This past week, we went to see the Kokanee spawning in Trestle Creek for a field trip. I was so pleased (and relieved) the Kokanee were still swimming upstream to spawn! I was afraid we missed them for another year in a row. There was one particular mass of Kokanee that struggled against the current, fighting their way to produce another generation of Kokanee salmon. What a visual treat! I created this autumn scavenger bingo hunt worksheet to use on our field trip. When the kids got a bingo (or five in a row), they got "Kokanee" fish gummies (really Swedish fish procured from our local pantry store but Wholesome has Delishfish gummy candies that are free of synthetic sweeteners and HFCS). The addition of candy was definitely a motivator for the older kids! That's just one way to use the bingo hunt worksheet! You can also take it with you on hikes or nature walks, for a Sunday drive, or to a picnic at the beach. No gummy candies needed! {PIN THIS} ***Think of the blank sp

Whoever wrote the adorable quote "Make Tea, Not War" does not know the history of tea (or is certainly making a jab at it). There is of course the long history of war over tea and silks in the Eastern part of the world. But closer to home, we have our very own Boston Tea Party. Angry Sons of Liberty disguised as Native Americans threw chests of tea off the British merchant ships in protest to the ridiculous tax Britain mandated. After the Boston Tea Party, colonists swore off tea from King George. However daily teatime could not be ignored so colonial ladies had to explore other options to replace tea. Some colonists got tea from Holland. Others made their own. They used what was readily available - roots from the river, flowers from the garden, fruits from their orchards, and leaves from their herbs. What we herbalists now deem "herbal infusions", the colonial ladies called "Liberty Tea". Making Liberty Tea is a lesson in resourcefulness. It is an example