Earth Day Activities

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Last year it was sunny and beautiful outside

Why is it still snowing?

SUN 4/16/2017

 Actual Temp
77° /60°
TODAY 
36° /30°
A couple of squalls, 1-3″

Things to do this weekend for Earth Day!!

Kids Club: Earth Day-Themed Crafts at Michaels

Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up in-store or online, or just drop in. Parent or guardian must remain on premises during the event. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018; 10am-noon
Where: Michaels locations across Northeast Ohio
Cost: $2 per project, supplies included

MAKEbreak Tie-Dye T-Shirts at Michaels

Enjoy creating bright and cheery tie-dye accessories. Buy the t-shirt or tote bag and the rest of the supplies will be provided. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018; 1pm-3pm
Where: Michaels locations across Northeast Ohio
Cost: Buy the t-shirt or tote bag and the rest of the supplies will be provided.

 

FREE Earth Day/Arbor Day Celebration in Mentor

Join in this annual Celebrate Earth Day event and learn how to live your greenest, most sustainable lifestyle. Make and take home upcycled crafts, learn about local flora and fauna, discuss environmental products and lifestyle choices with a plethora of experts. Kids and adults welcome for the food, fun, and eco-friendly Earth Day festivities. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018; 10am-2pm
Where: Eleanor B Garfield Park, 7967 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060
Cost: FREE

 

Party for the Planet at Cleveland Zoo

Celebrate Earth Day at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Learn how you can help the planet, Dance in the Earth Day Celebration Zone, and create some Earth-friendly crafts. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018; 10am-5pm
Where: 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109
Cost: FREE with paid zoo admission

 

FREE Earth Day at Penitentiary Glen Reservation

Celebrate Earth Day with your family this spring and discover many ways to help our earth be a healthier planet. Earth-friendly family fun includes an eco-fair, Earth Day Marketplace, tree for each family, wildlife programs, games and crafts. Miniature train rides, weather permitting. {Find Out More}
When: Sunday, April 22, 2018; 12pm-4pm
Where: 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd., Kirtland, OH 44094
Cost: FREE

 

FREE Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway at Holden Arboretum

Holden Forests & Gardens will hold a free seedling giveaway at both the Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden from 10am to 4pm on Friday, while supplies last. One seedling per family. The seedling giveaways are sponsored by the Bartlett Tree Experts and Davey Tree. {Find Out More}
When: Friday, April 27, 2018; 10am-4pm
Where: 9500 Sperry Rd., Kirtland, OH 44094
Cost: FREE

 

FREE Live Green Canvas at Pat Catan’s

Celebrate Earth Day at your local Pat Catan’s with your own Live Green Canvas! Paint a tree and then dab paint for the vibrant, green leaves or add poms to bring the tree to life. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 7, 2018; 1pm-3pm
Where: Pat Catan’s stores across Northeast Ohio
Cost: FREE

 

Celebrate Earth Necklace at Pat Catan’s

Celebrate at your local Pat Catan’s and paint your own necklace. Be inspired and paint a tree. Show your love with a large heart. Or, paint our home. Either way, you’ll be able to show your support for Earth Day by joining in this fun weekend craft! {Find Out More}
When: April 7-8, 2018; Sat: 10am-noon, Sun: 1pm-3pm
Where: Pat Catan’s stores across Northeast Ohio
Cost: FREE

FREE Earth Day Project at Pat Catan’s

Celebrate at your local Pat Catan’s and paint your own necklace. {Find Out More}
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018; 10am-noon AND Sunday, April 22, 2018; 1pm-3pm
Where: Pat Catan’s locations across Northeast Ohio
Cost: FREE

Easy Canned Biscuit Donuts

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ refrigerated biscuits
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • Peanut (or Vegetable) Oil For Frying

INSTRUCTION

  1. Pour oil into skillet to the depth of a little less than ½ an inch and heat on medium to medium-high for about five minutes. In a bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.
  2. Using a small round cookie cutter, cut the center out of each biscuit. Drop dough into hot oil, watching carefully and turning when golden. Once doughnuts are golden on both sides, remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all dough is cooked, including doughnut holes.
  3. Press both sides into cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

 

pictures shown are the biscuits cut into four pieces then we made a hole in the center. They work better for little fingers.

 

GARLIC TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread
  • Balsamic GLAZE (optional and as seen in picture)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, combine oil, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes and toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  2. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cut bread into 24 slices; toast under the broiler until lightly browned. Top with tomato mixture. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings.

Vernal Pool Expedition and Discovery Day at The Nature Conservancy SAT 7th

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CHECK OUT THIS EVENT NEAR YOU

Event Start: Saturday, April 7, 2018, 05:00 AM

End End: Saturday, April 7, 2018, 12:00 PM

 

Vernal Pools are small but very dynamic wetlands that blossom with life every spring to the accompaniment of a cacophony of sounds. They also play an important role in improving water quality, controlling flood waters, and providing habitat for wildlife. Join Ray Stewart, from the Ohio Wetlands Association, to learn more about these special pools, and how you can help monitor pools in your neighborhood. Please join us to discover vernal pools and their Hidden Wonders.

9:00 am – Welcome and registration (beverages and snacks)

9:30 am – Introduction to Vernal Pools Presentation

This introduction to vernal pools will explain the nature of vernal pools reasons for their rich biological diversity and seasonal explosion of life. There will be a brief discussion of the challenges and need for the conservation of these unique habitats.

10:15 am – Citizen Scientist/iNaturalist for Vernal Pools Presentation

iNaturalist is a free online utility and smartphone app used to document field biology observations. This presentation will identify the key features of this program and how it will be used by the Ohio Vernal Pool Network to document and explore the diversity of Ohio’s Hidden Wonders.

11:00 am – morning hike to explore pools and gather specimens

12:15 pm – bring your own bag lunch (beverages and snacks available)

*Our afternoon session is especially family friendly.

1:00 pm – Nature Center opens-  Show and tell of macroinvertebrates from morning collection session.

2:00 pm – Macro-Invertebrates Presentation

Often equated with ‘insects’, macroinvertebrates represent a broad expanse of curious life forms that contribute to the dynamic ecology of vernal pools. This presentation will show a representative range of organisms and peculiar attributes that belong to this little-known fauna.

3:00 pm – afternoon family hike to nearby vernal pools to see what lies beneath the surface.

*Children 17 years or younger must be accompanied by an adult

Location:

Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center

3973 Callender Rd, Rock Creek, OH 44084

Contact:

440-563-3081 | www.nature.org/bissellnaturecenter

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

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INGREDIENTS

  • 3tablespoonscornstarch, divided
  • 1⁄2cup water, plus
  • 2tablespoons water, divided
  • 1⁄2teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 4cups broccoli florets
  • 1small onion, cut into wedges
  • 1⁄3cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
  2. Add beef and toss.
  3. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
  4. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
  5. Return beef to pan.
  6. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
  7. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  8. Serve over rice.

Glow in the Dark Easter Eggs

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MATERIALS

  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Shaving cream
  • Glow in the dark or neon paint
  • A container
  • Paper towels
  • A spoon or similar for swirling

 

SEE PICTURES HERE

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Fill a container with shaving cream.  You want the shaving cream to be deep enough to cover the eggs.
  • Smooth the shaving cream with a spoon, and then add the glowing paint of our choice to the surface.  I added mine in rainbow order
  • Use a spoon or similar to gently swirl the colors
  • Then gently place your hard-boiled eggs into the shaving foam
  • Let the eggs sit for about 10 minutes, and then turn them over to cover the other side.  Once all sides of the eggs have been saturated in the shaving foam carefully remove the eggs from the foam and place each one on its own paper towel.  I used a spoon for this, and that worked really well
  • Carefully wrap the paper towel around each egg and gently squeeze.  Do not wipe or rub, as the eggs need time to dry.
  • The eggs will be beautiful but slightly damp & sticky at first, but after twenty minutes or so they will be completely dry and oh so pretty!!!

Fried S’mores

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INGREDIENTS

12 egg roll wrappers
2 bars Hershey’s Chocolate
4 graham crackers, crushed
24 marshmallows
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 c. cinnamon-sugar
Melted chocolate, for dipping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean surface in a diamond shape and place 2 pieces chocolate, about 1 tablespoon of graham crackers crumbs, and 2 marshmallows.
  2. Fold up bottom half and tightly fold in sides. Gently roll, then seal fold with a couple drops of water. Repeat until all egg roll wrappers are used.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil (it should reach 1″ up the side of pan) until it starts to bubble. Add egg rolls and fry until golden, 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with cinnamon sugar immediately.
  4. Serve with melted chocolate, if using.

Polish Open-Faced Sandwich (Zapiekanka) Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 loaf bread (long French, cut in half and then cut in half horizontally to yield 4 pieces)
  • Optional: thinly sliced ham or lunchmeat of choice
  • 2 cups mushrooms (sautéed)
  • Optional: raw or cooked vegetables of choice
  • Optional: mayonnaise
  • 3 cups cheese (grated melting cheese of choice)
  • Garnish: ketchup
  • Optional: chopped chives

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. If the bread is very long, cut it into 3 pieces and halve each horizontally, otherwise, cut it into 2 pieces.
  2. Layer meat, sautéed mushrooms and cheese on each slice of bread and toast in a hot oven until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted. Drizzle with ketchup and serve hot.
  3. Note: Although the traditional zapiekanka consists of mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup, newer versions include ham, salami, vegetables, fried onions or chives, spinach instead of mushrooms, and Highlander’s smoked oscypek cheese instead of the melting cheese.

    The variations are limitless.

 

It’s the First Week of Spring

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It is celebrated differently all over the world.

Spain- the planting season as the ground thaws and the daylight hours become longer so crops can grow

Scotland- Festival called Whuppity Scoorie. It involves local children running around a church swinging around paper balls on strings, before scrambling to pick up coins that are thrown down for them.

Indian -spring is the festival of Holi – also known as the festival of colors.

Christianity- Easter and the rebirth of Jesus.

Daylight Saving Time – which means there will be less sunlight in the morning and more in the evenings.

According to calender-updates.com,

In the US and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the spring season is the day of the year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward (on March 20th or 21st). This day is known as the Vernal Equinox.

FUN FACT

A common misconception is that the earth is further from the sun in winter than in summer. Actually, the Earth is closest to the sun in December which is winter in the Northern hemisphere.