GIGGLEMOOSE NEWS -- MARCH 2002 -- Greetings, nature lovers!
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CONTENTS:
1. Mud Pies, Anyone?
2. Answers R Us
3. Activity Idea
4. Ice, Ice Baby
5. Speaking of Ice . . .
6. Mr. & Mrs. Deer, Your Table is Ready--The Sequel
7. Reruns
8. From the Moose Man's Office
9. Don't Forget to Vote
10. We Need You!
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1. MUD PIES, ANYONE?
Ah, March. Is it winter? Is it spring? I’ll tell you what it is over here in
northern New England: it’s mud season! One day the temperatures are in the
upper 50s, spawning a gooey, mushy landscape that quickly gets scarred by
footsteps and vehicle tracks. The next day the temperatures dip back down below
20, freezing those deep ruts into treacherous sculptures which resemble the
surface of the moon. I never thought I’d say it, but this year I actually miss
the mud. Things are far less soggy than normal because New Hampshire (like much
of the country) is suffering from a severe drought. This, of course, reminds us
all that water is a precious natural resource that needs to be protected and
preserved. Perhaps it’s a good time for a unit study on water in your home or
classroom?
2. 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. Appropriately
enough, the question this time around is: "How does evaporation work?"
Read our explanation by going to http://www.gigglemoose.com/feature_question.htm
3. ACTIVITY IDEA
Try the "I Spy Something Affected by Weather!" game provided by the
Weather Channel. Help students become aware of how the weather influences almost
everything around them. Take them on a walk around the school or have them take
notes as they travel to or from school to observe: colors of leaves or the lack
of leaves on trees, cars faded from sun or corroded from salt and ice, houses
sheltered from sun or wind, stores selling sleds or skimobiles, potholes formed
from expanding and contracting asphalt, lush green areas with little need for
irrigation. Share observations. Do the students' observations depict positive or
negative weather influences?
For more weather-related activity ideas, visit the Weather Channel Education
Insights site at:
http://www.weather.com/education/wxclass/wxinsights.html
4. ICE, ICE BABY
Did you know that even when a lake or pond has iced over, life continues on
below the surface? See for yourself by taking a winter exploration to a nearby
frozen body of water. (Check below for safety tips!) If you can find some clear
new ice, there’s a good chance you’ll get an amazing view of insects
scurrying upside down on the bottom side of the ice. Fish, too, remain active
below the ice line, feeding on all those bugs. Now that we’ve opened the door
to this fascinating hidden world, it might be fun for you and your kids to
research what other life lurks below!
5. SPEAKING OF ICE . . .
Before you attempt any excursion onto a frozen body of water, our friends at the
NH Fish & Game Department remind us of some life-saving safety guidelines.
First of all, never assume the ice is thick enough to support your weight. Check
it! Start at the shoreline and, using an auger, spud, or ice axe, make test
holes at intervals as you proceed. As a rule of thumb, there should be a minimum
of 4 to 6 inches of ice to support a few, well-dispersed people; 6 to 7 inches
for small groups on foot; and at least 8 to 10 inches for snowmobiles. (These
recommendations are based on information from the Cold Regions Research Library
in Hanover, NH.) If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off.
Don’t go on the ice during thaws. Avoid honeycombed ice, dark snow and dark
ice. And remember that ice is generally thinner where there is moving water,
such as around inlets and outlets, wharves, bridge abutments, islands, and
objects protruding through the ice.
6. MR. & MRS. DEER, YOUR TABLE IS READY--THE SEQUEL
Back in November’s newsletter, we highlighted an article that explained how to
attract wildlife to your back yard or school grounds. Now we want to make sure
people realize that doesn’t mean you should put food out for deer. In fact,
that practice actually does more home than good. Find out why with the online
article at http://www.gigglemoose.com/artcl-dontfeeddeer.htm
7. RERUNS
Did you miss a back issue of one of our newsletters? Would you like to reference
a past article? We’re currently in the process of putting all of our
newsletters 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:
Gardening time is right around the corner, which makes the "Buddy B"
line of children's tools some of our most popular items right now. In our search
for high-quality children's outdoor tools, we discovered that we needn't look
any further then our own back yard. Rugg has been manufacturing high-quality
tools right here in New England for over 150 years, and their Buddy B line of
"real" children's tools are perfect for small helpers in the yard or
at the beach. All four are scaled-down replicas of full-sized adult tools
with brightly colored steel heads and solid 30" hardwood handles that are
coated for a smooth finish. There's a level head rake (red with 7 teeth), spade
(blue), hoe (orange), fan rake (yellow with 11 teeth). Check them out at
http://www.gigglemoose.com/childtools.htm
9. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE
If you were an animal, what would you do during winter? Hibernate, fly south, or
stick around and forage for food? Cast your vote 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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