NORTHERN WISCONSIN / NORTHWOODS FEBRUARY ACTIVITY CALENDAR

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KIDS PAGES -- FEBRUARY ACTIVITY CALENDAR! WOW! HERE'S A TON OF WONDERFUL ACTIVITIES TO DO EACH DAY IN THE MONTH. WE HOPE YOU'LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE FUN AND INFORMATION EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN! PERHAPS YOUR TEACHER, PARENT, OR OLDER BROTHER OR SISTER CAN HELP YOU GATHER SOME OF THE MATERIALS YOU NEED OR HELP YOU DO SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES. MAYBE YOUR CLASS, BROWNIE TROOP, CUB SCOUT TROOP, 4-H GROUP, OR A GROUP OF FRIENDS WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. February Kids Activity Calendar February Brings the Rain, Thaws the Frozen Lake Again. February 1 Explore a Frozen Pond or Lake* *WARNiNG: ICE IS NEVER COMPLETELY SAFE! NEVER walk on ponds, lakes or rivers that appear to be frozen, without your parentsâ approval AND checking with local authorities! It may not look like much is happening on and around a frozen pond or lake, but thereâs a lot going on beneath the insulating layer of ice.* If the pond is covered with the clear ice commonly called black ice (or if you chisel a small hole in the ice--with your parentsâ permission), you can actually see fish swimming around! Look closely and you might catch a glimpse of the water-borne insects that make up their diet. Itâs not uncommon to find some of these creatures ãsuspendedä in ice. What you canât see are the animals that bury themselves at the bottom of the pond. Frogs and turtles hibernate there until the spring thaw brings much needed oxygen to the water. Even those fish that remain active are in relative stupor, but that doesnât stop the ice anglers from boring holes in the ice and dropping their lines. *WARNiNG: ICE IS NEVER COMPLETELY SAFE! NEVER walk on ponds, lakes or rivers that appear to be frozen, without your parentsâ approval AND checking with local authorities! The water usually freezes first around the edges, and the ice farther out may not be as thick. The reverse is true in the spring, when the ice close to shore is the first to melt. Thereâs a wise saying that warns, ãif you donât know the depth of the ice, stay away from it.ä February 2 Groundhog Day! Since 1887, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania have made quit a to-do over the emergency of the groundhog on February 2. Look for his picture in your newspaper that day or next. This much-ballyhooed event traces its origins to Europe where centuries ago the Germans sought to predict the final stages of winter by keeping an eye out for badgers. In this country we watch for the groundhog, hoping that when it leaves its burrow it wonât see its shadow. This supposedly will send it scurrying for shelter to wait out the long weeks of winter sure to follow. Where do you suppose this idea came from? Go outside and see if you can see your own shadow. Take your dog or cat with you -- does he seem to notice his? Just imagine how the reclusive groundhog might feel thinking there was someone out there besides himself. It might give him a start! The groundhog, incidentally, is just another name for the woodchuck. Few mammals truly hibernate, but the woodchuck is one of them, sleeping soundly from late September until April. Its emergence in early February is as unlikely as its ability to predict weather. February 3 Use Sand, Instead of Salt, on Icy Surfaces Thereâs no question that icy roads and sidewalks can be dangerously slippery. Youâve probably noticed how both sand and salt are used to combat the ice. Youâve probably also noticed how salt leaves a white stain on roads and walkways (and your boots, too), eventually washing away. Where does it go? Unfortunately, the salt usually ends up leaching into the soil alongside roads and sidewalks, making the soil inhospitable for most plants. Many fine old trees are lost each year because of the salt. Luckily, many communities are now turning to sand (where it can be used safely) and planting salt-tolerant species that they hope will be able to withstand the dissolved salts. While salt actually melts ice, sand simply adds grit to the slick surface, providing some traction but not hastening the melting much. You can see how this works by sprinkling some table salt on an ice cube and dusting another cube with sand. Which melts first? At your own home, use sand wherever possible, which is better for your property, and much kinder, too, on your car, and your shoes and boots. February 4 See if Salt Water Freezes in Winter Have you ever wondered why the ocean doesnât freeze in winter? Well, it does, of course, but the heavy concentration of salt means that a lower temperature is needed for ice to form. The constant movement of the waves also discourages ice from taking hold. Only in the far North (and the far south, of course) does salt water freeze with any regularity. In fact, approximately 10 percent of the earth is covered with glaciers, huge masses of ice that are so thick they never melt. Icebergs, which are chunks of glaciers, that have broken off and float at will, sometimes melt if they make it to warmer waters, although they also sometimes adhere to other bergs and actually increase their size. It is said that only about one-tenth of most icebergs is visible above water, lending credence to the cliché ãjust the tip of the iceberg.ä The amount of salt in the water determines how readily it will freeze, and the oceans of the world contain varying amounts of salt. Try a simple experiment adding common table salt to a glass of water and setting this solution outdoors next to a glass of plain water. Which freezes first? February 5 Identify Some Trees Without Leaves While there is something missing from many trees this year (namely their leaves!), you can still tell one tree from another by looking for other clues. Trees have very distinctive silhouettes (with and without their leaves) to help you identify the trees. Trees come in all shapes and size, just like people! The bark also differs considerably from tree to tree, and from young to old. Again, like people, the bark of younger trees is smooth and even; older trees have rough and wrinkly looking bark. Buds offer many clues, too. Before trees even lose their leaves in autumn, they are preparing for the new leaves that will clothe them the following spring. Each bud is protected by a scaled covering, or fuzzy hairs. There is much variation from tree to tree. Some trees are easy to identify any time of year. These are the evergreens that keep their leaves year-round. February 6 Take a Look at Some Evergreens and Measure the Height of Big Trees Do the evergreens really keep their foliage year-found? Well, yes and no. They do shed their leaves (as the needles are properly called), but it is an ongoing process, making the loss less noticeable. Not all evergreen trees are conifers (cone-bearing trees such as pines, firs and hemlocks). Holly trees, live oaks, and palms are three exceptions, being broad-leafed examples of evergreens. On the other hand, some needle-leafed trees, such as larches, are deciduous and lose all their leaves each autumn. You can tell the three major groups of conifers apart by their leaves. Here are some clues to look for: Firs Short needles with blunt tips, leave round scar on branch Spruces Four-sided needles that are very sharp. Pines Needles grow in bunches, wrapped together at the base. Trees are the giants of the plant world, but just how big are they? (The tallest trees in the world are the redwoods, native to California -- the tallest on record is over 360 feet high!) You can find out how tall trees are with a simple trick that involves two people. Have someone hold a stick upright on the ground, about 60 feet from the tree you are measuring. A yardstick works just fine. Position yourself about 6 feet farther, and, lying close to the ground, look where the top of the tree comes to on the stick. Ask your helper to mark that point on the stick (direct your helper to move his hand down the stick until you say ãstopä). The height of the tree will be about ten times the height marked on the stick. February 7 See How Important Trees Are In Nature You can probably think of dozens of uses for trees, but did you ever wonder what role trees play in nature? Take a walk outside and see if you can detect some of the ways trees serve the natural world. You canât really see, but you might guess at one way that trees are important, and that is their ability to hold the soil together with their far-reaching roots. These ãunderground branchesä prevent erosion, but they also provide safe havens for burrowing animals. Animals live in other parts of trees, too. Look for holes in trunks that squirrels and birds have made. On dead limbs, lift the bark and look for the squiggly tunnels and pinholes made by various insects. Leaves all provide shelter (check this during the summer). Of course, trees furnish food for many animals. Not only are nuts and fruits eaten, but also twigs, bark, and leaves. The leaves serve other functions, as well. They give off oxygen and transpire great amounts of water. The indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest call trees ãthe lungs of the world.ä And when the leaves fall from the trees, they decompose and enrich the soil, as does the tree itself when it dies and rots, but not before still other creatures find food and shelter in the tree. Little wonder trees are so valuable in the wild. February 8 Name Some of the Ways People Use Trees Besides benefiting from trees in their natural settings, people use trees in many ways. Look around your house, or in your neighborhood stores, for examples of tree products. You can even make a game of guessing what objects in your house started out as part of a tree. Youâll probably find many examples. Your house may be made from wood (at least in part) as well as some of your furniture, tools and toys. Paper, and such products as fabric, photographic film and cellophane are made from cellulose (the major component of the cell walls). Food is harvested from trees (from apples to almonds) including spices and flavorings (from cinnamon to maple syrup). Gums and resins (special saps that ooze from certain trees) are used to manufacture paint thinner, soaps, and rubber goods. Some bark is used for floats and bulletin boards. Three-quarters of all timber and most paper come from coniferous trees. So thank a tree the next time you make a paper airplane or crack open some pistachios! Come summer, youâll be glad for the shade that trees offer, too. February 9 Make Rubbings of Tree Bark You can record variations in bark patterns by making rubbings. All you need is a sheet of lightweight paper and a wax crayon (dark colors show up best). Peel the paper-covering off the crayon and hold it horizontally. Smooth barks are easiest to rub, and steady one-directional strokes work best. If the paper keeps shifting, tie it to the tree. You can bind your rubbings in a scrapbook, or frame them to hang on the wall. Include rubbings in the diary you are keeping of a single tree. Note: Never strip bark from trees, as that may damage or even kill a tree. You can collect bark off of fallen branches and stumps. February 10 Count The Rings On a Tree Stump The oldest trees in the world are in the United States. Some of the bristlecone pines, found in the Southwest, are over 4,000 years old. Trees grow not only in height each year, but also in girth, and you can actually count the rings on the stump of a tree. The rings also offer clues to the conditions that affected the tree during its lifetime. Wide rings show years of strong growth; narrow rings suggest that the tree was subjected to adverse conditions, such as drought, a hard winter, insect damage, fire, and even competition for sunlight and nutrients from neighboring trees. Unfortunately, to see the rings of a tree, the tree must be felled. Search your area for stumps, or take a look at a fireplace log. February 11 Guess the Age of a Living Tree By measuring the girth of a tree (about five feet from the ground), you can guess the age of a living tree. Most trees will measure about one inch for every year of growth. This method works only for mature trees and there are notable exceptions. Most poplars grow too fast, and some (such as the Scotch pine and the horse chestnut) grow too slowly to make this method reliable all the time. A tree growing by itself might conform to this rule, too, whereas a tree the same size growing deep in the woods might be twice as old. Having competed for moisture and sunlight its whole life, its growth will have been stunted. Count the number of rows of branches radiating from the central trunk of a pine (such as the white pine). Each row represents one yearâs growth. Scout for trees to date on your property or in a park or wooded area near you. Can you find any of the same types of trees growing in both open spaces and densely wooded spots? How do they compare in size, and how old do you suppose they might be? What important historical events were taking place when those trees were just seedlings? February 12 Make a Habitat Diagram A habitat is a place where plants and animals live together. But there has to be enough of each to balance things. Hereâs a way of showing that balance. Draw a large pyramid on a sheet of poster board. Cut out lots of pictures of plants and animals (or sketch your own). Take a meadow, for instance. At the base of the pyramid, paste down lots of plants. Plants are known as producers because they actually make their own food by harnessing the sunâs energy (this is photosynthesis). The number of plants far outweighs all other life in a given habitat, for plants provide not only food, they also serve as shelter, and give off oxygen, and replenish the soil when they die. The next tier of the pyramid consists of consumers, those animals that eat the plants. In a meadow, that may mean insects, seed-eating birds and mice. Higher still are the secondary consumers, animals that feed on the plant-eaters, such as snakes. And at the top, the tertiary consumers, those that eat animals that themselves have eaten animals. An owl is a good example of a tertiary consumer. Thereâs just enough in the meadow for everyone. What do you think would happen to these animals if the meadow were turned into a shopping mall? February 13 See How People Figure in Nature How do people fit into the picture? We may be animals (mammals, to be precise), but we are very different from most other animals. In bettering our lives, we have exploited many natural resources, upsetting the balance of nature in the process. Can you think of any examples of this? Luckily, there is much we can do to put things right. You probably already know about some of the steps that are being taken to undo some of the damage. Harmful chemicals that end up in the air and water (and in our food) are being re-evaluated. Wetlands, and other valuable habitats, are being saved wherever possible. Wildlife refuges are being set aside for plants and animals. Even at home, there are little things you can do, like turning off the lights when they arenât needed, that help to conserve natural resources. Do you think there are other ways we can make sure that there is plenty of room (and all our necessary needs are met), not only for our expanding human population, but for other animals as well? When you have a salad, you are a consumer. When you bite into a hamburger, you are a secondary consumer. Add chicken to the menu and you become a tertiary consumer. Chickens eat not only grain but insects. February 14 Happy Valentineâs Day! In recognition of this holiday, make or do something special to show your love for nature. Make an edible valentine for the birds by ãpaintingä suet or peanut butter on a heart-shaped piece of cardboard, and sprinkling it with seeds. Stitch a catnip toy for your favorite cat. Sew two squares of felt together, leaving one side open. Stuff with dried catnip -- you can get this at pet shops -- and sew the opening shut. Bake some dog biscuits for the family dog. In a bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup powdered milk, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add one beaten egg and 6 tablespoons meat drippings or margarine. Add enough water to hold the mixture together. Pat the dough 1/2ä thick with your fingers, and cut out with cookie cutters or a knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. This recipe makes about ten biscuits. Give some plants that you have grown yourself to family members and friends. A gift of your time would be appreciated at a nature center or animal shelter. Volunteer to help out in some way. And Happy Valentineâs Day to you! February 15 Read a Story of Poem About Loving Nature How do some people express their love for nature? They write stories and poems about plants, animals and the world around them. Do any of these stories and poems express the way you feel about nature and wildlife? A Clearing in the Forest Carol and Donald Carrick (story) Feather or Fur John Becker (poem) Hurt No Living Thing Christina Rossetti (poem) Mice Rose Fyleman (poem) Nature Is Jack Prelutsky (poem) Valentineâs Day Aileen Fisher (poem) Valentineâs Greetings Kathryn Sexton (poem) February 16 Show Respect For All Wildlife Are there any animals that you really donât like? Say, worms or snakes, or the moles that make tunnels in the lawn where you play ball? If you stop to think about these creatures, they all play an important part in nature, sometimes even directly benefiting us without our realizing it. Earthworms are terrific soil builders and truly a gardenerâs best friend. Snakes arenât really slimy (you know this if youâve ever touched one); rather they are shy animals that keep to themselves and actually help rid your property of unwanted rodents. And moles? Well, they can be a nuisance, but they do aerate the soil with their tunneling. Even unwelcome plants like poison ivy and nettles provide food and shelter for many animals. Learn what these plants look like, and remove them from play areas, but take a moment to imagine how other animals would be affected if they didnât exist. Do you think animals get a rash when they touch poison ivy? This is all part of ecology. The study of the interrelationships of plants and animals within their habitats is known as ecology. February 17 Learn About Endangered Species Endangered species are those that are at great risk of extinction. While many wildlife species have become extinct throughout our earthâs history-- usually for failing to adapt to environmental changes -- the rate at which plants and animals are dying out in recent times is alarming. You may have heard of such animals as the humpback whale, the giant panda, and Grevyâs zebra. There are hundreds more, and the list includes all sorts of animals from insects to amphibians, and many plants. What do you think can be done to help endangered species (and those that are considered threatened)? You can help by learning what some of the endangered species in your area are, and encouraging their survival. Learn what plants need protection, and donât pick them. Build houses to encourage birds to nest and raise families. And look beyond your backyard to discover what plants and animals are at risk in other parts of the world. There is a lot you can do from your own home to help endangered species on other continents and in the oceans. February 18 Do Your Part to Care for the Environment We can do a lot to care for our earth, starting right at home! Every day you can strive to do those little things that add up. Conserve water and electricity; walk or bike those short distances instead of having your parents drive you in the car; save bottles and cans and newspapers to be recycled. You can also recycle vegetable scraps by composting them. You can reuse plastic food containers (save some for your nature studies). You can use the blank sides of ãjunkä mail for at-home notes and grocery lists. Recycling gives new life to all sorts of things! You may not think that the changes you make at home would amount to much, but just think what would happen if everyone did what they could do to care for our environment! February 19 Do Some Stargazing While stargazing is a year-round activity, this is an ideal time of year to be looking skyward. It still gets dark early, and the stars appear very bright during the winter months. (It can be very cold, however, so dress warmly!) Some stars are only visible at certain times of the year, but one remains constant, and that is Polaris, or the North Star. (It is also known as the ãlodestar,ä as itâs useful in navigation; the Navajo Indians call it The Star That Does Not Move.) Most star charts have you face north, which you will be doing if you face Polaris. Look for the Little Dipper -- Polaris is the last star in its handle. From there look for the Big Dipper, or Drinking Gourd. With the help of a chart look for such wintertime favorites as Orion, the Hunter, and both Canis Major and Minor. Itâs a good idea to know what youâre looking for before you go outdoors. If you do refer to a chart outdoors, cover your flashlight with some red cellophane, so your eyes will stay adjusted to the low light. Stargazing is best done lying down, so pull up a chair you can recline in. Try to choose a spot away from distracting lights, and remember the moon (especially when full) obscures many stars with its light. February 20 Make Connect-The-Dot Constellations Grouping stars in constellations is a human invention, one that dates back thousands of years. In fact, many of the 88 officially recognized constellations are named for characters and objects from Greek and Roman mythology. (Orion, for example, was a Greek god who was turned into a constellation at his death, along with his faithful dog, Sirius -- the brightest star of Canis Major, or Large Dog.) The Greeks used these fanciful stories to help them remember the arrangement of the stars in the sky, and so can you. Make some connect-the-dot diagrams to help you remember the way stars are grouped. The Big Dipper looks just like a big ladle, doesnât it? (Actually the seven stars of the dipper are part of a larger constellation called Ursa Major, or the Big Bear.) Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown (not visible this time of year, so check again during the summer) resembles a crown, although not all cultures have seen it this way. The Shawnee Indians saw it as a circle of dancing sisters, the gap representing one of the sisters who was carried off by a hunter. Make up your own stories about the stars, to help you remember the constellations. What do the stars remind you of? February 21 See if You can Detect Star Colors To the naked eye, stars donât look like they have much color, but they actually range in hue from red to bluish white. You can detect these differences with a telescope. Some appear red or orange, others are definitely yellow, and some are yellowish white and bluish white. These colors correspond to the temperatures of the stars. The red stars are the coolest, the blue-white ones the hottest. You have probably noticed these same color variations if youâve ever started a fire. Have a fire in a fireplace tonight (or ask your parents if you can burn some logs outdoors, with their supervision) and check out the range of color and heat. Did you know that our sun is a star? It is the closest star to earth, which is why it seems so large. In fact, it is considered to be a medium-sized star, and yellow in color. Stars generate their own light, and shine not only at night but all day long. We canât see them, however, because the sunâs light is too bright. February 22 The Moon Goes through Phases Even easier to track than the changing constellations are the changing phases of the moon, which complete a cycle every 29 1/2 days. The moon does not generate its own light (only stars do this) so we see only the portion that is lit by the sun. When there is a full moon, the sun is shining directly on the moon; at other times our earth gets in the way, shadowing the moon so that only part of it is visible. Thatâs why when you see only part of the moon, which at times looks like a ãcrescent,ä and depending on what day it is in the 29 1/2 day cycle, it may be a 1/4 of a full moon, half of a full moon, and so on. When there are two full moons in one month, the second is called the blue moon. As this happens infrequently, the saying once in a blue moon means ãvery rarely.ä (Some people think the term refers to the actual blue tint that the moon takes on due to atmospheric conditions, again a rare occurrence.) February 23 Watch a Moonrise Have you ever noticed the moon during the day? At various times of the month itâs visible at all hours. (Sometimes you can barely see it, at least not until the sun goes down and the darkened sky brings out the moonâs outline.) And then there is the full moon, seeming to rise out of nowhere! A full moon rising is an unforgettable sight. Have you ever taken a walk when the moon was full? Did you need a flashlight? Watch a full moonrise from indoors sometime, and mark on the window where the moon first becomes visible. Track it as it continues its arched ascent by taping small circles on the window every ten minutes or so, right over the circle of the moon itself. some full moons are even more spectacular than others. The full moon in September moves across the sky at a lower angle than usual. Itâs really something to see! February 24 Read a Story or Poem About the Moon and Stars The full moon is so bright you can almost read by its light! February Twilight Sara Teasel (poem) The Girl and the Moon Man Janet Winter (story) Many Moons James Thereby (story) The Moonâs the North Windâs Cookie Rachel Lindsay (poem) The Star Jane Taylor (poem) Star Light, Star Bright Anonymous (poem) Walk When the Moon is Full Frances Hamerstrom (story) Winter Moon Langston Hughes (poem) February 25 Visit a Planetarium Where can you go to see the night sky in the middle of the day? A planetarium, thatâs where! Many museums (and some universities and other educational institutions) have specially designed rooms where an exciting show about the stars and planets is staged. When the theater grows dark, and the music begins, you almost feel like youâre traveling to worlds beyond our own Check to see if there is a planetarium near you, and make plans to visit it soon. Early attempts to make models of the night sky date back to ancient Greece, but modern planetariums were only developed in the 1920s. You can even put on a planetarium show of your own. There are all sorts of ways to do this, from glow-in-the-dark stars to a battery-powered rotating model that projects ãstarsä on the ceiling. Or make your own projector, with an empty oatmeal box (cut off the bottom, too), and a length of paper punched with holes in the shapes of constellations. Feed the paper through two slits made at one end of the box, and place a flashlight inside the box. The ãstarsä will show up wherever you point the box. Cluster glow-in-the-dark stars around a ceiling fixture where the concentrated doses of light will set them glowing for up to 30 minutes. February 26 Build a Birdhouse (See end of the article on how to get a diagram). If you have ever moved (or know someone who has) you know that finding a new home is the first thing you do. Birds returning to their summer habitats are faced with the same task, and many are finding it harder each year to find nesting sites in the wild. You can help out by providing safe housing that meets the needs of these summer residents. From a five-foot length of board (use 1ä x 6ä pine), you can cut the pieces for a basic box that will suit many hole-nesting birds. Saw the board as shown in the diagram. (Note how the cut separating the top and front pieces is angled.) Drill holes in the back (for hanging), the bottom (for drainage), and in the front (this is the entrance the birds will use). Match the entrance hole size to the birds you would like to attract (see the chart below for recommendations). Look at the second diagram to see how the box is actually put together. Use either screws or galvanized nails; buy a hinge for the top or make your own from leather or rubber. Look for a good spot to hang our birdhouse, away from direct sun and out of reach of cats. Many hole-nesting birds make their nests in dead trees, so place the box away from shade. Put the box up, well before the birds return, and watch for your new neighbors to move in! Birds Welcome! Your basic birdhouse will appeal to a number of bird species. Just alter the size of the entrance hole, and place the house in a spot the birds will feel comfortable in. See the chart for hints. Bird Entrance Hole From Ground Bluebirds 1 1/2ä 5â to 10â Chickadees 1 1/8ä 6â to 15â Titmice 1 1/4ä 6â to 15â Downy Woodpecker 1 1/4ä 6â to 20â House Wren 1ä to 1 1/4ä 6â to 10â For a diagram showing the construction of your birdhouse, send a self-addressed-stamped, #10 size business envelope to: Creative Brilliance Birdhouse, February Kids Calendar, Box 32, Clam Lake, WI 54517, and weâll send the diagram right back to you. February 27 Make Some Maple Syrup For a few weeks each year, some time between mid-February and early April (when warm days are followed by cold nights), sugar maple trees are tapped and the sap turned into maple syrup. Itâs sugaring time! Did you know you can make your own maple syrup? All you need is a maple tree (any kind will do as long as itâs at least 35ä in diameter), a hand-drill with a 1/2ä bit, a hollow tube (make your own by pushing the pith out of a 5ä piece of sumac with a coat hanger wire) and a bucket. Drill a hole into the south-facing side of the tree, about 2ä deep and slanting up slightly. Insert the tube, tapping it in firmly. From a nail, hang the bucket so that it catches the drips. Cover the bucket with foil to keep out any animals. Check the bucket regularly (every few hours if the sap is dripping steadily) and when it is full, pour the sap into a large, shallow pan. If you have only a gallon or so of sap, you can boil it down indoors; otherwise do this outdoors because a lot of steam is created. With your parentsâ help, bring the sap to a boil and cook it until it reaches exactly 219 degrees F (or 7 degrees above the temperature that boils water). Drop a pat of butter into the syrup to keep it from boiling over. When it is done, strain the golden brown syrup through a fine-mesh sieve. Cook up some pancakes and have a feast! Try a delicious treat called ãsugar-on-snow.ä Heat some maple syrup until itâs boiling. Carefully put it on some fresh, clean snow that has been packed firm. The syrup will cool to a taffy-like candy. Mmmm! February 28 Look for the First Spring Bulbs You may have planted these yourself the previous fall, or you may have inherited some planted bulbs if you moved into a new house, as previous occupants often leave them behind. Snowdrops are among the first to emerge, even from under a light blanket of snow. Others soon follow, including glory-of-the-snow, early crocuses, and scales. These are all cultivated species, of course, although youâll find they prefer woodsy settings, lightly shaded and moist. Bulbs outdoors continue to bloom year after year, with very little care. Each bulb actually contains a completely formed flower, surrounded by ãfoodä to sustain it. Once the bulb has blossomed, the leaves make new ãfoodä from sunlight (this is photosynthesis). That is why you always let the leaves of bulbs wither and dry up, rather than cut them way. Nature has certainly designed some clever packaging! February 29 Choose Seeds or Plants for Spring Planting Gardeners start to get itchy around this time of year. Spring planting isnât far off! Even the simplest gardens benefit from planning, so take some time to choose what youâd like to grow this year. If you are new to gardening, start small. Grow your favorite vegetable, or sow some flowers that you like. You will find most of what you need at your local garden center. The racks of seed packets offer delights of every type, from acorn squash to zinnias. (Itâs a bit early for plants, so check again in a couple of months.) But donât forget the many seed and plant catalogues, some of which you may have sent for. There are all sorts of fantastic seeds from around the world, and healthy plants ready for the garden (these wonât be sent until the weather settles.) Do you want to grow mammoth pumpkins that tip the scales at 100 pounds? Would you like to grow your own ingredients for a Mexican meal? Maybe you only have the room for containers. Or you might be interested in having an herb garden. No matter where your garden is, nor how small it might be, there is something you can grow. Happy gardening!