BEAN Sprouts

BEAN Sprouts are mini-activities for kids and adults alike, to investigate biodiversity and interactions in the environment
In spring, eastern grey squirrels eat the leaf buds from hardwood trees, but until these buds emerge, squirrels rely on any nuts remaining from their winter store. In this activity, imagine you are a squirrel searching for food you hid last winter!
The bird nest that most Ontarians are familiar with is the cup-shaped tree nest built by birds such as robins, cardinals, and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Even within the same nest type, many materials are used. Try building your own bird nest with this activity!
In a landscape where urban development comes at the expense of natural spaces, more Ontarians probably recognize the trillium flower as the logo on our Ontario driver’s license. In this activity, imagine and create a new logo for Ontario!
You can do your part to help Monarchs. It is as simple as making sure Monarchs have a safe summer refuge in Ontario by planting milkweed. Milkweed, as the name suggests, has been intentionally removed from its native habitat because it is classified as a weed. 
Ontario’s Great Lakes offer excellent recreational  opportunities, but, if you know how to look, they can also take you on a journey millions of years back in time. 
On June 21st the Northern Hemisphere will experience the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. Learn more about this annual seasonal shift with this BEAN Sprout activity!
Combining fitness with environmental stewardship plogging is a fun, easy and healthy way to protect local biodiversity and habitat. Check out this BEAN Sprout to learn more about this emerging Swedish fitness craze.
Setting up a backyard bird feeder is an incredibly popular activity, but just who is stopping by for a meal? In this activity learn more about invasive species and seed selection for your feeder. 
Anyone can get outside, explore, and celebrate the beauty and mystery of these marvelous nocturnal insects. They may be over-shadowed by their showy butterfly relatives, but are no less deserving of our attention and protection.

More Mini-Activities