William Penn Life, 2018 (53. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2018-04-01 / 4. szám
Among the many holidays we celebrate this month-like Easter and Passover-there is one special day on which we celebrate our planet: Earth Day. This year, Earth Day falls on Sunday, April 22. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and has since become a day when people of all ages do things to make our planet a cleaner, healthier place to live and grow. Some people help pick up trash in their communities while others plant flowers or trees. This year, many Earth Day activities will focus on ending plastic pollution. There are many things you can do to help rid the world of plastic junk. One simple and fun activity you can do to help is to use old plastic bottles to make butterfly feeders. By doing this, not only will you be keeping empty plastic containers from polluting our planet, but you will also be helping to feed some of our planet's prettiest creatures. We call that a Win-Win! What You Need • A plastic squeeze bottle with lid • A cotton ball • 4-6 rubber bands • Flowers (silk or real) • Two pieces of yarn, each 6-9 inches long • 1 cup of water • 1/4 cup of sugar What You Do • Place a strong rubber band around the bottle. • Tie one piece of yarn to the rubber band on one side of the bottle. Tie the other piece of yarn to the other side of the bottle. These will be used to hang the bottle. • Place additional rubber bands around the bottle, about an inch apart or less. • Place a cotton ball through the hole in the lid, letting it stick out like a wick on a candle. • Place flowers under the rubber bands. • Make the butterfly "food" by mixing the sugar and water. Stir well. • Add the sugar water to the bottle. DO NOT add food coloring; it is not good for butterflies. • Close the lid and make sure the cotton ball "wick" is sticking through the hole in the lid. Hang your bottle/feeder upside down so the lid is facing down. Helpful Tip #1: If using fresh flowers, use hardy varieties that won't wilt quickly. To make a more permanent butterfly feeder, use silk flowers. If you use silk flowers, they must be colorful. Avoid green or white flowers. Helpful Tip #2: If you are having trouble pushing the cotton ball through the hole, use a toothpick to help push the cotton through. Send us photos of your feeder or your garden and share the warmth of spring with us! Project idea and photos courtesy of: http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/butterfly-feeder/ 14 0 April 2018 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE
