Summer Fun with Nature Passports!

With the school year winding down and summer unfolding ahead of us, are you looking for things to do outside with your family? Well, we have great news for you -- the 2013 Nature Net Passports are here!

This summer, romp with Ringo, the scavenging raccoon!

This summer, Nature Net would like to help you and your kids enjoy the sights and sounds of the season as you "Get Movin'" outside with Nature Passport! These free educational scavenger hunts are designed for parents and children to enjoy the wonderful resources that abound in Madison and surrounding areas -- the flexible format allows you to explore Nature Net's nature centers, parks, and museums on your own time all summer long. Complete fun activities, record your observations, and track your adventures by stamping your Nature Passport along the way.

Hike, sketch, climb, look for animal tracks, identify trees, and more! In addition to Fun Facts and Nature Records, each of the 17 Nature Net sites also include Movin' Missions - fun, healthy, physical activities to get you and your kids movin' together.

So how can you get your paws on a Nature Passport of your own? Visit any Nature Net Site and pick up a copy, request a few from us, or download and print your own, and you'll be romping with Ringo in no time!

Still have questions about Nature Net's Nature Passport? Read all the details on our website. Get movin' and have a great summer!

Why do birds sing in the early mornings?

Sunrise at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center

With the warmer weather we've been having, it's been necessary for me to sleep with the window open at night (and maybe even with the fan on, too). I am finding that this inevitably means that I will wake up to birds singing sometime between 3am and sunrise. Some even continue through the night! I'm usually immediately upset that these birds woke me up, but it did get me thinking; why do birds sing in the early mornings?

After some digging around, I can tell you that it is mostly the male birds who make up this morning ruckus. Research has pointed to two reasons why male birds sing in these dawn (and pre-dawn) hours: to warn other male birds of their territory and to let females know that they are around and are looking for a mate. It is also notable that male birds sing in the spring because it is breeding season, and they are trying to defend their breeding territory. For better or for worse (for our spring slumber), most birds have developed special adaptations that allow them to sing so loudly, steadily, and with beautiful musical variation. Learn more about bird musicians and their incredible vocal abilities.

Other research tries to understand why male birds find it necessary to sing so early. One theory is that dawn is the best time for song travel because there is less heat and wind to interfere with the acoustics. Another theory is that singing in the morning leads to a more consistent signal to other male birds, and the earlier the better. To my understanding, there is not one theory that has been proven over another, and it may be a combination of reasons. (The Cornell Department of Ornithology also has great resources and research on general bird information, bird songs, and why they sing in the mornings.) What is for certain is that I will wake up everyday to birds chirping. It could be worse, right?

Aldo Leopold's Shack in Baraboo, WI

Aldo Leopold, well known for phenology, conservation, and wildlife management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, actually wrote about these morning songs in his essay "Great Possessions." In addition to being a curious and meticulous naturalists, Aldo happened to be a very early riser! He was one of the first people to link individual bird species with their arrival to the dawn chorus and association with the amount of daylight. Because his notes were so thorough, Dr. Stanley A. Temple, a University of Wisconsin-Madison emeritus professor was able to use them much like a musical score to recreate a soundscape of what the Leopolds likely heard each morning at their shack in Sauk County. Listen to it here!


Are you interested in recording your own dawn chorus notes? Contribute your seasonal observations and learn more about nature journaling and phenology from this Nature Net blog post. If you're more of a techie, you can also use technology to record your nature observations. I also discovered that yesterday happened to be International Dawn Chorus Day! To further celebrate these early orchestras, visit their website and learn more about songbirds and their morning music across the globe.

Do you enjoy this dawn chorus? Does it wake you up or do you sleep through it? Leave your comments below!

Happy Spring,
Ellen
Nature Net Intern

Aldo Leopold, Pheonology, and Climate Change

Close-up of a bud cluster from a Silver Maple Tree

What is phenology, what does it have to do with Aldo Leopold or climate change, and how can you use phenology in your own life? Read on for an overview and learn more at a wonderful upcoming program - free to the public - about Aldo Leopold, Phenology, and Climate Change! 


With the chill in the air and the seemingly never-ending showers of rain, it’s hard to look outside and see the many signs of spring that are upon us -- nevertheless, they are there! Have you spotted a robin yet? Buzzing insects or squiggling earthworms? What about the tiny, beautiful clusters of buds bursting from maple branches (photo)? If you answered yes, be sure to enter your observations in Earth Alive, Nature Net's online database of phenological observations! Phenology is the study of nature's seasonal changes from year to year. If you answered no, start looking closely at the world around you, and check out what others have seen on Earth Alive for ideas of what to look for! Phenology sounds like a fancy academic field, but it's a really great way for citizens, families, and even kids to get involved in observing the simple science of the seasons. Anyone can do it, anywhere! To learn how you and your family can get started, check out this Nature Net Journaling and Phenology post.

This study of nature's response to seasonal and climate changes was very familiar to Aldo Leopold and his family. As you may know, Aldo Leopold was a premiere ecologist, now world-famous for his early practice of phenology. He also originated the idea of a Land Ethic and is considered by many people to be the father of conservation and wildlife management. In 1928, Leopold began teaching at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and introduced "Game Management" to his students--the first teaching of its kind. He continued studying the natural world and even initiated his own ecological restoration experiment with his family at their shack on the Wisconsin River. His nature recordings and essays written on the natural world were later published in "A Sand County Almanac" and other works.

In Wisconsin, our spring season is known for its ups and downs and general unpredictability. How our weather, and especially long-term climate patterns, impact the emergence, migration, and seasonal cycles of plants and animals is a growing and important conversation. There is a need to better understand our climate, how it's changing, and the effects on the ecological community--and how phenological observations can give us a bigger picture of what's going on. Click here or watch below to learn how Aldo Leopold's daughter Nina Leopold Bradley and her family have used Aldo's records to graphically demonstrate climate changes in our area--it's a unique and fascinating story!


Phenology | Climate Wisconsin from Wisconsin Media Lab on Vimeo.


This conversation comes full circle next week, when Dr. Stanley A. Temple, Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Senior Fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, will be giving a public lecture on "Aldo Leopold, Phenology, and Climate Change" at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona on April 24 at 6:00pm. The presentation, free to the public, will be followed by a guided tour of the Aldo Leopold Nature Center's Climate Science Education Center, including the Nina Leopold Bradley Family Phenology Center. Don't miss this amazing opportunity to hear the latest Leopoldian views on nature, climate, ecology, and phenology. Visit the event listing for more information.

All About Polar Bears

You may have heard about the Henry Vilas Zoo’s “Paddle for the Polar Bears” event to raise money to support its Arctic Passage exhibit, home to the polar bears and seals. But have you ever wanted to learn more about protecting polar bears, their home, or even how to better help conserve them in the wild?

Good News! The Henry Vilas Zoo will be hosting Robert and Carolyn Buchanan, founders of the conservation organization Polar Bears International on April 23, 2013 at 1:30pm in the visitor center. Robert and Carolyn will talk about polar bear conservation and host a Q&A session after. Join members of Nature Net at this great event!

Learn more about Polar Bears... 

Earth Day Bouquet 2013

It’s nearing the end of March, and you all know what that means!

Earth Day Bouquet is almost here!

Nature Net has posted this year’s Earth Day Bouquet in celebration of Earth Day 2013. Earth Day Bouquet is a listing of family events between April 13-27^th at Nature Net sites. 

This year Earth Day Bouquet is jam-packed full of environmental education opportunities, volunteering you can do with your family, several guided walks and hikes, the Isthmus Green Day expo, and the 2013 Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference featuring Jane Goodall!

Phenology Center at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Earth Day Bouquet events also include the Madison Children's Museum's "Grow Plants for the Wilderdeck" where families can help start plants for the new Wilderdeck exhibit and children can take home their own plant! Or you can also visit the Henry Vilas Zoo for their Earth Day Celebration, where the staff will be giving away trees to help protect polar bears from global warming! Still unsure? The Olbrich Botanical Gardens is hosting a "Celebrate Spring Series" designed for you and your preschooler to spend quality time together while focusing on nature and the seasonal changes of spring. Be sure to check out activities and exhibits at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center when celebrating Earth Day. Visit the phenology center, watch a special Excellent Earth planetary playlist, hike the trails, or explore the interactive green building. You pick!

Registration and fees for these events may vary, so be sure to visit the schedule for more information and event location. And don’t forget to check back for the latest updates!

Upcoming Maple Syrup Festivals

There are two exciting Nature Net Maple Syrup Festival events coming up!

Did you know that Maple Syrup is made from the sap of the sugar maple tree? In the spring when it starts to get warmer throughout the day, sap raises in trees through its roots. But if it gets too cold at night, the sap goes back into the roots. After the sap is collected, it is boiled to cook down the sap to create maple syrup! Learn more about the production and creation of Maple Syrup, by watching the video of a Wisconsin family run maple syrup business, "Sugarbushes."

Maple Syrup Fest at ALNC

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center will be hosting its annual Maple Syrup Fest on Sunday, March 24th from 1:00-3:00pm. Come tap and test real MapleTree Sap, learn how maple syrup is made today and the old fashioned way, and enjoy ice cream sundaes with real maple syrup!
The Aldo Leopold Nature Center is located at 330 Femrite Drive, Monona. Learn more!

Maple Syrup Fest at the MacKenzie Center

The MacKenzie Enviornmental Nature Center is also hosting their Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday, April 6th from 8:00-2:00pm. Not only will you be able to eat a pancake breakfast, but you'll also be able to take a horse-drawn wagon ride, and listen to an interpretative talk on how Native Americans and Pioneers made maple syrup as well as current maple syrup making methods. The MacKenzie Environmental Education Center is located at W7303 County Road CS & Q, Poynette, WI. Learn more!

You may also be interested in trying out Snow Ice Cream with maple syrup. But eat the snow at your own risk! For safety and health reasons be sure to use fresh, clean snow!

Hello from our Newest Intern

Hello!

Hiking the Fox Glacier in New Zealand

My name is Ellen King and I am the newest Nature Net Intern! I just moved to the Madison area from Michigan (I’m not sorry) and am passionate about outdoor and environmental education. I am a two time AmeriCorps Alumnae from the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America).

This spring and what is left of winter, I will be working on Nature Net’s monthly newsletters to teachers and parents, Earth Day Bouquet, delivering Nature Net’s events to you, and much more!

Fun fact about me: In school, science was not my best subject, nor was it one I was interested in learning about. After spending several months completing ecological restoration in Southeast Wisconsin and Southern Iowa this past year, I can admit that my past prejudices against science are over. I have always been an outdoors-lover, but now find myself interested in topics like climate change (click for a past blog on climate change), restoration, and the use of herbicides and pesticides.

Learning how to use a Fire Extinguisher

I am so excited to be here! Comment below and be sure to let me know if there is something you would like to see!