By Lowell Collins, Youth Grants Committee
TrailMix NWA, a community of environmentally-minded folks, and recipients of an Ozark Society Youth Grant award, is hosting a program series entitled: Ozark Society Backyard Habitat Builders, throughout NWA this summer. The program is unique in that it offers an opportunity for parents and children to explore the surprising myriads of native species to be found in their very own backyards, coupled with creating their own customized habitat features in support of butterflies, toads, bees and birds. The grant provides funding for the supplies for five backyard habitat workshops in the series.
On a recent Sunday in July, fifteen families, with children ranging from infants to teenagers, gathered to create puddling trays for butterflies. The leader described the components to be added to each tray as the children
excitedly prepared their own “puddler” to take home. Children, as well as parents, chattered about newly observed butterfly activity in their own yards, taking a fresh interest in the plants that attract
them. The event was an ideal opportunity to provide an educational connection for families and children to their environment on a brilliant summer morning in the Ozark’s.
The Ozark Society Youth Grant program is an outreach to engage youth in hands on conservation and is fully supported by the donations of our members. Please consider donating.
