NatureKids BC

Do you wonder what lives between the flowers? Every spring when the sun returns and the flowers bloom pollinators fly from flower to flower, dusting them with pollen they pick up from each flower they visit. By providing cross-pollination services, pollinators contribute to plant health. Want to learn more about them and their species? Take a look at our new Life in The Flowers - Pollinator Safari Cards, now on our website! Purchase 1 x 4 or 10 x 30 https://www.naturekidsbc.ca//life-in-the-flowers-pollinat/ Did you know 85% of all flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce seeds? Photo by: Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Get a jump on a summer garden by starting your seeds inside with this self-watering seed starter made from a re-purposed pop bottle. Growing your own food is fun and you will likely find that veggies you grow yourself taste even better than the store-bought kind! If you enjoy our activities make sure you subscribe to our monthly newsletter, NatureBUZZ and take a look at our previous issues of NatureWILD! https://www.naturekidsbc.ca/

Looking for an engaging and socially distanced way to spend your afternoon? Why not take a NatureKids BC Backyard Bird Card outside with you and see if you can spot any of BC's birds? Our Bird Cards are $4.00 each on our website and we offer varying regions across BC - click the link in bio to learn more or to purchase!

We're excited to continue to share the stories of the winners of our NatureKids BC Family Stewardship Challenge this fall! Here's the Ingram family in Victoria planting some native trees in their yard! Can you figure out which species of tree it was? Congratulations to all the winners! : Ingram Family

A friendly reminder about the upcoming Virtual Explorer Day this weekend!

Do you remember learning about the giant Asian hornet on our recent NatureKids BC Virtual Explorer Day with the Invasive Species Council of BC? Earlier this fall, the first-ever Asian giant hornet nest in the US was discovered just south of the BC border in Blaine, WA. Scientists think other nests already exist and say it's impossible to know if any queens escaped before the nest was destroyed. While they can be dangerous when their nests are disturbed, they are not actively attacking humans. Asian giant hornets are an invasive pest in the US and Canada. At 5cm in length, they are the world's largest hornet and a predator of other insects, including honey bees. : Invasive Species Council of BC

Monday, is that you? Do you know what this cute critter found in Manning Park, BC is called? Write your guesses in the comments below! : Pete Nuij, Unsplash

We're so excited to share the stories of the winners of our NatureKids BC Family Stewardship Challenge! We had some awesome entries and were so thrilled to see all of your stewardship activities to make the natural world a better place! This week we are featuring the Nelson Family in Cache Creek. They made hummingbird feeders out of recycled glass jars and wrapped red electrical tape around the clear jar (since hummingbirds are attracted to the colour red!) After standing for over an hour with feeder in hand, one finally showed up for an up-close and personal viewing! Congratulations! : Nelson Family

Spending time in nature enhances educational outcomes by improving children’s academic performance, focus, behaviour, and love of learning. The Children & Nature Network has created this beautiful infographic showcasing the academic benefits of time spent in nature! Explore it here - https://rb.gy/gojpal. How has nature helped your academic performance? : Children and Nature Network

We're "falling" for the latest issue of NatureWILD magazine - because it's all about TREES! NatureWILD is BC’s only all-colour nature magazine for children and their families. Every issue features a range of articles by BC’s leading naturalists, as well as games, nature activities, step-by-step drawing instructions, contests, quizzes, nature news from across the province, stories and more! Subscriptions are only $20 per year (4 issues) - click the link in bio to subscribe today! #naturekidsbc #trees #exploreBC #beautifulBC #magazine #subscription #families

Here's a way to take nature learning indoors when the weather outside is taking a turn! The 2020 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival is going virtual with their 2020 Fall Series. Enjoy five adventure-packed shows from November 20-29th and be inspired, entertained, and connected with your outdoor community. Check out vimff.org to learn more! : VIMFF.org

National Child Day in Canada recognizes the country's commitment to upholding the rights of the child. In honour of this, we are looking to hear your voices, NatureKids! Join our NatureKids BC 'Creative Crew' - your ideas will shape aspects of our programming for 2021! All youth are welcome across the province, so email us at [email protected] to learn more and tell us why you want to be involved! Four spots are up for grabs for 2021 - we can't wait to hear from you! : Leo Rivas, Unsplash

This week’s Throwback Thursday features our Nanaimo NatureKids club members on their Animal Tracking Explorer Day! Our members were lucky enough to have a little snow on the ground which made it easier to see prints and some printouts were used for other spots that had no snow. The high point was exploring different types of animal tracking in addition to looking at the type of scat left behind. Does anyone know what scat is? Let us know below! : Sarah Dafoe