Sure It's Nice To Feed The Birds, But Have You Ever Gotten Something In Return?

Welcome to February 8th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate feathered friends and famous kites. 

If you think feeding the birds is a thankless pastime just ask little Gabi Mann.  The 8 year old from Seattle became known in her neighborhood as the kid who spilled her food.  When she was only 4, a flock of crows started following the girl every time she stepped outside.   Eventually Gabi shared her lunch with the crows which became an everyday thing.  Now one might imagine this as a one-way street, but something amazing started to happen.  The crows began leaving Gabi little gifts; a rusty screw, a Lego or button.  Every time they gobbled up food the crows left a present, including Gabi’s favorite piece, a little plastic heart.  During National Bird Feeding Month, strike up your own friendship with nature.  You never know what you might get back.

For most people, kites are simply toys, a way to have fun in the park or at the beach. But not Benjamin Franklin. When he flew his kite in 1752, it became one of the most important experiments in the history of science. Franklin had been studying lightning for some time and wanted to prove that it was the same thing as electricity. He had planned to use a church steeple as a conductor for his experiment, but he got impatient. So he built a homemade kite from a few sticks, a handkerchief, and some string. Then, as we all know, he tied a key to the end and waited for the storm. Luckily, Ben only got a shock. On National Kite Flying Day, celebrate by making the most of a windy day. But if you see storm clouds roll in, get indoors. Not everyone is as lucky as Mr. Franklin.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.