While in Ledići we are building a space where children feel safe, accepted, and free, we are also teaching them something equally important – that care does not end with people. The nature around us is not a backdrop, but a community in which everyone has their place.

Winter on Bjelašnica can be long and quiet. Snow covers the ground, and food becomes scarce, especially for birds that remain in this mountainous area throughout the year. That is why, during their stays at the Small Family Home in Ledići, children made bird feeders and learned how to care for them day by day.

The feeders were made from paper towel rolls – a simple, recycled material that gained a new purpose with just a little effort. The rolls were coated with natural ingredients, rolled in seeds, tied with string, and hung on the house where birds already tend to gather. For the children, it was a small workshop, but also an important lesson: that even something that would otherwise end up as waste can become a source of help and safety.

The birds most often seen around the house in Ledići are magpies – easily recognizable by their black-and-white feathers, long tails, and remarkable curiosity. Although cautious, they are highly intelligent and quickly remember the places where they find food.

Making the feeders was not just creative time spent together. The children were learning patience, responsibility, and continuity of care. They learned that care does not have to be big to be meaningful.

In Ledići, we learn how to share – space, warmth, and food.
Not only with people, but also with the magpies that call this mountain area home.