Next Step Adventure » Outdoors

Feed the Birds

Martha — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:01:04 +0000

I thought dinosaurs were extinct, but guess what! I just found out birds are avian dinosaurs. COOL! I’m not that surprised; their fierceness reminds me of dinosaurs sometimes! A few weeks ago, we thought our little black cat might be about to catch a cardinal that was ground feeding by the house. Turned out she wasn’t the only one watching him. He suddenly flew hard into the window, and before I could say “No Rosy!” a hawk swooped down, grabbed the cardinal and ate him for breakfast.

Still, the wonder outweighs the gross factor. A couple years ago I applied to the National Wildlife Federation to make my yard an official wildlife refuge. I have all the requirements—food, cover, and water, and I won the designation. But I haven’t posted the sign; I don’t want the deer to think I really WANT them back there!

It all began when we tore out the pool and deck, and could finally SEE the back yard. I set up a bird feeding station, where we feed suet, safflower, thistle, and a mix all year. In the spring I try like crazy to entice Baltimore Orioles with oranges, jelly and syrup, but so far they just flash through the woods. When they’re gone, I put out a couple hummingbird feeders. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are fiercest of all.

It’s at least as important to provide water as food. I love watching birds splash around in my little stream in the warmer months, and I have a heated birdbath in front in winter.

One of the lessons in the 2nd Grade Clean and Green program I’m designing for Keep Iowa Beautiful is called “Celebrate Urban Birds.” Teachers use the activities to help kids understand how green spaces in neighborhoods affect birds, and use math skills of sorting, grouping, counting and adding. Another lesson is called “Birds of a Feather,” and teaches several concepts by having kids identify with eagles, robins, goldfinches or crows.

Classrooms can expand on the lesson by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. This year it’s February 17-20, 2012. I’m going to use the video and other resources at this link to prepare for counting birds in my backyard, but you can count in a schoolyard, park or anywhere. Here’s another video that chronicles nature photography over the decades. It’s actually what got me started on this post when it showed up in my mailbox this morning.

Last winter, the Decorah eagles were an international hit. Over the last couple weeks, they’ve begun getting their nest ready for a family. It’s entertaining to watch the female carefully place a stick, only to have the male move it to the other side of the nest. Last year the eggs hatched around April first, and you can get in on the travels of one of last year’s hatchlings here. Feeding time may be difficult for the tenderhearted, but watching nature gives a perspective on reality you can’t get any other way.

Reflect on Service

Martha — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:05:20 +0000

I love service learning. It’s fun to help kids help people, in preschools, retirement communities, parks and gardens. Service learning is a respected way to get kids involved in their own educations.

But it’s not just about doing projects that help communities. For service learning to be valuable to young people as well as to the people they work with, we have to involve them in every step of every project—investigation, planning, action, reflection, demonstration and celebration.

After Global Youth Service Day last spring, Jessica Krough, Melissa Simmermaker of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and I talked about innovative ways to reflect on the state-wide day of service. We decided to experiment with Internet based radio to bring kids together from different GYSD projects around the state. About eight kids joined me on my show, “We’re Entrepreneurs—we can help.” Three of my Earth Heroes, and two students from the Hoover High School STARS program came to the studio. Two students from Lamoni Middle School and their facilitator joined us by Skype.

The Earth Heroes talked about the ongoing project they’re doing for Global Youth Service Day. Jessica visited the garden, and helped them read the Governor’s Proclamation. They were still clearing the garden, building their dragon, and planting vegetables.

As Kyla, Terrance, I work with the Earth Heroes at the Des Moines Botanical Center, we talk about

What happened?
So what?—How did you feel? What did you learn?
Now what?—What’s next? How can you use this experience in the future?

Here is some of their wisdom—

“When I’m special, I work really hard.”
“I didn’t know broccoli grew on a plant.”
“Digging is fun!”

The Earth Heroes walk down the hill from Boys and Girls Club at Carver Community School to the Botanical Center, and we form a circle. The kids know the FIRST thing we do is the “Name Wave.” The kids lead the Wave, starting with everyone yelling out their name as loud as they can. Then come “compliments and appreciations,” a chance for everyone to say thank you, and talk about what we like.

It’s September, and the 2nd through 5th graders are harvesting squash, pumpkins, watermelon, beans, tomatoes, okra, onions, potatoes, peppers and sunflower seeds to take home. Any gardener knows fall is time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, what got done, and what didn’t. What was lost? Where did the summer go?

So, they’re taking photos in the gardens, and next week we’ll create a map of each of the 20 ten-foot X 10-foot raised beds, making notes about what grew, crops that worked well together, and what the Heroes learned from experiments with okra, mulching, and fall planting.

Service learning is a powerful way for young people to find relevance in education, dream about the future, and change the world.

Go Out and Play!

Donni — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:54:27 +0000

Watch my last “We’re Entrepreneurs, We Can Help” show recorded live on July 7, 2011. Ray Morley, Patti Petersen-Keys and I talk about our favorite things to do outdoors–how it feeds our inner kid, and why we want you to come out and play with us.

Patti is the Education Coordinator for Polk County Conservation. Her naturalists have developed programs that engage people from 3 to 93. They’ve developed a series of videos called “Get Outside” that give just enough information to make you actually want to try ice fishing. Or kayaking. Or horseback riding.

Ray has developed a trap shooting program in Ankeny that is expanding to six schools this fall. Listen to the discussion of the benefits of playing outdoors, a variety of opportunities to play outside, and then come out and play with us!

We\’re Entrepreneurs. We Can Help\” Go Out and Play!

Plant a Garden

Martha — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:56:23 +0000

I’m gardening with the Earth Heroes from Carver Community School‘s Boys and Girls Club this season. When I first saw how little these mostly second graders are, I thought there’s no way they can farm the 20 raised beds at the Des Moines Botanical Center.

But Jose sums it up–”Miss Martha, when I’m special, I work really hard.” And the Earth Heroes ARE special. Really special.

Earth Heroes

The second day in the garden, Water Works dumps a big load of compost for us. I look at the kids and I look at the compost, and I think “No Way!” Well, that pile of compost disappears one shovel full. One trowel full. One wheelbarrow full at a time. Not only do they haul it to the beds, they clear weeds and debris from last year’s garden and rake the beds smooth. They plant seeds indoors and outdoors–peas, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, okra, onions, leeks, lettuce, broccoli, spinach and radishes.

This is the fourth year for the gardeners. So, they have mature beds of asparagus (YUM!) and strawberries.

Three of the kids are guests on “We’re Entrepreneurs–we can help.” They discuss what they’re learning in the garden.

Weeding.
Asparagus is Yummy!
It’s fun to get your hands dirty.
Asparagus tastes good.
How a worm feels.

Then I read this article about gardening in Detroit, Michigan, and how it’s changing the city. The Earth Heroes’ garden at the Botanical Center is changing the relationship between the neighborhood and the Botanical Center. It’s connecting the school and the community. There’s no vandalism any more. People come down to get a share the produce.

This year, the kids will open a food stand between 4 & 6 pm on Thursday afternoons. So, stop by some Thursday afternoon, and watch a handful of kids changing Des Moines.

Ride like the wind

Martha — Tue, 31 May 2011 03:23:19 +0000

Last week I signed up for the MS 150 in eastern Kansas. It’s a two-day bike ride to raise money for combatting Multiple Sclerosis. I rode 110 of the 150 miles in 2008, and I hope can do the whole thing this year. I’m definitely in better shape, but I’m just getting on my bike now. I’ve started riding to meetings and yoga class, and I’m going to do at least two long rides each week. I’ve already made it up to 29 mph this year. I do love to ride like the wind.

On my 5/26/2011 Internet radio show, “We’re Entrepreneurs: we can help,” my guests and I talked about biking–trails, training, risk, safety & gear. My guests are experts in various aspects of the subject. The discussion was inspiring.

Andrea Chase is Trail Coordinator at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. She talked about the huge contribution INHF has made to transforming Iowa into the Trails Capitol of the World. The INHF has secured more than 750 miles of trails, mostly reclaiming old railroad rights-of-way. The latest trail opening got a lot of attention–the High Trestle Trail runs between five towns in four counties–Ankeny, Sheldahl, Slater, Madrid and Woodward.

Dan Koenig owns Ichi Bike in Des Moines’ East Village. I first met him at the KWAKers Community Party at Merrill Middle School. He revamps old bikes, retools broken skate boards into banana seats, and sells the coolest helmets I’ve seen. Dan is all about getting back into the fun of biking.

WEWCH was Jeri Neal’s first gig as Board President of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, a group that formed in 2007 to advocate for cyclists and our right to ride. Jeri shares this for all of us–

If you’re already moving but don’t know where to go, here are trails maps sources–
If you’re getting active, and want to go for it by bike–
Are you a cyclist who wants to get involved?
- Comment on the Iowa Dept Transportation State-Wide Plan
- Volunteer, find safe routes to school, safety, education, complete streets, legislative news

I hope I’ll see you out on the trails, or riding to work or school this summer!

Push the Edge

Martha — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:33:57 +0000

We just did our fifth, Internet-based radio show–We’re Entrepreneurs. We Can Help –Women on the Edge. For several months, I played around with the idea of a weekly radio show. Then last fall I asked my friends Anne Larson and Bruce Lehnertz if they were interested in collaborating with me on it. They both trust me way more than they should, and said “sure!”

Well, two months and a lot of gray hairs later (not mine, mind you. at least i’m not admitting it), we’ve got a few not-so-great, and two very good shows under our belt and on Des Moines Amplified. The concept is to facilitate a discussion with local folks who are stepping out on the edge–starting businesses, hatching new idea, solving problems, offering resources. In short, doing the deal. I described the concept to a friend at lunch yesterday, and she said, “It sounds progressive.” That’s what we’re going for.

Progressive. Creative. Upbeat. Fun.

Today I visited with two women entrepreneurs in areas traditionally dominated by males–LeAnn Ely owns Terre d’Esprit Farm, where she raises meat goats. One of her mentors told her not to do it, and that just made her want to prove she could. She said the challenges often come from unexpected sources–her customers, who may not be accustomed to dealing with businesswomen. And the government, which often insists on talking to her husband! In addition to her goat farm, LeAnn is raising a family and working a full time job. Talk about multi-tasking!

Kenna Neighbors recently opened Seed, an urban garden shop in the Des Moines’ East Village. It’s her second business, and she is wildly successful! She started her landscape business a while ago, and now has 27 employees (LeAnn has about 27 goats. hmmmmm) After trying jobs in retail, Kenna decided, “I’m just not a pantyhose kind of girl.” Like many women, she started her company after fleeing a wreck of a marriage and wondering, “How am I going to feed my kids?” along with a love for digging in the dirt. She blew a horse manure source’s mind by lifting a handful up to her nose. “This is what I want!”

Talking with Kenna and LeAnn made me even more excited about doing the show, and about my own business. I’m still not sure what radio has to do with Next Step, but I’m pretty sure that more will be revealed. I think I was a frustrated entrepreneur for all those years I worked for Iowa State University, and I’m grateful they put up with me. But I was always on the edge of the organization, and now I’m learning why. In yoga, we talk about pushing the edge. Women start about twice as many businesses as men; maybe we’re just more compelled to go out on that edge.

Row Your Boat

Martha — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:19:56 +0000

I got my water bill today. For a little over $70 a month, I get clean, safe water delivered to my sink, shower, tub, yard and toilet. I also get my garbage picked up, recycled, composted and dumped, and my sewage disposed of safely. How much do I even think of water? Not so much. But I am in a small minority of the world’s population that doesn’t worry about water.

In 2005, I visited Zambia, a butterfly-shaped country hugged by Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, South Africa…We started in Lusaka, the capitol, where my niece and daughter lived in a modern flat. We did laundry in the bathtub and hung it to dry on a clothesline strung across the bedroom, but we had running water. Oh, we boiled or filtered the water before we drank it. Or was that boil AND filter? But we had a flush toilet. We used the old motto–If it’s yellow let it mellow; if it’s brown flush it down. Still, we counted ourselves among the privileged.

We never quite erased the term “bathroom” from our vocabulary, even out in the bush where the “toilet” was a walk behind a bush or even a tall clump of grass! The term bathroom or restroom evokes a blank stare from most Zambians. I saw some ingenious solutions for these bodily functions, and learned to feel fairly comfortably without the comforts of home.

At Kabwata Cultural Centre, I visited a very unique toilet; when I asked one of the women where it was, she escorted me to a round, concrete structure behind the restaurant. It was concrete inside as well, with sink, shower stall and toilet molded of concrete.

The other unusual toilet we saw was built inside a giant Baobab tree at the Kayila Lodge where we stayed on the last night of our canoe safari. If you’ve been peeing behind a bush for 4 days, it borders on decadent. Electric lights, running water, a mirror (to be avoided at all costs!) and a little nicknack shelf with feathers and quills in a pot of sand. Who could ask for anything more?

We visit Monze village, and turn back the clock at least 100 years. This is how most of the world deals with water. Toilet facilities are holes in the ground. When the toilet is full, the family fills it in and digs another nearby. Privacy appears to be valued above other amenities. Outhouses are built in the shape of a backward G so that when you squat, no one can see in from the outside. Usually there is a slit or a keyhole shaped hole in the floor.

The shower enclosure was ingenious, with a platform made of branches about 1 inch thick, suspended about a foot above the ground. This requires careful balance and planning so your feet don’t go through the space between the branches where the water drains onto the ground. Mr. and Mrs. Victor’s expansive hospitality included a shower to which they fetched water from about 2 kilometers away (about 2.5 miles round trip), and heated over an open fire.

The trip to Zambia was my first experience with the way most of the world gets their water–they carry it. Each day, women across the world spend more than 200 million hours collecting water for cooking and washing. It’s so easy to take for granted the things we receive with so little effort, and often difficult to improve the standards by which the developing world lives. But one young woman is doing something, and she’s been recognized for it. Glamour Magazine named her one of their 2010 Women of the Year. She is the youngest person ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean, solo for 70 days in a row boat.

When Katie Spotz was only 22 years old, she set out from Dakar, Senegal to raise money for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which provides safe drinking water projects for people around the world. She has extreme courage and single mindedness, and explains that the solo row was just something she had to do. She didn’t think about the danger. She is just passionate about completing the journey. Since her row, Katie has turned to biking; I am inspired by following her progress, and I hope you will be too.

Clean and Green Your Second Grade Class

Martha — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:33:50 +0000

With this Clean and Green Second Grade Program Guide, the first phase of the Keep Iowa Beautiful service learning, litter-free schools, environmental education, character building program is officially ready for piloting! With help from the Waste Commission of Scott County, Character Counts! in Iowa, Davenport Public and parochial schools, we are ready to send teachers and kids out to the playground and community to find ways to make them better while they are learning the essential concepts of the Common Core Second Grade State Standards for Mathematics, Life Science, Social Studies, Literacy and 21st Century Skills. The Second Grade Matrix of 20 activities is based on the Core and the Four Keys of Character Education–safe, challenging community, self study, other study and public performance–to assure that we help teachers incorporate best practice in their classrooms.

The guide is flexible; it has engaging activities for the classroom, afterschool and summer programs. Each of the activities can stand on its own, but it will be more powerful if used as a comprehensive unit. During this pilot year, we’ll collect feedback from as many of you as possible, and change the program guide in response to that feedback. Watch this Web Site for online surveys, send feedback to Martha McCormick, or add your comments to this post itself.

Please check out the Second Grade Table of Contents and download the lesson plans–

Math–

Download the Collect and Recycle Lesson Plan
Download the Celebrate Urban Birds Lesson Plan
Download the Beginning Playground Pickup Lesson Plan
Download the Photographing a Math Problem Lesson Plan

Life Science–

Download the Field Trip to Your Square Lesson Plan
Download the How Are We Alike and Different Lesson Plan
Download the Making a Class List Lesson Plan
Download the Service Project Lesson Plan

Social Studies–

Download the Mapping the Route from Home to School Lesson Plan
Download the Birds of a Feather Lesson Plan
Download the This School is a Mess Lesson Plan
Download the Hunting for Treasure Lesson Plan

Literacy

Download the Persuasive Letter Lesson Plan
Download the Recycled Art Lesson Plan
Download the Reconstructing the Squares Lesson Plan
Download the Keyboard Game Lesson Plan

21st Century Skills

Download the Service Project Planning Lesson Plan
Download the Sound Map Lesson Plan
Download the Hide a Penny Lesson Plan
Download the Searching for Meaning through Jigsaw Lesson Plan

Clean and Green Your First Grade Class

Martha — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:17:42 +0000

I am excited to present the Clean and Green First Grade Program Guide. Thanks to Keep Iowa Beautiful, the Waste Commission of Scott County and Character Counts! in Iowa, we are ready to pilot it in Davenport Public and parochial schools. The guide is flexible; it has engaging activities for the classroom, afterschool and summer programs. Each of the activities can stand on its own, but it will be more powerful if used as a comprehensive unit. During this pilot year, we’ll collect feedback from as many of you as possible, and change the program guide in response to your feedback. Watch this Web Site for online surveys, send feedback to Martha McCormick, or add your comments to this post itself.

The Clean and Green First Grade Matrix of 20 activities is based on the Common Core First Grade Standards for Mathematics, Life Science, Social Studies, Literacy and 21st Century Skills. We used the Four Keys of Character Education–safe, challenging community, self study, other study and public performance–as the other axis of the matrix to assure that we help teachers incorporate best practice in their classrooms.

Please check out the Clean and Green First Grade Program Guide by downloading the lesson plans–

Mathematics

Download the Journal for a Day Lesson Plan
Get the Edible Aquifer Instructions
Download the Papermaking Lesson Plan
Download the Photographing a Math Problem Lesson Plan

Life Science

Download the Making Connections Lesson Plan
Download the Creating a Dichotomous Key Lesson Plan
Download Creating a Photo Book Lesson Plan
Download the Critter Building Lesson Plan

Social Studies

Download the Power Animal Puppets Lesson Plan (making puppets)
Download Planning and Presenting a Play or Puppet Show ( Two Lesson Plans)
Download the Dealing with Conflict using Power Animals Lesson Plan

Literacy

Download the Environmental Fairy Tale Activity Lesson Plan
Download Using Power Animals in Storytelling Lesson Plan
Download the Keyboard Game First Grade Lesson Plan
Download the Three-Letter Word Forming Lesson Plan

21st Century Skills

Download the Nature Recycles, Shouldn’t We All? Lesson Plan
Download the Unbelievably Fantabulous Long 10-yd Hike Lesson Plan
Download the Hide a Penny Lesson Plan
Download Searching for Meaning through Jigsaw Discussions Lesson Plan

Clean and Green Your Kindergarten Class

Martha — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:16:04 +0000

I am excited to present the Clean and Green Kindergarten Program Guide. Thanks to Keep Iowa Beautiful, the Waste Commission of Scott County and Character Counts! in Iowa, we are ready to pilot it in Davenport Public and parochial schools. The guide is flexible; it has engaging activities for the classroom, afterschool and summer programs. Each of the activities can stand on its own, but it is more powerful if used as a comprehensive unit. During this pilot year, we’ll collect feedback from as many people as possible, and change the program guide in response to your feedback. Watch this Web Site for online surveys, send feedback to Martha McCormick, or add your comments to this post itself.

The Clean and Green Kindergarten Matrix of 20 activities is based on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Life Science, Social Studies, Literacy and 21st Century Skills. We used the Four Keys of Character Education–safe, challenging community, self study, other study and public performance–as the other axis of the matrix to assure that we help teachers incorporate best practice in their classrooms.

Please check out the Clean and Green Kindergarten Program Guide by downloading the lesson plans–