Monday, January 30, 2012

Those Dancing Ravens!

Happy Monday Nature Nuts!

On an overcast, gray day like today it is easy to forget that there is still a bustle of life outside in and under the snow! Here's this week's phenology:

  • Is it spring yet--don’t ask the groundhog!  Upon rising, they are only interested in mating, not the appearance of their shadow!
  • Mice and rabbit are getting hungry and venturing out from under the snow. The owls and hawks are keenly aware of this change.
  • We have gained back an hour of daylight since the Winter Solstice! 
  • Watch for ravens performing air-borne mating dances.
  • Look for bark flakes on the snow.  This may indicate a woodpecker has been searching for food above. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

Me & My Shadow Wonder Bugs!

Dear Wonder Bugs,

Groundhog’s are chuck full of surprises! I bet you didn’t know that they sleep all winter long and don’t eat or even breathe very much. It’s true! Their breathing slows way down and so does their heart rate.  


Before they go to bed in the fall, they have to make sure that they ate so much that they are super fat! In fact, did you know that groundhogs weigh twice as much in the fall compared with when they wake up in the spring? Can you imagine?!

We had a blast tunneling like groundhogs, popping out of our underground homes and trying to make shadows of our own.  We also made our own puppets to take home with us complete with a yarn tail (thanks to Miss Sue!)! That way when we see the stringy tail we know it is a groundhog and not a beaver.
 

This is the book we read in class: Go To Sleep, Groundhog! By Judy Cox  Read it again at home!

Sing along with the song we sang in class and then get ready for Groundhog Day. I realized that I was “missing” the second verse after Tuesday’s class; the version below is the version I modified to account for a cloudy Groundhog Day.
 


I’m a Little Groundhog (Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)
adapted from the song found at http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/groundhogsday/songs.htm
 

I’m a little groundhog, short and stout.
On Groundhog Day I pop my head out.
If I see my shadow I don’t come out.
I stay in my hole and then I pout.

I’m a little groundhog, short and stout. 

On Groundhog Day I pop my head out. 
If I don’t see shadow, out I’ll stay. 
A smile on my face cause spring is on its way!

I hope to see you and your shadow again in a couple weeks!
 

Bye, Miss Tara

Also, remember to join us for these upcoming sessions:

WINTER WONDER BUG SESSIONS:
Prices for Wonder Bugs for all individual sessions:
ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-members: $7/child

KEEP ON TRACKING…
Tuesday, February 14 & Wednesday, February 15, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 10, 2012
While the snow is stacking! Discover what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoe (prints). Practice counting the toes- they always knows- and you’ll be able to guess the animal who walked there since.

MICE ON ICE
Tuesday, February 28 & Wednesday, February 29, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 25, 2012

For birds of prey, this is a delicacy in the winter! Explore the predatory world of raptors in winter. Songs and games are sure to keep you roasty toasty.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Owl You Need is Love & Oak Leaves Falling Phenology Monday

Hooray! We finally have enough snow to start enjoying snowshoeing, sledding, skiing, ice skating, ice fishing and all the other fun activities that make winter in Wisconsin so special.

Just like us, the natural world is now is full winter mode and buzzing with new phenology to keep an eye out for. Here's what's happening outside this week:
 
  • The last of the oak leaves finally begin to fall off.  
  • We have gained back about 30 minutes of daylight since the Winter Solstice.  
  • Listen for the songs of the cardinal this week, a “cheer, cheer, cheer” or “birdie, birdie, birdie”.  
  • Forget about the frigid temperatures!  Red fox, wolves, beaver, owls, lynx and squirrels all begin mating this week.  
  • Frogs remain in hibernation at the bottom of lakes and ponds.  Their blood contains natural antifreeze to help them survive the below freezing temps.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Snowball Saturday!

Looking for a fun way to enjoy the snow with your toddler? Bring them to our upcoming Wonder Bugs Family Day this Saturday, January 21 from 9:45 to 10:30 am.

Here's a quick preview from Miss Tara:

Dear Wonderbugs,

This will be a fantastic day, inside and out (weather permitting)! We’ll start by reading Snowballs by Lois Ehlert, one of my favorite winter-time tales.  Then we will recreate some snow people outside, build mini ones inside, drink hot cocoa, and help to feed the birds and wildlife! Come roll-up the fun, bring your family and friends, and explore the wintry world at ALNC! Click here to register!
 

See you then,
Miss Tara



Also, remember to join us for these upcoming sessions:

WINTER WONDER BUG SESSIONS:
Prices for Wonder Bugs for all individual sessions:
ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-members: $7/child


ME AND MY SHADOW
Tuesday, January 24 & Wednesday, January 25, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, January 20, 2012

"Wood" you believe that the groundhog is “chuck” full of surprises? "Wood" you come down for songs, crafts, and a chuck-load of fun? I hope to see your shadow while we learn about all things groundhog.


KEEP ON TRACKING…
Tuesday, February 14 & Wednesday, February 15, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 10, 2012
While the snow is stacking! Discover what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoe (prints). Practice counting the toes- they always knows- and you’ll be able to guess the animal who walked there since.

MICE ON ICE
Tuesday, February 28 & Wednesday, February 29, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 25, 2012

For birds of prey, this is a delicacy in the winter! Explore the predatory world of raptors in winter. Songs and games are sure to keep you roasty toasty.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Unless...


Do you know where the Grickle-grass grows?

Join naturalists and staff from the Aldo Leopold Nature Center for an exciting and interactive interpretation of Dr. Seuss’ famous thought-provoking children’s story, “The Lorax” at the Overture Center's Youth Sustainability Fair, this Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm.

Audience members will be invited to join in on the fun as they “become” Swomee Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots and Humming Fish in the land of the Oncler.  This program will introduce your youngster to the concept of the web of life and encourage them to consider how decisions they make may impact the natural world through the story of the Lorax - who “speaks for the trees.” 

For more fun, be sure to stop by the Aldo Leopold Nature Center’s table to make a "truffula seed" necklace to take home!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

It's Electric!



Check out our "electriying" new addition—a ChargePoint® Networked Charging Station for electric vehicles at our Monona Campus!  This new charging station, installed as part of our expansion project which will be unveiled this spring, is the 20th of 26 charging units MG&E is installing in 16 locations throughout Madison, Middleton, Fitchburg and Monona.

The charging station is currently available for the public use and at this time, there is no cost to electric car owners to charge at the stations.

MG&E is conducting a 3-year research study to prepare to serve an emerging electric vehicle market. As a part of this study, data will be analyzed from all stations to learn how drivers use public charging facilities. Thanks MG&E!


Monday, January 16, 2012

Pausing Photosynthesis, Winter Cocoons & Wolf Moons!

"I love all trees, but I am in love with Pines." - Aldo Leopold

The snow has finally hit us here at the Monona Campus! Although everything looks "frozen still" under the blanket of melting snow, there is plenty activity outdoors today!

Here's what's happening outside this week:

  • On warm days winter days, evergreens can still photosynthesize, although cold slows the chemical process. 
  • Wolves begin mating around the time of the January full moon (also known as the Wolf Moon).
  • Hibernating ground squirrels heart rates have dropped from 350 beats per minute to 5 beats per minute.  
  • Look carefully on bare branches for cocoons!  Not only can they survive this cold, they need it!
 Have nature sightings to report? Email us--we would be grateful to share your observations!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wonder Bugs - Bear-ly Breathing!

Dear Wonder Bugs,

What a beary good time we had this week!


Black bears are the only bears found in Wisconsin. Click here to see the distribution map again and also read more about black bears. Show your Wonder Bug places on the map where you have been.  Have you been in bear country? 


We had to catch our breath after “climbing a tree” to safety while out on a bear trek.  We followed some tracks to lots of yummy food sources. Did you know that although black bears do sometimes eat meat, they mostly devour berries, plants, nuts and some insects? A favorite treat is honey! Bees included.


After all that eating we sure were fat and ready for winter so we found a nice place to dig a den and sleep. While we were huddled together in the den we listened to sounds of baby bears.  Their cries sound like baby humans!  Click here to listen to the sounds again.  Scroll about halfway down the page until you see four blue tabs and the sentence “these are the sounds of baby black bears in the winter den.” You can also listen to other black bear noises.

Check out these den-tastic books about winter napping! Don't Wake Up the Bear by Marjorie Dennis Murray and Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming.

It was beary good to see you! (if you have any pictures you would like to share, please email me! Thank you!)

High five (since bears have five toes, too),

Miss Tara


Join us for these upcoming 
WINTER WONDER BUG SESSIONS:
Package price for all 6 Winter Wonder Bugs sessions (choose Tuesdays or Wednesdays)ALNC Members: $33/child; Non-Members: $39/child
(When registering on-line list "Winter Session" as event/program name and and "Tuesday" or "Wednesday" as the date)Prices for Wonder Bugs for all individual sessions:
ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-members: $7/child


ME AND MY SHADOW
Tuesday, January 24 & Wednesday, January 25, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, January 20, 2012

"Wood" you believe that the groundhog is “chuck” full of surprises? "Wood" you come down for songs, crafts, and a chuck-load of fun? I hope to see your shadow while we learn about all things groundhog.


KEEP ON TRACKING…
Tuesday, February 14 & Wednesday, February 15, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 10, 2012
While the snow is stacking! Discover what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoe (prints). Practice counting the toes- they always knows- and you’ll be able to guess the animal who walked there since.

MICE ON ICE
Tuesday, February 28 & Wednesday, February 29, 2012
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Friday, February 25, 2012

For birds of prey, this is a delicacy in the winter! Explore the predatory world of raptors in winter. Songs and games are sure to keep you roasty toasty.

Who Was Aldo Lepold?

Today, January 11, is Aldo Leopold's birthday! 

So, just who was Aldo Leopold? Here's a brief introduction.  Find out more at our upcoming Leopold Discovery Day on Saturday, March 3 at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is considered the father of wildlife ecology and a true Wisconsin hero. He was a renowned scientist and scholar, exceptional teacher, philosopher, and gifted writer. It is for his book, A Sand County Almanac (available in ALNC's gift shop), that Leopold is best known by millions of people around the globe. The Almanac, often acclaimed as the century's literary landmark in conservation, melds exceptional poetic prose with keen observations of the natural world. The Almanac reflects an evolution of a lifetime of love, observation, and thought. It led to a philosophy that has guided many to discovering what it means to live in harmony with the land and with one another.

The roots of Leopold's concept of a "land ethic" can be traced to his birthplace on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near Burlington, Iowa. As a youngster, he developed a zealous appreciation and interest in the natural world, spending countless hours on adventures in the woods, prairies, and river backwaters of a then relatively wild Iowa. This early attachment to the natural world, coupled with an uncommon skill for both observation and writing, lead him to pursue a degree in forestry at Yale.

After Yale, Leopold joined the U.S. Forest Service and was assigned to the Arizona Territories. During his tenure, he began to see the land as a living organism and develop the concept of community. This concept became the foundation upon which he became conservation's most influential advocate. In 1924, he accepted a transfer to the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison where he served as associate director, and began teaching at the University of Wisconsin in 1928.

Often credited as the founding father of wildlife ecology, Leopold's cornerstone book Game Management (1933) defined the fundamental skills and techniques for managing and restoring wildlife populations. This landmark work created a new science that intertwined forestry, agriculture, biology, zoology, ecology, education and communication. Soon after its publication, the University of Wisconsin created a new department, the Department of Game Management, and appointed Leopold as its first chair.

Leopold's unique gift for communicating scientific concepts was only equal to his fervor for putting theories into practice. In 1935, the Leopold family purchased a worn-out farm near Baraboo, in an area known as the sand counties. It is here Leopold put into action his beliefs that the same tools people used to disrupt the landscape could also be used to rebuild it. An old chicken coop, fondly known as the Shack, served as a haven and land laboratory for the Leopold family, friends, and graduate students. And it was here Leopold visualized many of the essays of what was to become his most influential work, A Sand County Almanac.

To find out more about Aldo Leopold, click here for a downloadable fact sheet from the Aldo Leopold Foundation. All credits given to the Aldo Leopold Foundation for this publication.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Phenomenal Phenology

The second week of January has arrived, bringing with it plenty to see and do outside!  Here's this week's phenology:

Please not however that this is what has been historically recorded through phenological records. Given the unseasonably warm weather we have been having, some of these occurrences may not be accurate for this week.
  • Black bear cubs are being born in dens. 
  • Raccoons and Skunk may venture out on “nice” winter days. 
  • Look for sundogs, bright spots on either side of the sun, which can be seen on very cold days.  
  • The constellation Orion is high in the southern sky. Look for it on clear winter nights.
For more fun outdoors, stop by the nature center this week (M-F, 9 am - 4 pm) and check out a Family Trailside Backpack, filled with activities to keep you and your youngster busy as you explore our prairie, woodlands, wetland, pond and savannas. The activities change with a new topic each season.  The backpacks are free for ALNC members, and $5 for non-members, but with family memberships available for just $35, why not become a member and enjoy free use of the backpacks all year long? Click here to find out more about the Family Trailside Backpack Program, and here to find out more about the benefits of becoming an ALNC Member.

Happy exploring!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year's Phenology

Happy 2012!

As I write this, a lazy winter sun is slowly creeping its way above the dense gray covering of clouds beckoning the in-between hibernators --skunks, bears, oppossums and the like-- to wake up and forage for food before the snow hits.

With the new year upon us, now is a great time to tune into the natural world and keep track of your own phenological observations as you observe and discover patterns of seasonal change. As you do, you may be amazed at the webs of connections you are able to find!


Wondering what to look for right now? Here are some ideas. This week:
  • Step outside at night and listen for the ghoulish great horned owl mating calls. 
  • Look for “Upsik” -- the Eskimo term for the blowing snow common in January.
  • Search for antlers on the forest floor between now and the end of January. 
  • While you're at it, look for signs of rodents who “snack” on fallen antlers to provide them with nutrients in the cold months.

    Wishing you a very happy new year!