Cute Condor Couple Moves In

One of the perks of living in Idaho is the amazing bird watching opportunities and the fact that we are the home to a large population of birds of prey. If you have never seen a hawk soar and scream or seen a peregrine falcon perched along the road, you are truly missing out. Idaho is home to the World Center for Birds of Prey (it is on the south end of Cole Rd in Boise and well worth the drive).

This past weekend they hosted a Grand opening for the new Condor Habitat. I am a Condor fan, I think they get a bad rap because of their humble looks. They are very interesting birds. They are extremely helpful in eliminating waste from carrion ( think about how you love to see road kill on the side of the road..eww.Thanks for taking care of it Condors). The are also huge! They have the largest wingspan of any bird of prey-at 9 feet. They are larger that the bald eagle and way smarter! The most important fact is they are a endangered species so the work at the Center is very important.

The two birds now housed at the center will be used to bred new Condors to release into the wild. It is all very exciting!

If you'd like to learn more about Condors or other birds of prey check out the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, ID. Admission is only $7 General and $5 for kids. It is a great family outing or homeschool fieldtrip. They also have some great educational programs you can schedule for school, homeschool, or scout trips.

Also check out the educational resources provided on their website.

Below is our FAVORITE Condor book, the illustrations are incredible.

Education is an Atmosphere: Parent and Child

 art work by Mary_Anne Feely,

The atmosphere in which a child gathers his unconscious ideas of right living emanates from his parents. Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long excite that vague appetency...toward things sordid or things lovely, things earthly or divine. 

-Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children (Union Maine: Charlotte Mason Research and Supply Co., 1993) 32-33.

CM Podcast: Catherine Levison

Over at Blog Talk radio there is an archived WATCHtalk episode of an interview with Catherine Levison. There are some great ideas for narration in the episode. It is great to hear someone so passionate about CM homeschooling talk about how it has worked in their family.

A Charlotte Mason Homeschool- Join Diana as she interviews Catherine Levison, long-time homeschooling mother and author of, "A Charlotte Mason Education." Catherine will share practical ideas as well as concepts that you can put to use immediately, regardless of your style of  teaching. Don't miss it!

Nearby Homeschooling Conferences

Now that the one big conference in Idaho is over, if you missed it or want more here are some nearby homeschooling conferences you may want to attend.  

Washington Homeschool Organization Convention is being held on  June 18-19, near Seattle, WA. It features guest speakers; John Taylor Gatto and Catherine Levison. This conference is extremely affordable with no preregistration required…just pay at door http://www.washhomeschool.org/convention/admissionprices.html

California Homeschool Network is hosting a conference August 5th - 8th, 2010 near Disneyland California. http://californiahomeschool.net/events/expo/familyexpo.htm

Utah Home Educators Association- Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Salt Lake City, UT

http://www.uhea.org/

California Tri-County Homeschool Convention http://www.tchen.org/faq.html

July 9th and 10th in Santa Rosa, CA

Oregon Christian Home Education Conference will be on June 25 & 26, in Portland, OR.

http://www.oceanetwork.org/calendar/conference/index.cfm

Homeschool Association of California Conference http://www.hscconference.com/

 August 19 - 22nd, 2010 in Sacramento, CA.

Blog-cation

  Wish I had been here...but I wasn't. 

I haven't been blogging much. Perhaps, I was taking an unplanned blog-cation.  I have not had a ton to share,  because not much has really been going on, at least nothing exciting. I have mostly organizing, cleaning, getting our house in order. Oh, and also those random things that come up in my life like baby sitting, dog sitting, helping a friend clean, organize, and hold a fund raiser yard sale, and sewing Indian costumes on the fly. All while waiting for summer to arrive. Is it here yet??

Sunday Citar: So far...

Always when judging
Who people are,
Remember to footnote
The words "So far."
~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Welcome to Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Building a Bottle Bird Feeder

by Jacob Deckard, age 9

One day my mom took out our wooden bird feeder. I thought I could make one out of a bottle! Here is a good way to make a bird feeder.

1. Gather supplies.

You need:

A plastic bottle with a cap
Sharp scissors or knife
A stick
A rope

2. Our first feeder's seeds sprouted, because the moisture did not drain so poke small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not to cut yourself.

3. About 1-2 inches from the bottom of the bottle, make holes for the perch. Insert stick and make holes bigger, if needed.

4. Cut holes above the perch for the birds to get the seeds. Holes should be slightly bigger than the seeds.

5. Tie tether or rope around the top of the bottle, where the cap is, and tie a loop for hanging.

6. Carefully fill the feeder with sunflower seeds using your hands as a funnel or get a real funnel.

7. Replace cap and hang in a high tree.

8. It may take three weeks for the birds to find it. Be patient.

Submitted by Renae Deckard @ Life Nurturing Education