Friday, September 19, 2008

My Nature Page

It's true. There is a state forest next to my house. I do see some plants and animals that urbanites seldom enjoy . On the other hand, ask any city person who loves the natural world and he will tell you there is nature in the  city  that needs no forest, just a few minutes to notice it. Regardless of the turf, there is nature out there, just waiting for us.

The other day a coyote cub and raccoon must have crossed paths as the first played and jumped up the driveway, while the other lumbered down it. This morning a  couple frogs jumped pass the pool of water collecting in the wetlands, to take a swim in my granddaughter's wading pool. Nearby, the garter snakes were sunning on the boughs of the pine tree. It was a pretty normal morning on the edge of the forest.  Oh, and yesterday morning a fawn just losing its spots (it must have been about 4 months old) and sibling were gobbling greens for breakfast.


Share your nature sighting! Whether it is city or country, large or small, four-legged or eight, or no legs at all, it is  sure to get a,"Oh, my! I saw one of those...." Or even tell us where to go to see it.

Don't forget the wonderful colors of the season or the plants and trees that proudly show them off!

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Take A City Nature Walk by Jane Kirkland (ages 9-12)



Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Is Green Just Another Movement?

Raise a green baby, drive  a green car and live in a green house. Green has become the iconic color of the 21st century. But is it just another movement or a philosophy that will save our planet? It is not the first attempt to  bring our thinking back to the benefits of  rich soil and clean air. From 1793 when Samuel Slater produced the first American  textile mill run by water power in Pawtauket, Rhode Island, this country's move towards machinery and invention has encouraged others to push  "Back To (the) Country."  

This  Country Life Movement would reign from 1908  until 1917. City living, city jobs were replacing plowed fields. Some worried  about a food shortage. To ride out  this wave to urban life, farmers and "urban-gardeners" tried to steer children back to rural activities. Around 1900 several names are responsible for encouraging boys to cultivate their rural interests with competing corn crops. In 2002 this worldwide organization celebrated its 100th 4-H anniversary. 

Along the way, in 1914,  passage of the Smith-Lever Act created the Cooperative Extension Service. However, it was the Hatch Act of 1887 that provided the acreage for land-grant colleges to develop and implement this instruction to preserve and promote the healthy agricultural growth in the United States. 

It was not until Rachel Carson turned our attention to  pesticides that concern shifted from  land use to land abuse. The sixties and following two decades brought a growing, ecological  awareness. As a result of this thinking, in  1992, there was a renewed interest in farming and an upswing in rural populations. This farming was called sustainable farming, because, unlike earlier crop production,  farmers balanced the resources they took from the land by giving back  the nutrients it needed to continue producing healthy foods. 

Is this green movement a natural step forward  in our understanding of living on earth or has the information age fueled its intensity. Consider our position today without those men who encouraged  young boys to compete in corn contests, the congressional effort to strengthen farming, the scientists and writers who voiced concerns.

Today the debate about abuse has intensified and encompasses not just the soil, but the water and air we breathe; it is more than the farmer's impact on our food. The  blame and responsibility for this destruction is ageless, colorless, and classless.  There are few 21 century naysayers who question the impact of pesticides on good health. In 2030, will your photo ID include the size of your carbon footprint?

Ecology For Kids

First, what is ecology? In a word, it explains an  interaction: how something affects something else. That something might be living or it might be the wind, or a rock. There are many ecological relationships. Children who make these connections with hands-on nature projects  will respect and preserve our planet.  Thorne Ecological Institute has been providing these opportunities since 1954. 

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Conservation Movement


It started in 1850. For those who are counting, that's 158 years ago. Certainly, enough time for Americans-for that matter-citizens around the globe- to understand conservation matters and each person has an individual responsibility to respect its power.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Did You Know?
John Muir is called the Father of Our National Parks.




Monday, September 8, 2008

Remembering Galveston!

On September 8, 1900, the lives of those citizens who survived the deadly hurricane were changed forever.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

(age 9-14)


Did You Know?
Clara Barton was 79 years old when she traveled to Galveston to aid the hurricane victims. Who is she?








Monday, September 1, 2008

A Simple Treasure




READ ALL ABOUT IT!


Age 7-10

Did You Know?
The word dandelion comes from the French name "dents de lion". Look at the jagged edges of the leaf. Do they look like the "teeth of a lion"?

'MATTER OF FACT'
The dandelion is a member of the Aster family. Every  country boasts this species. What is the the myth behind its ubiquitousness? 






The American Bullfrog


Bullfrog, Bullfrog!
What do you say?


Bullfrog, Bullfrog!
What do you eat?

I eat all the backyard treats!

Snakes and worms are a tasty treat.

But bats and mice are just as sweet.

Nothing is too big or too small.

I eat them all!




READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Age 4-7

Age 4-8


Did You Know?
2008 is the YEAR OF THE FROG



No Kidding!
Two Bullfrogs were launched into orbit in 1970 on the the Orbiting Frog Otolith spacecraft.