Junior Naturalist Camp 2011

The Junior Naturalist Camp season has started at Osborne Nature Center. The Junior Naturalist Camp is held during the summer at Osborne. The camp is open to Clayton County 6-8th grade students. The Junior Naturalist program focuses on exploring nature and the environment. Activities are led by Naturalists at Osborne Center, local resource specialists and sportsmen. Each grade level has a different theme and participates in a variety of activities. Some activities include: geocaching, canoeing, tubing, archery, night hikes, Bird ID, and survival skills. Sign up quickly as the deadline is May 18, 2011.

For more information simply vist the LINK below for a copy of the Junior Naturalist Brochure.

http://www.claytoncountyconservation.org/JNPbrochure11.pdf

Northern Mockingbird

This past weekend I was able to observe or Northern Mockingbird on the east side of Colesburg. This was a life bird for me, which means I had never seen it before. After several minuets of watching the bird and using my field guide I was able to i.d. it.  Northern Mockingbirds are not common in Northeast Iowa, their home range is further south and east. However, the birds are wanderer's and often can travel long distances looking for food. The bird may most be famous for its song, which can mimic dozens of other animals and human sounds. Mockingbirds are also known to sing at night. 

Cheers, to you finding a bird you've never seen!

Binoculars

Recently, through an Alpine Grant and various donations from residents and buisnesses in Elkader, we were able to purchase 20 pairs of Eagle Optics Binoculars to use for both school programs and public programs.  This has been a goal for over a year for me and I am very thankfull and excited to use them in the programs. We also purchased 10 Bird Field Guides so the children will be able to observe birds and identify them through use of field guides.  Introducing children to wildlife through up-close eyes is a great way to get them started on the life long path of observing and caring for the natural environment.  The best part is birds can be found anywhere outdoors, no matter if your watching through a bus window, a classroom window, or out on the playground, students can see something tangible  in nature and learn to identify/classify it.

Clayton Ridge Outdoor Classroom

Two weeks ago the Clayton Ridge Sixth Grade finally got their outdoor class seeded with prairie.  The project took place two days before the first snowfall and was accomplished with the help of Clayton County Naturalists and Pheasants Forever.  The students will be using the leftover prairie seeds in their classrooms with hopes they can plant the plugs back into the prairie later next spring.

carolina wren

A Carolina Wren was spotted at the Osborne Nature Center last week. This bird is not typically found here often in the winter and I was delighted to see it flitting under the bushes and in front of my office.

Winter Poetry

Classroom programs are in fullswing-hence the delay in a blog post.  The naturalists are giving several presentations a day to the schools in Clayton County. This weekend I took some time away and visited a friends cabin.  The poem was later composed, recollecting my experiences that snowy weekend.

slabs of snow bellow off the stemmed oak branches
breaking like a snare, booming like a bass
they tumble flawlessly to the ground
succumbing to the weight that makes all things whole
startling, yet comforting music up on the ridge

dogwood branches bending to touch their toes
creating a webbed umbrella right under my nose
the skittish junco wears his arctic tuxedo,
dancing on the crystal ground
he feasts on the few seeds around

the snowfall is vastly thick
turning the valley into a milky way
like frosted sugar,
snow sweetens the appearance of every living thing

snowflakes,
quiet music on the ridge
each one crafted separately
inseparable in the joy they bring
facing up to the winter sky
snowflakes tickle my beard
glimmer in my transparent eye

silence is complimented by a curious bird
flitting beside me, he sings chickadeeedee
brash voice of the red bellied woodpecker
alerts a squirrel who is prancing in the snow below
a sudden bustling crash,
then a grumbling splash
echoes across in pine creek
has one of pine sentinels
succumb to its snow match?

with majestic black wings,
breaking the white snow-cladding sky
an eagle leaves the pines,
singing her shivering song.
sky is darkening and
the ghostly snow urges me along.

jubilantly, in this darkened coliseum
barred owls hoot.
the triumphant echo announces their gladiator presence.
I applaud back
while a nervous shrew scurries under my feet,
bid you well my friend.

a symphony of coyotes
turns this valley into a captive amphitheatre of luring beauty
I can not see the coyotes
Yet,
through the milky glow of the snowy nighttime woods
I feel their sacred song and I dance.