*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 10 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. October 14, 1999 Linda M. Watson, lmwatson@naturely.com *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Welcome to Nature Notebook. This newsletter is by subscription only. If this edition was forwarded to you by a friend, see the bottom of the newsletter to receive your own, personal subscription or visit our website at http://www.naturely.com
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Index: 1. Sponsorship 2. Feature Activity 3. Nature in the news 4. The Spotlight 5. Q & A 6. Guest Column 7. Classified Ads 8. How to be featured as our guest columnist 9. Subscribe/unsubscribe information
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 1. Sponsorship Notice *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ for Kids Naturely and Nature Notebook is owned and sponsored by T. L. Creations http://www.tlcreations.com
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 2. Feature Activity *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Getting Hot
This activity can be done at any time of the year with any age group.
The weather report gives the temperature, but did you ever wonder if that really is the correct temperature? This activity helps children learn that temperature is relevant to where the thermometer is located.
This is a great activity to do over the period of a day or several days if you can arrange it. You will need four inexpensive wall thermometers. I was able to purchase them for around a dollar at the discount store.
Have the children put each thermometer in a different "climate" location. After an hour, compare the temperatures, compare again after several hours.
Do all the thermometers read the same temperature? This is a great spring board for discussing solar energy or other related topics.
Click here for a full description of Getting Hot
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Peregrine Falcon Recovery
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service removed the peregrine falcon from the federal list of endangered species in August.
This is great news since this bird has not been seen east of the Mississippi since the 1960s.
Just like the eagle, the peregrine was put in danger in the 1950s when pesticides that included DDT was put into use. DDT causes the birds to lay eggs with thin shells. These shells often crack under the weight of the adult bird that is incubating the eggs.
The ban on DDT and an aggressive reintroduction program has aided in the increase of birds. These birds are very adaptive to new habitats. As cliff dwellers, these birds will nest on the ledges of man-made structures including the windows of towering office buildings.
Here in Michigan a pair of peregrines took up residence on the floor where our Girl Scout offices are located. Although three eggs were laid, only one hatched. The young falcon is now known as Scout!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Chinese Chestnut
The Chinese Chestnut is a distant cousin to the American Chestnut. It was introduced in this country around 1853. It is more than the American Chestnut to the Asian fungus that nearly wiped out the American Chestnut trees.
The nuts that this tree produces are quite interesting. First, they are covered in a prickly coat. They almost look like giant burs hanging on a tree. Inside this covering are 1 to 4 nuts. The size of each nut is between 3/4 inch and 11/2 inches. The nuts are low in calories and contain the lowest amount of fat from any other nut.
The Chinese Chestnut tree matures quickly and can bear nuts in 4 to 6 years. most mature trees will produce 75 to 100 pounds of nuts per season.
We can eat the nuts roasted or boiled, but the animals, especially squirrels enjoy the nuts right off the tree.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 5. Questions and Answers *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
If you have a nature question, mailto: question@naturely.com We will answer the questions in the next issue of Nature Notebook.
Q. I always thought that moss grew on the north side of the tree. Last week I saw several trees with moss growing all around it. Why did this happen?
A. Like all old-wives tales, moss growing on the north side of a tree has its basis in a grain of truth. Moss grows where it is damp and darker. Typically this is the north side of the tree, since, in North America, the sun is usually stronger on the south side of a plant or building.
If a tree does not receive a large amount of sunlight on one side, moss will grow there. If the tree does not get any sunlight on any side, moss will grow around the tree. If the area is very damp, you may see the moss growing quite high up the tree. I have seen moss growing only on the east side of a tree.
If you need to know which way is north, it is much better to rely on a compass, then the moss on a tree.
**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 6. Guest Column *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
If you have information to share that would be of interest to our subscribers, consider writing an article for our Guest Column.
See 8. How to be featured as our guest columnist
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 7. Classified *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
*** We reserve the right to limit sponsors to five per issue on a first come, first serve basis upon approval of the editorial staff.
All ads must be family and nature friendly.***
For more information mailto: advertising@naturely.com
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 8. How to be featured as our guest columnist *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Nature Notebook is always looking for articles pertaining to nature, activities that adults and children can participate in together and ways that we can work together to sustain the balance of nature.
Articles should be no more than 700 words long. Submit to editor@naturely.com. No attachments please. The article should be part of the body of the e-mail.
Articles should not be advertisements disguised as information.
Do not query. Submitted articles will be reviewed and responded to within 2 working days.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 9. Subscribe/unsubscribe information *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
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