Buddy Bison's Buzz - September 2010

Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School and Buddy Bison Ring in the New School Year

The first day of school typically includes excited kids shouldering backpacks brimming with new notebooks and pencil boxes stocked with sharp #2’s. Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School had that and then some, welcoming back their students this week with balloons, steel drums, and a fire truck-led parade. Buddy Bison greeted students, teachers and parents, and even charmed his way onto the fire truck to help lead the students’ parade. Visit Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School’s gallery to see more photos from the day!

Buddy Bison’s Strummin’ with Jeff Wolin

Many of you will remember Jeff Wolin, whose song “Humps, Hooves, and Horns,” became an anthem for Buddy Bison schools at last year’s Earth Day event on the National Mall. Jeff so enjoyed his time strumming his guitar to the bison beat, that he has become an official Buddy Bison Ambassador! Jeff says, “I am honored to be one of Buddy Bison's Ambassadors. There's nothing I like better than to explore nature and parks with my family and then write a fun song about it.” Sing along with Jeff’s rendition of “Humps, Hooves, and Horns” on Buddy Bison’s website.

Close-Up on Tortoises

Have you ever noticed how different some things look through the lens of a camera? Well, National Park Trust helped fund field trips so thirteen students could see the desert tortoise in a completely new way through the Tortoises Through the Lens project. These students worked as photojournalists (people who document news and events through pictures), and captured images of tortoises living in the Mojave Desert. The tortoises are a threatened species—meaning they are vulnerable to extinction in the near future. As one student photographer named Dakota explains, they didn’t just snap photos. “Tortoises Through the Lens really inspired me to learn more about the desert. The field trips we took made me think of the desert differently; it used to be boring to me and now I see life everywhere.” Talk to your teacher about how you and your classmates might learn more about a local species by acting as photojournalists. You can also ask an adult to consider helping you buy the book.

Buddy Bison Tunes in with New Ambassadors

Buddy Bison also found time this summer to stomp along to some Good Vibrations with surf pop legends The Beach Boys, who charted 36 Top 40 hits in their long careers creating feel-good summery tunes.  Buddy Bison also tested his chops with trumpeter Chris Botti, America’s #1 jazz trumpeter, who has played with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, Sting, Joshua Bell and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. We welcome our new Buddy Bison Ambassadors and thank them for reminding us that nature can inspire some of the sweetest music humans (and bison) can make.

First Lady Michelle Obama Offers a Recipe for Healthy Living

Just like Buddy Bison, First Lady Michelle Obama has been encouraging kids to get outside and move their bodies through her Let’s Move program. While Buddy Bison knows that playing outside is an important part of staying healthy, his diet of grass, grass and more grass might not seem appealing to you. Consider what nutritious foods you can eat to help make your body stronger and visit Let’s Move for tips on how you can lead a healthier life.

To start, try mixing up Buddy Bison’s All American Park Trail Mix as a family, then take it along on a nature hike as a healthy (and delicious) snack.

Get Outside!
Families in the Washington, D.C. area are invited to explore their Maryland and Virginia state parks this weekend! Buddy Bison will be there to help the North Face launch Explore Your Parks. RSVP and download this voucher for free admission!

Teacher's Corner 

This last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would award one million dollars in grants for eligible high-poverty schools to start community gardens to support the Let’s Move initiative to fight childhood obesity.

Who has horns, loves poetry, and can help you spice up your next writing lesson? Buddy Bison has challenged kids to write their own Buddy Bison and nature haiku. Get kids thinking about the great outdoors, integrate the Buddy Bison program, and cover haiku poetry and syllable counting all at once! Send in your students’ haikus for publication to sarah@parktrust.org.

What are you doing to ensure your kids have a healthy diet? Consider family diet at USDA’s MyPyramid.gov/kids. (Also check out interactive games and printable food pyramids for kids.)