Free Toads for Earth Day!

Here we are in the first week of spring. We would like to think it's all warm weather and sunny days but as I write the rain is falling, it is windy, and still very chilly outside. But on the bright side as I drove into town I noticed children and families outside taking walks, riding bikes, and even throwing a football around.

The first thing I think about in spring when I think about getting children outside is to go hunt for the first pussy willows of spring. If you live in the country, it is a great time to take a walk and look for pussy willows. I would also suggest that when you do this that you take a garbage bag with you and teach your young child about taking care of the environment.

I have a lovely drive home from Ladysmith. However, as the snow line recedes, I see bits of trash, bottles and cans, and discarded food wrappers. Every year since I've lived in Ladysmith my husband and I have walked along this road, picking up these discards. As we walk, we try to think of reasons that someone would roll down the window and throw out trash upon our beautiful road. We've never found a reason, but only felt sadness at what is left behind.

For those of you who value the environment and the beauty of where we live in northern Wisconsin, I would like to continue a project that I started last year to celebrate Earth Day. Please go out into your community or along your roads with your young child and teach them your values. Bring along a few garbage bags and some rubber gloves. Help them collect the trash along the way. Take a picture of your children with the bags of trash they have collected. Mail the picture to me along with the names of your children and permission to use their names and possibly the picture in this column. Send it so I can receive it before April 22, Earth Day.

In the column that appears on April 28, I will let you know where you can pick up your musical croaking toad and the Toads Environmental Song for your child as a thank you gift from me.

Toads Environmental Song

Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you see some paper trash, pick it up! (croak-croak)

If you see some plastic trash, pick it up! (croak-croak)

You will help the little toads by putting garbage where it goes.

Please help the little toads, pick it up! (croak-croak)