Read the Diary of the Worm!

Have you tried to take a closer look at insects?

Start your studies before the plants bloom or when you first notice them on some of the flowers. Make a record of the way insects behave in the patch.

Observe at different times of day, from early growth to full flower to the end of the growing season. Do not disturb the patch in any way that would alter the insects' environment.

Tell anyone who teases you an interesting fact about bugs, so they will start to appreciate them more.

Make a mini-nature reserve in your garden so that it is a comfortable place that small animals and insects would like to live in. Here are some simple ideas:

*Plant a berry bush for birds, butterflies, and insects to feed from
*Buy a birdbath or make one from an old pie pan - make sure the water is less than two inches deep though, or small animals might fall in and get stuck!
*Place some dead wood or an old tree stump in your yard - more than 150 species of birds, animals and insects can live in one log!

Check It Out

Borrow books from your library about insects and small water creatures. Then see if you can see any of the creatures in the book in your own yard. Join The Bug Club (www.projects.ex.ac.uk/bugclub), an online club and information page for kids who love creepy crawlies - or visit the All About Snails page (www.kiddyhouse.com/Snails/snail.html) for great facts and fun activities on these intriguing creatures. Read the cute storybook, Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (published by Joanna Cotler, 2003) which gives a day to day account of life as the smallest son in a big worm family. And, if you like that, there’s also Diary of a Spider by the same author! (Much of this chapter's 'Did You Know' information was provided courtesy of the Marin Humane Society and the Peninsula Humane Society Education Department.)

50 EASY WAYS KIDS CAN HELP ANIMALS