Author: Lisa Mungovan

On January 27th 18 88, a group was founded for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” It’s National Geographic Day, so grab the magazine with the yellow border, and learn something about the world around you. You should celebrate their 137th birthday with a piece of chocolate cake, since it’s also Chocolate Cake Day! Yum!

Isn’t it great, to have a toilet in the house? Although Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet, he made indoor plumbing fashionable. His products were used by the British royal family, and his name was on the toilets. Celebrate Thomas Crapper Day, by cleaning your toilet, to make it your bathroom throne!

Wildlife officers in Florida rescued 30 sea turtles, who were stunned from the cold. When water suddenly gets below 50° Fahrenheit, turtles can become weak and float helplessly. Sea turtles usually either seek out warmer waters, or brumate like land turtles by burying themselves in mud for a few months.

Have you learned how to read cursive writing? Would you like to practice, while learning tidbits of American history? The National Archives is looking for Citizen Archivists, to help transcribe and organize its handwritten records. Volunteers can help “unlock history” by making digital documents more accessible. Visit archives.gov/citizen-archivist to register and pick a mission.

Today is Australia Day. The country was founded as a British colony in 17 88, but it had disastrous effects on the Indigenous people living there. Celebrate the fascinating land itself, by learning more about its unique animals, like koalas, kangaroos, quokkas, and numbats, as well as corals in the Great Barrier Reef.

Today is Green Juice Day. Smoothies made with spinach or kale, green grapes, and other fruits and vegetables, might surprise you with their deliciousness! It’s also Peanut Brittle Day. The buttery hard candy is full of peanuts, and can stick in your teeth, so you can wash it down with your healthy green juice!

The Blue Spring State Park, in Florida, is a popular hangout for manatees. Cold waters elsewhere, drive the manatees to the spring’s constant 72° Fahrenheit temperature. Manatees are mammals that don’t do well in water below 68°, so the unusually cold temperatures have been hard for them to handle. You can watch them at ManaTV.org.

Have you ever heard of a woylie? They’re cute little marsupials, that live in Australia, and they’re making a comeback. Woylies eat roots and tubers, and their digging is important to the ecosystem. A conservation program to protect the woylies from foxes and feral cats, is helping their population grow again.

Today is Observe The Weather Day. Watch how the clouds move, record the temperature, and feel the moisture in the air. It’s also Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day. Maybe they’ll have snowflake fabric, to add to your future quilt. Save your favorite t-shirts as you grow up, to make a memory quilt.

Today is Seed Swap Day! Many libraries have seed lending programs. You check out seeds, grow plants, and return some seeds the next year. You can learn more about seed trading, from a website like Dave’s Garden. Start planning your spring garden now, create a hydroponic garden inside your house, or grow a Chia Pet.