The Adventures of Ladybird

Recently, my stepsister in England asked my sister and I to be part of her daughter’s classroom project of International Studies.  Each class was assigned a different animal family; hers was the Ladybird class, also known as ladybugs, which are the cutest things ever, especially when they land on your hand.  As Earth Day was in full swing this week, it is the perfect time to share the beauty of nature, and reasons we need to protect it.

I would like to share with you the adventures Ladybird had in Canada before being mailed back to England to be shared with the class.  Ladybird found her very own appreciation of nature in the Great White North!

Ladybird arrived in British Columbia, Canada, after a very long trip.  After lots of sleep, she was ready to go on an adventure in a place she had never seen before.  There was so much to see here and it was so different from her own home in England.  Now that Ladybird had made some new friends, they were going to go for a hike.

The hike was very difficult, and Ladybird was not ready for it.  She was so warm and needed to take a break.  They stumbled upon a gentle stream flowing through the quiet forest.  Ladybird eagerly climbed down to the water.

Ladybird did not think twice, and jumped in!  It was cold mountain water, but it was ever so refreshing.  Good thing her friends were there to dry her off!

Ladybird could not believe the amount of wildflowers around this part of the world.  They were blue, white, yellow, and some looked like bells.  Some were even curly.

Ladybird loved the flowers so much she learned all their names.  The yellow one was a Glacier Lily.  The blue ones were Mertensias.  And the white ones were Spring Beauty!

Canada was so beautiful and different.  Ladybird knew that Canada was known for their snow, but she could not believe her eyes when she saw the patches of snow still in the forest in the month of April.  She had to get closer, and she got about as close as you could.  Brrr!  She did not spend too much time there; her feet got too cold!

The best part of the hike was at the very end.  They climbed a little mountain and got to a clearing where you could see the whole valley below, and big mountains in the distance.  Ladybird was so happy to be here with her new friends under the blue sky to see this big, green place.

Ladybird was excited to go back home to tell everyone about her adventures in Canada!

The end.

Ladybird was accompanied with some questions about our area too:

1. What is the name of the place that you live in?
   Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada.  It is also known as being part of the Kootenays, which includes many other mountain towns.
2. What part of the country/world is your community located in?
   We live on the Western-most side of Canada.
3. Briefly describe what it is like where you live:
   We are surrounded by big mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes.  We see a lot of wild animals, like bears, cougars, moose, wolves, beavers, and elk.  We have all of the seasons, which means it is cold and snowing in the winter, and hot and sunny in the summer.  We also have a lot of beautiful farms and orchards.
4. Where has Ladybird been while it has been staying with you?  Has it had any amazing adventures?
   Absolutely.  Ladybird hiked up a mountain, went swimming, played in the snow, smelled some wildflowers, and enjoyed the sunshine.  She also went on a picnic!
5. What do you do for recreation in your community?
   We do a lot of mountain biking, swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and climbing.  We also like to have BBQs and picnics in parks or forests, and sometimes we just like to sit, watch and listen to the birds.
6. What is your favourite book?
   My favourite children’s book is Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” because it teaches us a very important lesson about taking care of our natural environment.