Portrait Of A Bat

Recently, one of our attic guests posed for this picture. This Connecticut big brown bat and his relatives don't deserve their bad reputation. But would you want him in your attic?

Animals At Play

Animals At Play: Rules of the Game by Marc Bekoff teaches, informs, and entertains. It looks like a picture book; but like other well-written non-fiction for children, all ages will enjoy and learn from this story. After all, Dr. Marc Bekoff is an ethologist who co-founded the Ethical Treatment of Animals with Jane Goodall. Bekoff taught biology at the University of Colorado for 34 years. Now he travels the world to teach others including prisoners, children and senior citizens. Articles in Ranger Rick, appearances on Animal Planet and National Geographic Television are also part of his resume. He also works closely with the children in Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Institute.

What is an ethologist? This scientist is a zoologist who studies animal behavior. As Marc shows in Animals At Play, animals have rules too. One thing every animal does before chasing or tumbling with his friend is to ask if the friend wants to play. Sometimes playmates will be too rough. Bekoff asks, “What do they do?” and he answers, they apologize, of course, just like you.” Part of the attraction, however, of Animals At Play is Bekoff’s effortless connection between human and animal behavior without giving the animals anthropomorphic, or human, qualities.

Looking at the paragraph length on each page, the adult reader might mistake this book for older children. However, it makes a great read-aloud book for the four-year-old crowd. The pictures by Michael J. DiMotta are filled with the action that Bekoff describes.

Curious About Human Nature

This blog entry deviates from the Nature I like to talk about. It focuses today on Human Nature. But there comes a time when even a non-political person like myself must speak out. Having taught reading and English to high school students in a racially mixed suburban/urban setting, I find the opposition to President Obama's desire to speak to America's children and to encourage them to write letters suggesting ways to improve our country an abominable condemnation on our society. I am not sure these words fully convey my utter amazement that the media portrays these naysayers as rational objectors. If not, let me reiterate my disgust. I spent 36 years teaching these young adults who found coping with their lives (and I am referring to poverty and all its pitfalls) not only difficult but intolerable, who did not understand that education (besides a sports scholarship) was the way out and up. I know reaching these children by any means is the most important goal. Having said that, I find it deplorable that any teacher, any parent, and caring adult could find fault with the President's plan.

Where are all the other voices who value the President's no-nonsense approach to getting the job done, whether it be education or health care?

Sneezeweed

Sneezeweed, or Heliums, is also called swamp sunflowers. Even though it is the green leaves that were often used to make snuff, sneezeweed certainly makes you think it is a plant any mischief-maker, young or old, would like to find. Does it really make you sneeze? One sniff and you will know.

I do not know if sneezeweed makes a cow sneeze. But if she eats it, her milk will sour. Horses and sheep can also eat too many of the poisonous powder heads with a fatal outcome.

The Menominee Indians of Wisconsin applied a compound of dried flowers to cuts on the temple to relieve a headache or sniff the snuff to cause sneezing to clear a stuffy head or to relieve a headache.

The Meswaki Indians of Iowa used an infusion made from the florets to help a gastrointestinal problem and the snuff for colds.

The Comanche used an infusion of the florets as a wash for a fever.

The poisonous sneezeweed is nothing to sneeze at! The plant’s poison that comes from a chemical compound called sesquiterpene is more potent when is flowering. It is this chemical that gives the plant its bitter taste. Ingesting it can cause some nasty results such as weakness, bloating, staggering, salivation and irregular pulse, spasms convulsions and death to name a few. Some people have been poisoned simple because some sneezeweed mixed with the harvested wheat.

Other well-known plants that also contain sesquiterpene are chrysanthemums, ragweed, sagebrush, and the sunflower.

Polar Bear! Polar Bear!

Polar Bear, Polar Bear

Your ice is melting all around you.

What will you do?

Polar Bear, Polar Bear,

Can you find a strong ice patch

To sit upon while you eat your catch?

Polar Bear, Polar Bear,

Without that tasty seal for dinner

You will get thinner and thinner.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear

You are the biggest bear of all

We must listen to your call.

Sassafras Travels From The New World To The Old World

The role of sassafras for Americans, and subsequently, Europeans is a story worth telling. The Spanish discovered the tree in the 1500’s and began shipping it to Europe. Some believe they also named the tree. However, sassafras is the Indian word for tree so there is some doubt. Moreover, sassafras, one of the top 100 common trees in American, was important to many tribes. The Choctaw Indians along the Gulf Coast taught the French how to make “file.” These ground sassafras leaves will thicken soup. Many other native Americans used the sassafras tree, including the Cherokee, Chippewa, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware, Oklahoma, Houma, Iroquois, Kosati, Mohegan, Nanticoke, Rappahannock, Seminole.

There is no question that when the Spanish exported this strong citrus root and leaves to Europe they started a health craze equal to any we see today. The Europeans considered it an elixir for rheumatism, wounds and even, old age. If you were to dig up the root and peel back the bark, the spicy smell will immediately remind you of root beer because the root of this tree is used to make this soda. Some tea drinkers enjoy the root's taste regardless of its medicinal benefit. Others use the root to make brown dye.

By the way, I would like identify the other 99 most common trees in America? Any ideas?

Sassafras Tea, Anyone?

The best thing about nature reading is making the discovery in real life. This happened to me today. Lately I have been learning more about the sassafras tree. Now I know there are those of you who think my discovery is akin to a toddler picking up a stick. When I spotted the very identifiable three-lobed leaf, I picked and crushed it ,enjoying its lemony scent... nature’s magic. I cannot wait to share this moment with my granddaughter. Still excited about my discovery, I set out on a more thorough internet search. One of first bits of information I learned, as I usually do on these journeys, is that I am not the first to investigate the sassafras story. And, in this case, our country’s early history is very closely connected to the sassafras tree. Another blogger explained what I thought I saw today-very different leaf shapes on the same tree- but dismissed as impossible.

Another interesting fact is that Amazon lists over 100 books with "sassafras" in the title. Of course, there is Sassafras the elephant, caterpillar, poodle, or skunk. I guess the repeating s's attract attention. But the tree received a lot more attention as a medicinal cure. More on the sassafras story tomorrow.