*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NATURE NOTEBOOK ----Issue 3 The Newsletter written for parents with kids in mind. August 26, 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 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ This week's activity is a Rainbow Hike. It is sometimes called a Color Walk. I like to use it with young children (grades 1 - 3) at any time of the year. Older elementary age students can find it challenging as well.
The first response is usually this is too easy. I'll be the first to admit that you can almost always find such colors as brown or green. If I can, I hold back these colors if we are taking this hike in summer.
The best time of year to do this hike is in the winter or early spring. I've had adults tell me there was nothing outside except snow (I live in Michigan) and twigs outside.
Once I get the kids outside, I have them look around and up. If it's a good day, the sky will be blue...another color. Our trees start to bud as early as February, depending on the winter. Many trees have red shoots. These are usually visible if you look at the tops of the trees.
If you have wild raspberries in the woods, the shoots are usually red or purple all year long.
The whole purpose of this activity is to make youngster aware of the variety colors that are around them.
Link to http:www.naturely.com/rainbow.htm for the entire activity
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 3. Nature in the News *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Whose smarter, your dog or a bear at Yosemite?
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal ran an article about the bears at Yosemite National Park. It seems that the bears in this park are "smarter than the average bear" and have learned how get the "picnic basket' out of almost any vehicle.
The rangers call it "car clouting". Here's what has happened. The bears have learned that cars, vans, and other vehicles have food inside. If the bear can pop open the hatch back or van windows, they can have a feast.
They have learned which cars pop open the easiest and how to brace themselves against another car to pop open a van window. Once they open one car, they will work the parking lot for similar looking cars, matching both style and color.
So, the next time you think you can outsmart an animal...think again.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 4. The Spotlight *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Hummingbird
Although there are about twenty different types of humming birds in North America, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is the most common. They breed in the eastern part of the United States from as far north as Maine and parts of southern Canada to Florida and into the midwest. They spend their winters in Central America. This means that some hummingbirds may travel more than 1,850 miles when migrating.
The diet of the hummingbird consists mostly of nectar. They will eat some insects and spiders. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, plant a variety of flowers that include honeysuckle, petunias, lilacs and nasturtiums. You may also want to hang a hummingbird feed with a sugarwater solution. The ideal solution should be one part sugar and four parts water. Always use sugar, never honey or syrup. The solution needs to be changed frequently.
Setting up a hummingbird feed station can be very rewarding.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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.
This week's question: Q. Can you tell which berries are safe to eat by watching what the animals eat?
A. No. The birds and animals can tolerate different foods. For example, the May Apple is poisonous if it is not ripe to humans, but raccoons can eat it at any time. Many animals will nibble on mushrooms that may not be poisonous to humans, but would definitely make us sick if we ate them.
Unless you or another person really know what is safe and what is not, it is best to eat only the foods you bring from home.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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. ***
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 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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