Wonder Bugs: Chilly Willy

We normally think of nature as thriving most where the flora is thickest. But even in the barren, unbreakable worlds of ice and snow, creatures of all kinds survive.

Because of staggeringly low temperatures, tree growth is significantly hindered in polar biomes. The subsoil of tundra is choked by cold, left permanently frozen. The life adapted for this environment is as tough as it gets with incredible biological tools to suit them to the unforgiving environment. The polar bear's incredible nose allows it to locate the breathing holes of seals. Reindeer have developed thick hooves to battle predatory grey wolves. In the antarctic, penguins have adapted their vestigial wings into flippers, soaring through the water as an eagle would through the air.

It might be a while north (or south) before you can see these creatures, but don’t let the absence of polar bears or penguins in Wisconsin leave you frosty. We’ll thaw our imaginations and let the games begin! Learn about the frosty animals of the world in a whole new way. It will be “tundra” of fun! 

Tuesday, February 5 and Wednesday, February 6, 2013
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Sunday, February 3, 2013


If you like this Wonder Bugs event, why not try another of our programs:

BATTING A THOUSAND
Tuesday, February 12 and Wednesday, February 13, 2013
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Sunday, February 10, 2013
Take me out to the bat game. Take me out to the cave. Buy me some bat homes and places to hang- upside down; I’ll be sporting some fangs. Come knock this topic right out of the park! You won’t care if you ever get back. Go bats!

JUST BREATHE
Tuesday, February 19 and Wednesday, February 20, 2013
9:30-10:45am
Registration Deadline: Sunday, February 17, 2013
Inhale the wonders of winter. Smell the mysteries of the cold and frozen land. Winter will come alive as we explore nature and breathe in the fresh surprises. I “nose” you’ll get a lungful of exciting discoveries! Be sure to come back spring, summer, and fall; we'll compare nature through the seasons and our noses.

Each program costs- ALNC Members: $8/participant; Non-Members: $9/participant
Registration Form

Make a Gwiazdy

Looking for a fun winter craft with a wealth of tradition? Try making a Polish Gwiazdy (g-vee-azda)! While it may look like a conventional winter cut-out (gwiazdy even means star in Polish), gwiazdy have a history spanning two centuries and are 8-pointed rather than 6-pointed paper snowflakes. Various forms of paper cutouts called wycinanki (vĭ-chee non-key) originated in the 19th century in Poland.Two styles developed in the northern area of Warsaw: leluja (le-lu-ya), which are cut from paper folded lengthwise, and gwiazdy, cut from a round piece of paper. Each spring, the people of Warsaw white-washed the walls of their homes and decorated them with these colorful cut-outs. Celebrate winter the Warsaw way with these simple instructions.

1. Turn your rectangle into a square. Fold your paper all the way across to make a triangle with a bit hanging over. Cut off the bit that hangs over.

2. Fold your square in half (to make a rectangle)

3. Then fold it in half again to make a square. Now fold in half one last time (corner to corner this time) to make a triangle.

4. Draw a curved line and cut off the top of the triangle

5. Draw a symmetrical design. Don't draw any cuts all the way through or you'll end up with confetti instead of a star.

6. Cut along the lines you drew and unfold to admire your beautiful creation!

Maple Syrup Fest

Celebrate the spring with Maple Syrup Fest—a family-style festival at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

This year's Maple Syrup Fest will feature ten stations set throughout the nature center grounds to lead visitors, at their own pace, through the history of maple syruping and related craft and activities. Naturalists will tap the maple trees on the nature center grounds and collect sap in buckets to make the syrup. See the sap boil over a roaring fire as it concentrates into "liquid gold". When the sap is boiled, the sap's naturally occurring water evaporates as steam, leaving the sap and its sweetness to concentrate into maple syrup.

• Tap and Taste real MapleTree Sap!
• Test your "Nature Smarts" with Maple Syrup Trivia!
• Increase your Knowledge of Trees with "Build-A-Tree" Game!
• Learn from a Real "Tapper" how Maple Syrup is made Today and the Old-Fashioned Way!
• Tour the Rustic Children's Shack!
• Take part in Cooking Demonstrations with Early Pioneer Settlers!
• Enjoy Ice Cream Sundaes topped with Pure Maple Syrup!
• Partners with American Transmission Company, Alliant Energy Foundation, Cuna Mutual Group, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, The Evjue Foundation and Madison Gas and Electric.

Date/Time: Sunday, March 24, 2013, 1-3pm
Location: Monona Campus
Registration: Pre-registration preferred but walk-ins are welcome!

More Wintertime Suggestions from ALNC

Looking for some new outdoor winter activities? Try one of these suggestions!

1. Blowing Bubbles

You probably associate blowing bubbles with sunglasses, bare feet and green grass. But in the wintertime, it takes on a whole new dimension of fun. Children (and adults) will love watching the bubbles freeze. You can even make frozen bubble sculptures; your imagination is the limit.

2. Colossal Snowballs

Keep rolling that snowman base into a boulder that would frighten Indiana Jones! Get your kids to see who can roll the largest snowball. These frozen monoliths will survive most thaws, letting you keep the same creation between snowfalls. Be careful your kids don’t leave their snowballs in the driveway!

3. Geocaching

The mere mention of the word ‘treasure’ is guaranteed to light up a kid’s eyes. Treat them to a real life adventure and go geocaching! Use global positioning devices and the internet to seek out items hidden by others. Fun even for teens!

4. Flashlight Tag

Do you like tag? Flashlight tag is very much like conventional tag, but players tag each other with flashlights instead of hands. With the increasingly early nights, flashlight tag is an ideal wintertime activity.

5. Making Molasses                                                                                 

Do your kids like candy? Look up a recipe for some good old fashioned molasses (it's a simple but delicious dish!) and pour over fresh snow to serve. Daunted by the price of molasses? Try a substitute of dark syrup and brown sugar. Just as tasty at a fraction of the cost!