking to decorate for the holidays? Our Poinsettia and Wreath Fundraiser starts today! Purchase a coupon from us for your desired size, and then pick up your plant or wreath at Parkland Garden Centre prior to December 13th. All proceeds go toward program supplies. Call us at 403-346-2010 for more information.

Did you know we carry the infamous Audobon Birds? These stuffies are replicas of the real bird species and when you squeeze them make the real bird sound. Give this to a kid or an adult and watch their eyes light up!

Looking for something to do outside? We started a game, and there's a prize! Kathryn tells you all about it below. Tag us @NatureCentre on Twitter, kerry_wood_nature_centre on Instagram, or Kerry Wood Nature Centre on Facebook when you find our rock to be entered into the draw for a free 1 day family snowshoe rental. (We're also taking name suggestions for the rock...)

Welcome to an Origami Monday extra for the lead-up to Christmas. Today, let's make Santa. This is another great project for leftover wrapping paper, especially if it's thin (there will be a lot of layers). This project is slightly modified from www.thesprucecrafts.com. Photo 1: Start with your paper white side up, and fold it in half. Unfold. Fold in half the other way. Unfold. Fold the bottom edge to the centre crease and unfold. Fold the left edge to the centre crease and u...nfold. Fold the bottom right corner up to the left top corner and unfold. Photo 2: Flip your paper and rotate it so that there's a creased diamond at the bottom. Fold the bottom point to the top of the diamond and unfold. Fold the bottom point to the crease you just made and unfold. Fold the bottom point up between the two new creases and unfold. Fold the bottom point up to the bottom crease. Fold the new bottom edge up on the bottom crease. Photo 3: Fold the bottom edge up on the next crease, and again on the next crease. Flip your paper and rotate it so that the folded edge is at the top. Bring in the top right and left edges, using the creases as a guide, and collapse the top point. Flatten the shape. Fold the bottom point up to the top point. Photo 4: Fold the upper layer of the top point down just below the folded edge. This will become Santa's beard. Fold down a narrow strip of the layer you just folded to make a moustache. Flip your paper. Fold the right point up to the top point so the edge meets the centre crease. Repeat with the left point. Fold all of the layers of the top right edge in to the centre crease. Photo 5: Repeat with the top left edge. Fold the bottom point up slightly. Flatten the creases as much as you can. Glue or tape the left and right sides down. I was out of clear tape, so I used washi tape instead. You might want to flatten the shape under a heavy book for a couple of hours. When it's flat, use felt pens to add eyes, a nose, and buttons. If you have a pompom or fake fur, you can use it to add a pompom at the top of the hat. A paper circle will also work. There's your finished Santa. Happy folding!

We have an artist in house that paints beautiful birds. Irene is a long time volunteer here at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and these detailed paintings make a great gift for a neighbour, friend or colleague. Support Local Artists!