Kids and adults around the world participated in The Biomimicry Institute's Great TV Rebellion of 2010 by turning off their televisions and other entertainment devices for all or part of Earth Week (April 19-25). We encouraged our TV Rebels to keep journals of their outdoor experiences and share their stories with us. We even had a drawing with awesome prizes donated from our friends at Pacific Outdoor Equipment. Here are the winning stories:
"I was surprised at how many birds and animals I saw. I saw a muskrat in a creek, and a lot of fish. I went for a walk and I saw some beaver in a pond. I also saw a lot of deer. It felt good to be in the fresh air. I saw a lot of little white and pink flowers. I also heard a pileated woodpecker, a flicker, and a black-capped chickadee. I observed a squirrel. I learned that you don’t always have to be in front of the TV."
-Lindsay, Victor, MT (winner of Pacific Outdoor Equipment sleeping pad)
"For The Great TV Rebellion of 2010, I pledged Eagle. That means I did not have TV, computer or electronic devices for a whole week. I didn't mind though, because we got to see a lot of awesome things in nature!
We went on a Salamander Search at the Audubon Society with all our friends. We learned about amphibians in Rhode Island, and went in the woods to look for salamanders.
We went to Biomes, an aquarium and education center in RI. We pet sharks, picked up crabs, and fed horseshoe crabs. We saw an octopus called Ruby. We learned that octopuses can problem-solve, unscrew jars and only live for one year. We got to see a skate egg case with a light shining behind it, so we could see the tiny skate wiggling inside it. That was so cool!
At our nature class at Crystal Spring, we went on a hundred-inch hike, and found 2 robin eggs in the grass.
On our final night, we went to our Frog Watch site. First we listened to the spring peepers peeping, and to what we think is a gray tree frog trilling. Then in the dark, we used nets and hunted for creatures in the marsh. We could hear the peepers peeping everywhere, but we could not see any with our flashlights. The peepers are very sneaky, and do not want to be caught. One unlucky, little, gray-speckled tadpole got caught. I held him, and then I put him back into the marsh.
It was a perfect nature week!"
-Peyton, Woonsocket, RI (winner of Pacific Outdoor Equipment camp chair)
"I listened to the new music of the Great TV Rebellion. I was not watching any tv. I printed out a book of things to do. I still haven't finished everything in the book. I spent time outside. I went on walks to find stuff like a scavenger hunt, bird tracks, and good trees to climb. And my sister is named Avery. She is very naughty. I showed her lots of things outside. I showed her a tree stump. I showed her climbing. And my dad's name is Mark. And my Mom's name is Erin. That's my whole family that lives in Philadelphia. And I have lots of friends here. My family thought that this week was really good to turn off our computer. We're going to have a 'tv turn off week' every month now. This was my birthday week and now I am five."
-Adrian, Philadelphia, PA (winner of Pacific Outdoor Equipment water bottle)
Just as Adrian mentioned in her story, there's no reason to wait until next Earth Week (April 18-24, 2011) to turn off the tv and turn on nature. Use these materials any time you feel like exploring your own backyard and the world beyond!
