*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 11 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. October 21, 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
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
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
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 2. Feature Activity *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Today I'm an Ant
This activity is best done outdoors, although, it can be adapted for indoors.
As humans, we tend to see and think of the world from our perspective. We forget that beings that are smaller (or taller) than us have a different view of the world. Some beings have limitations, others have adaptations to help them overcome obstacles.
I usually start this activity by discussing how big different animals are. I get the children on their hands and knees as we look around the room from a dog's point of view, then a cat, a mouse, and finally an insect like an ant.
Once the children see that the world looks different at different levels, we go into the activity. Although I've used it at all age levels, I've found it most suitable for third to seventh graders.
After the activity, besides getting an understanding of how the ant (or whatever you chose to be) survives, you can discuss how much impact our activities have on other creatures.
Click here for a full description of Today I'm an Ant
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Ospreys in Decline
I wish that all the news in this column were good. Unfortunately, an article in this month's Nature Conservancy alerts us to the decline in the number of Osprey in the New England area.
In the past five years, the number of active nests has dropped from 71 to 47. In the active nest, many have not had any eggs laid, in others the occupants are starving.
The situation is being investigated. Are raccoons robbing the nests? Has the increased number of double-crested cormorants, who are also fish eating birds, reduced the amount of food available for the ospreys?
Although everyone is optimistic about the survival of the osprey on a whole, there is concern about its well being in the Long Island to New Jersey area.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Common Crow
The Common Crow is a loud, black bird that inhabits almost every sector of the contiguous United States. The Common Crow is a member of the crow family that includes ravens, magpies, nutcrackers and blue jays.
The Common Crow is beneficial to the environment. As a scavenger, it eats dead fish and road kill. It also eats insects, spiders, earthworms, frogs, salamanders, snakes, corn, and fruit. The last two items make the Common Crow unwelcome by most farmers and gardeners. The Common Crow will also eat eggs and young birds.
The Common Crow is intelligent. It is believed that in addition to being able to count (to four) they also have their own language and social structure. It is not unusual for a bird from a previous season to return to the nest to help rear this season's fledglings. Common Crows lay their eggs between February and June. The eggs hatch in 18 days and the young are fledged between 28 and 35 days.
The Common Crow - look for it in a field near you!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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. What is the largest mammal? I think it is a whale, but which one?
A. It is believed that no animal -- living or dead -- has ever been larger than the blue whale. It can grow up to 120 feet in length and weigh more than 100 tons.
Blue whales are gentle and slow-moving, migrating each year from the Equator to the South Pole in small packs. In the early part of this century, blue whales were nearly hunted into extinction. In the 1960s, all the nations around the world banned the hunting of blue whales. Since then, their number has grown slowly to about 10 or 12 thousand. It is not known if this is a large enough number to ensure the whale's survival.
**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Send a blank e-mail to one of the following addressed:
Subscribe: mailto: subscribe@naturely.com Unsubscribe: mailto: unsubscribe@naturely.com
Or visit us at our web site: http://www.naturely.com
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Copyright 1999. for Kids Naturely No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without written permission.
If you enjoy this newsletter, feel free to forward it to your friends in its entirety.