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Guelph author hands over new book about bird feeding for kids

'How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-By-Step Guide for Kids' is the latest book from Chris Earley, author and interpretive biologist and education coordinator
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Chris Earley is the author of 'How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-By-Step Guide for Kids.'

Chris Earley's nature experience came in handy when he decided to create a children's guide for bird feeding.

"I had a lot of kids really like it," said Earley, an interpretive biologist and education coordinator at the University of Guelph Arboretum, who published a book called How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-By-Step Guide for Kids.

"We're doing a camp in association with Nature Guelph, and I did some bird banding with some of the kids, and one of the kids in the camp brought that book and said, 'Oh, I love this, this is my favourite photo,' and 'I really like these three photos,' and that sort of thing."

Published at the end of September, How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-By-Step Guide for Kids is described by Earley as 'having it all' from a bird feeding standpoint and was inspired by a larger book project Earley was working on for adults. Earley has published other books, including children's books.

Growing up in Strathroy, Earley was known as the 'nature boy,' and remembers his family moving near a conservation area and ravine at the age of seven. Earley recalls his mother put up a bird feeder and he was fascinated by all the different birds he saw there.

"That was a big influence on me and keeping my nature interest going, and who knows what it could spark with other people, right?" Earley said about watching the bird feeder as a child. 

When it comes to helping kids understand nature, Earley said bird feeding is like 'having a fish bowl you don't have to clean.'

"It's hard to always go out and see things, but, especially if you have a backyard, having a bird feeder means the birds come to you," said Earley. "You never know what bird is going to be at your bird feeder, and they are always changing too." 

Along with a guide for how to hand feed birds, the book also has a bird identification section in the back highlighting 36 native species in Ontario. There is also sections on bird science, bird families, bird predators and more. In Guelph, he adds there are lots of natural areas where families can go for a hike and find bird feeders.

"It's designed for kids, but adults can actually use it too," said Earley.

Besides sparking an interest in nature, Earley also wants to encourage kids to look at nature from outside a human perspective, even if kids go on to pursue other interests.

"We have to realize that we're sharing the planet with everything else, so the more interactions that adults and children can have with nature, the better it's going to be for the entire ecosystem," said Earley.

Published by Firefly Books, How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-By-Step Guide for Kids is available for purchase at Wild Birds Unlimited, or online at Chapters and Amazon.