Welcome to The Curiosity Crows!
I’m an autistic explorer with a passion for natural sciences and the planet. I create hand-drawn, minimalist, black and white coloring pages—ideal for early finishers, students who need a brain break, or as top-up pages and wet break time fillers.
You’ll also find photo bundles of images taken in the days of camera film rolls, perfect for bringing a touch of exploration and nostalgia into your lessons. And paper dolls for top-up activities for your class.
Welcome to The Curiosity Crows!
I’m an autistic explorer with a passion for natural sciences and the planet. I create hand-drawn, minimalist, black and white coloring pages—ideal for early finishers, students who need a brain break, or as top-up pages and wet break time fillers.
You’ll also find photo bundles of images taken in the days of camera film rolls, perfect for bringing a touch of exploration and nostalgia into your lessons. And paper dolls for top-up activities for your class.
A bundle of my own black and white hand drawn complicated colouring pages and photos of Rydal Water in the English Lake District, clouds, and daffodils, with a connection to poet William Wordsworth who was involved in choosing the location of St Mary’s Church site in Rydal Village.
“William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads.” He died 23 April 1850 (age 80 years) at Rydal Mount and Gardens, Rydal.
**About National Poetry Month (April) **
"Poetry is all about exploring the ways that the written word is able to communicate to the world in beautiful forms. With various classic poets and more popping up in the limelight, it can be hard to keep up with the latest in poetry while enjoying this form of literature from the past as well.
From old to new, National Poetry Month aims to celebrate the art of poetry in all of its forms, appreciating the history behind it as well as the future that is yet to be seen. This important month also celebrates the lives of poets that inspired it, and is intent on forming a new generation of poets who may just change the landscape of the literary world.
History of National Poetry Month
This day was inspired by the success of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, both of which also happen in the early parts of the calendar year.
With the idea of creating this month, The Academy of American Poets brought together publishers, poets, and literary organizations in 1995 to discuss the usefulness and benefits of celebrating poetry. The Academy of American Poets inaugurated March as National Poetry Month in 1996 and it has been growing in appreciation ever since that time.
Over the span of a couple of decades, this day has actually become one of the largest literary celebrations in the world. Schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets place a focus on celebrating the important place that poetry has in cultures and places all over the world, whether historical or in modern times.
In 1998, just a couple of years after the day’s first celebration, the Academy mentioned above joined with the American Poetry and Literacy Project to distribute more than 100,000 books of poetry free, from New York to California, in honor of National Poetry Month. That same year, a gala was hosted at the White House by President and First Lady Clinton in honor of various Poet Laureates.
By 2001, the Academy also invited people to vote for which poets should get their customized postage stamp. There were over 10,000 ballots cast, and Langston Hughes received the most votes, which put him on a postage stamp that was released in February of the following year.
Each year, an exclusive poster is commissioned and distributed to schools, libraries, and community centers, free of charge, to promote the observance of this month.
Publishers throughout the month pay heed to National Poetry Month by publishing compilations of poetry that are then distributed to bookstores and libraries all over the world. Throughout the month, students are introduced to a variety of different poetic forms and poets from all kinds of schools.
Whether in schools and universities, around the dinner table at home, or at the office water cooler, National Poetry Month is a time to discuss this powerful art form, debate it, and learn from the poets of the past. All of this is an attempt to inspire younger generations to create poetry that allows them to express themselves and their experiences, making a difference for individuals as well as for society as a whole.
How to Celebrate National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month offers a vast array of opportunities to celebrate and enjoy everything to do with poetry–for 31 full days! Come up with some creative ideas to observe the month or try out some of these to get inspired:
Write a Poem
Anyone can be a poet! All they have to do is write poetry. And since the forms of poetry can be unique (it certainly doesn’t have to rhyme!), it’s easy to find one that fits with your own personal style. Haiku, blank verse, rhymes, sonnets, narrative and free verse are just a few of the many options. Rap could even be considered a form of poetry.
Many people find that writing poetry is a therapeutic way to process emotions, feelings, thoughts and struggles. So get that pen onto the paper (or fingers onto the keyboard) and try writing out those thoughts and feelings in the form of a poem. Even if it is never shared with anyone else, the process of writing poetry can be a beautiful exercise.
Participate in or Host a Poetry Event
Celebrate National Poetry Month by participating in or hosting your own poetry events. This could take the form of a poetry reading in your own home, at a local club, or in the library. Gather some friends together and keep it small, or put some advertisements out online to grow the event and make it something that brings the community together around this important topic. Don’t forget to display the Academy’s poster that is created each year in honor of National Poetry Month.
Enjoy Various Poetry Resources
Read poets from the Academy of American Poets’ online database and take the month to read one poem each day. Or pop over to the local library and find out what kind of poetry books they are recommending in honor of National Poetry Month.
Get Involved with Poetry in the Community
If there isn’t already a poetry reading club locally, maybe it’s time to start one! Invite people in the community to meet up with poetry lovers and schedule meeting dates to discuss poetry. Or attend other events in your community (often advertised at the local library). Some people might want to sign up for a slam poetry event at their local club.
No matter how it is celebrated, don’t forget to get the word out by sharing National Poetry Month with friends and family!"
A collection of photos from my own adventures in gardens and gardening as well as some colouring pages I created for my students. Perfect for National Garden Month and topics exploring minibeasts, plants, ecology, and wildlife.
"Spring is coming on strong and, according to the calendar, is technically already here by the time this month rolls around. And for those who have not already begun looking at planting this year’s garden–it’s time to get a move on right away!
How To Celebrate National Garden Month
Enjoying and observing National Garden Month can take on a variety of different forms. Try out a few of these ideas or come up with some of your very own. Since the month has 30 days, there should be time to get really creative!
Study Up on Gardens of the World
One really great way to start celebrating National Garden Month would be by studying all the different types of gardens in the world. Whether checking out a book from the library on the architecture of formal English gardens or watching a documentary about the water, stones and plants that make up a Chinese garden, this is a great way to celebrate this month.
Visit a Botanical Garden
Many cities offer a botanical style garden that is open to the public, even if it is still too cold outside to start your own garden yet. New York City, London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo are just a few major cities that offer easy access to the joys of visiting a botanical garden.
Botanical gardens provide visitors with the ability to enjoy, learn about and appreciate exotic plants that may not be possible to grow locally. With greenhouses, garden areas and even butterfly houses, they are a load of fun to visit!
Start a Compost Area
Gardens need loads of fertilizer and composting the old matter from the garden is a great way to make it sustainable. It doesn’t even require a special container to compost, just a bit of attention. Throw that garden waste into a separate container and let it decompose over several weeks, turning it every 3-7 days to let it work faster.
Create a Small or Large Garden
For those who may find themselves intrigued or inspired by the idea, it might be a good pursuit to make plans and set about creating a garden of their own during this National Garden Month. Gardens don’t have to be large, so even those who live on a small plot in the city with a mere sliver of a yard could still have their own little piece of gardening paradise. Don’t even have that much space? It’s time to invest in a selection of pots and make your own potted herb or flower garden on those windowsills. Gardens can be anywhere, and just about anyone can be a gardener!National Garden Month is for all of those people with green thumbs, new gardeners and old hands alike, to embrace their love of gardening.
History of National Garden Month
Gardens have always played an important role in the history of human culture, from sources of food and sustenance to locations for leisure and entertainment. They have even been used to produce natural medicinals used in the home and by holistic medical practitioners.
The word garden traces its roots to Middle English, French, and German languages. In the United Kingdom, this word specifically describes a small enclosed piece of land that is placed next to a building, which might only contain grass. However, in the United States, the term garden has more to do with a place where someone would plant and grow things such as flowers, fruits or vegetables.
Multiple types of garden exist in the world, all of which are dependent on the primary purpose and the list of things that are contained in the garden. For instance, in arid regions some people may choose to have Cactus Gardens. In other places, gardeners may aim for a particular style of aesthetic, such as a Bonsai garden or a Dutch Garden rife with tulips with an eye to efficiency and a density of foliage.
Gardens have also been used to create new habitats and resting places for bees, butterflies, seasonal birds, and other delightful creatures of nature, making them both beautiful and able to aid these creatures whose natural habitats may be diminishing in some places in the wild.
While most home gardens tend to be incredibly informal and relaxed, there are also far more formal gardens that adhere tightly to a given style. French Formal and Italian Renaissance gardens adhere to a particular style, and Knot Gardens are extremely formal with specific guidelines that govern their designs. National Garden Month is a great time to research gardens and learn more about them.
National Garden Month itself is a fairly recent observance. It started with National Garden Week when, in 1986, US President Ronald Reagan signed a declaration to make the observance official the following year in 1987.
Realizing that only seven days simply could never be long enough, National Garden Month was born in 2003– and people have been celebrating this important occasion during each springtime ever since. Now it’s time to get started with the celebrations for National Garden Month this year!
A collection of stock photos from my travels and hand drawn colouring pages (simple and complicated) that I created for my own students whilst working abroad.
"Through fun and educational activities, students learn about the significance of reducing waste, conserving energy, and protecting natural resources. This week-long event emphasizes the critical need for sustainable practices. It encourages participants to think about their daily habits and how small changes can lead to big improvements for the environment.
For instance, recycling programs, energy-saving projects, and waste reduction challenges are some of the common activities that take place. These efforts help students understand that their choices matter and that they can contribute to a healthier planet!
History of National Green Week
National Green Week began in 2008 as an initiative to promote sustainability in schools. The Green Education Foundation (GEF) created it to teach students about the environment.
This campaign started after a successful pilot at Fisher Elementary School in Massachusetts. Students there adopted green practices, significantly reducing waste.
Schools across the United States soon joined the movement. Each year, more schools participated, incorporating lessons on recycling, energy conservation, and waste reduction. The goal of this event is to make students aware of their environmental impact and encourage lifelong green habits.
Today, National Green Week reaches millions of students in thousands of schools. The event can be scehduled to take place for a week, starting in early Febraury and continuing through the end of April. This event continues to inspire young people to take action for a healthier planet.
Through various activities and challenges, students learn how their efforts can lead to a sustainable future in honor of National Green Week!"
A collection of photos of things that are brown. I will be adding to this collection over time as I row my boat and explore the coast of Great Britain through the seasons and visit new places.
