*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 14 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. November 24, 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
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Editorial *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
This is the next in series for the newsletters. I did miss last week's newsletter so I thought I would get this one out a day early and beat the Thanksgiving Day rush! Well, the rush ran right over me. Hopefully, I'll get back on track.
Thank you for all your e-mails telling me how much you enjoy the newsletter. If you would like to see something added (or subtracted), let me know and I'll consider it. Also, write an article and share the activities you are doing with your children.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 1. Sponsorship Notice *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ for Kids Naturely and Nature Notebook is owned and sponsored by T. L. Creations http://www.tlcreations.com
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 2. Feature Activity *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Who was here?
Do you know who visits your backyard, schoolyard, or camp ground?
This activity increases the observational skills of children by locating different animal "signs". Once they find a "sign", they determine what type of animal left the sign.
Once, children learn the different ways to tell what animals are visiting even without really seeing the animal, they are excited to discover what other "signs" they can find.
For a full description of Who was here click on http://www.naturely.com/here.htm?id=nn
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Help Count Birds
In the last newsletter, I reported about counting all the species in the Great Smokey Mountains. If you would like to help count, but don't or can't travel to the Smokies, here's another way that you can help.
For the past 100 years the National Audubon Society in conjunction with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology sponsors a Christmas Bird Count. This year over 50,000 people are expected to participate. Although it is called the Christmas Bird Count, the volunteers select a 24 hour period from December 16 to January 3. During this time they record the different species they see within a 15-mile radius. There are 1,700 of these circles that the society needs volunteers for.
At the end of each day, the results are reported on-line at www.birdsource.org. If you are interested in counting birds in your area, contact your local Audubon chapter or visit the web site.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
It's the white ball of fluff on his rump that give this rabbit his descriptive name of "cottontail".
You can find the cottontail in marshes, forests, grasslands, and deserts. Almost anywhere that this animal can find food and shelter. Brush piles make a great cover when the cottontail needs to hide from predators. This includes hawks, owls, long-tailed weasel, red fox, opossum, mink, black snake, and crow. The cottontail may also use an old woodchuck burrow for shelter in bad weather or to hide from predators.
The cottontail is a herbivore, which means he only eats plants like herbs, shrubs, and grasses. Then there's the garden. If cottontails are abundant in your area, you probably have seen them in your garden.
The first litter of rabbits is usually born in March. A female can have three to seven rabbits per litter and as many as four litters per year. Any wonder where the expression "multiplying like rabbits" came from?
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
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. How do birds know when to fly south?
A. There are two things that happen in nature that tell the birds when to migrate. First, the days get shorter. Second, the temperatures get cooler. Birds that migrate in flocks tend to start grouping a few weeks before they are ready to migrate. You might see them "practicing" by flying from one area to another, then back again. This gives them a chance to figure out which birds should be the leaders. Some birds, like geese, will fly in formation. This makes flying easier for all the birds.
Some birds use landmarks, like rivers, lakes, or mountains. Others use the moon or the stars. Some birds migrate by night so they can eat and rest during the day.
Sometimes, the conditions for migrating don't occur at the right time. Birds that normally leave for the winter stay. This will not harm the birds if the winter is mild, but if the weather turns bitter, the birds may die.
**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
>>> NEW SPONSOR <<<
Having trouble deciding what gifts to get? Tired of lines? Click below to find the LARGEST selection of gifts and the SHORTEST lines too! http://www.ChristmasGiftIndex.com/index.htm?nn
*** 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.