Pine needles - free mulch and myths

I came across this gem while spending too much time on the computer gathering important gardening information.

Pine needles: Pine needles are a trim-looking mulch for garden beds. They allow water to pass through easily and they break down slowly. Despite what you may have heard, using pine-needle mulch will not make your soil significantly more acid.
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/mulch

Oh! I had heard about the aciditity of pine mulch and had only used the mulch on my blue berries and strawberries as a result - found it to be great but was nervous to use it else where.

Darn stupid myths! All that free mulch sitting outside my door just waiting to be used.  I am going to pine mulch everything. Look out potatoes, no more $12 bales for you.

More info and interesting discussions here

http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12253

http://www.pinestrawinfo.com/

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1860

http://yourorganicgardeningblog.com/let-nature-care-for-your-garden-with-pine-needles/

Biological Farmers of Australia

Biological Farmers of Australia Organic Schools program

I am just sitting here planning what environmental activities we are going to do with our Junior Landcare Group this term at school and thought I'd share this wonderful site.http://www.organicschools.com.au/. Would be great site for home schoolers as well.

I have used the first 3 lesson plans with our own modifications with great success.  We did the nutrition lesson outside, I brought in pretend food rather than using the pictures as it was easier to show the group.  Following talking about nutrition and eating a rainbow we made a rainbow fruit salad to share, made a huge rainbow out of flowers and a paper collage rainbow using vegetables and fruit pictures.

(not my rainbow but you get the idea)

I am tossing up between lesson 4 or 5 for this term but it also depends upon what the kids are doing as their themes.  The site is really a wonderful help as it has class notes, materials and preparation required all their for you.