Wild Wonder Nature School

Today // Billy Collins
If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.

Welcome to The Little Forest Library—a quiet place among the trees where stories are gathered, shared, and loved.

May is American Wetlands Month! But what is a wetland? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with this week’s book selections!

At the Marsh in the Meadow – A fun, lyrical, rhyming story about the wetland food web in the style of The House that Jack Built.

Near One Cattail – Cute rhyming story that explores the wetland habitat and the creatures who live there.

Quackers – A silly introduction to the wetland habitat about a cat who thinks he's a duck.

Is there a wetland in your neighborhood? If not, check out to explore one this month!

Keep wondering, friends!

The Red Wheelbarrow // William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon a red wheel barrow
glazed with rain water
beside the white chickens

Welcome to Nature Makers – where pinecones become art, mud becomes magic, and curiosity leads the way.

Today we’re making our very own watershed! A watershed or a drainage basin is an area where all the water in that area drains to a single point. For example, in the Little Beavercreek watershed, all the streams and creeks drain into the Little Beavercreek.

In Ohio, we have 2 main watersheds: the Lake Erie Basin in the north and the Great Miami Basin in the south. Within those 2 main watersheds are 5 smaller ones, and Dayton sits right in the center of two of them: The Great Miami River watershed and the Little Miami River watershed.

1. Grab a piece of blank white paper, a washable blue marker, and a spray bottle with a mist setting.
2. Crumple the paper into a ball and then smooth it out -- but not too much! Use your marker to draw along the ridges of your crumpled paper.
3. Lightly spray the paper and watch the blue rivers run along your paper. Notice where the blue collects. That's exactly how a watershed works!

Congratulations! You are now a watershed expert. Since all the water runs into the same basin, we have to be careful about protecting our waterways. How can you protect your waterways?

Keep wondering, friends!

Spring // William Blake

Sound the flute!
Now it's mute!
Bird's delight,
Day and night,
Nightingale,
In the dale,
Lark in sky,—
Merrily,
Merrily merrily, to welcome in the year.

Little boy,
Full of joy;
Little girl,
Sweet and small;
C**k does crow,
So do you;
Merry voice,
Infant noise;
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.

Little lamb,
Here I am;
Come and lick
My white neck;
Let me pull
Your soft wool;
Let me kiss
Your soft face;
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.

Welcome to The Little Forest Library—a quiet place among the trees where stories are gathered, shared, and loved.

We’re still celebrating Native Plant Month! This week’s books talk about starting a native pollinator garden using native plants!

My Pollinator Garden – Lovely illustrations paired with eloquent text that tells which plants help support which animal species.

The Curious Garden – A sweet book about transforming urban spaces through urban gardening.

Butterflies Belong Here – Heartwarming story about fitting in and finding your place. Students join together to build a pollinator garden in their school.

Can you build a small pollinator garden in your yard or school? What plants would you choose?

Keep wondering, friends!

Firefly // Jacqueline Woodson

It's almost May
and yesterday
I saw a firefly.

You don't see
them a lot
in the city.

Sometimes
in the park
in the near dark

one comes out
you'll hear
a little kid shout

Lightning bug! Firefly!

It's almost May
and yesterday
I caught a firefly in my hand.

First firefly I
seen in a
long, long time.

Make a wish,
Miss Edna said.
Make a good one.

Firefly wishes always come true.