This post and the following 2 posts are dedicated to my beautiful friend Don who allowed me to hold this magical event in his grounds, a nature haven for wildlife.
The Butterfly Girls of Summer Charity Event 2010 (Biggest Fairy House – Kelowna 2010)
These days, a typical child spends only 4 to 7 minutes outside each day. Compare that to the 7½ hours daily the average kid uses electronic media, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. I want to help reverse these statistics.
So I decided to hold a nature event…….based around my book characters The Little Humbugs. The Humbugs live their lives not dissimilar to how we all used to live, just like indigenous people who respect and live in harmony with Mother Earth.
Preparation for the event…
First I cleared an area for my tree stump stools around an existing stump that was just the perfect size for a Little Humbugs table.
The Little Humbugs seating area. An area in the shade for crafts and picnicking.
We evolved in nature – if we become disconnected from the natural world we lose something magical, something so precious.
Then I started on the construction of a tepee structure for the Butterfly Girl (fairy) house
For the last couple of weeks I have been foraging, collecting pine beetle infested logs, stripping them, cutting back any large branches and finally on Friday I got to raise the logs with the help from Don (the owner of the grounds) and my eldest son into a tepee like structure.
Next, I started to add the frame work. (Older children can be involved in this process).
A spiritual experience.
There was something very magical about building such a structure, I enjoyed the solitude, it gave me time to let go, to feel the connection with the earth, the wonderful surface, patterns and textures of the rustic wood, the dry, dusty soil. My days of working on the land, getting dirty, smelling the forest, feeling the warm summer breeze kiss me and make the long, dry native grasses toss and dance were special. Finally seeing the structures come together as damselflies and dragonflies entertained me with their magnificent acrobatic displays, it reinforced my mission to start a nature facility (school) for kids sometime in the not too distant future. To share the joy and wonder Mother Nature gifts us every day and to feel connected to our incredibly beautiful yet fragile planet.
Keeping it environmentally friendly, I used pine beetle damaged branches
and biodegradable twine.
A welcoming heart (made from willow, handmade felt beads, a pine cone threaded on twine) for the entrance.
A whopping 8ft structure stood in front of me.
Now it was time to invite the children to hunt for foliage, decorate and let them weave their magic into my tepee structure, making it their very own…Butterfly Girl (Fairy) House.
Find out how the children bring their enthusiasm and energy to breathe life into the Little Humbugs charity event and fill my heart with joy and laughter in my next blog post…………
The more I work with children in nature the stronger my passion grows to spread the word about the importance of nature in a child’s life. This event is raising funds to help kids with cancer. We hope to raise enough funds to allow several cancer patients the opportunity to have a fun day in nature.
If you would like to get involved helping to raise awareness of such an important cause please contact me: info@littlehumbugs.com or why not become a Little Humbugs Ambassador.
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Beautiful! I love reading about your interaction with nature – even when you were hard at work. I can’t wait to hear more.
It’s really important to show our children how beautiful and resourceful is nature…Technology is dragging us away from nature, which is a negative impact to the human civilization.
Thank you for your comment. The Let’s Go Outside series is to encourage children to “touch, feel and be involved” with nature which is all around them. One example-Making pine cone feeders, the kids get to hunt for the cones get messy with honey or peanut butter (sunbutter makes a good peanut free alternative) and then the pleasure of watching birds arrive to feast on their cones.
I believe it is a children’s right to have nature in their lives.
Thank you Michele. Nature never ceases to excite me. I still feel just at the beginning of a journey with much to explore, discover and share.
That 4 – 7 minutes a day statistic is just staggering to me! It is especially frightening because people tend to care about what they are familiar with–if kids aren’t getting out now, why will they care about nature as adults?
Your event seems like great fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing more in the next post. It’s great that you are doing it for young girls as well, as they so often get the love of science and math sort of drilled out of them by society. Thanks for the great post!
Thank you so much for your comment. I was horrified by the statistic and your question “if kids aren’t getting it now, why will they care as adults” is why I believe if we inspire a love for nature in a child at an early age, it will lead to a desire to protect it. First we have to give children the opportunity and freedom to go outside and explore, discover the magic Mother Nature has to offer, only then can they understand how precious it is.
More than anything I hope that children get the opportunity to get up close to nature at an early age before the onset of the technological world that will undoubtedly become part of their everyday life.
My next Little Humbugs House build will be for both boys and girls (Dragonfly Boys live in treehouses but are rather more of a challenge to build for an event).
This looks like such a beautiful and magical event. I love your pictures and descriptions. The fact that you’re doing this lovely work for charity only increases its beauty. Thank you, as always, for your inspiration.
This is so amazing, what a magical experience and memory you are offering to these children. Maybe the next step would be to create a felted cover for the wigwam like structure? Wool does not sell anymore, so maybe next year local farmers would donate fleece to you? If you need any guidance on making felt I am happy to help xxJ
What lucky lucky girls they are to have such a wonderful experience. And well done you for such a magnificent teepee. I’ve been admiring your lashing technique
Tried to build a teepee at preschool yesterday (on a smaller scale using bamboo) but we weren’t that successful – the bamboo sticks kept lifting out of the ground when the kids hopped in – I’m thinking that it was too small, and the sticks weren’t dug in enough. You’ve inspired me to give it another go!
HI Jasmine, love the idea of making a felt covering for the tepee. This would mean the kids could play in it all year round. The y could even add their own art work detail into the felt. How exciting. Thank you for a wonderful idea. My head is buzzing with ideas now…..
Thanks Jenny. Sounds like the bamboo tepee may have been a little too small. I do hope you try again, I would love to see how you get on. It’s such a wonderful structure for kids to make and add their very own magic. Jasmine-from natureswhispers, a felt maker, just suggested I make a felt covering for the tepee structure which I think is a marvelous idea. Can you imagine how creative the kids could be interweaving their own art work into the felt. I guess you could also have kids decorate an old sheet and use as a covering. Good luck with your next try and please do share.
Thanks Suz. There’s nothing more rewarding than working to help others.