One for the Birds :: Earth Day Crafts to Celebrate Wildlife

With Earth Day around the corner, we are resolving to reduce our carbon footprint, to reuse and repurpose what we can, and to recycle and compost our waste.

We plant gardens and trees, clean and beautify rivers and streams and celebrate the wonder of the flora around us.

But what about our furry and feathered friends?

My family's little piece of the pie is right off the freeway and in the middle of a boring little neighborhood, but at any given moment, especially in the spring, there are buzzing bees and dragonflies, butterflies and hummingbirds, finches, quail, robins and jays and nesting doves.

We have a very happy (and thanks to the little old lady next door - well fed) colony of squirrels that terrorizes the dog as well as raccoons and possums that walk the fence line.

How can I not show my wild kingdom some love on Earth Day?

I scoured pinterest for the very best ways to spoil the wildlife. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Gelatin (or suet) birdfeeders (fancy gourmet for the birds) 

2. Fancy Bird Café Feeders (super cute feeders made from kitchen dishes) 

3. Easy DIY bird feeder from a toilet paper roll (just did this yesterday and the birdies love it! and so did my 3 year old!) 

4. Butterfly Feeder

5. 17 Must-have plants for attracting butterflies 

6. Yarn Scraps for Bird Nests (Save all those scraps when crafting and let the birds build fancy nests.)

7. DIY Worm Farm 

8. Build a Bird House - 49 great pictures to get you inspired 

9. Hummingbird Nectar Recipe (National Audubon Society recommends NO red food coloring, honey or other artificial sweeteners!) 

10. Build a Bat Box (Brown bats can eat up to 1000 mosquitos an hour!! Go Bats!)