Can it be that what we see is that April has finally taken hold in our garden? The trees have budded and the flowers have bloomed. Spring is in the air!

The outdoor classroom has new tenants to keep a watchful eye on our fruits and vegetables. Who may they be pray tell? The ladybugs have checked in, escorted by two egg cases of praying mantises. Happily, one of the egg cases has hatched! If you look closely in the third picture below, you can see a new baby that one of the children found hiding under a leaf. Each egg casing contains 50-200 praying mantises, so help is on the way.

Ladybugs love to eat aphids, mealybugs, spidermites, thrips, and other soft-bodied insects that are harmful to our plants and vegetables. We have released 1,500 ladybugs to patrol our greenhouse. The ladybugs and praying mantises are officially on guard duty. This is done organically without the use of chemicals…nature’s true circle of life.

The children are as busy as bees this April, and we will continue to let our imaginations run wild with curiosity and spontaneity.

Remember, learning is endless!

Love,

Ms. Val & Ms. Marian