World Wetlands Day – Wetlands and Forests

This is the theme for World Wetlands Day 2011, especially chosen because 2011 is the UN International Year of Forests.

To celebrate World Wetlands Day – I am giving away FREE copies of Nika And The Painted Turtle

Just leave a comment below and I’ll send you your FREE ebook.

We cannot manage without forests and wetlands.

Forests and wetlands (mangroves, peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forests) are vital to all human lives, freshwater availability on a global scale depends on our forests. So too, to a large extent, does freshwater quality.

Despite these many benefits that wetlands provide to people and wildlife, they continue to be destroyed across Canada.  As much as 70 percent have been lost in some areas of the country.

Here are a few cool facts about Wetlands:

• Wetlands keep our water clean
• Wetlands are a valuable wildlife habitat
• Wetlands can help reduce flooding
• Wetlands are a great place to have fun

Fun Outdoors (colouring sheet below)

Thanks to their natural beauty and abundant wildlife, wetlands make great places to relax and have fun. Activities like hiking, wildlife watching, fishing, camping and canoeing are just some of the things people do in wetland areas.

Help raise awareness for these magical places.

Why not visit a local marsh, mangrove, swamp forest this weekend and discover what lives in and around these fascinating wetlands.

Look what Sam found…

They are also great places to learn about biology and the environment. They are full of the ‘raw materials’ that make learning fun and effective.

As you know I love Dragonflies!

Dragonflies Need Wetlands Too!!!!!

Female dragonflies lay eggs in or near water. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch and an immature dragonfly, or nymph, emerges. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin). Nymphs of some species may take as long as three years to mature. Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent in the larval stage beneath the waters surface, using internal gills to breathe. The life span ranges from about 6 months to over 7 years.
When the larva is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a reed or other emergent plant at night. Exposure to air causes the larvae to begin breathing. The skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin, waits for the sun to rise, pumps up its wings and flies off to feed on midges and flies.
HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!

Please use recycled paper when printing the Little Humbugs colouring sheet- many thanks.

DOWNLOAD PRINT HERE

Helping to address the disconnection between children and the natural world in my own small way.

I am really excited to launch my new “Let’s Go Outside” webisodes – my small way of helping address the disconnection between children and the natural world.

When children and nature mix, something Magical happens, I want to share some of that Magic with you and your children…with the help from the Little Humbugs – my Nature Warriors.

The Little Humbugs can inspire children to Go Outside….

My introduction webisode features – Fun in the snow Here’s a few pics from the video:

The forest looks so pretty in the snow thought the Butterfly Girls.

Let’s Go Outside and make…

…Snow Angels

I want to make Snow Angels too….

Let’s Go Outside and build a Snowman

I want to make a snowman too….

Let your children be inspired to Go Outside with the Little Humbugs…

NO SNOW! No worries- you can visit the beach and make sand angels or collect some rocks and make a rock man.

Once you’ve made your snowman or rock man send us a photo of your outdoor art and we’ll post it on the Little Humbugs Art Gallery!

By taking the picture and sending it into the art gallery your child get’s to share their wonderful outdoor creations with other children.

Worksheets available to accompany the series, by request: info@littlehumbugs.com

Over the course of the year the series will feature :

• Nature based arts and crafts (part of the fun is going outside to hunt for the nature items)
• Visits to farms, bee keepers, orchards, parks and beaches
• Interviews with park and forest rangers, conversationalists, butterfly experts and many more…
• Enchanting Little Humbugs stories
• Discovering wildlife
• Trails, walks, gardening, birding, rock hunting, star gazing, moon watching, cycling, barbecuing…….

Discovering some of British Columbia’s Wildlife

British Columbia is the most biologically diverse province in Canada. British Columbia is home to 143 mammal species, 454 birds, 20 amphibians, 19 reptiles and 450 species of fish. Some of these species are not found anywhere else in Canada.

I’m really excited about sharing some of these amazing species with you….

…But more importantly, I want YOU to share your wildlife and nature stories with the Little Humbugs and me!!

I love all butterflies but the Monarch best of all, we have them in our garden a lot-love Grace from Australia (age 6)

• What are your favorite outdoor activities
• What’s your favorite animal
• Do you have a favorite tree or flower

If you have a topic you would like featured or want to submit your nature craft idea, photos or videos or any suggestions you’d like to share, please email me. I’d love to hear from YOU: info@littlehumbugs.com

I am passionate about nature and I’m certain you are too!

Join me on this exciting new adventure and share the joys of Mother Nature with your family and friends.

Watch the first Let’s Go Outside video. Please share with friends and family-thanks!

We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Sierra Club BC.

One of our main goals as a company has always been to try and make an impact in what we do. To that end we are delighted to be partnering with Sierra Club BC where we will donate 25% of any purchase made by members of the club. We hope that in some small way we can make a difference in helping conserve some of the worlds most precious areas.

The Sierra Club is carrying out important conservation work in places such as the Great Bear Rainforest and the Flathead River Valley, one of the most diverse and ecologically intact natural ecosystems in the temperate zones of the world.

With your help we give the Sierra Club that extra bit of support they so rightly deserve.

It was our move from Scotland to BC almost 5 years ago that impacted on where we are today. It was  BC’s wilderness and beauty that inspired me to write about my Nature Warriors – “The Little Humbugs”.

ENGAGING CHILDREN

Engaging children with nature at an early age is crucial for their health and well being. Enormous benefits will come from creating a generation of children eager to help conserve our natural heritage.

In order for children to help look after our Natural World, they first need to experience it’s MAGIC………

THE LITTLE HUMBUGS – The Humbugs live their lives not dissimilar to how we all used to live, respecting and living in harmony with Mother Earth.

The Little Humbugs are based on an award winning book series that involves children on a quest to protect our Natural World.

Giving back for the future of our children and the planet.

As a mother of 3, I have always had two major concerns: children are spending far less time playing outdoors than ever before; the Natural Environment around us is constantly being plundered and despoiled. As a child, I reveled in the magic of Mother Nature. As a parent, I feel driven to protect it.

I want my children and the generations that follow to inherit the same privileges that I once enjoyed.

CONSERVATION

In order to preserve what is left of our Natural World, we need to conserve it.

25% of SALES GO BACK TO THE SIERRA CLUB

For every Little Humbugs purchase made by a BC Sierra Club member, we will donate 25% of the purchase to the Sierra Club BC.

We are a small family run business passionate about nature and the well being of the planet and want to give back. We felt The Sierra Club of BC, Canada would be a perfect partnership  – they work on issues ranging from climate change and energy to toxic chemical contamination and loss of biological diversity.

The Sierra Club - Grassroots defenders of Canada’s environment since 1963.

• Delivering Sierra Club BC’s award-winning Environmental Education Programs across BC to 7,000 students, fostering children’s appreciation and love of nature, and inspiring a new generation of environmental stewards:

• Protecting 5 million acres of the Great Bear Rainforest from logging and implanting lighter touch logging in the remainder of the this unique natural area, thus saving the home of the unique Kermode Spirit Bear; and

• Drawing international attention to the endangered Flathead River Valley in South Eastern BC – “One of the most diverse and ecologically intact natural ecosystems in the temperate zones of the world,”(National Geographic.) Thanks to Sierra Club BC, delegates from the United Nations World Heritage Commission visited the area in September to investigate potential destructive mining proposals in the Flathead.

• Sierra Club BC -  Celebrating 40 years of passionate commitment to protecting BC’s wild spaces & species.   Help us celebrate at our Sierra Club BC Foundation Annual Dinner on November 5th. Sierra Club BC Annual Dinner

To find out more about the Sierra Club, visit: http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/

The Little Humbug Products

The Little Humbugs were created to tell a compelling story on how we need to care for the environment and to live in harmony with the Natural World. Through engaging characters, the power of words and images and interactive play, our goal is to inspire and empower children to get outdoors, explore and create change.

The storybooks immerse the reader into the world of the Little Humbugs and reveals to the young child just how important it is to look after the natural world they inhabit and that they have an important role to play in caring for it too.

The storybook characters (dolls) encourage interactive play, helping to stimulate a child’s curiosity of the natural world around them, creating a bond and lasting affinity with their surrounding environment and natural world through the Little Humbugs.

Winner of the Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Star Award (highest rated)

• Eco friendly Chapter books and Picture books
• Educational Dolls
• All Natural Lotions and Potions
• Fair Trade Felt Bead Kits
• Natural Gemstones
• All Natural Sleepover Kits

BUY NOW

TODAY IS WORLD OCEANS DAY.
When you read facts like: 70% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed or are currently threatened you really feel you need to do something to help. Help spread the word today about our damaged Oceans.

Here are some amazing people doing incredibly great work to help save the Oceans:
http://www.philippecousteau.com

http://www.earthecho.org

http://www.theoceanproject.org

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Oceans/OceansDay

Please click below for a FREE World Oceans Day Colouring sheet for kids:

FREE Dragonfly Boy World Ocean Day Sheet
Here are some ways you can help:

1. Become more mindful of plastic consumption and trash production.
2. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
3. Say “no” to plastic grocery bags
4. Think durable not disposable.
5. Buy food that is produced locally
6. Watch what you put down your drain. Use green products.
7. Spread the word – Wear Blue and Tell Two on June 8th.