This week, we explored both wildlife care and planting as we created bird feeders for our orchard. The children had great fun using pine cones, lard, and bird seed—carefully spreading and rolling the cones to make tasty treats for local birds.

We also talked about why feeding birds is important, especially in helping them find food and encouraging biodiversity in our garden.

While our feeders were setting, we moved on to planting our first crops: broccoli and pumpkins. Before we could sow our seeds, we carried out a hands-on experiment with coco coir. By adding water to the small, dry block, the children observed how it expanded into a large volume of compost. They were fascinated by this transformation and learned how materials can change and be used to support plant growth.

The children then carefully planted their seeds, learning about what plants need to grow—soil, water, light, and time. We discussed how broccoli and pumpkins grow, and what we might expect to see in the coming weeks.

Time flew by, and we finished our session with a visit to the orchard. Together, we hung up our bird feeders, ready to support wildlife throughout the week. It was wonderful to see the children take pride in helping both plants and animals thrive in our garden environment.

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