*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 7 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. September 23, 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 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
How tall is that tree?
Every time I walk through the woods, I can't help but stop and admire the variety of trees. The more mature trees form the canopy, while the saplings are trying to find their own place. That always leads to the question, how tall is that tree anyway?
This activity will let you estimate the height of a tree in your own backyard, park or camp ground. You only need to be able to move far enough away from the tree to sight its top.
I've included the directions for making the measuring tool on the web page and in the Acrobat version. It's quite simple and if you are working with Junior High students, you may want to let each child make his or her own measurement tool. The tool consists of a right triangle made from tag board, a wooden art stick and a plastic drinking straw.
Be sure that the two legs of the triangle that form the right angle are the same length, then attack the art stick so it can be used as a handle to one of the legs. Tape the drinking straw to the hypotenuse (the longest side of the triangle). By sighting the tree through the straw, then measuring the distance from the sighting point to the tree, you can estimate the height of the tree.
Once we do this activity, many children make the relationship to the math they've been learning in school!
For a full description of How tall? click on http://www.naturely.com/tall.htm?id=n7
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kirtland's Warblers are on the increase!
A few weeks ago we reported on the increased number of bald eagles and how they were almost made extinct by the usage of DDT. This week, let's look at the Kirkland Warbler.
In 1971 the number of Kirtland's reached an all time low of 201 singing males. That number remained around 200 throughout the 80's. The count actually dropped to 167 in both 1974 and 1987. This concerned the Department of Natural Resources and the US Forest Service.
What happened to put these birds in jeopardy? To understand how to resolve the problem, the issues had to be dealt with. This time it was not a case of pesticides or other chemicals but the prevention of forest fires!
Kirkland Warblers require 4 - 18 foot Jack Pines for nesting. Periodic fires kill the mature trees and allow the seeds in the pine cones to reforest. The new growth in needed by the Kirkland Warblers. With no forest fires, the mature Jack Pines did not provide the proper habitat for the Kirkland's to breed.
The US Forest Service did a controlled burn in 1980 which resulted in an increased number of Kirkland's in 1987 (348). Unfortunately, the controlled burn destroyed homes and one life was lost. Today, trees are removed and replanted without burning and the number of singing males had hit 905!
Unlike other species, where removing the chemical has resulted in success, the continued recovery of the Kirkland Warbler can only happen with human intervention. Trees must be removed and replanted in planned succession. We will continue to monitor and support this program.
For more information on Kirkland Warblers, click on http://www.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~warbler
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Sunflower
When we look at all the crops that we grow, only the sunflower was domesticated in America.
It is believed that the domestic sunflower was derived from the wild sunflower around 1000 BC in the western United States. It was never really viewed as a food until it reached Russia in the late 1800's where new varieties were developed.
Today, sunflowers are grown for a variety of purposes. The sunflower seeds are a nutritious snack food. The oil contains a low level of saturated fats and can withstand high cooking temperatures. It's commonly sold as birdseed. Even though it is mixed with other grains, the birds (and squirrels) will sit at the feeder and pick through to find the sunflower seeds.
It can also be fed to livestock, although this practice in not widespread.
I like to grow them in my garden, then watch the acrobatic birds as they try to harvest the seeds from the flower!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 5. Questions and Answers *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
If you have a nature question, send it to question@naturely.com We will answer the questions in the next issue of Nature Notebook.
Q. How do naturalists count the number of birds in one area?
A. The first thing that comes to my mind, is how can they see the nests or the birds. Especially the ones that are very small. They don't.
In order to count the birds you must know two things. The call the bird makes and how far that call will carry. In the example of the Kirkland Warblers, their call will carry about a quarter of a mile.
Volunteers will walk a designated area at a particular time and record the number of calls they hear. In this case, each team would walk a straight three mile line about a quarter mile away from the next team.
Only the singing males are counted. It is then assumed that each male has a mate so the number of birds counted are multiplied by two.
If you are interested in participating in a count, contact your local Audubon Society or Department of Natural Resource to find out their needs.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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 5 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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