Look at these beautiful Photos of Mother Earth

• 
  Extreme Ice Survey team member Adam LeWinter overlooks Birthday Canyon, Greenland Ice Sheet, Greenland, 28 June 2009. 
  
  Photo: James Balog/Aurora Photos
• 
  A huge ocean storm in Porto, Portugal, January 2013. 
  
  Photo: "Rage" by Veselin Malinov
• 
  A storm cloud over a farm in Lodgepole, NE, June 22, 2012. 
  
  Photo: "Lovely Monster Over the Farm" by Camille Seaman
• 
  An aerial view of a beach in Spain. 
  
  Photo: "Benidorm #1 Spain," 2010 © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Howard Greenberg Gallery and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, New York
• 
  Sunset at Xingping, China. 
  
  Photo: James Bian
• 
  An aerial photograph of the Thjorsá River in Iceland. 
  
  Photo: "Thjorsá River #1, Iceland, 2012" © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Howard Greenberg Gallery and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, New York
• 

Wild Salmon Project

Hopefully, your child has told you about the salmon eggs we are hatching for the Toronto Zoo.  100 eggs in all.  They have begun to hatch.  It is fascinating to watch this process happen.  Newly hatched salmon (alevin)  are very unusual looking.





We will be raising these wild salmon until late May, early June and then we will be releasing them into the wild to help restock wild salmon in our region.

An exciting project indeed.
:)
Melissa

March Break

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=0be450aca5574410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Check out the above link to the City of Toronto website.  It has many free and affordable things to do on March Break.  Get outside and enjoy some family time.

:)
Melissa

bike lanes...food for thought

If your child has worked with me, then they know the song B is for Bicycle.  Once these super cold days are over, out come the bikes.  Riding a bike instead of driving has so many benefits for your body, mind and the environment.  Exercise, stress relief and keeping the air clean....what could be wrong with that?

Check out this article.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3031392/the-case-for-protected-bike-lanes

Stomp through the snow today.  It is like creme brulee, crispy on the top and soft underneath.

:)

Melissa

Bird Feeders

On a day like today, it is hard to believe it is almost spring.  The winter birds have survived the season and are looking forward to the fresh food they will find in spring.  The birds who fly south will be back soon and so hungry from their journey.  This afternoon, I will work with a small group of children to paint three bird feeders and put out bird seed to feed the birds until spring begins to bloom.

Thank you Mother Earth for the birds, who sing songs for all to enjoy.
:)
Melissa

Free Family Fun at the Brickworks

http://www.evergreen.ca/whats-on/event-details/9490/


Click  on the above link to see the details of a fun FREE event at the Brickworks.  It is a cooking class for children and caregivers being held on March Break.

While you are on the Evergreen website, take a look around.  It is a wonderful place with lots of fun things going on.

:)
Melissa

Nature play in Valbyparken

Danmarks største naturlegeplads Denmark's largest natural playground Bygherre: Københavns Kommune Client: City of Copenhagen Landskabsarkitekt: Helle Nebelong Landscape: Helle Nebelong Entreprenør: Familie- og Arbejdsmarkedsforvaltningens Center for Erhvervsrettet Træning Contractor: Family and Labour Administration Centre for Vocational Training Tårnene : daværende designstuderende Kirsten Due Kongsbach, Pernille Frank Dige, Pernille Bustrup og Fridrik Bjarnason The towers: then design student Kirsten Due Kong Bach, Pernille Frank Dige, Pernille Bustrup and Fridrik Bjarnason Tårnenes detailprojektering og statik: NCC Towers detail design and statics: NCC Location: Kraks Kort side 157 J6 Location: Krak Map page 157 J6 Information om Valbyparken (pdf) Information about Valbyparken (pdf) Den 20.000m2 store naturlegeplads i Valbyparken blev indviet i august 2001, men er først endelig fuldført i 2006. Naturlegepladsen er et udflugtsmål for familier og institutioner fra København og omegn, men er også et oplagt sted for børnefamilier og skoleklasser at besøge, når turen går til hovedstaden. The 20,000m2 large natural playground in Valby Park was inaugurated in August 2001, but is only finally completed in 2006. The nature playground is a vacation spot for families and institutions in and around Copenhagen, but is also an ideal place for families and school groups to visit when you go to the capital. Der er udfoldelsesmuligheder og naturudfordringer for børn i alle aldre, og børn i kørestol kan også have glæde af at besøge stedet. There are opportunities for development and natural challenges for children of all ages, and children in wheelchairs can also enjoy to visit the place. Naturlegepladsen er bemandet på alle hverdage. Nature play is staffed on weekdays. Print folderen om legepladsen her . Print folder on the playground here . Lysets tårn 2005 Light tower in 2005 Udsnit af planen Excerpt of the plan Legepladsens altdominerende element er den cirkulære gangbro, som forbinder legepladsens organisk formede bakkelandskab, sneglehøjen, blomsterhave, petanquebanen og meget mere. Your play dominant element is the circular walkway that connects the playground organically shaped hills, snails mound, flower garden, petanque pitch and more. Fem unikke tårne danner markante punkter på legepladsens ”svævende” gangbro. Five unique towers form the striking points on the playground "floating" walkway. Hvert tårn har sit eget tema inspireret af naturen hhv. Each tower has its own theme inspired by nature, respectively. Lysets Tårn, Vindenes Tårn, Fuglenes Tårn, Forandringens Tårn og Det Grønne Tårn. Light Tower, Tower of the Winds, birds Tower, Tower of Change and the Green Tower. Friluftsrådet har givet økonomisk støtte til tårnprojektet. Outdoor Council has given financial support to the tower project. Ambitionen har fra starten været at skabe et godt alternativ til kommercielle forlystelsesparker, hvor alle kan komme kvit og frit og lege og opleve naturens mangfoldighed af udfordringer, udfoldelsesmuligheder og sanseindtryk. The ambition has always been to create a good alternative to commercial amusement parks, where everyone can get absolutely free and play and learn about nature's diversity of challenges, opportunities and sensations. Litteratur: Marta Rojals del Alamo: Design for fun – Playgrounds (2003) s.164-175. www.linksbooks.net Literature: Marta Rojals del Alamo: Design for fun - Playgrounds (2003) s.164-175. www.linksbooks.net Danmarks Designskole 1999. Studerendes forslag til tematårnene Danish Design 1999. Students' proposals for theme towers English summary: English summary: Nature playground in Valbyparken Nature playground in Valbyparken Valbyparken is the second biggest park in Copenhagen. Valbyparken is the second biggest park in Copenhagen. From 1994-2004 it has been totally renovated. From 1994-2004 IT er totally renovated. A 1 km long avenue was planted across the park and a support area has been laid out with water holes, meadows of wild flowers and hills. A 1 km long avenue was planted across the park and a support area er laid out with waterholes, meadows of wildflowers and hills. In 1996, when Copenhagen was European culture city, 17 circular theme gardens were constructed. In 1996 når Copenhagen was European culture city, 17 circular theme gardens were constructed. In 2001 a 20.000 m2 natures playground designed by Landscape Architect Helle Nebelong was opened to the public. In 2001 a 20,000 m2 natures playground designed by Landscape Architect Helle Nebelong was opened til public. The constructions work was a project for the unemployed. The constructions work was a project for the unemployed. As Valbyparken is an old rubbish dumping area, the environmental authorities demanded that ½ meter earth had to be removed from the whole area and replaced by new, clean earth. As Valbyparken is an old rubbish dumping area, the environmental myndigheder krävde att ½ meter earth hatred som Removed from the whole area and erstattes city new, clean earth. The rubbish dump earth must not be removed from Valbyparken and it was therefore built into a row of little hills, which separate the playground from the rest of the park. The rubbish dump earth must not be Removed from Valby Park and it was there is built into a row of little hills, som separate the playground from the rest of the park. The playground's most important elements are: The playground vigtigste elements are: The original woodland, the new hills and the wide stretch of meadow outside the playground. The original woodland, the new hills and the wide stretch of meadow outside the playground. The plan is made up of organically formed elements: A large area with sand and gravel, small green islands, winding paths, a village of woven willow huts and plaited fences, an area with wild flowers and a very big snail-shaped mound with a path spiralling up it to a look-out point. The plan is made up of organically formed elements: A large area with sand and gravel, small green islands, winding paths, a village of woven willow huts and plaited fences, an area with wildflowers and a very big snail-shaped mound with a path spiraling up it to a look-out points. The whole playground is pulled together by a circular 210m wooden bridge, which "floats" ½ meter above the ground. The whole playground is pulled together by a circular 210m wooden bridge, der "floats" ½ meters above the ground. The planks in the bridge are from the many elm trees, felled in Copenhagen due to Dutch elm disease. The planks in the bridge are from the many elm trees, felled in Copenhagen due two Dutch elm disease. Landscape Architect Helle Nebelong worked well together with four students from Denmark's design school. Landscape Architect Helle Nebelong worked well together with four students from Denmark's Design School. They designed six towers for the playground of which five were constructed. They designed six towers of the playground of som five were constructed. The towers are placed as precise points on the circular bridge. The towers are placeras as precise points on the circular bridge. Each tower has its own theme: The light's tower, The wind's tower, The green tower, The bird tower and The tower of change. Each tower kill egna theme: The light's tower, The wind's tower, The green tower, The bird tower and The tower of change. The ambition is that the playground should become a good alternative to the many commercial amusement parks, which are appearing everywhere. The ambition er at playground shouldnt become a good alternative to the many commercial amusement parks, som appearing everywhere.