GIGGLEMOOSE NEWS -- WINTER 2002/03 -- Greetings,
nature lovers!
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CONTENTS:
1. Spring, Spring, Where for Art Thou?
2. Activity Ideas
3. Answers R Us
4. Dangerous Temperatures
5. Links You'll Love
6. Exclusive Gigglemoose Worksheets
7. Reruns
8. From the Moose Man's Office
9. Don't Forget to Vote
10. We Need You!
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1. SPRING, SPRING, WHERE FOR ART THOU?
I love winter as much as the next four-season naturalist. And anybody who lives
in New England had best be tolerant of snow and cold. But some winters seem
longer than others, and this winter is starting to seem endless. Perhaps it's
because we had been living near the coast the past few years where we don't get
as much snow as we did where Wendy and I grew up (in New Hampshire's Monadnock
region). That southwestern area of the state is a mini-snowbelt where
shoulder-high drifts are the norm. This is our first winter in Nottingham,
further north and inland from our previous residence in near-coastal Kensington,
and this winter has been a doozy. As I sit at the computer writing, we're still
recovering from a genuine blizzard that dumped close to two feet of (thankfully)
light, powdery snow. It looks absolutely beautiful in the evergreens surrounding
our home. It offers a fresh playground for the kids and puppies. It creates a
blank canvas ready to record the tracks of active creatures meandering about our
property. It provides insulating cover for the natural world. It will eventually
contribute much-needed moisture to the groundwater table. And yet, enough is
enough. And it's only February!
2. ACTIVITY IDEAS
Despite my whining, winter is a wonderful time to explore the outdoors. So don't
let the cold weather bring an end to your outdoor explorations. Despite the
commonly held belief that cold air causes colds, studies have shown that even in
the winter months fresh air is healthy for children (as well as moms, dads, and
teachers!). Winter hibernation not only causes cabin fever in some of us, it
keeps us breathing the unhealthy air that results from spending so much time in
poorly ventilated, overheated indoor spaces. You can actually reduce the chances
of spreading germs and infection by getting outside!
Winter is a wonderful time for observing the landscape. Even if you don't get
snow where you live, there are still obvious seasonal changes in the environment
that invite fascinating teaching opportunities (unless you're located in a truly
tropical climate!). Discuss the loss of foliage on deciduous trees and the
contrasting difference of evergreens. Notice how woody or even dead stems and
stalks on many plants collect drifting leaves to form protective insulating
covers. Study the effects of frost on plants and the ground. You'll find many
more winter activity ideas and important safety tips at
http://www.gigglemoose.com/artcl-winterwonderland.htm
3. ANSWERS R US
In our never-ending quest to answer all questions nature-related, we provide
another insightful response to a visitor's fascinating query. The question this
time around comes from Katy in Michigan. Appropriately enough, she wants to
know, "How is Wind Chill Measured?" You'll find the answer (plus more
information on wind chill, frostbite, and hypothermia) online at http://www.gigglemoose.com/feature_question.htm
4. DANGEROUS TEMPERATURES
Our answer to Katy's wind chill question has prompted related follow-up
questions concerning the danger levels of winter temperatures. For example, a
safety-conscious mom wants to know how long her children should stay outdoors at
various temperatures, and a teacher was seeking recommendations for when
children should be kept indoors during recess. Unfortunately, we are far from
experts on such issues and providing even an educated guess could inadvertently
endanger children. I know that some local schools keep children indoors when the
wind chill temperature hits 20 degrees. Others set the threshold higher at 30
degrees. But the biggest difficulty for school officials is the inability to
control what children wear. Too many kids arrive at school without hats, gloves,
or even an adequate winter coat. (That's why many schools eagerly welcome
donations of these items.) At home, you can control what your children wear and
you can control their exposure time. In addition to the safety tips we've
outlined in the article mentioned under item #2, we suggest you contact your
state and county government agencies, neighboring school administrative units,
local university cooperative extensions, and visit the Web sites listed under
item #5 . . .
5. LINKS YOU'LL LOVE
The National Weather Service's fact-packed site at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
is the perfect place to start researching winter weather concerns.
The Weather Channel also has a very informative site at http://www.weather.com.
Particularly helpful is the Safeside weather safety section (http://www.weather.com/safeside/index.html)
produced in conjunction with the American Red Cross.
The Canada Safety Council offers detailed advice on proper clothing and
protection from the hazards of cold weather at http://www.safety-council.org/news/media/releases/winter.html
6. EXCLUSIVE GIGGLEMOOSE WORKSHEETS
By request, NEW worksheets are now posted in our online teaching center!
Unscramble the names of bugs commonly found in backyards, match the names of
woodland and oceanic creatures with their descriptions, and fill in the blanks
with the correct letters to identify commonly known birds. These exclusive
worksheets are perfect reinforcement activities to follow units in nature study.
They are free and may be reproduced for home and classroom use. You'll find them
at http://www.gigglemoose.com/worksheets.htm
7. RERUNS
Did you miss a back issue of one of our newsletters? Would you like to reference
a past article? All of our newsletters are now available online so you can read
them whenever you'd like. Visit our archive at http://www.gigglemoose.com/newsletterarchive.htm
8. FROM THE MOOSE MAN'S OFFICE
Many of our nature-loving friends request recommendations for good environmental
education resources. Here's another one of the Moose Man's personal favorites:
What's the next best thing to having a real wild animal as your very own pet?
Adopting a lovable lookalike from Planet Rascals! These cuddly toys are modeled
after real animals that live at the Los Angeles Zoo or the Shambala animal
sanctuary. But Planet Rascals animals are more than just detailed stuffed toys.
Each animal is packaged with an educational CD-ROM that helps children get
acquainted with their new friend. The simple-to-use CD-ROM works on both PC and
Macintosh platforms, and is packed with colorful photographs, video clips,
animation, games, activities, and information about the real-life animal---both
in the wild and in captivity. Each CD-ROM includes an exclusive link to the
Planet Rascals Web site, which takes the adventure a giant leap farther.
Periodic updates online keep you informed about the well-being of your animal's
real-life counterpart.
When you purchase a Planet Rascals animal you do more than buy a toy. You
actually adopt it---papers and all! Better yet, a percentage of the purchase
price is donated to the Zoo or Sanctuary where the real animal lives, helping to
ensure that it receives the tender loving care it needs for a long, happy,
healthy life. Your furry new friend will be shipped to you with a personalized
adoption certificate in a unique Planet Rascals animal carrier! Choose from Jean
the Chimpanzee, Rachel the Kangaroo, Kobar the Koala, Leo the Lion, Jill the
Leopard, Timbo the Elephant, or adopt them all! They make great classroom
mascots. If you'd like to learn more about these exciting new educational toys
or purchase one, go to http://www.gigglemoose.com/products_just_for_fun-2.htm
or browse the "Just for Fun" section in our online Nature Learning
Store.
9. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE
Keeping in our winter theme, if you were to embark on an expedition to the polar
regions, which animal would you or your children most like to meet? Cast your
votes in our online Nature Poll and discover how many visitors agree with you.
Scroll down to the bottom of our home page to find it.
10. WE NEED YOU!
A final request: if you know anyone who would enjoy seeing this newsletter and
learning about our Web site, please feel free to forward it to them. Your
continued assistance in spreading the word about Gigglemoose.com not only brings
new voices into our interactive experience, it helps keep us around! : )
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GIGGLEMOOSE.COM (http://www.gigglemoose.com)
Exploring and preserving nature with children, parents, and teachers.