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