Nature Crafts and Critters-Nanaimo, BC

Preserving Reindeer Moss Reindeer moss can last for years if preserved. If left natural, it can break down especially if the moisture level in the air varies. Tip: Using an old metal pot or glass bowl used only for crafts will prevent you or family members from accidentally ingesting this mixture. If you plan to dye the Reindeer Lichen, do that before you preserve it. The lichen will be absorb less dye if you preserve it before dying it and the color will be less intense.  Mix 2 parts glycerine to one part wood alcohol (methyl hydrate) in your pot or bowl.  Make enough mixture so your lichen is at least half-covered. Soak the lichen for 10 minutes. If only half of the lichen is submerged, turn it so the other half gets soaked for 10 minutes.  Remove the lichen from your bowl or pot with tongs and place it in a new bowl to let drain. Once the excess liquid has drained off, place it on newspaper or paper towels to dry in an out of the way location. Leave it until it is com...

When you get a new piece of wood for your aquarium, no matter where you get or buy it from, you want to make sure it is safe for your fish, crustaceans, amphibians and reptiles.  Avoid Sap and Pitch The first thing to check is that it is matured wood with no sap or pitch on it or in it. Pitch contains chemicals that are toxic to fish and invertebrates. Make sure any bark is removed as it is under the bark where sap or pitch is most often found. In most environments, dead wood fully "ages" in about a year from the time it has fallen or been cut down. Avoid pine and cedar (except really old saltwater driftwood) as they both have toxic chemicals than can cause irritation, breathing issues in amphibians and fish. Clean the Wood The next thing is to clean it. Use a bristle brush to clean all the surfaces and crevices. Hose the piece off, and run water over the entire piece. A new toothbrush (not previously used) can get into smaller spaces. Remove any soft wood that easily flakes ...

Making a Purple Lichen Dyes for Crafts There are many lichens that can be used to make dyes for natural materials like wool, cotton, silk, dried grass and even wood. A common one, Oak Moss lichen (Evernia prunasteri), is light-green on the top and white on the underside. It commonly grows on smaller branches of oak, maple and hawthorn trees. In the photo below, the middle branch is turned up so you can see the white underside. It can be used to make a beautiful purple dye. It's species name (prunasteri) mean prune-colored. Ecological Considerations: Be sure to collect only lichens that have fallen on the ground (after a windstorm is a good time to find them) and from the surface of trails so you are not reducing the biomass of material that will be composted. Some lichens also contain nitrogen so we don't want to be removing large amounts of that in one area. Collect from a variety of locations rather than just one. The ones that fall on the trail will be ground up by getting s...