*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 17 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. January 13, 2000 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 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Trail Signs
This is a favorite activity for the girls. I like to use it when I have a large age-range and need some outdoor activities.
Trail signs can be made out of rocks, sticks, or drawn on the ground. I've even done this in the snow. The girls follow the signs to get to their destination. Where they end up depends on how well they "read" the signs.
For a full description of Trail Signs click on http://www.naturely.com/trail.htm?id=nn
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Predation by lamprey
Nature strives for balance. Man tries to keep the balance, too, but sometimes I'm not sure whether we do more harm than good. This column has reported the come back of eagles that were endangered because of DDT. Last week I wrote about the cormorants whose numbers were also declining, but now are on the upswing and threatening the bass population in parts of the Great Lakes.
This week I read that the lamprey eels are also increasing. Lamprey feed on trout, salmon, and even walleyes. Like salmon, they would spend their adult years in the ocean, but return to the fresh water to spawn. Since the lakes have become cleaner, lampreys have adapted to living in the Great Lakes and are preying on the fish that have always called these waters their home.
In an effort to reduce the lamprey eel population, efforts are underway to sterilize the male population.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Woodchuck
You might not think of the woodchuck as a rodent, but it is. In fact, it belongs to the same family as the squirrel.
The woodchuck can grow to about 18 inches long and weigh between five and 12 pounds. Its two upper teeth are always growing, so the woodchuck wears them down by chewing on plants.
The woodchuck eats the leafy parts of plants. It enjoys clover and other grasses, and like squirrels will also eat nuts and seeds. It has a healthy appetite and can eat one and a half pounds of food a day.
The young are born in the spring. There are three to five young in one litter. By mid-July they are ready to fend for themselves. Woodchucks can live three to five years. Their predators include red-tailed hawks, black bears, coyotes, red fox and the dog. This is in addition to the irate farmers and gardeners!
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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 love to feed the birds, but also have 3 new cats. They have killed several birds. Is there anyway to have my birds and my cats.
A. The best way to keep the cats away from the birds is to place your feeders on tall poles and put a squirrel baffle around the feeder. You want to discourage the cats but not the birds. My cat can jump almost five feet straight up, so, be sure that you have the feed high enough.
I would be remiss if I also didn't mention that unless you need to have outside cats, you may want to keep your cats inside. Besides killing birds, outdoor cats are in danger themselves. Heartworm, which is well known among canine lovers, can afflict outdoor cats. In my area, cats will bed down on a warm car engine and then become maimed when the unknowing person starts the car in the morning. Cats live happier, healthier, longer lives indoors.
For more information about cats, birds and their relationships, click on http://www.abcbirds.org/.
**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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:
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