Pinecone Bird Feeder
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Materials:
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Instructions for Bird Feeder:
1. Wrap a string around the base of the pinecone working into the scales. Tie the two ends into a tight knot at the base leaving the ends of the string loose.
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2. Spread the butter onto the scales of the pinecone using a popsicle stick. Be careful to keep the loose ends of the string away from the butter.
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3. Dip the pinecone into the bird seeds and roll it around.
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4. In order to minimize the mess, you can put seeds into a ziplock bag and place the pinecone inside closing the top of the bag with the strings hanging out.
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5. After rolling it through the seeds, lift the pinecone out of the bag shaking off any excess seeds that are not stuck on.
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6. Loop and tie the two ends of the string around a branch or pole outside to hang your pinecone bird feeder.
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Fun Fact:
If you place a dry pinecone with open scales in a jar of cold water, you will see the scales slowly close up. The pinecone in these pictures took about 20 minutes after it was placed in the water to completely shut its scales. As explained in the STEM section below, this is a structural mechanism of the pinecone to protect its seeds.
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STEM:
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Pinecones are the woody structures that hold the seeds of a pine tree. The female cones contain two pine seeds on the inside of each prickly scale. When the cone is mature, it will dry out and the scales will open to disperse the seeds which can grow into new pine trees. If the weather is cold and damp, a pinecone's scales will close tightly in order to protect its seeds. The scales will open up to release its seeds into the wind only when it is warm and dry out so that the seeds can germinate. Birds can also help disperse seeds by carrying them in their beaks and claws or through their droppings after eating the seeds, which is an important part of maintaining a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
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