Spring Mills Elementary Caption Contest Winners!
Congratulations to Jacob S. and to Zakary K. for coming up with the winning captions for this Earth Day cartoon! Such smart and funny thinking from these up and coming writers and cartoonists!
Holy Bat Cave!
Bats. Not sure about ‘em. My basic introduction to them began at an early age Saturday mornings while watching Sir Graves Ghastly horror flicks and seeing a vampire manifest itself into a bat. Come to find out it doesn’t really work that way.
Holy Bat Cave!
“Unfortunately,” according to the Organization for Bat Conservation, “due to many years of fear and misunderstanding, bat populations are decreasing and some are nearly extinct.” Don’t be afraid. But you don’t need to open up your home to them either. Since their natural habitat is quickly disappearing, bat houses give them a place to call their own.
John Bradburn is General Motors’s resident expert on waste reduction and recycling. Rather than just recycling, which uses more energy and resources, he focuses on repurposing materials and what to do with unwanted scraps. So, with his love and appreciation of the earth and its wild life – combined with his job, he came up with a pretty cool idea. While trying to figure out what to do with scrap Chevrolet Volt battery covers, he came up with bat houses! So, he along with the help of Rob Mies, founder of the Organization for Bat Conservation located at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, figured out how to make the habitable environment for bats out of them.
I had no idea that the Little Brown Bat can eat up to 6,000 insects each night. Bats are the primary predators of night-flying insects including moths, beetles, flies, and mosquitos. And if one of these bat houses can hold up to 150 bats, that’s 900,000 bugs in a night – gone!
Put away the Raid® and get yourself a bat house.
If you’re a school or organization and would love to adopt a bat house, wood duck nesting habitat or a screech owl house, contact john.bradburn@gm.com and see if he can hook you up with your very own habitat.
Want to find out even more? Check out this link! GM and Detroit Youth Turn Chevy Volt Battery Covers into Wood Duck Homes; Michigan Kids Go Batty for Chevrolet Volt Battery Covers
And, for additional fun stuff about bats visit www.batconservation.org
Table Of Bees
Middle School. The awkward years. I flashed back as I was carrying my box of my “Just Bea” Cartoon display stuff down the long locker lined hallway. What to expect. What will the kids think of my cartoon. Will I get the ‘ol stink eye?
Kids in the hall.
As I made it to my destination, I glimpsed that the Anchor Bay Middle School students had made a huge drawing of the “Table of Bees” cartoon from the Caption Contest entry form for my display table at the Family Science Night. Then I looked up – hey wait. That’s a drawing of a different “Just Bea” cartoon. Then I spied another one. Then another. That’s when it sank in. The hall walls were filled with student’s renderings of various “Just Bea” cartoons. Not only that, turns out Ms Wiles’ students were using the cartoons as a study aid for their science class! Some students even chose to do extra credit projects using “their” cartoon. Emily chose “Earth Movers” as her cartoon and created an edible earthworm landscape that included gummi worms and even chocolate chip “worm poop.” I hope she got lots of extra credit points for that one.
The kids had fun filling out the talk bubble for what they thought Buster might be saying as he’s studying the honeybees and why they could be disappearing. Olivia Z. was the winner of the “Cartoon Caption Contest” you see in this posting! To see the honorable mentions, photos of the wonderful drawings, projects and Emily’s fun worm farm, too – be sure to go to www.facebook.com/JustBeaCartoon www.facebook.com/JustBeaCartoon
It ended up that I had nothing to fear. The kids were great and my “teenage” angst soon disappeared when I got looks of surprise, seeing the kids proudly present their work and even hugs at the end of the night. I hope they had as much fun with it as I did.
Table of Bees Caption Contest Winner
The students at Anchor Bay Middle School’s Family Science night entered a caption contest in what they thought Buster might be saying while trying his best trying to help figure out why the honeybees are disappearing. Congratulations to Olivia Z! Check out “Just Bea” Cartoon on Facebook for honorable mentions.
The Bees Are All A’buzz – thanks Lynne Bartley!
Thanks for your donation towards the “Help Save the Honeybees” book and animated cartoons!
http://www.greenunite.com/projects/1-help-save-the-honeybees
The Honeybees thank you Michael Wettlaufer!
Thanks for being the first seeder to Just Bea’s “Save the Honeybees” project!
http://www.greenunite.com/projects/1-help-save-the-honeybees
Birthday Green
Green has always been my favorite color. Various shades, forest, gray green, lime. But come to think of it, I’ve never had a green or “green” birthday party. Not that I can remember.
I have, although, wrapped gifts in the Sunday comics because it was fun and reused gift bags and bows because it made sense, but until now never considered that to be green.
Birthday Green. Now we’re talking.
When I found out it was greeningdetroit.com‘s 2nd birthday it got me to thinking. What would make for a more sustainable birthday party?
Some posts I read encourage no gifts for the birthday honoree – but I don’t see that going over so well with a 6 year old. So here are some other ideas.
Possibly skip the paper invitations and send personal emails, set up a Facebook event, or use an online invitation site like Evite.com instead.
For kids, colored pencils are a fun party favor that can be used over and over and are much less likely than a plastic toy to end up in the bottom of the toy box and worse – the landfill.
Another way is to green up the party is to eliminate paper and disposables. Rather than using paper plates, plastic cups and plasticware, what works quite nicely are re-usable plates, flatware, and napkins. Did you know that during an average year, an American uses approximately around six paper napkins each day. If everyone in the U.S. used one less napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year. Same goes for special occasions. Just sayin’.
Let’s give it a try, how about we start by clicking on greeningdetroit.com and give a them big paperless birthday wish. And while you’re there under the “big green umbrella” maybe you’ll find more ways to make your next birthday party a little bit greener.
Nose Art
I’ve always wanted to ___________.
What is it that you’ve been wanting to do? In the back of your mind you know it’s there. Paint. Write a book. Make a video. Help children. Pay someone’s bills. Start your own business. Align with a charity. But never had the means or motivation?
You fill in the blank.
Funding creativity, fueling good. That’s what HelpersUnite does. It helps artists, entrepreneurs and charities secure funding, gather donations, and promote special events.
Mary Adams of HelpersUnite says “people want to do good, they want to pay it forward. It gives people a platform where there wasn’t one before.” HelpersUnite uses crowdfunding to help make your dream a reality. “Our projects help fund innovative and creative work while supporting vital charitable causes. It supports artists and entrepreneurs who are committed to making a difference.”
You can choose from all 1.5+ million U.S. based charities in the HelpersUnite database where 1% minimum up to 100% of the funds you receive goes to a charity of your choice – and you get a kick in the pants helping get your dream funded.
Now’s your chance. Do what you’ve been wanting to do. You fill in the blank. Help yourself and help others at the same time.
The Magical Fruit
I don’t know if beans will help the reindeer fly any more efficiently but do know we could send our canned goods where they will make a difference.
The magical fruit.
It doesn’t take much. Whether it be an anonymous basket to a neighbor or hosting a family with your church or synagogue, I’m sure these days many families would gladly accept a little help.
Or, maybe there’s a food bank near you that would love some boxes of macaroni and cheese. Not sure where to find a local food bank? Just click here and you’ll have a bunch to choose from: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
Check this out – Kraft Foods is doing this cool thing to help fight hunger. By playing the “2-Minute Trivia Drill” on https://www.facebook.com/KraftFightHunger, you’ve got the opportunity to donate meals to families in America. Kraft’s previous “Hunger Bowl Game” provided nearly 21 million meals by people like you. The goal for the current game 25 million meals!
So, however you choose to give, maybe the magic isn’t in the beans but rather in our hearts this holiday season.
Pickin’ Away
I’ve never played guitar, and I know about two words in French. But, I have used gift cards. OK, hold on, there is a connection.
When I saw the posting “Handmade Unique Recycled Guitar Picks” on Facebook, I had to inquire. It turns out that Alicia, a student at Wylie E. Groves High School, is trying to send herself to France on next year’s senior class trip by up-cyling used up gift cards.
What’s in your wallet?
While thinking of ways on how to help fund her trip, Alicia remembered that she had a bunch of expired gift cards and hotel key cards and didn’t know what to do with them and – Viola! (that’s pretty much the extent of my French) the makings of Guitarishy was born. In Alicia’s fundraising effort, she is now making and selling “one-of-a-kind” recycled guitar picks all of which are custom and different from any other.
Did you know that there are 10 billion new cards placed in circulation every year? When these cards are replaced or reach their expiration dates, most of them are thrown in the trash – wouldn’t you rather contribute to a young student’s dream than to the landfill?
Really, $10 for 15 picks? So reasonable and just in time for the Holidays, you can order them here: http://etsy.me/tnNPfd
Don’t know what to do with your old and expired library card, video rental card, membership cards, shopper discount cards and retailer gift cards? For card donations or special orders, you can get ahold of Alicia at 248-645-0938 / email guitarishy@aol.com.
Let’s make some beautiful music and help Alicia get to France.
For The Birds
Wow! I said to myself when I saw these fabulous birdhouses. They’re made up of all kinds of stuff like sugar canisters, percolators, compasses, vintage garden faucet handles, fan blades, and license plates. So cool.
For The Birds
Brian Carlisle’s first birdhouse “aha” moment was when he saw the copper coal bin at an antique store. “For some reason,” he says “I saw the hole for the bird and the handle as a perch. From there it made sense to me to form the roof with some sheet metal and make it swoop with the form of the opening.” He brought it home and as they say, the rest is history.
Already a fan of birds (his yard is certified with the National Wildlife Federation) and photographing them, that along with being a graphic designer – presto! It all came together.
Garage sales, thrift shops and dumpsters is where Brian finds the materials. He considers his upcycled birdhouses “helping not just birds, but all of nature which then reflects and affects us completely. I try to keep the focus on using materials that eventually would have ended up in the landfills and giving them a new life that hopefully will last far longer than their original intent.”
Even though the birdhouses are primarily decorative, Brian says they are habitable – complete with drainage holes, ventilation and protection from the weather. He just reminds us to keep them out of direct sunlight or cold winds.
Pretty cool stuff. Ordinary items left for junk turned into a work of art. And a habitable one to boot.
See for yourself at gadgetsponge.com.
