Alec and his pal, Rosa, are making decorations to hang on an outdoor tree. The decorations contain food! This will please the birds; they need to stay healthy to be happy throughout the winter. Food decorations are easy to make. Pine cones filled with peanut butter are a nutritious treat, high in calories and fat. Alec and Rosa are also making a garland by stringing together nuts, berries, popcorn and fruit. The tree will be beautiful and yummy! Decorate a Christmas Tree for

Alec and Rosa are stacking firewood. They place each log strategically to assure that air can flow through the stack. This way, the wood can dry more quickly. They are careful not to stack too high so the logs won’t fall over. Learn more Bob Vila How To: Stack Firewood Some Thoughts on Stacking Firewood

Alec and Rosa are collecting leaves to put around the garden beds and trees. First they jump in them and toss them about. This is fun! The leaves break down into smaller pieces. The beds of leaves will nourish the roots of the plants and keep the soil moist and healthy. Using Leaves in the Vegetable Garden Mulching: Save Money by Using Leaves as Mulch

Rosa and Alec are identifying the trees where they live. To do this, they look at the leaves, the bark and the structure of the trees. By identifying many trees in one area, they learn about forest diversity. Different kinds of trees host different birds, bugs and other critters. To learn more about identifying trees in the Northeast USA, see: Identify a tree's by common name using this leaf key A simple tree leaf identification key for finding 100 of the most common Nort

Rosa and Alec are at the farmers’ market with their shopping list. They found some delicious maple syrup! The farmer explains how to tap a sugar maple tree. The Old Farmer's Almanac Maple Syrup: A Natural Wonder Learn about maple syrup weather, how to tap a tree, maple syrup health benefits, and the taste of pure goodness!

Alec is planting an apple tree. A good rule of thumb when planting a tree is “dig big.” Alec makes the hole much wider than the root ball, but not too deep, so the base of the tree is not buried below the soil grade. After the tree is planted he’ll spread mulch all the way out to the “drip line” to nourish the tree, and make sure it gets enough water in dry weather. The tree drip line is the outermost circumference of the tree’s canopy. For more information, see: Planti

Rosa and Alec are making some “Backyard Tea.” They find some dandelions, pine needles and wild rose . They put the dandelion and rose leaves, along with a few pine needles into a big jar with a gallon of water, and leave the jar in strong sunlight for a day. Tomorrow they’ll have a nutritious, thirst-quenching drink with wonderful flavors. Make Tea From Your Backyard

Alec and his friend Rosa are putting up a tree swing. From a sturdy pruning ladder, they're tying the swing so it will be plenty high for a good arch. Rosa is using a bowline knot around the branch. Alec is using the same knot to secure the wooden seat. Watch Video: How to Tie the Most Useful Knot in the World (Bowline) This is a short video to help those who have seen many of my past videos where I use a bowline knot. This is the most useful knot you will ever learn. I