BINGO
About WNC for the Planet:
WNC for the Planet is a collective of local environmental organizations that provides access to service, educational, and recreational opportunities in recognition of Earth Month in April. We strive to unify our community to encourage and celebrate environmental stewardship for our planet and the region.
This partnership was created to make it easy for our community to have access to a variety of wonderful Earth Month events in one place, and to support and uplift these outstanding organizations. Western North Carolina is a beautiful place, and its people have a special connection to our mountains and the rivers and streams that flow from their pristine headwaters and wind their way around our villages, towns and cities. This love of earth and planet is deep, and it binds us to the fates and fortunes of people, plants and animals everywhere.
That’s why we celebrate Earth Day throughout the entire month of April by coming together to act locally and think globally.
About Earth Month 2021
This year, celebrate with us by playing Earth Month BINGO! The virtual BINGO card features opportunities to engage with our partners through workshops, activities, service and more. Lend a hand cleaning up our rivers, restoring native plant and animal habitats, or clearing invasive plants. Or, learn how to compost, explore nearby hiking trails, or create art and poetry. Below is a list of activities that the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is providing!
Access to all of the other wonderful Earth Month events in one place at www.wncfortheplanet.org – you may win a prize from organizations and local businesses!
SAHC BINGO ACTIVITIES
Watch a Conservation 101 Video
When people think of the word “conservation”, many things come to mind such as protecting rivers, land, and plants and animals. While conservation includes all of those things, there is a whole plethora of knowledge, science, and work that goes into conservation that often is not seen on the surface. If you are curious as to some of the topics we conservationists discuss or deal with, hop on over to our Youtube channel and satiate your urge for knowledge with our Conservation 101 videos, Virtual Hikes, and other educational films.
Create a Habitat Map of Your Backyard (or other area of choice)
The Appalachian Mountains are one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. However, have you ever thought about how biodiverse your own backyard or favorite park is? Grab your favorite notebook, maybe some binoculars and a hand lens, and spend some time in your favorite natural space watching the birds, ants, plants, and whatever else you find move and sway. Draw a map of the area you are in and draw the places in which you find different plants/animals. You can make this a learning experience, or a relaxing nature experience. Feel free to get as creative as you like!
Try your Hand at Solar Cooking
Did you know it’s possible to bake food with the power of the SUN?! Get excited about solar energy with Sarge and CiCi as they cook up an array of tasty snacks using sunshine! Viewers will be shown how to make a parabolic mirror and solar oven to prepare basic food and boil water. Material lists will be available as well for you to try it out yourself! Additionally, Sarge and CiCi will explain how this works scientifically, and even show you real life examples on larger scales. Click the link below to watch the video!
Participate in SAHC’s iNaturalist Challenge
Welcome to SAHC’s first iNaturalist scavenger hunt! Ever wondered about what plants or animals fill your yard? Populate your nearby favorite trail? Or what that vibrant mushroom you found is? Join SAHC’s ongoing scavenger hunt to learn about and discover with your friends, family, and your community all the wonderful creatures that inhabit our mountains. Interact with SAHC staff and other hunters to help identify plants and animals, learn new fun facts, and explore beautiful photos.
Click on the link below to join the project! You must create an iNaturalist account in order to participate. Instructions on iNaturalist, how to submit your observations, and what you will be searching for will be listed in the journal posts on the project page.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sahc-inaturalist-scavenger-hunt
