Food is scarce for wildlife in winter. A group gathered to prep critters’ fave treats
The middle of winter is a lean time for most wildlife. A recent program at the Overland Park Arboretum showed attendees how to give those favorite backyard animals a little treat by making edible ornaments for the trees in your yard.
Stringing together cranberries, apple and orange chunks, Cheerios, popcorn and peanuts, the group made garlands and smaller ornaments to hang on a tree at the arboretum.
“I think it fits in alignment with the theme for what we strive to do out here at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens,” said Drew Ibarra, manager at the popular Johnson County spot..
Although the program was based around the children’s book “The Night Tree” by Eve Bunting, a range of people, from toddlers to senior citizens, came to have a little fun while helping animals.
“It’s not just for kids. It’s for everybody who loves wildlife,” said Colleen Wagner of Overland Park.
Ibarra said animals that might benefit from the ornaments include raccoons, birds, squirrels, rabbits and deer.
“The story (in the book) does a great job of highlighting (that) it is a bit of a DIY thing,” he said.
This craft is easy to replicate at home. For popcorn, cranberries and other fruit chunks, a needle and string are the best tools.
If that’s not your thing, you can use a pipe cleaner to string round cereal, like Cheerios, or spread an empty cardboard toilet paper tube with peanut butter, roll it in bird seed, then hang it with a string tied through the tube.
Though it’s not a buffet you should put out every week for the neighborhood furry friends, doing it once or twice during the season won’t hurt.
“It’s more of a scavenge season, but animals are pretty resourceful. They’ve been around quite a while. They’ve become adapted to it, but this definitely is an enhancement — a treat for them,” Ibarra said.
No matter where you hang one of these ornaments or garlands, some animal will be able to get it. The higher areas of a tree might be just squirrels and birds, while lower branches open it up to deer and other non-climbing animals.
In addition to making the ornaments and hanging them outside, participants in the arboretum program also enjoyed hot chocolate around a fire pit, made s’mores, took a nature walk and listened to a reading of “The Night Tree.”
For Basehor resident Paula McEnerney, the program brought back some great memories.
“I read ‘The Night Tree’ to my kids every Christmas and throughout the season. I love the part about taking care of nature,” she said.
Other participants just welcomed a chance to be outside.
“We come here often. It’s just a nice, structured opportunity to be in nature, especially with everything being so screen-focused,” said Elizabeth Silk of Overland Park, who brought her husband and two sons to the program.