Nature Nuts: Groundhogs!

I'm still not sure why we perpetuate the myth of groundhogs being able to predict whether we will have more snow or not. However, it is a great time to talk about groundhogs and dispel some of the myths since so many people are talking about them. We typically do not see groundhogs unless they are of the stuffed variety like this specimen held by Krista from Elkhart County Parks. True to form, she pulled together a great program for preschoolers on the topic. She talked about many of the characteristics of the animals and their many names, like woodchuck, whistlepig, etc. She also talked about hibernation, what they do in the winter, and their underground tunnels and various rooms. Many other animals also use these areas as well. We have resident groundhogs back in our shed that like to come close to the house from time to time. I can imagine the tunnels and chambers under there!

Then the kids make a pop up groundhog puppet, with a dowel, toilet paper tubes, and knee highs.

The children also made snow ice cream for a snack with carrots on the side since groundhogs like to eat veggies. Obviously, my son approved of the snow cream and wants to make it again! We just made it during one of our cold weather days. 

Laura from Goshen Public Library brought many books about groundhogs in to share with all the boys, as it happened to only be boys for this program. The books told the history of groundhogs day and how it is celebrated today. Here is a piece on groundhogs from Indiana DNR. 

After puppets were dried, they used them to do a song about groundhogs. 

Pop! They peek out of the ground!

Krista set up a tunnel so the boys could imagine they were underground, just like a groundhog. My youngest really liked that! I really enjoy these Nature Nuts programs through Elkhart County Parks. There is usually a snack, craft, active fun, stories, and activities related to the topic. All are developmentally appropriate for the children and help them understand nature concepts. We typically go to most of them, but my little guy starts kindergarten next year so we just have a few left until the toddler will be old enough. 

Throughout the whole program, my 4-year-old and I really liked looking out the wildlife viewing window. This is a great way to observe nature during the winter months. There were a few very fat squirrels, lots of cardinals, house sparrows, chickadees, tufted titmice, mourning doves, and more! We love watching the different birds to see what they are doing, especially where it is nice and warm next to the fire! Several families stayed to go sledding after the program, which is a nice way to combine nature and recreation. 

Mammals with Elkhart County Parks

We learned about mammals with Elkhart County Parks not very long ago. This was a FREE program put on by the organization. I usually find these very informative and of high quality. Plus they are often FREE!

Edutainment! Bat Encounters!

As part of the Environmental Educators Association of Indiana conference, I went to a presentation put on by Going Bats! about Edutainment, focused on BATS! "B-A-T spells BAT!"-- the song goes through my head now. The couple run a bat recovery operation near Fort Wayne. They had an interesting display of various types of bats and lots of copies of activities and crafts for educators. I always watch for presentation techniques and what makes teaching successful. He told us upfront to save all questions to the end. He had plenty of information to share and most questions were contained in the presentation, but he was open to talking later.

The displays included a lunch box with the different types of foods bats eat. I like how this was very relatable to kids. There was also a big basket with the foods we eat that are pollinated or dispersed by bats, such as bananas, chocolate, mango, kiwi, cloves, and more! 

The couple did a presentation that was definitely full of edutainment. It included songs, Batman references, a few jokes, and lots of information about bats. We were also introduced to their rehabilitation operation and the many bats they have taken under their wing (hand, in the case of a bat) over the years. Their dining room has become a rehabilitation room, with boxes and boxes of bats.

A few bits of information about bats:

• There are over 1250 species of bats.
• They make up 1/4 of all mammal species.
• They can be found on all continents but Antarctica.
• They have 1 or 2 pups a year.
• They can live up to 34 years, though a Little Brown Bat was found in Siberia at 41 years old.
• 70% of bats eat insects, sometimes somersaulting in the air. 
• The Little Brown Bat can eat 1200 mosquitoes in one hour. 
• Bats are good for agriculture as they eat many of the insects that might harm crops.
• Bats are needed for the reestablishment of rain forests as they drop seeds in open areas through guano.
• 
  

He told us how many pennies or coins different bats might weigh--that really put it in perspective. A Little Brown Bat weighs about 2 quarters. He shared stories of where the bats in their care came from and what needed to happen for rehabilitation. After the presentation, the couple brought out a few bats for us to see up close. What a fun and educational experience! They do such interesting and important work with bat rehabilitation. Their website has many of these stories, as well as more information about bats in general and species found in our area.

Bluebird Houses and Bat Boxes

Friday night I took the older boys over to Third Fridays in Middlebury. Middlebury Parks was hosting a bluebird and bat box workshop at the library. We had to stop by the letter elk first. I love how the letters actually jump off the animal. My oldest wondered if it had all the letters of the alphabet on it, but didn't take the time to verify.

We've seen bat boxes for sale around $40, so thought the $5 charge for materials was quite reasonable. Kits were made with all needed construction supplies. One of the helpers who cut boards stopped in to see the fruits of his effort--I'm sure that was neat to see all these families working on their boxes. I thought of the many hours in putting this together. Thank you!

We started with a bluebird house. I've read about the nesting preferences of bluebirds so noticed the size of hole (important) and the deep nature of the box. There is also a way to open the box and clean the nest out each new season. We've had around 5 bluebirds hanging around our bird feeders the last few weeks. I read they are not typically feeder birds, but they hang out on top of the tetherball pole and bird feeders.

This family was so cute. Each girl had a baggy full of change for the bird house. And they were making them with their mom--loved it!

The boys worked together on their projects, with me helping as needed. Okay, a fair amount, but they were involved the whole time. It's a team project, not an individual effort.

I guess this is considered a two-chamber bat box. When we messed up, it was nice to have someone come over and help us fix our mistake--thanks, Tom!

We weren't the only ones. :-)

This was a great team effort. We need to caulk the bat box and paint it black soon. Then we need to find good places to hang each. While I've read basics, we were also given instructions on putting these up and what we might expect. In the process of finding places, the boys will also learn more about the preferences of these animals as well.

We followed up with a little ice cream bribery bonding after we were done since I was on a Friday night "date" with my oldest two boys. I find my kids are usually more tolerating of activities when we combine with a little incentive. Do you ever "encourage" your children?

If you'd like to make your own, there are plans various places online. This is a fun family project. With the kits already assembled, this was an easy way to have ownership in what we made. Looking forward to hanging these up!

Bluebird Nesting Box

Bat House Plans

Elkhart County Parks--Furry Animals!

I brought the boys to the Furry Animals presentation by Elkhart County Parks at Concord Mall this last Thursday. The natural interpreter, Krista Daniels, always does a great job with these presentations. She talked about mammal characteristics. She uses the audience, asks questions, and connects to prior knowledge to make the presentations interactive.

 

She talked about teeth, scat (yes, poop!), eating habits, fur, etc. I learned many things, such as most rodents have orange teeth except for groundhogs. I knew their teeth kept growing and are curved which is why they chew and gnaw on things. I also learned that beaver scat looks like wood shavings. White tail deer were extirpated and then reintroduced by the DNR. They are now the biggest mammal that lives in the area, as the black bear moved north to Michigan. The mountain lion is no longer here as well. She calls animals that eat just about anything they can find opportunivores, which is a fun thing to say. Skunks have long claws to dig for grubs. They can spray up to ten feet, but will try other techniques like stomping their feet before they spray. The spray is also used as a base for perfume as it is so potent (smell removed, of course).

My youngest was really enjoying this red fox fur. We didn't touch any of the taxidermy animals to help preserve them, but furs were passed around later. The red fox is an omnivore, eating rabbits, insects, and the like. The gray fox can climb trees with partially retractable claws. The long bushy tails help foxes keep warm. 

While we can read about all these animals on the Internet, these presentations are fascinating as we get to see and touch things up close and personal. We get to hear stories of using kernels of corn to see echolocation (like playing Marco Polo) working with bats. There are up to 7 different species of bats in the area. Many myths were dispelled. Many facts are presented, such as the hog nose bat being the smallest mammal and a heart of a whale can be the size of a car. One shrew is so light it is the weight of an envelope! Opossums often have frostbite on their ears and tail, as there is no fur to help protect these parts. These marsupials don't really act dead, they really are stunned for the moment. 

 

Many mammals from the area are no longer endangered, like the bobcat (sightings at least as close as LaGrange), the badger, and the river otter.