Neighborhood kids enjoy BCN Saturday programs

Many of you have probably already received your seed catalogues in the mail and will soon be busily preparing designs for your 2010 gardens.  February will be no different for the kids involved in the Nature thru Art, Craft & Music program held at the Brooklyn Memorial United Methodist Church, 2607 Archwood Ave. on Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (unless there is a school holiday on Monday or a snow day on Friday)   The  children enrolled in The Brooklyn  Centre Naturalists (BCN) educational program will be doing the same thing. The program is going strong, but there's always room for more -- and always an extra seat for the free lunch that is included. The BCN received a real boost in November when they received a Neighborhood Connections grant. With the added help of that resource, the new year began with planning sessions to map out lessons, field trips and projects; Brooklyn Centre youth will be learning about community through nature!  Snow and cold were the topics of the day in January. Last month's sessions also saw the return of Spike the Tarantula, who has made his/her terrarium a home with several tunnels and webs to make it a spider's castle. Spike comes to each session (unless it is too cold outside) and loves to show off his/her home. One of the fun activities was the foot comparisons among kids with penguins and polar bears and why polar bears don’t sink into the snow. In February the children will be mapping out plots for butterfly and edible gardens, learning how to test germination, deciding about plants for their gardens, and making stepping stones and plant and garden markers to beautify their spaces. Building bird and toad houses will occupy some of the children's time in March. Spring will be planting time for the gardens. Summer will offer the opportunity for field trips to places like the Rockefeller Garden, a local alpaca farm and the Zoo (for a photo safari), as well as choosing their best flowers and vegetables for the County Fair. And, sprinkled throughout the year, they will be making drums and rain sticks and learning how nature has been the inspiration for music throughout history. Don't let the children in your life miss out on this opportunity! If you know a child aged ten or older who would be interested in this program, tell them about it. And if you or any one you know would like to inspire a child, consider joining BCN's volunteer corps. We know that time is a precious commodity, so think about sharing a little of yours with a child in your life. To sign up as a volunteer or to attend the Saturday morning programs, call 216-351-0254 or email bcnaturalists@gmail.com.