LIBRARY PICK - Cactus queen
 

Did you know Joshua trees are not really trees? They are actually a type of yucca plant that’s built to survive the hot, dry desert. They help give desert animals places to live, and they even depend on a tiny yucca moth to help them make seeds. Everything is connected. Minerva Hamilton Hoyt loved the desert’s strange beauty, including Joshua trees, and worked hard to protect these special places throughout her life.

 

This month’s Book Club pick is Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park. This picture-book biography celebrates Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, whose exhibitions, organizing, and relentless advocacy helped protect desert landscapes and pave the way for what became Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936 and today’s Joshua Tree National Park. We’re reading it in honor of Minerva’s birthday (March 27) and her legacy as a powerful example of how one person can change how the world sees and protects nature.

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FREE TEACHER DOWNLOAD - SPRING BREAK ACTIVITY

 

Spring Break idea! Grab our Seed Bombs activity download for a quick, hands-on project teachers can do before spring break!

 

This easy, seed bomb activity can be used in class as a spring break send-off project, or can be emailed home for students to use over break! 

 

Wildflowers help the soil by holding it in place with their roots, letting water soak in, and turning old leaves and petals into plant food that keeps the ground healthy. Wildflowers also feed pollinators like bees and butterflies with nectar and pollen, which helps plants (and many of our foods) grow and make seeds - which helps people too!

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We would like to invite all San Diego County teachers, principals, district administrators, and families to take our 5-minute survey to help us better understand what’s working for San Diego students, and what can be done to strengthen environmental education for elementary kids across the region. Our Climate-Ready Classrooms Research Study is a multi-year project that explores environmental education in San Diego County. To learn more, click the link below.

GO TO SURVEY

 

Every Tuesday at 10:30 AM, the Cook County Forest Preserves host Wildlife Connections - a FREE, interactive, all-ages program featuring animals native to Cook County, led with participants from Misericordia – Heart of Mercy. Stop by the River Trail Nature Center to meet reptiles, mammals, and birds that live and play in our community. 

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CAMP RECIPE - HONEY COOKIES

 

This is a fun and delicious weekend project for families to try at home – Honey Cookies! This camper-favorite snack celebrates the bees who give us honey and also help the planet in big ways. 

 

Bees pollinate flowers and many of our fruits and veggies. They also help plants make seeds, and support healthy habitats for birds and other wildlife. As we work our way into spring in the coming months, our camper-favorite honey cookies serve as a sweet little thank-you to our buzzzy little helpers who keep our plates full and our world going round. 

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