WonderGrove for Birds
Announcing the launch of a brand-new series of videos created for kids in grades K-2 by WonderGrove Kids, in collaboration with Homegrown National Park!
These engaging and educational videos focus on the importance of creating habitats for birds, making it easy and fun for young children to learn how they can help nature right in their own yards.
WonderGrove Kids is renowned for providing parents and teachers with a comprehensive selection of instructional animations that prepare children for the daily challenges of life. What a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards!
How Birds Help Us
Create a Bird-Friendly Ecosystem
Exploring the Wonders of Bird Nests
Inviting Birds with Feeders and Baths
Building Bird Houses
Attract Birds to Your Balcony
How Birds Talk
Bees are Powerful Pollinators
Healthy Ecosystems Need Insects
Birds are Vital Pollinators Too
Protecting Birds From Furry Friends
Protect Our Planet From Plastic
Save Birds from Windows
Make Your Own Acopian BirdSaver
State Flowers
Wondergrove For Birds Sing Along
Nature's Best Hope (Young Readers)
How You Can Save the World, Right in Your Own Yard
Douglas W. Tallamy awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this middle grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller Nature's Best Hope, Tallamy outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation that everyone can participate in regardless of age.
In this edition, Tallamy empowers kids to use their own yards to help combat the negative effects of climate change. He does so by breaking down complex concepts into simple terms and real-world examples that kids can easily grasp. Black and white photographs help further clarify concepts. In addition to sharing the science, Tallamy encourages kids to take direct action. Some of these ideas include planting an oak tree (one of the most important tree species) at home. If that’s too large of a task, he suggests they can plant asters—a beautiful flower whose pollen bees use to feed their young. By helping the next generation see that they have power and agency over our collective future, this empowering book will drive home the positive point that kids are truly nature’s best hope.
Camilla and the Caterpillars
How a Young Girl's Love Created a National Park At Home
‘Camilla and the Caterpillars’ teaches young readers ecological concepts
GATLINBURG, TN — Smokies Life is pleased to announce the publication of “Camilla and the Caterpillars,” an environmentally themed chapter book for ages 6 through 11 that introduces young readers to important ecological concepts, including habitat loss and the interdependence of native species.
Written by Smokies Life Creative Services Director Frances Figart and illustrated by Matt Brass, “Camilla and the Caterpillars” tells the story of a young girl’s encounter with an extraordinary caterpillar in the Great Smoky Mountains — leading her and her family on a quest to create a “national park” of native plants right in their own backyard. Figart, who is the author of children’s books “A Search for Safe Passage” (Smokies Life, 2021) and “Mabel Meets a Black Bear” (Smokies Life, 2023), was inspired to write the book after seeing a presentation from Doug Tallamy, founder of the Homegrown National Park movement.
Grandma Lisa's Garden
‘Grandma Lisa's Humming, Buzzing, Chirping Garden'
Join Grandma Lisa as she enlists the enthusiastic help of her grandchildren in transforming her yard into an attractive garden for wildlife. Along the way she explains why planting native species is so important and allays the children's fear of insects by lovingly showing them how these critters are so essential to our world. The family revels in working together, adding plants and other elements to the garden necessary to support a variety of wildlife. As the yard begins to teem with animals, the children are simply enthralled and delighted by the sights, sounds, and mere presence of nature found in Grandma Lisa's garden!
If you're looking for the inspiration to create a wildlife habitat of your own, or are simply looking to spark a love of nature in youngsters, this is the book for you. Told in rhyme, children will enjoy learning about important concepts such as host plants, compost, food webs, and so much more. The brilliant and lively illustrations are not only intriguing, but fun and instructive. But be prepared... you just may find yourself pulling on your garden gloves, picking up a shovel, and heading outdoors to bring nature into the little piece of the planet where you live.
Meet the new science unit your middle schooler needs. Janneke Petersen is looking to spark a nationwide movement of teachers restoring biodiversity in their schoolyards. Everyone can help spread the word!
If you're an educator, visit Janneke's website or reach out to her for more info and a free consultation. Even if it's been decades since middle school, you can share this article with everyone you know. The more students who learn about and plant native species, the better off we'll all be. Get your school involved!
Easily become a Biodiversity Hero with your Keystone Roll-Out Garden™ from Ecoplantia! These professionally-designed gardens are printed on biodegradable paper and come ready to grow with 25 powerful natives (no seeds, just plants!).
Including 12 Keystone plants (4 species), this kit takes the guesswork out of starting an eco-friendly garden. Just clear a 6x10 foot area, roll it out, and plant your natives (“X” marks the spot). Then add water and mulch, sit back, and enjoy your vibrant new habitat!