What has changed in the 60 years since A Sand County Almanac was published? The world’s population has grown from 2.5 billion to 7 billion. An accumulation of carbon dioxide is causing climate change, glaciers are melting, pollution is spreading....
Archive for category: Education & Outreach
Spring in Indiana 200 Years Ago
The days are getting brighter and the ground is starting to thaw. Do you see the signs? The forest is coming to life. Listen for the chirping frogs, pounding woodpeckers, and racing squirrels. Sprigs of green are peeking through the thick mat of decaying leaves. First, the skunk cabbage in the swampy ....
Salamanders
Like lizards, they have a long tail and a narrow body but that is where the similarities end. Lizards are reptiles, with dry scaly skin. Salamanders have moist skin which some actually use to breathe. They are called amphibians because they live part of their lifecycle in the water and part on land....
Kids Club Newsletter – Volume 3 Issue 1
You may have noticed the sun rising sooner and setting later. There are more hours of daylight and the days are getting warmer. Snow has melted and the air smells fresh after it rains. It’s finally Spring!...
Winter Hobbies
No matter what your age, the key to a healthy brain and body is staying active, curious and creative. Whether you learn new skills or find new ways to use existing skills you will keep your brain sharp. Step outdoors and let your inner child wonder. What type of animal made that track? What tree has that....
Kids Club Newsletter – Volume 2 Issue 4
Winter is the season of shorter days and longer nights. On these cold snowy days there is still a lot to explore outside. Dress warmly and head outside to your backyard or nearby woods...
The Life of Winter
As the colors of fall fade onto the ground and the trees become skeletons, the busyness of the forest seems to be only a memory of its summer bustle. The transition into the harshness of winter is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful...
Kids Club Newsletter – Volume 2 Issue 3
What is happening outside now that it’s Autumn? You may already be seeing leaves changing from summer green to bright Fall colors and falling to the ground. Why is this happening?...
I Brake for Turtles
Indiana has 18 native species and subspecies of turtles. Most spend their time in the shallow waters along rivers and ponds. One stands out among them, the Eastern Box Turtle. It is terrestrial, one of the few that lives mainly on land. Found from southern Maine to Georgia, its numbers are in decline in the Midwest....
The Belted Kingfisher
From northern Canada to the Caribbean and from coast to coast, belted kingfishers inhabit both fresh water and salt water habitats. Although there are over 100 species of kingfishers around the world, the belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) is the only species found in Indiana. Kingfishers perch on limbs or telephone wires overhanging rivers, streams and....