Getting healthy together as a family starts with one easy step: Going outside, according to celeb naturalist David Mizejewski, the face of the National Wildlife Federation’s effort to get families to put down their screens and get kids into nature.
For him, there is no better place to start than right outside their own door by creating a wildlife habitat garden.
Mizejewski will be at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show sharing tips on how to attract birds, butterflies and backyard wildlife. Here’s a sneak peek:
– Now is the best time to plan out where your wildlife habitat garden should be.
– Add native plants. Get kids involved by letting them grow their own colorful sunflowers. The Purple Coneflower and Blackeyed Susan are good choices, too.
– Set out a birdbath.
– Put out nesting boxes for birds now so they will be available when the birds need them.
“If we make simple changes in the way we manage our own little piece of the earth … you can really attract a lot of really cool wildlife,” he says.
“… When you plant native plants and then the butterflies lay their eggs and you nurture the caterpillars, that is an amazing experience. Imagine a kid seeing that life cycle happen. That’s a life-changing experience.”
If you go:
Chicago Flower and Garden Show
10 a.m.-8 p.m. March 14 -17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 18
Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
$5 kids, $17-19 adults; discount after 4 p.m.
