Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, for The Winooski News
WINOOSKI — Flecks of dirt tumbled to the floor of the Winooski Memorial Library as kids and parents rolled balls of mud between their hands. Attendees sprinkled goldenrod and New England aster seeds into their earthy art projects, fashioning a floral buffet for insects that local birds get to feast upon in turn.
This hands-on mud ball making was one of the activities at last Saturday’s Birding for Kids event in the Onion City.
Birding for Kids is a collaboration between various Vermont libraries and Audubon Vermont. Audubon educators flock to these libraries on the second Saturday of each month to teach families about birds, plants and the importance of environmental conservation.
“A lot of people think Winooski is so urban and that we’re not really a nature site,” said Kirsten Wilson, youth services coordinator at the Winooski Memorial Library. “But there are birds around here, and helping kids learn about what’s going on in their backyards and the park across the street is really special.”
Winooski’s program has been running for a little over two years, according to Audubon educator Emily Calder, one of the program organizers. At previous events, Winooskians dissected owl pellets, built makeshift birdnests and designed window decals wishing birds a safe spring migration.
On April 11, attendees got dirty as Calder taught them about important native wildlife in a program focused on plants for birds.
“Even if you don’t necessarily know that the flowers that bloom every fall are goldenrod, you see them,” Calder said. “Having native plants not only helps the birds, helps the insects, it helps people.”
Plants, such as the rosy pink echinacea, harbor insects for year-round birds, like Northern cardinals and blue jays. Other species, like milkweed and goldenrod, provide a one-stop food shop for spring migrators, including common yellowthroats and yellow warblers.
But these species have been menaced by foreign flora.
Winooski’s milkweed population is threatened by the invasive purple-loosestrife, since the Winooski River banks are a stronghold for the indigo invaders that prefer wetter habitats.
Less milkweed means less food for the caterpillars of would-be monarch butterflies, a vital food source for local birds in spring and summer.
“One of the biggest threats to bird species is habitat loss, and that habitat is those native species,” Calder said. “We have to make sure that we’re planting native plants because a lot of birds use a small city, like Winooski, as migration stop-overs.”
The library had a box of stuffed animal birds to teach families about whose habitat they were protecting.
Plushies of the fuzzy white-breasted nuthatch and black-capped chickadee were some of the most popular attractions. When squeezed, the stuffed birds sang their calls — a who’s who lesson on auditory identification.
Attendees identified other plants by using markers to create textured, rainbow-colored rubbings of leaves and moss scraps, too.
“It’s very hands-on, tactical learning,” said Riley Livermore, a Winooski resident. “This is something that you can tell is important and beneficial for people.”
Livermore said he appreciates the flexible and welcoming space that Calder and Wilson created. Whether it’s doing one of the program activities or perusing books, he said the library catered to kids and adults alike — all with the goal of learning more about Vermont.
“The only thing is sometimes I get in trouble because I’m supposed to be watching the kids. But I’m doing the activities as well,” Livermore said.