Nature Activity -- Helping our little birdie friends!

Here in Ohio we have just had our first springlike weekend of the year. Everyone in my neighborhood was outside, trying to make our mud-filled brown yards look a little better. It is a sign of spring.

Another sign of spring is that we are seeing robins again. And in the spirit of our birdie friends, this month's activity is just for them.

Birds make their nests in different ways. Some birds nest on the ground, others in trees. Some make their nests out of mud. Some make a dozen nests and let their mate pick the best one (philisophical question -- would this work in the human world?) But many birds make their nests in trees out of materials such as grass and twigs. Birds also use non-natural items to make their nests, such as string and fabric.

This month's activity is meant to help them along.

NESTING BAG

Items needed: Mesh potato or onion bagBits of string, yarn, fabric strips, grasses

How to do it:Have your scissor-lovin' kids cut up a bunch of yarn or string, and simply put it in the bag. Also collect dried grasses from your yard -- we pulled some of the dead leaves from an old day lily. Once your mesh bag is full enough, thread a piece of yarn through the mesh to seal it up. You'll want to make sure that it is full enough that birds can grab at the materials through the mesh. Once it's all set, hang it from a tree and wait to see if any of your yarn ends up in a local nest!

Collecting leaves from last year's day lily...

Now we sit and wait!