GIGGLEMOOSE KIDS NEWS -- Spring 2002 -- Hi, kids!
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CONTENTS
1. Spring has Sprung
2. That’s No Puddle!
3. Saving the Oldest Animals
4. Nature Profile: Snowshoe Hare
5. Do You Know Your State Tree?
6. Answers R Us
7. Your Vote Counts!
8. The Fun Never Stops
9. Gasp! Wow! I Didn’t Know That!
10. Moose Moment
11. Kids Make a Difference
12. Missed an Issue?
13. Feed Your Need to Read
14. A Note to Moms, Dads, Teachers, and Guardians
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Why are you getting the spring newsletter in the summer? Have we confused our
seasons? No, actually it's the result of some technical difficulties on our end.
We originally attempted to send this out during the end of March, but just
discovered that it never reached its destination. Yet we still wanted our
faithful readers to see the spring edition. So please enjoy this tardy
newsletter with our apologies.
1. SPRING HAS SPRUNG
Warmer weather, longer days, singing birds, budding trees . . . it can mean only
one thing: SPRING! According to the calendar, March 20 was the official first
day of spring. But depending on where you live, spring may already be well under
way or still just something to hope for in the coming weeks. Some people view
spring as merely a transition from the cold stillness of winter to the exciting
activity of summer. But let’s not overlook spring too quickly. This season is
a remarkable time for studying nature! Animals are coming out of hibernation,
birds are returning from their winter migrations, trees are leafing out, plants
are preparing to flower, seeds are germinating, insects are back to work, frozen
waterways are thawing, weather patterns are changing, gardens are being planted,
and so much more. If you’re not careful, the browns and grays of early spring
will transform into the vibrant colors of summer before you know it and you’ll
have missed the natural world’s marvelous season of rebirth!
2. THAT’S NO PUDDLE!
One sure sign of spring is water. April showers and melting snow fill streams,
create lots of mud, and leave puddles everywhere. But sometimes a puddle is more
than just a puddle. Vernal pools are very important temporary bodies of water
that form every spring, and they’re teeming with life! Learn all about them by
reading the article at http://www.gigglemoose.com/artcl-vernalpools.htm
3. SAVING THE OLDEST ANIMALS
Vernal pools are especially beneficial to amphibians and sometimes even aquatic
reptiles. You know, cool critters like frogs and salamanders and turtles. And
speaking of turtles, you can read about efforts to save these ancient marvels
(the longest, unchanged vertebrate on the planet!) at
http//www.gigglemoose.com/artcl-savingturtles.htm
4. NATURE PROFILE: SNOWSHOE HARE
The snowshoe hare gets its name from its large hind feet. By spreading its toes
out like a "snowshoe," it can keep on hopping in deep snow. Even more
remarkable is the fact that the fur of the snowshoe hare molts from a soft brown
in summer to mostly white in winter. It takes about 10 weeks for this camouflage
change to be complete, and that’s why this animal is also called the
"varying hare."
5. DO YOU KNOW YOUR STATE TREE?
Is it the sugar maple? How about the magnolia? Maybe the pine? Are you sure? Now
you can look it up online and discover all the other state trees as well! Check
out
http://www.gigglemoose.com/artcl-statetrees.htm
6. ANSWERS R US
The nature questions keep coming in at Gigglemoose.com and we're doing our best
to answer them all. The featured question this time around is: "How does
evaporation work?” Do you know? Discover the fascinating answer to this
question (and many more!) online at
http://www.gigglemoose.com/feature_question.htm
7. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!
If you were an animal, what would you do during the winter months? Fly south,
hibernate, or stick around and forage for food? Visit our home page at http://www.gigglemoose.com
then scroll down to the bottom and cast your vote in our online poll!
8. THE FUN NEVER STOPS
If you enjoy challenging word games, then the Gigglemoose.com online games
center is the place to go! Check out http://www.gigglemoose.com/indoors.htm and
print out the NEW Reptile & Amphibian Crossword or the NEW Popular Birds
Word Search. You’ll also find a bunch of fun pages to print out and color!
9. GASP! WOW! I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!
Everybody has heard scary stories about schools of vicious piranha devouring
large mammals. But did you know that most piranha species are vegetarians?
It’s true! Discover more strange and amazing nature facts at
http://www.gigglemoose.com/strange&amazing.htm
10. MOOSE MOMENT---Brief facts about the majestic American Moose!
Moose crave sodium, which is why they love wading in water and feasting on
aquatic plants (rich with sodium). If you live in an area populated with moose
(like New Hampshire), it’s also why you often see them strolling along
roadsides in the spring. They lick the salt that was laid on the roads during
the previous winter!
11. KIDS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We’re always thrilled to hear about what kids are doing to make our world a
better place. Did you study the environment in school this year? Are you
planning any special Earth-friendly projects this summer? Log on to
http://www.gigglemoose.com/kids_make_a_difference.htm and tell us all about it!
(With your parents’ permission, of course.)
12. MISSED AN ISSUE?
If you missed an issue of everybody’s favorite e-mail newsletter about nature,
or you’d like to look up something you remember reading in a past issue,
don’t sit around and sulk. Just visit our online newsletter archive at
http://www.gigglemoose.com/newsletterarchive.htm
13. FEED YOUR NEED TO READ!
Like it or not, there are times when we can't be outside exploring the wonders
of our natural world. But there's no need to pout, because that's the perfect
time to pick up a book! Sure, we hope you continue to visit us on the Internet
at Gigglemoose.com, but there are millions of fun-filled books out there that
can take you on amazing expeditions right inside your living room! You can look
up what kind of bird you saw outside, discover what penguins do all day, plan a
garden, take a swim with sharks, identify beneficial insects, explore the
prehistoric world of dinosaurs, and much more. Best of all, books are absolutely
free when you visit your local library. So don't pull your hair out when you're
stuck inside . . . feed your need to read!
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A NOTE TO MOMS, DADS, TEACHERS, AND GUARDIANS: This kids' newsletter is sent
only to people who have specifically subscribed to it. You may unsubscribe by
simply replying to this message with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE." We will
certainly miss you, but we respect your privacy, which is why we promise to
never rent or sell your e-mail address. We also abide by a very strict
children's privacy policy, which of course follows the guidelines of the U.S.
government's Children's Online Privacy Act. Our privacy policy is explained in
detail at http://www.gigglemoose.com/privacy_policy.htm. If this newsletter was
forwarded to you by someone else and you would like to subscribe, visit our home
page at http://www.gigglemoose.com and click on the "subscribe"
button.
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All content is copyright by John W. Schlim Jr. or Gigglemoose unless otherwise
indicated.
GIGGLEMOOSE.COM (http://www.gigglemoose.com)
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