Eco's holiday adventure part 5

Friends!
I just received another letter from a friend that was having fun with Eco over the holidays. They said that Eco helped a family take down  Halloween decorations and put up Christmas lights! Apparently my little cousin was a wonderful helper. (I'd have to see that to believe it. One time he was supposed to help me carry a birthday cake over to one of our friend's burrow. By the time we got there the cake was missing! And my cousin had frosting all over his nose. Hmmm, not very helpful indeed.) They also told me that Eco and his new friend swept the front steps and put the lights up on their bushes! That sounded like so much fun! I love decorating bushes. And then curling up and going to sleep in them after a hard days work :)

Until next time my friends!Eco

Eco's Holiday Adventure part 4

Here is a letter I received from my friends this week! It looks like they had a lot of fun with my cousin, Eco:

Hello Eco,

Here are some pictures of you with us and one of your big cousins.  

There is one picture of you at our community tree decoration party and one with the arboretum Illumination literature.

 Sorry I forgot the camera in the car.  We hope you had fun with us.

-Your friends

I did have fun with them! I loved how they used recycled materials to decorate for the holidays! Toilet paper rolls are so versatile! I use them for everything. (Except for their intended purpose. Raccoons do not need toilet paper, thank you very much.)
Keep those letters coming!

Eco  

Eco's Holiday Adventure part 3.

Greetings friends!
I traveled with my friend to visit family over Thanksgiving. I checked out Auntie Jacqui's Christmas tree (I was really good at climbing it).

I ate some of Grandma's cranberries. I love love love berries! 

 I also helped my good friend put up some Christmas decorations at Grandma's. Here family was so nice to me! They didn't try to shoo me out the door or anything!

It was great! 
Until next time my friends, 
Eco

Eco's Holiday adventure pt. 2

Greeting friends!

I am hanging out with my Friend Jack. He made me a VERY comfy bed out of a recycled diaper box. It is much better than sleeping outside on some leaves! Here is a picture of me resting with my best friend. Batman has always been a great friend to the raccoons.

I love how Jack thought to RECYCLE the box, too. There are so many amazing things we can build using our imagination things we find around the house. Boxes are one of my most favorite things to play with. A box can be a house, a cave, a ship, a car, or millions of other things! Send me pictures if you come up with something amazing!

Love,
Eco

Eco's Holiday adventure!

Greetings!

I am very busy this week going on adventures with my friends! I will try to keep you up to date as best I can.

Today I was hanging out with my friend, Joe. I got to ride a really big ship! I had to share with a turkey, but he was pretty cool about it. Joe told me it was called the Mayflower. I thought it was a silly name for a boat. I thought it should have been called Fallleaves.

Thanks Joe!

Until next time my friends!

Eco

Hello Mr. Squirrel! Hope you find your nuts!

My squirrel friends are super busy this time of year. I'm sure you've noticed! Around Eldridge Park and the eastern side of the country we see the Eastern Gray Squirrel, or Sciurus carolinensis. The genus name (that first latin name) means shadow-tail. That second name refers to where it was first recorded, the Carolinas. They are a native mammal to the eastern U.S but have been introduced to some European countries, parts of Africa, Australia and parts of the western U.S. 


Most people know that squirrels bury their hoards but I don't think you realized how nuts these little fury things are! It's estimated that one squirrel can have several thousand caches per season. They have two different types of caches, long term secure ones and ones that they bury in an unsecured location that they plan to retrieve in a few hours or days for reburial. They use distant and nearby landmarks and their sense of smell to retrieve their caches. They have even been known to pretend to bury things if they feel they are being watched! Those tricky little rodents! Amazing! So next time you see a squirrel burying their stash avert your eyes - give them a little privacy!

It's also very difficult to tell whether you are watching a boy squirrel or a girl squirrel because they have the same body length, weight and color. Gray squirrels can live up to 20 years in captivity and live to about 12 years in the wild. 

They love seeds and berries and will do just about anything to get to them. So watch your bird feeders! Here's some helpful hints on squirrel-proofing your feeders: http://bit.ly/f3qhLF

In conclusion, sometimes I get a little jealous of my squirrel friends. They are the little rockstars in the local wildlife world. With their awesome climbing and great spacial memory. Raccoons also have the ability to turn our paws around in order to climb down a tree head first. But no way do we look as adorable doing it. 

Next time you see a squirrel tip your hat to them and let them know you appreciate how awesome they are.

Till next time, my friends!
Eco

Disclaimer: raccoons are still better.

Fall colors!

Hello my friends!

I hope you all have gotten a chance to be outside and soak in all the amazing colors of fall! The trees are looking beautiful here at Eldridge Park. I have been enjoying crunching leaves, piling them up and throwing them into the air!

Why do we call it fall? Say it with me: "the leaves fall!" Nice job you smarty pants, you. That's the reason. Autumn used to be referred to as "harvest" but as people moved more and more to an urban life they started referring to it "fall of the leaf" and it gradually turned into just plain old "fall".

Leaves are falling which is awesome but I think the best part of fall is the colors! "Why do leaves turn different colors?", I hear you say. Great question!

Leaves change different colors because the actual chemical composition in the leaf is changing. There are three molecules that are responsible for color in leaves:

Chlorophyll - Green

Anthocyanin - Red

Carotenoid - Orange

Chlorophyll you might remember from science class as the green stuff in plants that absorbs the sunlight used for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll starts breaking down when the hours of daylight start to slowly diminish. Once the chlorophyll starts going away the other chemicals that were always present in the leaf get their time in the spotlight.

So poor little carotenoids and xanthophylls. They wait their whole little existences for the brief seasonal transition when they can shout "Hello world! I'm here and I'm beautiful!"

The anthocyanins, however, only join the fall fiesta once the chlorophyll starts leaving. The amount of anthocyanins produced is related to environmental factors. You want fall days that are bright and cool, and nights that are chilly but not freezing for some great reds and purples.

So next time you are out for a walk take a moment to thank some lesser known molecules for the beauty that surrounds you! "Thanks for caring carotenoids, thanks for always being there for us, anthocyanins."

Love,
Eco

Predator vs. Prey

Greetings Friends!

As a human, I'm sure you have never had to worry about getting eaten. And I'm sure that feels nice. Unfortunately, as a raccoon, I have never had the luxury of being a top predator. When I say "top predator" I am talking about an animal that is a carnivore (or in your case an omnivore) and at the top of a food web.

http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/foodweb.html

Now, don't forget that a food web contains multiple food chains. A top predator is one of the scary animals at the top like a wolf or bald eagle. Or human... we can still be friends, though. I know raccoon isn't on your list of yummy animals.

So what makes a top predator so scary?

www.downloadcollection.com

I am glad you asked! They have special things (or adaptations) that help them achieve that rockstar status. They are great hunters. This could be because of some awesome eyesight like the bald eagle or a great sniffer like the wolf! They also have some great weapons! The birds of prey (the family of birds the eagle is in) have super sharp talons and can be really stealthy in flight. Coyotes have mastered the hunt and actually change their behavior based on the type of prey they are hunting. They will sneak up on a small mouse by themselves but take on a deer with a whole team.

I know what you are thinking... Those poor widdle prey animals! As a member of that group I appreciate your sympathy but we don't need your pity. We are pretty good at what we do, too!

webecoist.momtastic.com

I have a buddy who is an opossum. Whenever he is attacked by a predator he lays down and plays dead. And I mean really dead. Most people think of a dog trick when they hear "play dead" but the opossum is hardcore. The more accurate name for it is apparent death. They can't wake up when he want to. It's a state of shock where they are just laying there until their body snaps out of it. Some lizards, sharks, rabbits, beetles, and stingrays also can go through tonic immobility (another fancy name for it).

There are so many reasons why prey animals are good at staying alive. Camouflage, special hiding tricks, staying with a herd or large group but there is one amazing one I will leave you with...

Smaller animals perceive time differently than larger ones. Let that sink in for a minute. The distance of your head to the ground actually makes a difference. So as a raccoon, my little brain processes information at a faster rate than you lumbering humans. That's why flies are so hard to swat!! Even though predators may be big, small preys' brain gives them more time to react. Score one for the prey!

Until next time my friends,
Eco

The farm!

Greetings!

I wanted to share with you what we have been doing at the Eldridge Environmental Education Center. Me and my friends started a millipede farm! We also have some roly-poly bugs in there, too! We collected from the area. We found them by turning over rocks by Salt Creek! You could find them in your backyard, too! They live in our soil and help break down detritus. That's the fancy word for dead leaves and sticks and stuff.
  Here is a picture of our tank. We put in soil that we found in the area, alot of dead leaves and a decomposing turkey tail mushroom. Turkey tails are those fungi that you see growing like little steps up the trunk of a tree.

  Millipedes and pill bugs (another word for the roly poly) are herbivores. That means they don't eat meat. If you look closely at them you can see that there bodies are in segments - or little parts. Not all one part like us (mammals) are. They are very different animals but they have the same defense - curl up into a ball. When they get nervous they curl up into a little ball and they stay very still. (You can see this if you try to pick them up.) Animals that like to eat bugs lose interest in eating if a bug is not moving and looks dead. So curling up into a ball is a pretty good strategy to avaoid being eaten!

Here is a picture of a millipede  tickling my face. I named him Max.

  Millipedes and pill bugs are part of a big group of animals called arthropods. These are animals that wear their skeleton (their hardest parts) on the outside of their bodies! A skeleton on the outside is called an exoskeleton. We are mammals so we have an endoskeleton! Exo- in front of words means "outer or outside" and Endo- means "inner or inside".
  Tune in next time for more juicy details of our farm's residents!
Eco.

Dear Eco

Greetings!

I have received another great email! Two brothers were walking through the woods and they found a skull. They wanted to know what animal it was from so they sent me a picture:

Here was my response:

Thank you for those great pictures! I love being a part of your family of Eco's! I am so happy to hear that you go hiking with your family. I love hiking. 

I think it is an opossum's skull. The size makes sense and also it has those big side eye sockets. Animals that have large eye sockets on more of the side of their head are considered "prey" animals - as opposed to forward-facing eye sockets like humans or owls which mean they are "predator" animals. Prey and predator are just words that tell us where an animal would fall on a food chain. "Prey" means they would be toward the bottom and "Predator" means they would be towards the top. 

The reason prey animals have their eyes more on the side of their head is so they can easily see if their are any predators chasing them. Predator animals use their forward facing eyes to be a better hunter. It's easier to focus on what's in front of you when you have both eyes facing forward. 

Great find! Keep looking for interesting things on your hikes! I can't wait to see more pictures of what you find out there. 

Keep exploring!

 

Here is a picture of me with my new friends! 

Until next time my friends,

Eco

Dear Molly

Greetings friends!
I recently received a great email from one of my dear friends, Molly. I want to share her message and her great question with all of you!

Here is her letter:

   Dear Eco,

I have ants in my house. 

The sun is out and it's really beautiful to play outside.

We have bees living in our wall.  We found a hole in the brick. The bees left yellow powder right outside the hole. Then the bees plugged up their hole all by themselves.  What kind of bees are they?

Good bye Eco, I love you.
Love, Molly

I also want to share my response with all of you, too. Some of you may have the same question!

Dear Molly,

Bees sometimes can be a problem. But usually its only a problem that lasts for a short time instead of forever. They only live in a hive for a short time. Then they leave and find a new place. I found a really cool video about getting bees out of a house. Make sure you ask your parents permission to watch it! http://www.wimp.com/beesextracted/

 I would guess that you have honey bees. Honey bees like to live in colonies (alot of family members living in the same place). There are alot of bees that live around us don't live in colonies, too. They live by themselves.

The yellow powder is pollen from flowers! When a bee eats from a flower it gets the pollen all over its legs. When it brings that pollen to other flowers it helps those flowers make baby flowers. So when they come back home to their hive it just gets knocked off their legs.

Great questions Molly!

Love,

Eco


Thank you so much Molly! I can't wait for more amazing emails!
 Eco

Why did the turtle cross the road....

Greetings friends!

In the past week I have found 2 turtles at Eldridge park that have been quite a distance from the pond!



Here is a picture of the most recent turtle's location.

The one before that was found under the swings on the playground! Both of the turtles were of the same species - Red-eared slider. Here is a picture of one close up

You can see why its named a Red-eared slider! Those red markings are not on any other turtle in this area so it's easy to identify. They are often kept as pets. They started showing up in our ponds and streams 30 years ago. It's possible that people released them into our water systems after buying them as pets.

The turtles I have found out of the pond have been males. But the females nest from mid-May into early July. Sometimes when people find turtles away from their pond its a female looking for a good spot to make their nests. All turtles lay their eggs on land - not in the water!

I tried to ask this turtle for a ride but he was so nervous he wouldn't walk with me on its back.

Whenever you find a turtle on land or on the side of a road be very careful when going near to it. Some turtles, like the snapping turtle, are dangerous and can really hurt you. It's better to leave wildlife alone when you come close. Just give animals enough space so they don't feel scared. Sometimes when animals feel scared they might try to defend themselves by biting or scratching.

Environmental teachers, ecologists, and other professionals in the environmental field could be called on for help when figuring out what to do with wildlife that might get in the way of human activity.

Don't forget! We share this world with all the animals that live here. It's their home, too.
Until next time my friends!
Eco

Dandelions!

Greetings friends!

I wanted to talk about one of my favorite flowers...DANDELIONS! They are just everywhere! They are such a beautiful yellow, too. Did you know dandelions can tell you the weather? Dandelion flowers close up when it's under 50 degrees. They open when the temperature is above. When you see some open and some close you know it's right around 50. They are so helpful!

Dandelions are a very old organism (genetically speaking), they are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago! They are genetically prepared for any type of environement they are thrown into. This means that the genetic information that is in the dandelions in youur yard is 30 millions years old!  That's amazing. Most organisms alive today aren't fortunate enough to have won the lottery with their genes. Dandelions are one tough flower!

Here's a picture of me holding a dandelion flower and then a dandelion that has gone to seed. Dandelions are really special because they can reproduce asexually. That means they can basically just clone themselves. That's awesome! No wonder there are so many!

Dandelions are part of the sunflower family. Sometimes its referred to as the Aster family. All members  of this family have developed composit flowers. This means that one flower head is actually comprised of many individual flowers. I pulled apart a dandelion to show you here.

See how there are little green bases in the flower for each whitish - yellow part? If you pulled out on of those little green pods at the bottom of the yelllow you would be pulling out one flower! Since we are talking about little flowers that make up a big flower we call each of those little flowers florets. This may sounds a little confusing so I would recommend going out and pullin a part a dandelion for yourself.

Dandelions are an amazing flower that has stood the test of time. They are so much fun to pick and so much fun to make wishes on! The next time you see a dandelion say "Thanks for being you!"

Until next time my friends,
Eco

Jack in the Pulpit

Greetings!

Spring has sprung! I have been spending everyday outside walking around Eldridge Park. It is beautiful now! Everything is growing and green! On my walk today in our woods I noticed a funny looking plant. I took a picture with it.

This is a Jack in the Pulpit or Arisaema triphyllum.

It is a very noticeable plant. It has three big leaves and a cool middle flower. It looks like a pitcher plant! The hood wraps around and covers the little flower cluster in the center. The hood part is called a spathe (this is the "pulpit" part of the name) and the little hotdog-y looking thing poking out is called a spadix (this is "Jack").

It flowers from April to June. It is fly pollinated. Usually plants that are pollinated by flies don't smell that great to you or I. Even though I rummage through garbage on a nightly basis I still prefer the sweet smell of bee pollinated flowers. 

Jack in the Pulpit is not edible, either. The plant contains a chemical called oxalic acid. This is a chemical that causes a burning feeling when the raw plant is eaten. The Native Americans did use to eat, though. They knew how to prepare it in a way that made the root of the plant safe to eat.  They would use it as a treatment for sore eyes.

I can't wait until our Jack in the Pulpit grows its berries! It has really cool bright red berries. You'll have to come look for it!

Until next time my friends,
Eco

Chinese Mystery Snails!

Hey friends!
I was dipping in the pond at Eldridge yesterday with my friends and we found a bunch of big snails! There's a picture of me next to one! I have never seen a snail that big before! I asked Mr. John and Ms. Beth what they were.  Turns out they are called Chinese Mystery Snails! I thought that sounded like a made up name but that's really what they were called. Their fancy scientific name is Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata. They are an exotic species. That means someone brought them over from Asia and they made themselves at home here in America. They were first brought to San Francisco for the Chinese food markets there in the 1800s. They are eaten in China and other Asian countries because they are delicious and nutritious. (I have never tried one myself, though) Since then, they have gotten into our freshwater systems (all of our water that doesn't have salt in it, like the ocean does) and their population boomed! The females can live up to 5 years and over their lifetime they can have more than 170 babies!

Exotic species (plants and animals that naturally shouldn't be here) can be harmful to the ecosystems they enter. If an exotic species starts to take over spaces native species should be living we call them an invasive species. Chinese mystery snails haven't done a lot of damage to the lakes and ponds and streams they live in. Scientists consider them generally "benign". This means they aren't as bad as say Asian Carp or Buckthorn. Scientists are worried about them because they can carry parasites and diseases that can hurt our native animals. The parasites that they can carry are little flatworms called flukes. These can hurt many different kinds of animals. Not every snail has them, though but we should always be careful and wash our hands if we come in contact with these big snails!

Now you know what they are keep your eyes out for them! They might be coming to a pond or stream near you!!

Until next time my friends!
Eco

Happy Earth Week

Hello and Happy Earth Week!!

As you know, this Monday, April 22nd, was Earth Day! But the things we talk about on Earth Day are so important that we just end up calling the whole week Earth Week! That way we can focus on all the important ideas about respecting the earth even longer. Actually, I treat ever day like Earth Day. And you should, too! But who doesn't enjoy getting dressed up and celebrating for a special occasion. I always wear something a little special on April 22nd. This year I helped make a special Earth Day pin to wear. Here is a picture of it! We made it out of a recycled cereal box and a stamp! It was really easy to just stick a pin backing on it. And wah lah! Our very special earth day decoration. There are all sorts of jewelry and decorations you can wear on Earth Day or Earth Week or everyday! I have seen entire bags made out of Starburst wrappers. Or bracelets made out of recycled magazines. If you do make anything be sure to send me a picture! I would love to see how creative you are.

I spent Earth Day with my friends cleaning up Eldridge park. We collected almost a full garbage bag! We walked around the trails and picked up the garbage from the ground. As a raccoon, I hate having to step over human trash as I make my way in and out of my burrow. Yuck!

Did you know that April 22nd wasn't always Earth Day? Almost 40 years ago, in 1970, some people got together and decided that not enough humans were paying attention to how they took care of the earth. They decided that there should be a special day where everyone will take action and help make the earth a healthier place to live.

Earth Day started in America. It wasn't until 1990 that people all around the world started participating in Earth Day events. Recycling was the big focus for Earth Day around the world. Now, over 140 countries participate in Earth Day events! That's great!

Earth Day 2007 was the largest Earth Day to date with activities happening in thousands of places all over the world!

I love celebrating Earth Day. But don't forget that everyday is Earth Day! You can start taking care of the earth now by just doing little things everyday. Like recycling and trying not to waste anything! Or walking or riding your bike instead of driving in a car when you can. Carpooling is also a great way to reduce how many cars are on the road. And when your done with your games or toys, don't throw them away! Donate anything that is still good so other people can use them.

I would love to hear how you celebrate Earth Day everyday! I love our earth and I love our environment. I am going to do what I can as a raccoon to take care of it!

Until next time my friends,
Eco

Meet a wren!

Hey there friends!
I thought I would fill you in on some recent additions to Eldridge Park. You might have noticed some small wooden boxes that have been put up on some of our trees. These are wren boxes. It's wren season! Wrens are teensy little birds that come back to our area in the spring. They migrate to the southern United States in the winter. When they come back they are ready to get building! They make their nests in our boxes, they use anything they can get their hands on. They can fill up the whole box with bedding material!

The males don't just make one nest, either! No no no! They make several nests. Then the females come around and select their favorite one. The poor little guys, they work so hard. And guess what....when the female picks her favorite, she can pull out all the bedding and destroy the nest the male built and remake to her specifications. Picky picky!

They are pretty neat little birds. They have a really nice song, too. I would say as far as birds go, they are one of the most enthusiastic. They are always hopping around eating bugs and keeping a close watch on what us raccoons and humans are doing. And you'll notice there are no perches or front porches to their house. They don't need one. They easily perch right in the opening and hop in. Skill for sure.

Here's a picture of me next to one of our wren boxes! Me and my friends in Nature Rangers actually made our own. They are pretty easy to make!

Keep watch for our wren friends next time your in Eldridge Park!

Till next time my friends!

Eco

I like a lek!

Greetings everyone!
This week I have been so busy playing outside everyday! I hope you have been, too.

When I was outside this week with my friends I noticed a bunch of insects swirling and swarming in the air in the shape of a big ball. They looked really busy!

 I wanted to know what these little guys were doing! I asked one of the people that work at Eldridge and they told me all about it!  Turns out, this swarm is actually how the girl insects choose the boy insects. It has a funny name, it's called a "lek". (Said like "leck") That means all the boy insects get together and do crazy tricks and show off right by all the other boys. The girl insects hang out on the edge and take notes for who they think would be the best partner.

Gnats, midges, mosquitoes, and alot of other insects in the order Diptera do this mating ritual. (Diptera is latin for two wings! I bet you can guess what other insects fall into that order!) Insects aren't the only ones that do it, either! Peacocks, birds of paradise and lots of other bird species! Don't forget the fish!

There is one species of fish where the males build sandcastles! The Copadichromis eucinostomus. (what a mouthful!) The lek member with the tallest mound of sand – almost a meter wide at the base – wins the females. These sandcastles take this four inch long animal two weeks to build. Unfortunately they live around Tanzania so I won't be able to watch them any time soon. Sounds awesome, though.

Watch for those leks!

Eco

Greetings everyone!

I don't know about you but I have really enjoyed being outside these past couple days. Even though I have a thick coat to keep me warm, I enjoy the warmer months the most. All my animal friends are coming out from their winter dens and burrows! I was looking around for the first signs of spring today.

Spring is a very important and busy time for me and my animal friends! The insects wake up and thaw out from sleeping in the ground all winter. That means loads of yummy insects for all the baby birds! My chipmunk friends are one of the first to come out. They come out in search for a mate as early as February. Not all animals mate in the spring, though. Deer and coyotes mate in the fall so their babies are born during spring.

The plants are busy, too! In the forest the wildflowers push their little shoots above ground in spring. This is before the leaves on trees start growing so the little wildflowers take advantage of all the sun! Here is a picture of me looking for the first sprout to come up.

Now that its spring I'm keeping track of the leaves starting to bud on the trees. If I climb a Sugar Maple tree really high up I can see the tiny red buds popping out all over the branches. The Sugar Maples are making a ton of sap right now! When the temperatures are very low at night and high during the day its the best time of year to collect sap. We've made some delicious Maple syrup last week at Eldridge!

Here is a picture of me climbing a Linden tree looking for its buds.  Linden trees have little pink buds. I don't see them yet, though. What signs of spring can you see in your neighborhood? I can't wait to keep watch while the natural world wakes up from winter!

Until next time my friends!

Eco.

Chicago Wilderness

Today I took a train ride down to the city. Trains are always better for the environment than cars. They don’t pollute the air as much as a car and they can move a lot more people at once which is super efficient. I think its a lot of fun taking the train! (First picture)
I love looking out the window! (Picture two)
After my train ride I went to visit the Chicago Wilderness office. Chicago Wilderness is a really cool organization that Elmhurst Park District is a member of. (http://www.chicagowilderness.org) They want to help the environment! Here is a picture of me interviewing the Director of Chicago Wilderness, Melinda Pruitt-Jones. (Picture three)
I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to tell my friends back at Elmhurst and she said, “I want all your friends to make sure they get outside and play!” I told her not to worry because at Eldridge Nature Center we have so many fun programs that let us play outside.
Until next time my friends,
Eco the Raccoon

Hello!

Greetings everyone! Welcome to my blog! This is a great way for me to keep you updated on all the great adventures I go on! Whenever I learn something really amazing I'll put it up here so everyone can see it! I would love to hear from you, too! There's an "Ask Eco" link on this page, email me all your questions! I love questions. Especially ones about raccoons!

Here is a picture of me with our Program Manager, Matt Poole. He helped me set up my blog today. Even though raccoons are great with their hands I still have trouble typing.

Until next time my friends!
Eco