NATURE Notes
Every month there will be a new note about what to look for in the natural world during that month.
September - Fall Colors in September?
The warm sunny days of summer are coming to a close as we are on to school days and pumpkin spice lattes. Here in Southern Minnesota, we notice our trees turning color a bit earlier this year. Due to warm weather paired with many weeks of drought, our trees are beginning to turn color earlier than they have in the past.
Drought affects many of our plants in our ecosystem, but most apparent this season are the trees. During drought events, trees can often go into early dormancy. The fall season is when many trees go into dormancy to conserve and store energy to grow and reproduce in the following spring. This year, dormancy for trees is starting earlier because the trees have gone through immense stress due to unseasonably hot weather and drought. They will preserve their energy and save resources to survive another year by shutting down their growth processes early. While trees normally grow full green leaves through the summer season, you may notice that trees are beginning to drop leaves right now. Early leaf dropping is one way a tree can conserve water it needs for growth. Leaves typically release water vapor during normal growth processes, however during drought, the leaves close their pores to prevent that water loss. Trees need to conserve water in their own systems to produce buds in the spring and roots throughout the year. As for this year, trees are dropping these leaves to conserve additional energy making fall start a little bit earlier.
The changing of seasons is always an exciting time. Leaves are beginning to fall which means passing the time by raking leaves and watching for squirrels prepare for winter. So as fall vibes start a little early this year be sure to check out some of our favorite native trees.
The Ohio Buckeye tree is a favorite of Southern Minnesota residents since its fall leaves are striking bright hues of red. These trees are starting to produce fruit which ripens mid September! Their fruit is rather spikey looking and contains one to three seeds. These seeds are easily identifiable, especially if you’re an Ohio State fan. There are many people who covet the seeds of the Buckeye tree as they are said to bring good luck! These trees range from Texas, to Nebraska, and even as far as Pennsylvania. You will see them start to change color from green to bright yellows and reds during the fall season.
Another tree you’ll find in bright colors is the Sumac. Usually considered to be a small tree or Shrub, sumac ranges in height from 3 feet tall to over 30. Minnesota is home to two types of sumac trees, the smooth and staghorn Sumac. Southern Minnesota has a wide span for the staghorn Sumac whereas northern Minnesota finds very few of the staghorn variety. Both varieties produce a fuzzy red fruit which many wild animals enjoy eating. Even their leaves change into a bright red color during the fall months. See if you can spot both varieties of Sumac trees this year.
Author: Adrianna Meiergerd, Teacher/Naturalist Intern
Drought affects many of our plants in our ecosystem, but most apparent this season are the trees. During drought events, trees can often go into early dormancy. The fall season is when many trees go into dormancy to conserve and store energy to grow and reproduce in the following spring. This year, dormancy for trees is starting earlier because the trees have gone through immense stress due to unseasonably hot weather and drought. They will preserve their energy and save resources to survive another year by shutting down their growth processes early. While trees normally grow full green leaves through the summer season, you may notice that trees are beginning to drop leaves right now. Early leaf dropping is one way a tree can conserve water it needs for growth. Leaves typically release water vapor during normal growth processes, however during drought, the leaves close their pores to prevent that water loss. Trees need to conserve water in their own systems to produce buds in the spring and roots throughout the year. As for this year, trees are dropping these leaves to conserve additional energy making fall start a little bit earlier.
The changing of seasons is always an exciting time. Leaves are beginning to fall which means passing the time by raking leaves and watching for squirrels prepare for winter. So as fall vibes start a little early this year be sure to check out some of our favorite native trees.
The Ohio Buckeye tree is a favorite of Southern Minnesota residents since its fall leaves are striking bright hues of red. These trees are starting to produce fruit which ripens mid September! Their fruit is rather spikey looking and contains one to three seeds. These seeds are easily identifiable, especially if you’re an Ohio State fan. There are many people who covet the seeds of the Buckeye tree as they are said to bring good luck! These trees range from Texas, to Nebraska, and even as far as Pennsylvania. You will see them start to change color from green to bright yellows and reds during the fall season.
Another tree you’ll find in bright colors is the Sumac. Usually considered to be a small tree or Shrub, sumac ranges in height from 3 feet tall to over 30. Minnesota is home to two types of sumac trees, the smooth and staghorn Sumac. Southern Minnesota has a wide span for the staghorn Sumac whereas northern Minnesota finds very few of the staghorn variety. Both varieties produce a fuzzy red fruit which many wild animals enjoy eating. Even their leaves change into a bright red color during the fall months. See if you can spot both varieties of Sumac trees this year.
Author: Adrianna Meiergerd, Teacher/Naturalist Intern
Previous nature notes
2023 Nature Notes
January - Damp vs dry cold
In my family (and in the office here at the Nature Center) most of us generally agree that damp cold is worse than dry cold. Because of how unanimous this opinion was, I had naively assumed that there must be some sort of scientific understanding as to why humid air during the winter time feels so much colder than dry air. Well, I was surprised to learn that there in fact is not a clear scientific explanation for why we feel this way.
When we talk about humidity in the air, we are actually talking about a ratio called relative humidity. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air in comparison to the maximum amount of water vapor the atmosphere could theoretically hold – it’s often expressed as a percentage. This is what we are referring to when we complain about high humidity in the summertime. Our bodies are masters of thermoregulation (that’s a fancy word for controlling our inner body temperature). When we are hot, we produce sweat in order to cool down. Our sweat evaporates from our skin, turning into water vapor and entering the atmosphere. With high humidity though, little to no additional water vapor can enter the atmosphere, which means our sweat can’t evaporate and help us cool down. That’s why on hot and muggy days, we actually do feel hotter, and there’s a scientific reason behind it.
So, what happens when it’s cooler? When the temperature is around 50 degrees, we do tend to feel colder when it is humid compared to when it is dry. This is because the extra moisture in the air comes into contact with our skin and clothes. That moisture then evaporates using some of our body heat as energy, enhancing heat loss. So then why doesn't this explanation add up when it's colder out? When temperatures fall below freezing, the maximum amount of water that the atmosphere can hold is miniscule to begin with. That means there isn’t actually a significant difference in the amount of water vapor in the air on a ‘damp’ vs a ‘dry’ winter day. A winter day is just plain dry regardless of the relative humidity.
If that’s the case, you may be wondering why some people insist that it feels colder on a damp winter day than on a dry day. There isn’t much research to back up either claim, and the difficulty in studying this topic comes from the fact that ‘feeling cold’ is very subjective. There are a couple less scientific explanations nonetheless: 1) we simply associate damp days with clouds and precipitation, and the sun is warm (think about how a cloudy, snowy 20-degree day feels much colder than a sunny one) and 2) we associate damp weather with slush and warmer temperatures, and therefore dress less appropriately for the weather. Ditching our windproof winter coats and extra gear like scarves, gloves, and hats makes us less prepared for the cold, making us feel colder, when we’ve actually brought the coldness upon ourselves.
By Akiko Nakagawa Naturalist Intern
When we talk about humidity in the air, we are actually talking about a ratio called relative humidity. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air in comparison to the maximum amount of water vapor the atmosphere could theoretically hold – it’s often expressed as a percentage. This is what we are referring to when we complain about high humidity in the summertime. Our bodies are masters of thermoregulation (that’s a fancy word for controlling our inner body temperature). When we are hot, we produce sweat in order to cool down. Our sweat evaporates from our skin, turning into water vapor and entering the atmosphere. With high humidity though, little to no additional water vapor can enter the atmosphere, which means our sweat can’t evaporate and help us cool down. That’s why on hot and muggy days, we actually do feel hotter, and there’s a scientific reason behind it.
So, what happens when it’s cooler? When the temperature is around 50 degrees, we do tend to feel colder when it is humid compared to when it is dry. This is because the extra moisture in the air comes into contact with our skin and clothes. That moisture then evaporates using some of our body heat as energy, enhancing heat loss. So then why doesn't this explanation add up when it's colder out? When temperatures fall below freezing, the maximum amount of water that the atmosphere can hold is miniscule to begin with. That means there isn’t actually a significant difference in the amount of water vapor in the air on a ‘damp’ vs a ‘dry’ winter day. A winter day is just plain dry regardless of the relative humidity.
If that’s the case, you may be wondering why some people insist that it feels colder on a damp winter day than on a dry day. There isn’t much research to back up either claim, and the difficulty in studying this topic comes from the fact that ‘feeling cold’ is very subjective. There are a couple less scientific explanations nonetheless: 1) we simply associate damp days with clouds and precipitation, and the sun is warm (think about how a cloudy, snowy 20-degree day feels much colder than a sunny one) and 2) we associate damp weather with slush and warmer temperatures, and therefore dress less appropriately for the weather. Ditching our windproof winter coats and extra gear like scarves, gloves, and hats makes us less prepared for the cold, making us feel colder, when we’ve actually brought the coldness upon ourselves.
By Akiko Nakagawa Naturalist Intern
February - the wiley coyote
February is prime time to listen for your neighborhood family of coyotes. But their vocalizations are no cause for alarm.
Coyotes are often seen as pests and nuisances with their wiley and cunning tendencies. They get a bad rap for going after livestock, pets, or local fauna. But in reality this canine is highly adaptable and has flourished with the boom of the human species, so are they really all bad?
Wolves, foxes, coyotes, and dogs are all in the same biological family of Canidea. And wolves and coyotes are even closer related belonging to the same genus of canis. So why do wolves get a better PR than coyotes do? They both hunt the same prey and have similar impacts on their ecosystems.
As the human population started to expand and have a need for more land for towns, farms, and everything in between coyotes seemed to thrive while wolves were seen more as a threat. That threat triggered an overhunting while people tried to eradicate the wolves for the safety of their livestock and families. Meanwhile, as humans swept through the land in the late 1800’s with a trail of deforestation in their wake, coyotes got to expand their range and thrive.
In more recent history, however, wolves have gotten a rebranding and seen as an elusive and majestic beast that once roamed these lands that can now only be found in “wilder” places while coyotes are the local nuisance. But even if they are a pest to us humans, coyotes have really stepped up to help fill the role of predator in a lot of ecosystems that have relied on other larger predators that have been extirpated like wolves and mountain lions.
In February the coyotes will start their search for a mate to have pups. They mate for life and search for a partner via a series of calls, yips, and howls. Because these canines are so vocal and have over 10 different kinds of calls a lot of people overestimate how many coyotes they hear in the distance. What sounds like 10 or more coyotes might only be 2 or 3. They will become noisy when in search for a mate, defending their territory, or a recent meal.
Coyotes usually live in family groups but do their hunting alone for most of their prey. If the prey is something bigger, like a dear, they have no problems teaming up. They are capable of running up to 43 miles per hour making them one of the fastest animals in North America! Their agility is helpful when on the hunt as well as their keen sight and hearing.
Being the highly adaptable animals that they are coyotes are very opportunistic. If a hunt is unsuccessful coyotes can be omnivores so eat a huge variety of things, whether its fresh meat from a kill, meat from a dead animal that has been sitting for weeks (called carrion), insects, plants, fruits, and veggies.
Although the rapport of these canines trend more towards the negative, they are a huge help in local pest control. A singular coyote can eat over 1,800 rodents a year! Talk about easy pest control. Coyotes are a driving factor in keeping a lot of smaller mammal populations in check, which in turn improves biodiversity in our local ecosystems (which is always a good thing). Hopefully this small article can help you grow your appreciation for this highly underrated local.
By Kelly Bahl, Outreach Naturalist
Coyotes are often seen as pests and nuisances with their wiley and cunning tendencies. They get a bad rap for going after livestock, pets, or local fauna. But in reality this canine is highly adaptable and has flourished with the boom of the human species, so are they really all bad?
Wolves, foxes, coyotes, and dogs are all in the same biological family of Canidea. And wolves and coyotes are even closer related belonging to the same genus of canis. So why do wolves get a better PR than coyotes do? They both hunt the same prey and have similar impacts on their ecosystems.
As the human population started to expand and have a need for more land for towns, farms, and everything in between coyotes seemed to thrive while wolves were seen more as a threat. That threat triggered an overhunting while people tried to eradicate the wolves for the safety of their livestock and families. Meanwhile, as humans swept through the land in the late 1800’s with a trail of deforestation in their wake, coyotes got to expand their range and thrive.
In more recent history, however, wolves have gotten a rebranding and seen as an elusive and majestic beast that once roamed these lands that can now only be found in “wilder” places while coyotes are the local nuisance. But even if they are a pest to us humans, coyotes have really stepped up to help fill the role of predator in a lot of ecosystems that have relied on other larger predators that have been extirpated like wolves and mountain lions.
In February the coyotes will start their search for a mate to have pups. They mate for life and search for a partner via a series of calls, yips, and howls. Because these canines are so vocal and have over 10 different kinds of calls a lot of people overestimate how many coyotes they hear in the distance. What sounds like 10 or more coyotes might only be 2 or 3. They will become noisy when in search for a mate, defending their territory, or a recent meal.
Coyotes usually live in family groups but do their hunting alone for most of their prey. If the prey is something bigger, like a dear, they have no problems teaming up. They are capable of running up to 43 miles per hour making them one of the fastest animals in North America! Their agility is helpful when on the hunt as well as their keen sight and hearing.
Being the highly adaptable animals that they are coyotes are very opportunistic. If a hunt is unsuccessful coyotes can be omnivores so eat a huge variety of things, whether its fresh meat from a kill, meat from a dead animal that has been sitting for weeks (called carrion), insects, plants, fruits, and veggies.
Although the rapport of these canines trend more towards the negative, they are a huge help in local pest control. A singular coyote can eat over 1,800 rodents a year! Talk about easy pest control. Coyotes are a driving factor in keeping a lot of smaller mammal populations in check, which in turn improves biodiversity in our local ecosystems (which is always a good thing). Hopefully this small article can help you grow your appreciation for this highly underrated local.
By Kelly Bahl, Outreach Naturalist
MARCH - Maple Syruping
It’s that time of year again where maple sap is flowing directly into the veins of the staff here at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. March is the time of year when the nights still reach temperatures of below freezing and the days reach warmer temperatures of 40-50 degrees. These changes in temperature allow sap to flow steadily from the trees of Silver maples at the Nature Center. The Trees know when to start producing sap based on these temperature changes! Fluctuation between above and below freezing lets the tree know that it is spring and time to form new leaves. Sap is a necessary form of energy and nutrients for trees to make those new leaves. But because sap is mostly water, if it stays above ground in the trunk of the tree, the sap will freeze and expand overnight when it is below freezing and cause damage to the tree. It could expand so much that the tree would bust open! That's why sap moves up and down the tree during this time in the spring specifically. During freezing temps the sap will travel into the roots below the freeze line in the ground as to not cause damage. This up and down movement is what allows us to 'catch' the sap as it runs through the tree in early spring.
Our buckets hope to remain full this season with sap as it takes a lot of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Sap only contains 1-6% sugar while syrup has a 66% sugar content, so in order to produce one gallon of syrup, we need 30-40 gallons of sap. How do we separate out the sugar to change sap to syrup? Our sugar shack of course! We use firewood and an evaporator to prepare the sap into syrup. To find out if the sap has turned into syrup, we can measure the temperature. The temperature of the sap needs to be at its boiling point, which is 7 degrees above the boiling point of water. The long period of being heated up allows the water to evaporate and the sugar to stay. Once golden in color, and the correct temperature and density is reached the syrup is ready to be strained and head straight into bottles ready for your kitchen table!
By: Adrianna Meiergerd, Naturalist/Teacher Intern
Our buckets hope to remain full this season with sap as it takes a lot of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Sap only contains 1-6% sugar while syrup has a 66% sugar content, so in order to produce one gallon of syrup, we need 30-40 gallons of sap. How do we separate out the sugar to change sap to syrup? Our sugar shack of course! We use firewood and an evaporator to prepare the sap into syrup. To find out if the sap has turned into syrup, we can measure the temperature. The temperature of the sap needs to be at its boiling point, which is 7 degrees above the boiling point of water. The long period of being heated up allows the water to evaporate and the sugar to stay. Once golden in color, and the correct temperature and density is reached the syrup is ready to be strained and head straight into bottles ready for your kitchen table!
By: Adrianna Meiergerd, Naturalist/Teacher Intern
APril - The bugs are back, alright!
As April approaches and frosts begin to dwindle, the ecosystems of Minnesota awaken. Green creeps back to our forests, birds return and sing for companionship, and to the dismay of many, bugs reappear. I often wondered as a kid, where did the bugs go in wintertime?
Did they die, and come back to life? Did they leave, and fly back? If they stayed here, how did they not freeze to death? Well, the answer is; sort of, yes, and seemingly by magic, but actually by some really interesting biology.
For some insects, winter is a time of feasting and growth. Invertebrates that live in streams and ponds are shielded from predators thanks to a thin layer of ice, and are insulated from harsh winds and variable temperatures. Detritivores, or invertebrates that feed on decaying matter, munch on leaves that fell off of trees in Autumn.
Insects like monarch butterflies and some species of dragonflies travel thousands of miles to Mexico for the winter, and migrate back when temperatures warm in the midwest. This feat is not widely used by insects: most grin and bear it throughout our harsh winters. Or, like japanese beetles and ladybugs, they find refuge in trees, cracks and crevices, and even our homes while waiting for sunshine.
Insects that overwinter survive using one of two methods; freeze avoidance or freeze tolerance. Freeze tolerant insects are able to survive while liquid in their body freezes, while freeze avoidant insects find ways to keep from freezing.
Freeze avoidance can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some insects purge all of the food and water in their bodies so there isn’t anything that can freeze. Some produce a waxy coating on their exoskeletons that prevents water from sticking to them and in turn, prevents them from becoming encased in ice. Some simply bury themselves in the soil to avoid predation and the bitter cold. Some even produce a chemical that is impressively similar to the antifreeze that we put in our cars!
Freeze tolerance is a truly impressive feat. In most creatures, freezing causes irreversible and life threatening damage to tissue. But in some evolutionarily bewildering insects like the woolly bear caterpillar, freezing solid is a winter survival tactic. Woolly bear caterpillars freeze in the wintertime and thaw in the springtime. Following this thaw, they can reach their final form as a woolly bear moth.
However they do it, surviving the Minnesota winter is easier said than done. So as we curse the fact that spring’s arrival leads to bugs, remember what these insects had to do in order to enjoy another season.
By: Meredith Maloney, Office Manager/Naturalist
Did they die, and come back to life? Did they leave, and fly back? If they stayed here, how did they not freeze to death? Well, the answer is; sort of, yes, and seemingly by magic, but actually by some really interesting biology.
For some insects, winter is a time of feasting and growth. Invertebrates that live in streams and ponds are shielded from predators thanks to a thin layer of ice, and are insulated from harsh winds and variable temperatures. Detritivores, or invertebrates that feed on decaying matter, munch on leaves that fell off of trees in Autumn.
Insects like monarch butterflies and some species of dragonflies travel thousands of miles to Mexico for the winter, and migrate back when temperatures warm in the midwest. This feat is not widely used by insects: most grin and bear it throughout our harsh winters. Or, like japanese beetles and ladybugs, they find refuge in trees, cracks and crevices, and even our homes while waiting for sunshine.
Insects that overwinter survive using one of two methods; freeze avoidance or freeze tolerance. Freeze tolerant insects are able to survive while liquid in their body freezes, while freeze avoidant insects find ways to keep from freezing.
Freeze avoidance can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some insects purge all of the food and water in their bodies so there isn’t anything that can freeze. Some produce a waxy coating on their exoskeletons that prevents water from sticking to them and in turn, prevents them from becoming encased in ice. Some simply bury themselves in the soil to avoid predation and the bitter cold. Some even produce a chemical that is impressively similar to the antifreeze that we put in our cars!
Freeze tolerance is a truly impressive feat. In most creatures, freezing causes irreversible and life threatening damage to tissue. But in some evolutionarily bewildering insects like the woolly bear caterpillar, freezing solid is a winter survival tactic. Woolly bear caterpillars freeze in the wintertime and thaw in the springtime. Following this thaw, they can reach their final form as a woolly bear moth.
However they do it, surviving the Minnesota winter is easier said than done. So as we curse the fact that spring’s arrival leads to bugs, remember what these insects had to do in order to enjoy another season.
By: Meredith Maloney, Office Manager/Naturalist
May - Intelligent little insects
One of the most talked about pollinators in the past few years here at the Hormel Nature Center have been our honeybees. We have already learned so much about bees, such as; the male bees do not have stingers, the female bees are the ones who go out and collect the nectar and pollen, and that bees communicate with each other through dance! Recently, there was a study that came out that shed more light on this waggle dance.
The waggle dance is such a fun thing to teach people about that we even used it in our Halloween Warm-Up skit! The waggle dance is a figure eight with different tail movements. How many times the bee makes the figure eight or which direction it moves it tail, can indicate many different things. The dance shows other worker bees which direction to fly and the flowers to pick from for the best pollen and nectar. A recent study in the journal Science, shows that bees are social learners when it comes to this dance. What does that mean? When people think of animals such as insects, they think that they are just born with the natural instincts they will need to survive. That is only partially true. The research shows that bees and other insects are capable of imitating one another and are learning how to communicate more efficiently with less errors. This was a type of social behavior that was thought to only be capable in larger brained animals, like birds and monkeys. This research may change the way all insects, especially bees, are considered when talking about the importance of their protection and endangerment status.
There has also been research done on the effects of pesticide exposure on the waggle dance. It has shown that the waggle dance changes and there are more errors in their communication. But still insects struggle to get legal protection due to the fact that they are not classified as wildlife in many U.S. states. Insects represent a huge share of animal species, almost 80%. They may be small but they pack a huge punch when it comes to how much they do for our ecosystem; pollinating, enrich soil, and provide a critical protein source for many species up the food chain. But, they are hard to monitor and there is a lot of diversity among them, leading some people to say that it is too hard to put a protection status on them. Even when some states are trying to make policies to help conserve and protect insects, they usually end up low on the priority list, even though they feed most of the animals higher on the conservation priority list!
We are still learning more every day about the importance of insects, from pollinating to feeding other animals. Hopefully with this new research showing that bees are capable of social learning people will start to look at insects in a new light. Which will hopefully lead to more protection efforts in the future. In the meantime, the pond area at the Hormel Nature Center is a perfect place to look for new and interesting insects. I challenge you to find and learn about one new insect a month this spring and summer, because the more we learn about insects, the more we will want to protect them!
Author: Sydney Weisinger: Teacher/Naturalist
The waggle dance is such a fun thing to teach people about that we even used it in our Halloween Warm-Up skit! The waggle dance is a figure eight with different tail movements. How many times the bee makes the figure eight or which direction it moves it tail, can indicate many different things. The dance shows other worker bees which direction to fly and the flowers to pick from for the best pollen and nectar. A recent study in the journal Science, shows that bees are social learners when it comes to this dance. What does that mean? When people think of animals such as insects, they think that they are just born with the natural instincts they will need to survive. That is only partially true. The research shows that bees and other insects are capable of imitating one another and are learning how to communicate more efficiently with less errors. This was a type of social behavior that was thought to only be capable in larger brained animals, like birds and monkeys. This research may change the way all insects, especially bees, are considered when talking about the importance of their protection and endangerment status.
There has also been research done on the effects of pesticide exposure on the waggle dance. It has shown that the waggle dance changes and there are more errors in their communication. But still insects struggle to get legal protection due to the fact that they are not classified as wildlife in many U.S. states. Insects represent a huge share of animal species, almost 80%. They may be small but they pack a huge punch when it comes to how much they do for our ecosystem; pollinating, enrich soil, and provide a critical protein source for many species up the food chain. But, they are hard to monitor and there is a lot of diversity among them, leading some people to say that it is too hard to put a protection status on them. Even when some states are trying to make policies to help conserve and protect insects, they usually end up low on the priority list, even though they feed most of the animals higher on the conservation priority list!
We are still learning more every day about the importance of insects, from pollinating to feeding other animals. Hopefully with this new research showing that bees are capable of social learning people will start to look at insects in a new light. Which will hopefully lead to more protection efforts in the future. In the meantime, the pond area at the Hormel Nature Center is a perfect place to look for new and interesting insects. I challenge you to find and learn about one new insect a month this spring and summer, because the more we learn about insects, the more we will want to protect them!
Author: Sydney Weisinger: Teacher/Naturalist
JUNE - slow down for the turtles!
May brought hundreds of young learners to the nature center to learn all about different critters. A favorite in nearly every class were the turtles! Seen basking on the logs in our pond or cutely swimming along with only their heads poking out of the water, the nature center is home to many, many turtles. Did you know Minnesota is home to 9 species of native turtles?? Three species of map turtles, two softshell turtles, the painted and snapping turtle, and finally two threatened species, the wood turtle and the Blanding’s turtle.
You might notice more turtles out and about on the road this month and wonder why they’ve left their usual wetland habitats – it’s because nesting season has arrived! Females are on the move to look for suitable grounds for laying their precious eggs. In the process, they may have to cross roads, so it’s important to slow down for turtles this month – those ladies are on an important mission! Let’s take a deep dive into a favorite of the turtles amongst the staff here at the nature center, the Blanding’s turtle. The unique biology and life history of the Blanding’s turtle makes this wonderful species especially prone to consequences of human disturbance.
The Blanding’s turtle is a beautiful species with a significantly domed shell and a bright yellow chin and throat. They often have speckles of white or yellow on their shells too. Adults average between 6-9 inches, and they are found in calm, shallow waters where aquatic vegetation is plentiful and sandy uplands are nearby. With these very specific habitat requirements, Blanding’s turtles at all stages of life have been affected by habitat destruction and fragmentation. While you may be familiar with habitat destruction, let’s quickly talk about how habitat fragmentation can result in population declines. Habitat fragmentation occurs when parts of a habitat are destroyed, leaving smaller, disconnected areas of habitat behind. Habitat fragmentation leads to isolated populations, restricting gene flow. It also creates a larger area along the edges that are exposed to human activity. Think about it like this: if a habitat for a Blanding’s turtle is fragmented by the development of roads, a female turtle may have to cross multiple roads in order to find a suitable mate or nesting site, greatly increasing the risk of getting run over.
In addition to the destruction and fragmentation of their habitats, the life history of the Blanding’s turtle also makes them more prone to getting run over. Females can travel up to 1 mile from their resident wetland habitat to find suitable nesting sites. This is significantly longer than most other species of turtles, and increases the likelihood that she will be hit by a car while travelling. Additionally, Blanding’s turtles have a long development period and do not become sexually mature until they are 12 years of age. Therefore, if a mature female is killed while trying to cross a road, it may set back the local population for many years. These nesting sites that are far away from wetlands also threaten the survival of hatchlings – they will face similar car mortality, but are also at risk of desiccation and predation when traveling from the nesting site to nearby wetlands. However, high juvenile mortality is offset by how long adults can live to be – they may live up to 100 years old!
While Blanding’s turtles have been classified as a threatened species in Minnesota since 1984, the Minnesota DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program has been working hard to conserve and protect this species. Their project focuses on surveying existing populations and establishing priority protection areas. If you’ve spotted a Blanding’s turtle, especially here in southern Minnesota, you can report it to the Nongame Wildlife Program and assist in their conservation efforts to save this incredible species! Happy June everyone, let’s slow down for the turtles this month!
Author: Akiko Nakagawa, Teacher/Naturalist Intern
You might notice more turtles out and about on the road this month and wonder why they’ve left their usual wetland habitats – it’s because nesting season has arrived! Females are on the move to look for suitable grounds for laying their precious eggs. In the process, they may have to cross roads, so it’s important to slow down for turtles this month – those ladies are on an important mission! Let’s take a deep dive into a favorite of the turtles amongst the staff here at the nature center, the Blanding’s turtle. The unique biology and life history of the Blanding’s turtle makes this wonderful species especially prone to consequences of human disturbance.
The Blanding’s turtle is a beautiful species with a significantly domed shell and a bright yellow chin and throat. They often have speckles of white or yellow on their shells too. Adults average between 6-9 inches, and they are found in calm, shallow waters where aquatic vegetation is plentiful and sandy uplands are nearby. With these very specific habitat requirements, Blanding’s turtles at all stages of life have been affected by habitat destruction and fragmentation. While you may be familiar with habitat destruction, let’s quickly talk about how habitat fragmentation can result in population declines. Habitat fragmentation occurs when parts of a habitat are destroyed, leaving smaller, disconnected areas of habitat behind. Habitat fragmentation leads to isolated populations, restricting gene flow. It also creates a larger area along the edges that are exposed to human activity. Think about it like this: if a habitat for a Blanding’s turtle is fragmented by the development of roads, a female turtle may have to cross multiple roads in order to find a suitable mate or nesting site, greatly increasing the risk of getting run over.
In addition to the destruction and fragmentation of their habitats, the life history of the Blanding’s turtle also makes them more prone to getting run over. Females can travel up to 1 mile from their resident wetland habitat to find suitable nesting sites. This is significantly longer than most other species of turtles, and increases the likelihood that she will be hit by a car while travelling. Additionally, Blanding’s turtles have a long development period and do not become sexually mature until they are 12 years of age. Therefore, if a mature female is killed while trying to cross a road, it may set back the local population for many years. These nesting sites that are far away from wetlands also threaten the survival of hatchlings – they will face similar car mortality, but are also at risk of desiccation and predation when traveling from the nesting site to nearby wetlands. However, high juvenile mortality is offset by how long adults can live to be – they may live up to 100 years old!
While Blanding’s turtles have been classified as a threatened species in Minnesota since 1984, the Minnesota DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program has been working hard to conserve and protect this species. Their project focuses on surveying existing populations and establishing priority protection areas. If you’ve spotted a Blanding’s turtle, especially here in southern Minnesota, you can report it to the Nongame Wildlife Program and assist in their conservation efforts to save this incredible species! Happy June everyone, let’s slow down for the turtles this month!
Author: Akiko Nakagawa, Teacher/Naturalist Intern
july - where the wild orchids are
Most Minnesotans know our state flower, the showy lady’s-slippers, but not many know that lady’s slippers are a type of orchid. In fact, the Gopher State is home to over 40 different species of native orchids. Out of those species there are 13 species that are in full bloom in the month of July. Here at the nature center, we have had history with two different orchid species.
Historically the nature center was home to a nice population of Greater Yellow Lady’s-slipper, which is one of the most common orchids found in north America in the wild. The plant reaches about 18 inches tall while the vibrant pouch like flowers reach up to 2 inches in length with curled spindly petals mimicking laces for a shoe. This beautiful native was once an abundant showstopper of our forest back in the 80s but was coveted by locals who wanted them in their yard and our population started to dwindle as patrons came and dug them up. By the mid to late 90s our entire population of Yellow Lady’s-slipper was no more.
The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is still home to another variety of orchid that is found far into our property but makes the prairie it’s home instead of the woods. The Tubercled Rein Orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola) has tiny yellowish green flowers that grow up a bract from the base of the plant. The orchid can reach a height of almost 2 feet but can be tricky to spot among the tall grasses of prairie where it calls home. Back in 1984 the Tubercled Rein Orchid was designated as a state endangered species, but with the discovery of a wider, though scarce, population the species got downgraded to a threatened species in 2013. We find blooms of this orchid during the beginning of July.
The habitat for all our native orchids is declining and these plants are very sensitive to environmental changes. Meaning native orchids are a great indicator to the health of an ecosystem. Many of the almost 50 species of orchid have a parasitic relationship with fungal mycelium which runs under the soil. The orchids will feed off the fungus to get its nutrients to the point where the plants cannot survive without it. If the habitat gets disturbed and the fungal growth gets interrupted, the orchids lose their food source. Even the seeds of our native orchids don’t have any substance to them at all and depend on some fungal friends. No casing for protection, no extra food attached, and they are super fine particle-like seeds called dust seeds. The almost microscopic seeds are housed in a seed capsule that could contain thousands of seeds without any food to start growing. Once they hit the ground they’ll try and utilize any fungal relationship they can find to grow into a new plant. The success rate in the wild is low and is not much better with the help of human intervention. Scientists have started to study and propagate wild native orchids to help with the conservation of as many species as possible, but they do not have a lot of information, experience, nor research out there about our non-tropical orchids.
As a reminder to anyone who enjoys the outdoors and especially finding unique and beautiful flowers wherever they go, to only take pictures back with you! These types of plants are sensitive to their environment and play a larger part in the entire ecosystem, as is true with all native plants. If you end up finding any orchids during your time at the nature center, consider yourself lucky. We hope you get the chance.
Author: Kelly Bahl, Outreach Naturalist/Teacher
Historically the nature center was home to a nice population of Greater Yellow Lady’s-slipper, which is one of the most common orchids found in north America in the wild. The plant reaches about 18 inches tall while the vibrant pouch like flowers reach up to 2 inches in length with curled spindly petals mimicking laces for a shoe. This beautiful native was once an abundant showstopper of our forest back in the 80s but was coveted by locals who wanted them in their yard and our population started to dwindle as patrons came and dug them up. By the mid to late 90s our entire population of Yellow Lady’s-slipper was no more.
The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is still home to another variety of orchid that is found far into our property but makes the prairie it’s home instead of the woods. The Tubercled Rein Orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola) has tiny yellowish green flowers that grow up a bract from the base of the plant. The orchid can reach a height of almost 2 feet but can be tricky to spot among the tall grasses of prairie where it calls home. Back in 1984 the Tubercled Rein Orchid was designated as a state endangered species, but with the discovery of a wider, though scarce, population the species got downgraded to a threatened species in 2013. We find blooms of this orchid during the beginning of July.
The habitat for all our native orchids is declining and these plants are very sensitive to environmental changes. Meaning native orchids are a great indicator to the health of an ecosystem. Many of the almost 50 species of orchid have a parasitic relationship with fungal mycelium which runs under the soil. The orchids will feed off the fungus to get its nutrients to the point where the plants cannot survive without it. If the habitat gets disturbed and the fungal growth gets interrupted, the orchids lose their food source. Even the seeds of our native orchids don’t have any substance to them at all and depend on some fungal friends. No casing for protection, no extra food attached, and they are super fine particle-like seeds called dust seeds. The almost microscopic seeds are housed in a seed capsule that could contain thousands of seeds without any food to start growing. Once they hit the ground they’ll try and utilize any fungal relationship they can find to grow into a new plant. The success rate in the wild is low and is not much better with the help of human intervention. Scientists have started to study and propagate wild native orchids to help with the conservation of as many species as possible, but they do not have a lot of information, experience, nor research out there about our non-tropical orchids.
As a reminder to anyone who enjoys the outdoors and especially finding unique and beautiful flowers wherever they go, to only take pictures back with you! These types of plants are sensitive to their environment and play a larger part in the entire ecosystem, as is true with all native plants. If you end up finding any orchids during your time at the nature center, consider yourself lucky. We hope you get the chance.
Author: Kelly Bahl, Outreach Naturalist/Teacher
August- Great Egrets Then & Now
Have you ever seen a tall snowy-white bird on the water in summer and wondered what it was? Those are great egrets. They are in the heron family. While most people use the terms “heron” and “egret” loosely, most egrets are white. This sleek white bird can reach heights of over 3 feet tall, with a long yellow beak and black stilt-like legs. During mating season, the patch on their face turns a lime green and their back feathers grow into an elegant plume. Although the fanciful feathers of this bird do a great job attracting a mate, it has a long, more complex history that extends out of the realm of birds.
In the late 1800s it became fashionable to wear plumes from wild birds in ladies’ hats. The birds most affected by this hunting were egrets, ostriches, birds of paradise, pheasants, peacocks, and quails. They were often shot in the spring when their feathers were the most colorful for mating season. In turn, this decreased the number of nesting birds, which drastically decreased the population in a short period of time. In the end almost 5 million birds were killed for their plumes and feathers.
Concerned citizens started speaking out against the hunting of these birds en masse. In fact, the outrage about the slaughter of millions of birds just for the sake of fashion is what first sparked the establishment of the Audubon Society in 1896. With the help of the newly formed Audubon Society and President Roosevelt, Pelican Island was established as the first national wildlife sanctuary to protect egrets and other birds from plume hunters. Other popular plume hunting areas followed suit and started to protect popular nesting grounds for these birds. Slowly the population began to increase as more awareness was spread about these birds and the devastating effects of plume hunting. As a result of the success of the National Audubon Society’s first campaign, the great egret became their symbol which remains today.
In present times, the range of the great egret continues to expand. Here in southern Minnesota, we can see a dozen or more egrets standing together on the edge of lakes, marshes, and swamps during August and early September in line with their fall migration. Collectively, great egrets have been moving further north in Minnesota since the 1930s. They became regular migrants and summer residents in southern Minnesota in the 1950s. The farthest north nests of great egrets have been found is in Marshall County in 1980. Since we are coming to the end of summer, great egrets will start migrating south towards the southern states in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
Even though back in the 19th century the great egret was almost hunted to extinction, there is an estimated 1-2 million of these birds out in the wild today. They are classified with a least concern conservation status and are considered as an excellent example of a successful conservation campaign. If you miss them in the fall migration, they will be back around mid-April. Be on the lookout for 3ft wide platform nests that are 20-40 feet off the ground near a water source. We have some great habitat in town along the Cedar River that is perfect for herons and egrets alike, so keep your eyes peeled along the edge of the water or way up in the riverside trees for this fun birding find!
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist
In the late 1800s it became fashionable to wear plumes from wild birds in ladies’ hats. The birds most affected by this hunting were egrets, ostriches, birds of paradise, pheasants, peacocks, and quails. They were often shot in the spring when their feathers were the most colorful for mating season. In turn, this decreased the number of nesting birds, which drastically decreased the population in a short period of time. In the end almost 5 million birds were killed for their plumes and feathers.
Concerned citizens started speaking out against the hunting of these birds en masse. In fact, the outrage about the slaughter of millions of birds just for the sake of fashion is what first sparked the establishment of the Audubon Society in 1896. With the help of the newly formed Audubon Society and President Roosevelt, Pelican Island was established as the first national wildlife sanctuary to protect egrets and other birds from plume hunters. Other popular plume hunting areas followed suit and started to protect popular nesting grounds for these birds. Slowly the population began to increase as more awareness was spread about these birds and the devastating effects of plume hunting. As a result of the success of the National Audubon Society’s first campaign, the great egret became their symbol which remains today.
In present times, the range of the great egret continues to expand. Here in southern Minnesota, we can see a dozen or more egrets standing together on the edge of lakes, marshes, and swamps during August and early September in line with their fall migration. Collectively, great egrets have been moving further north in Minnesota since the 1930s. They became regular migrants and summer residents in southern Minnesota in the 1950s. The farthest north nests of great egrets have been found is in Marshall County in 1980. Since we are coming to the end of summer, great egrets will start migrating south towards the southern states in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
Even though back in the 19th century the great egret was almost hunted to extinction, there is an estimated 1-2 million of these birds out in the wild today. They are classified with a least concern conservation status and are considered as an excellent example of a successful conservation campaign. If you miss them in the fall migration, they will be back around mid-April. Be on the lookout for 3ft wide platform nests that are 20-40 feet off the ground near a water source. We have some great habitat in town along the Cedar River that is perfect for herons and egrets alike, so keep your eyes peeled along the edge of the water or way up in the riverside trees for this fun birding find!
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist
2022 NATURE NOTES
January - winter wildlife tracking
Winter in Minnesota offers an excellent opportunity to observe a part of nature that we might not otherwise see. Looking for animal tracks in the snow (paw prints) in your yard or here at the nature center is a fun activity that you can do on your own or with family and friends. You may be surprised at how much you can learn about that animals that visit your yard or visit the nature center. Winter snow makes it easier to find and follow tracks whether you are a novice or an expert tracker. The best tracks are found after a new snowfall so get out early before the trails get spoiled by people tracks or warm temperatures melting the snow and distorting the paw print.
Following wildlife is often a magical experience. While observing the paw prints and the path of the animal you can use your imagination and begin to think like the wild critter you are following. Moving alongside the set of tracks, you can find out whether the animal climbed a tree, increased its speed from slow to fast and or found its cache of food.
Using a mammal track guidebook or an app will help you identify the animals you are tracking. One of my favorite novice guidebooks is Mammal Tracks and Scat by Lynn Levine and Martha Mitchell that I have used with my grandchildren. The life size, water proof paw print on the pages of the book makes for easier identification. Prepare for your winter adventure with warm attire for venturing outside, your phone or camera to take photos and a measuring tape.
Identifying the movement pattern is essential in identifying the animal. There are walkers and trotters, hoppers, waddlers and bounders. Walkers and trotters have four toes and walk with a smooth trotting gate. They are red and gray fox, cats, bobcats, coyotes, dogs and wolves. Also included are hooved animals like deer and moose. They have heart shaped tracks as well as two circular impressions toward the back of the track. Hoppers have large hind feet that are significantly longer than their front feet. They jump by pushing off with their hind feet landing on their front feet and then swing their back feet to the front. They include cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, shrews, chipmunks, mice, voles, chipmunks and red and gray squirrels. Waddlers are often referred to as overstep walkers, they have heavy bodies and short legs with small front feet. The larger hind leg often oversteps the front foot. Waddlers are bears, beavers, muskrats, skunks, woodchucks, raccoons, porcupines and opossums. Bounders have long narrow bodies and short legs. They crouch and jump off their back feet. When they are in the air they are fully stretched out. When landing, one front foot arrives before the other and then both feet lift up allowing the back feet to take their place. Bounder tracks are mostly hind prints. Members of this group are weasels, fishers, otters, martens and mink.
In open fields look for wing imprints of hawks and owls in the snow which these birds leave behind when they swoop in to capture prey.
Animal tracks are a powerful tool for learning about the wildlife around you. With a little effort and guidance, anyone can identify many clear animal tracks and signs with ease. Winter is an excellent time to discover the animals that live around us. Enjoy the snow!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/ Naturalist
Following wildlife is often a magical experience. While observing the paw prints and the path of the animal you can use your imagination and begin to think like the wild critter you are following. Moving alongside the set of tracks, you can find out whether the animal climbed a tree, increased its speed from slow to fast and or found its cache of food.
Using a mammal track guidebook or an app will help you identify the animals you are tracking. One of my favorite novice guidebooks is Mammal Tracks and Scat by Lynn Levine and Martha Mitchell that I have used with my grandchildren. The life size, water proof paw print on the pages of the book makes for easier identification. Prepare for your winter adventure with warm attire for venturing outside, your phone or camera to take photos and a measuring tape.
Identifying the movement pattern is essential in identifying the animal. There are walkers and trotters, hoppers, waddlers and bounders. Walkers and trotters have four toes and walk with a smooth trotting gate. They are red and gray fox, cats, bobcats, coyotes, dogs and wolves. Also included are hooved animals like deer and moose. They have heart shaped tracks as well as two circular impressions toward the back of the track. Hoppers have large hind feet that are significantly longer than their front feet. They jump by pushing off with their hind feet landing on their front feet and then swing their back feet to the front. They include cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, shrews, chipmunks, mice, voles, chipmunks and red and gray squirrels. Waddlers are often referred to as overstep walkers, they have heavy bodies and short legs with small front feet. The larger hind leg often oversteps the front foot. Waddlers are bears, beavers, muskrats, skunks, woodchucks, raccoons, porcupines and opossums. Bounders have long narrow bodies and short legs. They crouch and jump off their back feet. When they are in the air they are fully stretched out. When landing, one front foot arrives before the other and then both feet lift up allowing the back feet to take their place. Bounder tracks are mostly hind prints. Members of this group are weasels, fishers, otters, martens and mink.
In open fields look for wing imprints of hawks and owls in the snow which these birds leave behind when they swoop in to capture prey.
Animal tracks are a powerful tool for learning about the wildlife around you. With a little effort and guidance, anyone can identify many clear animal tracks and signs with ease. Winter is an excellent time to discover the animals that live around us. Enjoy the snow!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/ Naturalist
February - it's a what cabbage? skunk!
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Is February too early to look for signs of spring? Not for the eastern skunk cabbage. While not being a cabbage, nor a skunk, the eastern skunk cabbage has peculiar methods to signal springtime and is one of the first plants to sprout for the year. Skunk cabbage is not a true cabbage and is more closely related to tropical plants like philodendrons and taro (elephant ears) even though it is found in more northern climates. Ranging from the north eastern half of the US and up into eastern Canada, Minnesota is found on the western most border of its range. The beginning of February might be a little optimistic for looking for spring, but closer to the end of the month skunk cabbage is right there with us ready for warmer temps and winter to end.
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Its common name came simply from the fact that the leaves look like a cabbage. The other half of its namesake is aptly named from odor it releases. When its leaves get broken or ripped, or when it is in bloom, this plant can emit a pungent smell not unlike the aroma of a spooked skunk. The main reasoning behind producing such a stink is to attract a special pollinator: flies looking for smelly or rotting things to eat! Even with such a defining feature as producing a smell akin to a skunk, its odor is not the star of the show when it comes to tricks up the skunk cabbage’s hypothetical sleeves.
Eastern skunk cabbage is the perennial pioneer of spring. It is a forerunning when it comes to the phrase “spring has sprung” and will sprout when there is still a substantial amount of snow on the ground. The way that this plant can accomplish such a feat is to melt the snow that is above it so it can get much needed sunshine and fresh air. This is an anomaly in the plant world as it is one of the few plants that is capable of thermogenesis (to make its own heat).
Temperatures between 55-95 degrees Fahrenheit can be generated by this plant, which is plenty to melt the snow around, and create a small updraft of warm air to help carry its odor for enticing pollinators. Being able to produce heat will allow for an earlier start to its growing season as it warms up the frozen soil around it to obtain water and nutrients for the roots and to melt the snow above it to get access to sunlight for photosynthesis and making its own food.
When out for a stroll in late February or early march you can look for holes in the snow with cabbage looking leaves or a flower pod that’s reddish purple to black in color very close to the ground. You might even be able to see the warm air coming off of it. These plants prefer wet mucky soil so can be found along stream beds or marsh and bog ecosystems but keeps its ground by focusing all yearly growth under the surface. Every year the roots contract to go a little bit deeper to have a stronger hold each year. Essentially growing downward as opposed to upwards like most plants do.
Author: Kelly Bahl - Outreach Naturalist
MARCH - RIVER OTTERS
I was leaning on the faux marble countertop in my kitchen waiting for water to boil when my twelve year old asked me: If you could relive any day without changing anything, what day would you pick? The steam started leaking out of the kettle, and I didn’t even mull it over.
I said: Do you remember the day we went to Root River, and I let you and your friend swim in your t-shirts? We didn’t have towels, I had lost the sole of my boot, and we were sticky with the hot, damp air? You were both laughing at your luck: swimming in your clothes. I was sitting on the rocky shore, leaning on our packs. Just watching. That’s when I glanced it. Movement. Behind you. My eyes briefly flicked to the bluff behind. An otter was scaling the rocks. I looked to you both, wanting to see if you noticed. I felt a shout build in my throat, but my mouth was locked shut. I didn’t want to break this moment: your laughter. The otter. The river. The sun.
That day the otter disappeared into the vegetation with only myself as witness, but that moment has stuck with me subsequently. River otters are native to all of Minnesota, but disappeared for almost a century due to their dense fur being highly desirable during the fur trade in the early 1800s. Thanks to some repopulation efforts, today you can find these goofballs in our Southern Minnesotan wetlands that provide them with a source of food, burrowing opportunities, and bank vegetation.
For river otters, typically mating season starts in March and April. After mating, the fertilized egg goes through a process called “delayed implantation.” This means that the development of the embryo ceases for nine to ten months! After this period of time passes the fertilized egg is implanted, and development begins. The kits are then born the next year, typically from March to May.
A female river otter can have up to five kits, with two being typical. Kits are born blind, fairly helpless, and need to be raised in a safe den. An otter den, or burrow, can be inside hollow logs or built into the bank. Otters also use abandoned burrows, like beaver lodges, for their own.
Kits open their eyes around day 20 and are weaned off their mama’s milk around weeks 10-14. By the time they’re three to four months old, they can leave the den! They’re completely independent of their parents by the time they’re six months old.
River otters are both predators and prey. They catch and kill a variety of small aquatic animals like fish, mussels, and turtles. They can even catch small terrestrial mammals like mice and chipmunks. There aren’t many predators that can catch an otter when it’s in the water, but on land predators like bobcats, coyotes, and wolves will sometimes hunt and kill river otters.
River otters are a playful and charismatic. They love to wrestle with one another, and slide down muddy or snow-packed river banks. They play games with sticks, nudging them across the water. They’ll drop pebbles into the water just to go and retrieve them, or bounce them from hand to hand as though they’re juggling. Some people have even observed them playing games of tag!
My two girls never noticed the spirited creature bounding up the bluffs at Root River. They laughed and splashed while I delayed our departure, committing to memory the haven of that space. If I could relive any day to live exactly as it was, it would be that one. A day I shared with my daughter, her friend, and the otter.
By: Kara Page - Naturalist Intern
That day the otter disappeared into the vegetation with only myself as witness, but that moment has stuck with me subsequently. River otters are native to all of Minnesota, but disappeared for almost a century due to their dense fur being highly desirable during the fur trade in the early 1800s. Thanks to some repopulation efforts, today you can find these goofballs in our Southern Minnesotan wetlands that provide them with a source of food, burrowing opportunities, and bank vegetation.
For river otters, typically mating season starts in March and April. After mating, the fertilized egg goes through a process called “delayed implantation.” This means that the development of the embryo ceases for nine to ten months! After this period of time passes the fertilized egg is implanted, and development begins. The kits are then born the next year, typically from March to May.
A female river otter can have up to five kits, with two being typical. Kits are born blind, fairly helpless, and need to be raised in a safe den. An otter den, or burrow, can be inside hollow logs or built into the bank. Otters also use abandoned burrows, like beaver lodges, for their own.
Kits open their eyes around day 20 and are weaned off their mama’s milk around weeks 10-14. By the time they’re three to four months old, they can leave the den! They’re completely independent of their parents by the time they’re six months old.
River otters are both predators and prey. They catch and kill a variety of small aquatic animals like fish, mussels, and turtles. They can even catch small terrestrial mammals like mice and chipmunks. There aren’t many predators that can catch an otter when it’s in the water, but on land predators like bobcats, coyotes, and wolves will sometimes hunt and kill river otters.
River otters are a playful and charismatic. They love to wrestle with one another, and slide down muddy or snow-packed river banks. They play games with sticks, nudging them across the water. They’ll drop pebbles into the water just to go and retrieve them, or bounce them from hand to hand as though they’re juggling. Some people have even observed them playing games of tag!
My two girls never noticed the spirited creature bounding up the bluffs at Root River. They laughed and splashed while I delayed our departure, committing to memory the haven of that space. If I could relive any day to live exactly as it was, it would be that one. A day I shared with my daughter, her friend, and the otter.
By: Kara Page - Naturalist Intern
April - Return of the loon
On a calm summer evening, the lake at my grandparents’ house shimmers faintly in the fading light, revealing only silhouettes of boaters passing by on their way home to dinner. A much smaller figure appears on the water, almost as if by magic. If its silhouette wasn’t clue enough, the call that comes from its direction a second later confirms my suspicion; the common loon--our state bird and symbol of northern lakes—floats along the lake’s surface, its distinct and hauntingly beautiful voice echoing across the water.
Although it’s not yet summer, April brings with it the return of the loon, starting in southern and central Minnesota. In winter, common loons make coastal waters their home along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico coasts, but by April they are ready to return up north, stopping along lakes in southern and central Minnesota along their migration.
With the common loon chosen as its state bird in 1961, today Minnesota is home to more loons (about 12,000) than any other state except for Alaska. But for such an abundant and well-adored bird, the common loon may be in danger of disappearing. Although not listed as a threatened species or even a species of concern in Minnesota, a combination of threats—namely human-caused disturbances like climate change, shoreline development, and lead and mercury pollution—will pose danger to our beloved state bird in the coming years.
I certainly hope that I will be able to hear the call of the loon throughout my entire lifetime, and that generations to follow will share that same wonder of seeing loons magically appear on the water. In order for that future to become a reality, however, we will need to make changes to conserve and protect the loons: changes that start with awareness.
Mercury and lead pollution, for example, are serious yet avoidable threats. The biggest source of mercury pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, especially coal, which releases mercury into the air and eventually makes its way into waterbodies through rain. Mercury poisoning affects the nervous system of loons, and is passed on from adults to the eggs, meaning the chicks will be born with higher levels of mercury than their parents (a similar effect to that of DDT on eagles). The result of mercury intake is reproductive failure, ultimately endangering the future of the species. Likewise, a loon that has lead in its system--usually due to eating fish that have ingested lead sinkers--will result in death in a matter of weeks.
The DNR, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and others have undertaken monitoring of loon populations in Minnesota to better understand these threats and what is needed for these birds to continue thriving in our state. Currently, 20% of loon deaths are caused by lead poisoning, and a lot of that is attributable to preventable human actions.
Common loons are special for more than just their symbolic and cultural significance in Minnesota, and are anything but “common.” They are expert divers, diving for about 45 seconds on average; even their chicks can dive for 30 seconds starting at a mere eight days old! They are one of few birds to have solid—not hollow—bones, with the added weight helping them to dive as deep as 250 feet. Even though they spend a lot of time in water, they can fly more than 75 mph once airborne! With such a magnificent creature at stake, the common loon deserves our attention, care, and conservation efforts in order to preserve its future.
By: Greta Wilkening - Naturalist Intern
Although it’s not yet summer, April brings with it the return of the loon, starting in southern and central Minnesota. In winter, common loons make coastal waters their home along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico coasts, but by April they are ready to return up north, stopping along lakes in southern and central Minnesota along their migration.
With the common loon chosen as its state bird in 1961, today Minnesota is home to more loons (about 12,000) than any other state except for Alaska. But for such an abundant and well-adored bird, the common loon may be in danger of disappearing. Although not listed as a threatened species or even a species of concern in Minnesota, a combination of threats—namely human-caused disturbances like climate change, shoreline development, and lead and mercury pollution—will pose danger to our beloved state bird in the coming years.
I certainly hope that I will be able to hear the call of the loon throughout my entire lifetime, and that generations to follow will share that same wonder of seeing loons magically appear on the water. In order for that future to become a reality, however, we will need to make changes to conserve and protect the loons: changes that start with awareness.
Mercury and lead pollution, for example, are serious yet avoidable threats. The biggest source of mercury pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, especially coal, which releases mercury into the air and eventually makes its way into waterbodies through rain. Mercury poisoning affects the nervous system of loons, and is passed on from adults to the eggs, meaning the chicks will be born with higher levels of mercury than their parents (a similar effect to that of DDT on eagles). The result of mercury intake is reproductive failure, ultimately endangering the future of the species. Likewise, a loon that has lead in its system--usually due to eating fish that have ingested lead sinkers--will result in death in a matter of weeks.
The DNR, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and others have undertaken monitoring of loon populations in Minnesota to better understand these threats and what is needed for these birds to continue thriving in our state. Currently, 20% of loon deaths are caused by lead poisoning, and a lot of that is attributable to preventable human actions.
Common loons are special for more than just their symbolic and cultural significance in Minnesota, and are anything but “common.” They are expert divers, diving for about 45 seconds on average; even their chicks can dive for 30 seconds starting at a mere eight days old! They are one of few birds to have solid—not hollow—bones, with the added weight helping them to dive as deep as 250 feet. Even though they spend a lot of time in water, they can fly more than 75 mph once airborne! With such a magnificent creature at stake, the common loon deserves our attention, care, and conservation efforts in order to preserve its future.
By: Greta Wilkening - Naturalist Intern
MAY - WETLANDS - WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
Did you know that the Hormel Nature Center is restoring two wetlands near the tower? Did you know that these areas, that are currently prairies, were historically wetlands? You may have seen some of the big machinery near the tower last summer-fall. You may have also seen the rocks that act as an erosion control structure. Here at the Nature Center we are restoring these lands for three main reasons, to give homes to a wider variety of wildlife, water quality, and plant diversity.
We have a variety of different types of wetlands on the Nature Center property including wet meadows, marshes, and seasonally flooded wetlands. The seasonally flooded wetland is the easiest to spot, this is the area between the covered bridge and the stepping stone bridge. Whenever we get a lot of rain or Dobbins Creek floods, that section of low land floods and then holds onto the water in small depressions. This area of the forest generally has mineral soils that are well drained most of the season. The forest is dominated by tree species that can handle wet soil like silver maples, cottonwoods, and American elms. This seasonally flooded wetland is great for the watershed when it floods because it helps slow down the rushing water and slows down soil erosion. Our favorite part about this area is that invasive plant species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle do not like wet areas, so we have very little to no invasive plant growth.
The other two areas of wetlands on our property are the ones we are restoring. These are classified as marshes and wet meadows. These areas were historically wet areas and most likely wetlands. Over time Dobbins Creek has moved around and development happened in the surrounding areas. What we have done is directed water flow to the shallow pits in our prairies to allow more water to be held in these pits to restore wetland characteristics to these areas. We have also installed rocks that act as an erosion control structure for the wetland that is south of the tower. This helps slow down the water which in turn slows down the erosion that is happening on the creek. These rocks also help hold more water in the wetland which will allow for new wetland specific plants to grow. A reason that is close to our hearts here at the Nature Center that we love wetlands is that they do a fantastic job of removing excess nutrients from water before it enters the creek. The excess nutrients are great for wetland plants and help keep the creek aquatic plants from growing out of control.
Wetlands are a great resource for migrating birds. They provide food, cover, and breeding grounds. We have already seen sandhill cranes on our restored wetland. Wetlands also provide critical habitat for animals like the blue-spotted salamander or the endanger Blanding’s turtle, which has been spotted near the tower last year! Of course, with any standing bodies of water there may be more mosquitoes if you’re out on a walk, but just remember they are a great food source for bats. Just remember your bug spray the next time you hike out to the tower!
By: Sydney Weisinger - Teacher/Naturalist
We have a variety of different types of wetlands on the Nature Center property including wet meadows, marshes, and seasonally flooded wetlands. The seasonally flooded wetland is the easiest to spot, this is the area between the covered bridge and the stepping stone bridge. Whenever we get a lot of rain or Dobbins Creek floods, that section of low land floods and then holds onto the water in small depressions. This area of the forest generally has mineral soils that are well drained most of the season. The forest is dominated by tree species that can handle wet soil like silver maples, cottonwoods, and American elms. This seasonally flooded wetland is great for the watershed when it floods because it helps slow down the rushing water and slows down soil erosion. Our favorite part about this area is that invasive plant species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle do not like wet areas, so we have very little to no invasive plant growth.
The other two areas of wetlands on our property are the ones we are restoring. These are classified as marshes and wet meadows. These areas were historically wet areas and most likely wetlands. Over time Dobbins Creek has moved around and development happened in the surrounding areas. What we have done is directed water flow to the shallow pits in our prairies to allow more water to be held in these pits to restore wetland characteristics to these areas. We have also installed rocks that act as an erosion control structure for the wetland that is south of the tower. This helps slow down the water which in turn slows down the erosion that is happening on the creek. These rocks also help hold more water in the wetland which will allow for new wetland specific plants to grow. A reason that is close to our hearts here at the Nature Center that we love wetlands is that they do a fantastic job of removing excess nutrients from water before it enters the creek. The excess nutrients are great for wetland plants and help keep the creek aquatic plants from growing out of control.
Wetlands are a great resource for migrating birds. They provide food, cover, and breeding grounds. We have already seen sandhill cranes on our restored wetland. Wetlands also provide critical habitat for animals like the blue-spotted salamander or the endanger Blanding’s turtle, which has been spotted near the tower last year! Of course, with any standing bodies of water there may be more mosquitoes if you’re out on a walk, but just remember they are a great food source for bats. Just remember your bug spray the next time you hike out to the tower!
By: Sydney Weisinger - Teacher/Naturalist
june - fireflies - summer night light show
Summer is here and June has the most hours of daylight. With the sun setting later, it gives us more time to be outside and listen to the choruses of birds, frogs and insects. The nights of June are alive with fireflies which happen to be one of my favorite insects. They might be one of our most beloved insects, inspiring poets and scientists alike. Fireflies, or lightening bugs are named inaccurately. Fireflies are not flies or bugs, they are actually a type of beetle. Over 2000 species exist on our planet. There are 136 species of fireflies, which are soft-bodied beetles, in eastern North America, and about 15 are found in Minnesota. They seem to magically appear close to dusk in parks, wetlands, tall grassy spots, old fields, forest edges and can be found in our own backyards. As darkness falls the light show begins. This display of light is not just to entertain us. Love is in the air and male fireflies are looking for a girlfriend to mate. The flash of light is a recognition signal, enabling the sexes to find each other. Each firefly species has a characteristic flashing rhythm. A male will emit flashes of yellowish light at intervals of a few seconds while it flies a few feet from the ground and on up to treetop level. Females wait on top of lower vegetation. (Most female fireflies can’t fly) They will flash back if a flashing male of their species comes within about 6 feet. The exact number of seconds between flashes distinguishes the species. This special light is produced by combining a chemical called luciferin with a luciferase enzyme and oxygen. This controlled bioluminescence takes place in the fireflies’ abdomen. Colors of firefly lights range widely among the different species from yellow, green, orange, turquoise and a bright poppy red. We don’t often see fireflies before they reach adulthood so you may be surprised to know that they glow in all of their life stages. Bioluminescence begins with the egg and is present through the entire life cycle. All firefly eggs, larvae and pupae can produce light.
Fireflies are harmless. They don't bite, they have no pincers, they don't attack, they don't carry disease, they are not poisonous and they don't fly very fast. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other insect larvae, snails and slugs. When they become adults, fireflies may eat pollen, nectar or nothing at all. Some adult fireflies are cannibals. A deceptive light is used by the female Photuris firefly. She will mimic flashes of males of other species enticing interested males who then become her next meal. Their lifespan is very short about 2 months. Fireflies (as well as their larvae, glowworms) help to control garden pests like snails, slugs, cutworms, and aphids, so be sure to keep them around if you have them in your garden. If you want to catch fireflies, keep them safe by placing a wet paper towel in the bottom of a glass jar. Pierce holes in the jar’s lid so that the fireflies can breathe. Don’t forget to release them after a day or two.
Enjoy the free firefly light shows at night this summer!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/Naturalist
Fireflies are harmless. They don't bite, they have no pincers, they don't attack, they don't carry disease, they are not poisonous and they don't fly very fast. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other insect larvae, snails and slugs. When they become adults, fireflies may eat pollen, nectar or nothing at all. Some adult fireflies are cannibals. A deceptive light is used by the female Photuris firefly. She will mimic flashes of males of other species enticing interested males who then become her next meal. Their lifespan is very short about 2 months. Fireflies (as well as their larvae, glowworms) help to control garden pests like snails, slugs, cutworms, and aphids, so be sure to keep them around if you have them in your garden. If you want to catch fireflies, keep them safe by placing a wet paper towel in the bottom of a glass jar. Pierce holes in the jar’s lid so that the fireflies can breathe. Don’t forget to release them after a day or two.
Enjoy the free firefly light shows at night this summer!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/Naturalist
August- HUmmingbirds - A peanut sized bird and their 3000-mile journey
Often seen zipping and humming around our sugar feeders in the summer are the smallest birds that are native to Minnesota, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Although there are over 350 different species of hummingbirds, the ruby throated variety are the ones you will most likely find at your flowers and feeders. Why might that be? Because they’re actually the only species that nests east of the Great Plains. If you can get close enough to see the colors on these birds, you’ll see a deep green, jewel-toned body that seems to glitter in the sunlight. Like many birds, male Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds have brighter coloration than their female counterparts; the characteristic bright red throats of males became the namesake for the species. Females generally appear to have white smudgy undersides instead.
Seeing these birds is a hallmark of summer, but as the end of summer approaches, these tiny birds embark on spectacularly long journeys. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds can travel upwards of 3000 miles to their winter sites in Mexico and Central America. The earliest Ruby-Throated Hummingbird migrants, often adult males, will begin travelling south in early August. Females and young will follow a few weeks later. This gradual migration that begins in August and continues through much of September allows males to arrive early at their winter sites to establish their territories. Additionally, the delay allows younger hummingbirds have time to grow strong enough to successfully make the long journey.
Unlike many other birds such as geese or robins, who travel in flocks during migration, hummingbirds are solo travelers for their journey. This means that young hummingbirds (even ones that are only 1-2 months old) have to find their way all the way down to Central America on their own! So, what triggers the birds to know when and where to move? Scientists have suggested that one of the most important factors that dictates when hummingbirds move is the amount of daylight. As the days start to get shorter and the angle of the sun begins to shift, these hummingbirds naturally know that their time to migrate is approaching. They will begin to molt old feathers and eat extra to put on more weight.
While other bird species will travel the majority of their journey at night, these hummingbirds travel mostly during the day. Flying for them uses a LOT of energy, so they will need to stop at as many flowers and feeders as possible along the way. They are mostly attracted to red or orange brightly colored, tube-shaped flowers. Native Minnesota wildflowers like bergamot (aka bee balm) and cardinal flowers are popular pitstops for these hummingbirds. If you already have these flowers planted, it may be fun to put out some sugar feeders to see these colorful birds as they leave Minnesota for their warmer homes down south. Stragglers may be around in Minnesota until the end of September, so be sure to leave your feeders up until then! Don’t forget to clean change out your feeders at least once a week. Happy hummingbird migration season!
By: Akiko Nakagawa – Naturalist Intern
Seeing these birds is a hallmark of summer, but as the end of summer approaches, these tiny birds embark on spectacularly long journeys. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds can travel upwards of 3000 miles to their winter sites in Mexico and Central America. The earliest Ruby-Throated Hummingbird migrants, often adult males, will begin travelling south in early August. Females and young will follow a few weeks later. This gradual migration that begins in August and continues through much of September allows males to arrive early at their winter sites to establish their territories. Additionally, the delay allows younger hummingbirds have time to grow strong enough to successfully make the long journey.
Unlike many other birds such as geese or robins, who travel in flocks during migration, hummingbirds are solo travelers for their journey. This means that young hummingbirds (even ones that are only 1-2 months old) have to find their way all the way down to Central America on their own! So, what triggers the birds to know when and where to move? Scientists have suggested that one of the most important factors that dictates when hummingbirds move is the amount of daylight. As the days start to get shorter and the angle of the sun begins to shift, these hummingbirds naturally know that their time to migrate is approaching. They will begin to molt old feathers and eat extra to put on more weight.
While other bird species will travel the majority of their journey at night, these hummingbirds travel mostly during the day. Flying for them uses a LOT of energy, so they will need to stop at as many flowers and feeders as possible along the way. They are mostly attracted to red or orange brightly colored, tube-shaped flowers. Native Minnesota wildflowers like bergamot (aka bee balm) and cardinal flowers are popular pitstops for these hummingbirds. If you already have these flowers planted, it may be fun to put out some sugar feeders to see these colorful birds as they leave Minnesota for their warmer homes down south. Stragglers may be around in Minnesota until the end of September, so be sure to leave your feeders up until then! Don’t forget to clean change out your feeders at least once a week. Happy hummingbird migration season!
By: Akiko Nakagawa – Naturalist Intern
september - WANDERING WOOLLY BEAR
Unless you study like a professional entomologist (scientists who study insects) there are probably a very limited number of caterpillars you can name. One is likely the monarch caterpillar who transforms into the brilliantly orange and iconic monarch butterfly and then there is the ever popular woolly bear caterpillar. The adult form of the woolly bear is a not-as-well-known: the Isabella tiger moth, a relatively small tan-ish brown moth peppered with some dark spotting, definitely not as showy as other moths and butterflies on the scene.
Even with the promise of anything-but-flashy adulthood the woolly bear caterpillar is still one of the most well-known caterpillars out there and for good reason; they have folklore attached to their fuzzy little bodies. Most people know at least one story surrounding this furry critter and its ability to predict the weather. But, is there any validity to this claim? Some stories state that the direction the woolly bear is traveling will tell you how bad the winter will be. A caterpillar traveling north indicates a mild winter and south means a harsher one. Other stories look at a woolly bear and see how much black vs rusty coloration the body has to predict the impeding winter. Legend states that if the rusty color band is wide then we are in for a mild winter. If the rusty color band is narrow and the black bands are wide then a severe winter is on the horizon.
The question still remains; can the change in the woolly bear appearance surely be an accurate predictor of the future? Entomologists have stated that the woolly bear coat will change depending on age, as well as weather, but usually the coat that we see to make predictions off of is telling us all about winter… that has already happened. The older the caterpillar is the narrower the rust band will be, indicating an early spring, long growth season, or even a mild winter the previous year. Young caterpillars will have a wider rust band meaning they got a late start either because of weather (longer winter), or food availability.
We see woolly bears most often in September as they are on the move to find the perfect hibernating spot, usually under a pile of leaves, debris, and downed logs. (So be sure to leave your leaf litter be!) Woolly bear “fuzz” is called setae and it helps them freeze properly during the winter. These caterpillars can produce an antifreeze in their bodies called glycerol which keeps the interior of their cells from freezing through. This allows the woolly bears to hibernate in extreme conditions, even in the middle of an ice cube! After hibernation it will cocoon, emerge an adult, lay eggs, die, and the cycle begins anew.
So whether you are a woolly bear believer or not, this folklore is a fun way to inspect and enjoy nature and have a fun wiggly predictor of the winter to come.
By: Kelly Bahl- Outreach Naturalist
Even with the promise of anything-but-flashy adulthood the woolly bear caterpillar is still one of the most well-known caterpillars out there and for good reason; they have folklore attached to their fuzzy little bodies. Most people know at least one story surrounding this furry critter and its ability to predict the weather. But, is there any validity to this claim? Some stories state that the direction the woolly bear is traveling will tell you how bad the winter will be. A caterpillar traveling north indicates a mild winter and south means a harsher one. Other stories look at a woolly bear and see how much black vs rusty coloration the body has to predict the impeding winter. Legend states that if the rusty color band is wide then we are in for a mild winter. If the rusty color band is narrow and the black bands are wide then a severe winter is on the horizon.
The question still remains; can the change in the woolly bear appearance surely be an accurate predictor of the future? Entomologists have stated that the woolly bear coat will change depending on age, as well as weather, but usually the coat that we see to make predictions off of is telling us all about winter… that has already happened. The older the caterpillar is the narrower the rust band will be, indicating an early spring, long growth season, or even a mild winter the previous year. Young caterpillars will have a wider rust band meaning they got a late start either because of weather (longer winter), or food availability.
We see woolly bears most often in September as they are on the move to find the perfect hibernating spot, usually under a pile of leaves, debris, and downed logs. (So be sure to leave your leaf litter be!) Woolly bear “fuzz” is called setae and it helps them freeze properly during the winter. These caterpillars can produce an antifreeze in their bodies called glycerol which keeps the interior of their cells from freezing through. This allows the woolly bears to hibernate in extreme conditions, even in the middle of an ice cube! After hibernation it will cocoon, emerge an adult, lay eggs, die, and the cycle begins anew.
So whether you are a woolly bear believer or not, this folklore is a fun way to inspect and enjoy nature and have a fun wiggly predictor of the winter to come.
By: Kelly Bahl- Outreach Naturalist
October - Muskrats - The month of the mud cat
Muskrats have had many names over the years: mud cat, marsh hare, and mud beaver are just a few. Why all the muddy names? Muskrats have been trapped for a variety of reasons over the years. Their pelts were known to be durable and waterproof, and were given the nickname the “Hudson Seal” by trappers.
Some people also liked to serve muskrat for dinner. Eating something with the word “rat” for dinner might not be so appealing, so in came another nickname “marsh hare” which helped make the meal sound more appealing to restaurant diners Muskrats were also approved for Catholics in Detroit to eat on Fridays during Lent in lieu of fish.
While you might not find any muskrat on the menu today, or need their fur to stay dry in the rain, these semi-aquatic mammals are important to people who are conserving wetlands, and a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
Muskrats have adapted to life in the water quite well. Able to stay underwater for more than 15 minutes at a time, they slow down their heart rate when diving. This aids them in using less oxygen, and this gives them time to forage for roots, plant stems, and clams all while underwater. It's also handy in escaping terrestrial predators, especially if they can slip under the ice during the winter.
As the icy air of autumn moves in, you might see evidence of muskrats this October, even if you don't see them. These nocturnal creatures leave a very obvious clue to their presence: the dome of their den!
Muskrat dens are typically built in May-early June, and then once again in October. Muskrats make their homes by gathering plant matter and mud and creating a mound near a body of water or wetland. Though similar in appearance to a beaver dam, they are much smaller and made from plants rather than logs and sticks. These dens will house them for the winter and are accessible via an underwater entrance. The den might have one room or more, and can be up to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide!
Muskrats and beavers are the only mammals who actually build their homes IN water! Unlike the beaver, our muskrat friends don't store any food for the winter. They'll have to spend their winter looking for food under the ice, and when they aren't hunting for plants or clams to eat, they'll stay huddled together with other muskrats in their dens to stay warm.
As far as wetland health goes, muskrats are a great addition to the ecology of a wetland. They are great at grazing those aquatic plants, which helps keep the plant-growth in check. They also make tunnels and pathways to and from their dens which helps maintain plant diversity, and their dens are used as nesting grounds for some water fowl like ducks and geese.
As you're out and about in nature this October, keep your eyes open for muskrat dens by the waterways!
By: Kara Page - Naturalist Intern
Some people also liked to serve muskrat for dinner. Eating something with the word “rat” for dinner might not be so appealing, so in came another nickname “marsh hare” which helped make the meal sound more appealing to restaurant diners Muskrats were also approved for Catholics in Detroit to eat on Fridays during Lent in lieu of fish.
While you might not find any muskrat on the menu today, or need their fur to stay dry in the rain, these semi-aquatic mammals are important to people who are conserving wetlands, and a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
Muskrats have adapted to life in the water quite well. Able to stay underwater for more than 15 minutes at a time, they slow down their heart rate when diving. This aids them in using less oxygen, and this gives them time to forage for roots, plant stems, and clams all while underwater. It's also handy in escaping terrestrial predators, especially if they can slip under the ice during the winter.
As the icy air of autumn moves in, you might see evidence of muskrats this October, even if you don't see them. These nocturnal creatures leave a very obvious clue to their presence: the dome of their den!
Muskrat dens are typically built in May-early June, and then once again in October. Muskrats make their homes by gathering plant matter and mud and creating a mound near a body of water or wetland. Though similar in appearance to a beaver dam, they are much smaller and made from plants rather than logs and sticks. These dens will house them for the winter and are accessible via an underwater entrance. The den might have one room or more, and can be up to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide!
Muskrats and beavers are the only mammals who actually build their homes IN water! Unlike the beaver, our muskrat friends don't store any food for the winter. They'll have to spend their winter looking for food under the ice, and when they aren't hunting for plants or clams to eat, they'll stay huddled together with other muskrats in their dens to stay warm.
As far as wetland health goes, muskrats are a great addition to the ecology of a wetland. They are great at grazing those aquatic plants, which helps keep the plant-growth in check. They also make tunnels and pathways to and from their dens which helps maintain plant diversity, and their dens are used as nesting grounds for some water fowl like ducks and geese.
As you're out and about in nature this October, keep your eyes open for muskrat dens by the waterways!
By: Kara Page - Naturalist Intern
November - Turkeys
When my husband Duane Champlin and I were dating (40 plus years ago) he introduced me to the hunting world. Hunting offers a kinship with wildlife, wild places and each other. We hunted turkeys together for many years. A day spent in the woods is precious. Walking out to your stand in the pitch black of the morning and witnessing the sights and the sounds of the forest awakening is worth the early morning rise. We have created memories that will last a lifetime that not only include taking the turkey, but some interesting encounters with other animals that inhabit the forest. I had hunted ducks and pheasants, but not turkeys. Duane introduced me to their world in the beautiful bluff lands of southeastern Minnesota in the 1980’s.
John James Audubon described the wild turkey as “one of the most interesting birds indigenous to the United States of America.” Duane and I quite agree. Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting social bonds with each other and are very affectionate; rather similar to dogs. They are large birds with over 5500 feathers and 18 tail feathers that make up their fan. They roost overnight in trees and they make a lot of noise going to roost and coming down from the roost in the morning. When we scouted for the hunt we searched for scat. Duane showed me that a turkey’s gender can be determined from it’s dropping-a male’s will be shaped like a letter J, a female’s more spiral shaped.
Wild turkeys can fly up to 60 miles per hour, have excellent vision, seeing three times more clearly than 20/20. They can also see in color and have a 270 degree of vision. A wild turkey’s hearing is remarkable. It is not so much their ability to hear, but how they use it. They have an uncanny ability not only to hear sounds from great distances, but to pinpoint the exact location of their source. It is critical to remain still during the hunt as the turkey can see and hear extremely well. Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalizations including a distinctive gobble, produced by males, which can be heard a mile away. Individual turkeys have unique voices. This is how turkeys recognize each other. I use a box call and Duane uses a mouth call to lure the male turkey into our sights and female decoy. We make female clucking, purring, yelping and cackle sounds. Duane is far better at making these sounds than I am.
It is an amazing experience to watch the male turkey puff up their bodies, strut and spread their elaborate feathers, like peacocks, to attract a mate. When the male turkey is excited to mate the bare skin on the turkey’s throat and head can turn red, white or blue. The long red fleshy object over a male’s beak is called a snood. They can easily defend themselves with their powerful feet and spurs. I prefer domesticated turkey meat, especially for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, but wild turkey stew can be delicious if seasoned well and cooked along with vegetables in a slow cooker. We always harvested the meat from our birds and shared it with family and friends.
The hunting experience is therapeutic for both of us. It truly connects us with nature. We enjoy the physical and mental challenges of the hunt and the connection with family and friends often times more than the act of taking the game. Taking the game is the icing on the cake. As affirmed by Randall Eaton in his book Why We Hunt , “Hunting is how we fall in love with nature.”
By: Julie Champlin - Naturalist/Office Manager
John James Audubon described the wild turkey as “one of the most interesting birds indigenous to the United States of America.” Duane and I quite agree. Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting social bonds with each other and are very affectionate; rather similar to dogs. They are large birds with over 5500 feathers and 18 tail feathers that make up their fan. They roost overnight in trees and they make a lot of noise going to roost and coming down from the roost in the morning. When we scouted for the hunt we searched for scat. Duane showed me that a turkey’s gender can be determined from it’s dropping-a male’s will be shaped like a letter J, a female’s more spiral shaped.
Wild turkeys can fly up to 60 miles per hour, have excellent vision, seeing three times more clearly than 20/20. They can also see in color and have a 270 degree of vision. A wild turkey’s hearing is remarkable. It is not so much their ability to hear, but how they use it. They have an uncanny ability not only to hear sounds from great distances, but to pinpoint the exact location of their source. It is critical to remain still during the hunt as the turkey can see and hear extremely well. Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalizations including a distinctive gobble, produced by males, which can be heard a mile away. Individual turkeys have unique voices. This is how turkeys recognize each other. I use a box call and Duane uses a mouth call to lure the male turkey into our sights and female decoy. We make female clucking, purring, yelping and cackle sounds. Duane is far better at making these sounds than I am.
It is an amazing experience to watch the male turkey puff up their bodies, strut and spread their elaborate feathers, like peacocks, to attract a mate. When the male turkey is excited to mate the bare skin on the turkey’s throat and head can turn red, white or blue. The long red fleshy object over a male’s beak is called a snood. They can easily defend themselves with their powerful feet and spurs. I prefer domesticated turkey meat, especially for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, but wild turkey stew can be delicious if seasoned well and cooked along with vegetables in a slow cooker. We always harvested the meat from our birds and shared it with family and friends.
The hunting experience is therapeutic for both of us. It truly connects us with nature. We enjoy the physical and mental challenges of the hunt and the connection with family and friends often times more than the act of taking the game. Taking the game is the icing on the cake. As affirmed by Randall Eaton in his book Why We Hunt , “Hunting is how we fall in love with nature.”
By: Julie Champlin - Naturalist/Office Manager
December - WINTER WONDER LAND
Hoar Frost - Feathery
My favorite thing to wake up to in winter is frost covered everything! It gets me excited to go outside on a chilly morning to take beautiful pictures. I usually go out on my skis and explore the difference between the prairie trails and the forest trails at the Nature Center. It’s amazing to see how ice forms differently on leaves, twigs, and/or grasses. If you look closely at these ice crystals you may notice that they look different than other ice crystals during winter. That is because they are! There are two different types of frosts that can happen during winter that create this mass frosting winter wonderland.
Hoar frost and rime frost are the two types of magical frosts that create ice crystals on everything. These two types of frost get easily confused, but there is good reason to understand the differences between them. The first thing you may notice as you are walking around admiring the crystals is the way they form to solid objects. If you see light, feathery looking ice crystals you are looking at hoar frost. This frost can be blown off by the wind and is usually destroyed once the morning sun has warmed it up slightly. If you are hesitant to touch the needle looking crystals, then you are looking at rime frost. This frost can also been observed as frozen droplets. They form very thick and heavy, appearing to weigh down tree branches. The difference in appearance has everything to do with the way these ice crystals were formed.
If you are a true Minnesotan, then I know you love looking at the weather! That’s exactly what you need to do to know which type of crystal formed overnight. If it was a clear, cold night with moisture in the air that you could not see as fog, you are looking at hoar frost. Moisture in the air on these clear, cold nights, goes right from a gaseous state to a solid state when it comes into contact with something like trees or power lines. Rime ice happens when there are low clouds or fog in the air. The super cooled water particles in the fog stay in liquid form until they come in contact with something solid, instantly freezing. This type of instant freezing is what creates black ice, can weigh down power lines and cause power outages, and cause flights to be delayed. This “frosting” will not go away anytime soon, it will take a few warm days or you breaking the ice off before it disappears.
No matter if you are interested in the science behind the frostings or just fascinated by the beauty it creates, everyone should know the difference between the two for winter safety. Knowing that there is a difference also creates a call for investigation, which means getting outside, up close and personal with nature. So bundle up and get outside to explore the many wonders nature has to offer this winter.
By: Sydney Weisinger - Teacher/Naturalist
Hoar frost and rime frost are the two types of magical frosts that create ice crystals on everything. These two types of frost get easily confused, but there is good reason to understand the differences between them. The first thing you may notice as you are walking around admiring the crystals is the way they form to solid objects. If you see light, feathery looking ice crystals you are looking at hoar frost. This frost can be blown off by the wind and is usually destroyed once the morning sun has warmed it up slightly. If you are hesitant to touch the needle looking crystals, then you are looking at rime frost. This frost can also been observed as frozen droplets. They form very thick and heavy, appearing to weigh down tree branches. The difference in appearance has everything to do with the way these ice crystals were formed.
If you are a true Minnesotan, then I know you love looking at the weather! That’s exactly what you need to do to know which type of crystal formed overnight. If it was a clear, cold night with moisture in the air that you could not see as fog, you are looking at hoar frost. Moisture in the air on these clear, cold nights, goes right from a gaseous state to a solid state when it comes into contact with something like trees or power lines. Rime ice happens when there are low clouds or fog in the air. The super cooled water particles in the fog stay in liquid form until they come in contact with something solid, instantly freezing. This type of instant freezing is what creates black ice, can weigh down power lines and cause power outages, and cause flights to be delayed. This “frosting” will not go away anytime soon, it will take a few warm days or you breaking the ice off before it disappears.
No matter if you are interested in the science behind the frostings or just fascinated by the beauty it creates, everyone should know the difference between the two for winter safety. Knowing that there is a difference also creates a call for investigation, which means getting outside, up close and personal with nature. So bundle up and get outside to explore the many wonders nature has to offer this winter.
By: Sydney Weisinger - Teacher/Naturalist
2021 NATURE NOTES
january - under the blanket of snow
 vole tunnels across a trail in winter
One of the most picturesque winter moments is an undisturbed field of snow. No blemishes, prints, or holes to mess up the perfection of a white blanket of powder, seeming to quiet down the world for an instant. However, beneath the surface of the silent winter wonderland is a highway of activity. Literally.
During the winter months when a lot of the animal kingdom is slowing down, or even napping the days away, native rodents like mice and voles are still very much active! They are thriving in the subnivean zone. This zone is under the snowpack and above the freezing ground. It is a highly specialized zone as it can only exist in areas with regular snowfall and needs at least 6 inches of snow on the ground to provide the voles enough space to tunnel. These tunnels are used to access community nesting areas and most importantly food opportunities like dropped seed on the ground, grass, or even bark at the base of a young tree. Tunnels built in the snow offer a big advantage for the rodents. First off, the soft powdery snow is a lot easier to tunnel through than soil, so tunnels can be made quicker. Secondly, the snow also serves as excellent protection. Even if it is made of frozen water, snow is a great insulator so the mice and voles can stay warm through the winter months. In addition to being warm, the cover of snow can provide a layer of protection from most predators. Most, but not all. There are some predators that have the adaptations to hunt these rodents even through the snow. Animals like foxes and owls have superb hearing that they can easily track a vole underneath a snow layer 3 feet thick. Spot the entrances of the tunnels in a snow bank, or edge of a trail, easily identifiable by a round hole that is about 1.5-2 inches in diameter. Another way to figure out if there is a maze of tunnels underneath a patch of snow is to just wait for it to melt. Once the snow starts to melt away the tunnels will become noticeable snaking this way and that over a once undisturbed landscape of snow. It seems to be nature’s gentle reminder that not everything is what it seems on the surface. Author: Kelly Bahl |
vole that calls the nature center's prairie home
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february - spectacular snow
Close-up of graupel on the ground outside of the front of the nature center
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Excellent example of hoar frost along our nature center trails
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Each winter Mother Nature delivers an extensive blanket of snow across North America. As Minnesotans we know that snow can elicit a wide range of emotions. Snow can be magical, awe inspiring, hazardous or a nuisance. We have developed a culture of hundreds of thousands of winter enthusiasts who like to downhill or cross country ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, ice fish, sled and more. Many Minnesotans live for the cold season to truly enjoy these outdoor activities. Here are some “chillin’ facts” about snow.
Snow isn’t white. Technically snow is translucent. It is a fact that when snowflakes are examined under a microscope they are clear. As Sarah Stone explains for Gizmodo (gizmodo.com), “So when one of these tiny, beautiful ice crystal formations bend light, that light ultimately encounters another ice crystal in the clump of snowflakes where it is also bent, and then another and another….light waves will ultimately be reflected and thus the sunlight will appear white to you.”
Snow can sometimes appear blue or pink. When Elvis Presley sang a song about having a “Blue Christmas” he could have been literal. Snow can appear blue to the naked eye, for reasons similar to why it appears white (bending light). But in cases where the light penetrates deeper into the snow, more red light might get absorbed than blue light. In polar and alpine regions that contain algae with a red pigment, snow can take on a pink appearance.”
What you think is a snowflake isn’t a snowflake. “The classic image of snowflake with its star shape and six arms, is actually a snow crystal." Snowflakes can be a wider range of crystal formations, from a single crystal to a small cluster what Kenneth G. Libbrecht, a snowflake devotee at the California Institute of Technology calls monster snowflakes, resulting from when crystals collide in midair and stick together to form flimsy puffballs. But a snow crystal is the tiny thing that forms when water molecules align hexagonally and freeze together. "Each snowflake is made up of 200 ice crystals. Snowflakes always have six sides.”
Snow crystals can take three other forms of crystals. “Hoarfrost are deposits of frozen water that create clear furry looking” frost on steroids. (Weather.com-hoarfrost explained) Hoarfrost sticks on poles, wires, fences, trees and plants and can create beautiful winter landscapes. There’s graupel, which consists of snowflakes that have become rounded pellets as large as 5 millimeters. Sometimes, graupel is mistaken for hail. The third form is called polycrystals which are snowflakes made up of numerous individual ice crystals. These are the large ones you might see during storms that make you say “Wow, these are such large snowflakes!” Though supporting evidence is limited, the Guinness World Records book lists the largest snowflake on record to be one from a January 1887 storm in Fort Keogh, Montana. Measuring 15 inches wide, the rancher than spotted it described it as “larger than milk pans.”
Identical snowflakes do exist. “Despite the adage that no two snowflakes are alike, it is a fact that identical snowflakes have been found." In 1988, scientist, Nancy Knight of the National Center for Atmosphere Research in Boulder, Colorado, found a pair of identical flakes resulting from a storm in Wisconsin. "Each snowflake contains approximately 180 million water molecules coming together in a random way.” We get close to 80% of the world’s fresh water from snow and ice!
Billions of snowflakes fall in every snowstorm. On the average snowflakes fall from the sky at 3-4 miles an hour. While snowflakes are falling, they are continually being changed by hitting other snowflakes on the way down, by the wind breaking off part of fragile snowflakes, by a sudden jar when snowflakes are hitting the ground, and by snowflakes falling on top of another. A lot of air is trapped inside the ice crystals making up a snow flake, which is the reason snowflakes are extremely good insulators. It has been recorded that ground covered with two feet of snow was 50 degrees warmer than the air immediately above the snow pack. So, when talking about a blanket of snow, we really mean a blanket. So the next time you curl up with a blanket this winter to ward off the cold, think about Mother Nature’s ability to provide a snow blanket too.
Author: Julie Champlin
Snow isn’t white. Technically snow is translucent. It is a fact that when snowflakes are examined under a microscope they are clear. As Sarah Stone explains for Gizmodo (gizmodo.com), “So when one of these tiny, beautiful ice crystal formations bend light, that light ultimately encounters another ice crystal in the clump of snowflakes where it is also bent, and then another and another….light waves will ultimately be reflected and thus the sunlight will appear white to you.”
Snow can sometimes appear blue or pink. When Elvis Presley sang a song about having a “Blue Christmas” he could have been literal. Snow can appear blue to the naked eye, for reasons similar to why it appears white (bending light). But in cases where the light penetrates deeper into the snow, more red light might get absorbed than blue light. In polar and alpine regions that contain algae with a red pigment, snow can take on a pink appearance.”
What you think is a snowflake isn’t a snowflake. “The classic image of snowflake with its star shape and six arms, is actually a snow crystal." Snowflakes can be a wider range of crystal formations, from a single crystal to a small cluster what Kenneth G. Libbrecht, a snowflake devotee at the California Institute of Technology calls monster snowflakes, resulting from when crystals collide in midair and stick together to form flimsy puffballs. But a snow crystal is the tiny thing that forms when water molecules align hexagonally and freeze together. "Each snowflake is made up of 200 ice crystals. Snowflakes always have six sides.”
Snow crystals can take three other forms of crystals. “Hoarfrost are deposits of frozen water that create clear furry looking” frost on steroids. (Weather.com-hoarfrost explained) Hoarfrost sticks on poles, wires, fences, trees and plants and can create beautiful winter landscapes. There’s graupel, which consists of snowflakes that have become rounded pellets as large as 5 millimeters. Sometimes, graupel is mistaken for hail. The third form is called polycrystals which are snowflakes made up of numerous individual ice crystals. These are the large ones you might see during storms that make you say “Wow, these are such large snowflakes!” Though supporting evidence is limited, the Guinness World Records book lists the largest snowflake on record to be one from a January 1887 storm in Fort Keogh, Montana. Measuring 15 inches wide, the rancher than spotted it described it as “larger than milk pans.”
Identical snowflakes do exist. “Despite the adage that no two snowflakes are alike, it is a fact that identical snowflakes have been found." In 1988, scientist, Nancy Knight of the National Center for Atmosphere Research in Boulder, Colorado, found a pair of identical flakes resulting from a storm in Wisconsin. "Each snowflake contains approximately 180 million water molecules coming together in a random way.” We get close to 80% of the world’s fresh water from snow and ice!
Billions of snowflakes fall in every snowstorm. On the average snowflakes fall from the sky at 3-4 miles an hour. While snowflakes are falling, they are continually being changed by hitting other snowflakes on the way down, by the wind breaking off part of fragile snowflakes, by a sudden jar when snowflakes are hitting the ground, and by snowflakes falling on top of another. A lot of air is trapped inside the ice crystals making up a snow flake, which is the reason snowflakes are extremely good insulators. It has been recorded that ground covered with two feet of snow was 50 degrees warmer than the air immediately above the snow pack. So, when talking about a blanket of snow, we really mean a blanket. So the next time you curl up with a blanket this winter to ward off the cold, think about Mother Nature’s ability to provide a snow blanket too.
Author: Julie Champlin
March - blue skies and blue herons
Ahh, March. A month that can be tricky to predict, but can hold a lot of potential. March can be a continuation of winter, an arrival of early spring, or an eclectic mix of the two.
While a lot is uncertain in March, there are some things we can count on. We can count on Canada Geese nesting - preparing for warmer weather, melted snow, and the chance to lay their eggs. We can count on the best sap flows of the year, right as the maple trees begin to thaw. We can certainly count on uncertainty (which sounds a little too “2020-esque” for my taste). But my personal favorite March event is the return of blue herons. As a native New Englander growing up near an estuary, blue herons so fondly remind me of the start of warmer days.
Great Blue Herons are the largest and tallest of all North American herons. At four feet tall and only 5-6 pounds (thanks to their hollow bones – a trait that all birds have evolved for flight), these birds are certainly a sight to see. Blue herons have a wingspan of about 6 feet, and can cruise at a high speed of 20-30 mph. They are often distinguished in the sky by their long bodies and the “S” shape that their neck forms.
These funky little birds live off of a diet mostly of fish, and have a pretty neat way of getting it. Blue herons will stand eerily still in shallow water, and wait for a snack to swim nearby. When their meal is close enough, they throw their head and neck forward with such speed and precision that they can use their knife-like beaks to kill their prey – this style of hunting has been aptly named the “bill stab”.
While a vast majority of their food is caught with this method, they are certainly not limited to the “bill stab”: blue herons can pluck prey off of the surface of the water with their feet, swim through deeper waters in search of food, pick up dead fish floating on the water’s surface, and even catch fish as they leap out of the water. Sometimes, they bite off more than they can chew… quite literally. They’ve been known to choke and sometimes die as a result of attempting to eat something bigger than they can handle.
Fish aren’t the only prey of blue herons. They also eat various insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, rodents, and small birds. Some even forage near people to collect food scraps – I guess you could say they’re the lanky, amphibious raccoons of the bird world. Or a very silly looking cousin of seagulls. I think that they kind of look like sharp, grey flamingos with a comb-over… Though, that’s beside the point.
Blue herons winter in warmer climates, and their range is expanding from southern states to Central America. In spring, female blue herons return to their nesting sites, which are the same spots that they return to year after year. While they nest in the same spot annually, they mate with different partners. They nest in colonies called “heronries”, and build large nests in trees (about 3-4 feet across) of mostly sticks and twigs. Heronries can be have upwards of 100 nests! When these communities have birds of mixed species, they’re called “rookeries”.
While March is one of the most unpredictable months of the year, it undeniably holds the hope of winter coming to a close. March signifies the beginning of brighter days ahead, and blue herons more than any other species fill me with the hope of sunshine and snowmelt.
Author - Meredith Maloney
While a lot is uncertain in March, there are some things we can count on. We can count on Canada Geese nesting - preparing for warmer weather, melted snow, and the chance to lay their eggs. We can count on the best sap flows of the year, right as the maple trees begin to thaw. We can certainly count on uncertainty (which sounds a little too “2020-esque” for my taste). But my personal favorite March event is the return of blue herons. As a native New Englander growing up near an estuary, blue herons so fondly remind me of the start of warmer days.
Great Blue Herons are the largest and tallest of all North American herons. At four feet tall and only 5-6 pounds (thanks to their hollow bones – a trait that all birds have evolved for flight), these birds are certainly a sight to see. Blue herons have a wingspan of about 6 feet, and can cruise at a high speed of 20-30 mph. They are often distinguished in the sky by their long bodies and the “S” shape that their neck forms.
These funky little birds live off of a diet mostly of fish, and have a pretty neat way of getting it. Blue herons will stand eerily still in shallow water, and wait for a snack to swim nearby. When their meal is close enough, they throw their head and neck forward with such speed and precision that they can use their knife-like beaks to kill their prey – this style of hunting has been aptly named the “bill stab”.
While a vast majority of their food is caught with this method, they are certainly not limited to the “bill stab”: blue herons can pluck prey off of the surface of the water with their feet, swim through deeper waters in search of food, pick up dead fish floating on the water’s surface, and even catch fish as they leap out of the water. Sometimes, they bite off more than they can chew… quite literally. They’ve been known to choke and sometimes die as a result of attempting to eat something bigger than they can handle.
Fish aren’t the only prey of blue herons. They also eat various insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, rodents, and small birds. Some even forage near people to collect food scraps – I guess you could say they’re the lanky, amphibious raccoons of the bird world. Or a very silly looking cousin of seagulls. I think that they kind of look like sharp, grey flamingos with a comb-over… Though, that’s beside the point.
Blue herons winter in warmer climates, and their range is expanding from southern states to Central America. In spring, female blue herons return to their nesting sites, which are the same spots that they return to year after year. While they nest in the same spot annually, they mate with different partners. They nest in colonies called “heronries”, and build large nests in trees (about 3-4 feet across) of mostly sticks and twigs. Heronries can be have upwards of 100 nests! When these communities have birds of mixed species, they’re called “rookeries”.
While March is one of the most unpredictable months of the year, it undeniably holds the hope of winter coming to a close. March signifies the beginning of brighter days ahead, and blue herons more than any other species fill me with the hope of sunshine and snowmelt.
Author - Meredith Maloney
April - spring cleanup: protect the pollinators
We have all been feeling the itch for spring lately, especially with the early arrival of warm weather. The warm weather usually sends me into a frenzy of spring cleaning, inside and out. This year I got a very important Facebook reminder from my naturalist friends to resist the urge to cleanup my garden and outdoor plants and leaves until the daytime temperatures are in the 50’s for 7 consecutive days. We have not hit that milestone yet, but we are close!
The best possible thing that you can do to insure a strong pollinator population in the spring is to leave your garden, plants, or a small compost pile of leaves alone in the fall. Think of it as a cozy winter home for insects, pupas, or chrysalises. In the winter insects and other invertebrates go into a state of suspended development called diapause. They will do this inside of hollowed out stems, under a pile of leaves, or just under the top layer of the soil or mulch.
Here are some of the critters that call your yard litter their home:
Native Bees
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist
The best possible thing that you can do to insure a strong pollinator population in the spring is to leave your garden, plants, or a small compost pile of leaves alone in the fall. Think of it as a cozy winter home for insects, pupas, or chrysalises. In the winter insects and other invertebrates go into a state of suspended development called diapause. They will do this inside of hollowed out stems, under a pile of leaves, or just under the top layer of the soil or mulch.
Here are some of the critters that call your yard litter their home:
Native Bees
- Bumblebee queens overwinter alone in underground holes. In the spring time they come out searching for pollen sources before starting a new colony. Bumblebees look for pre-existing cavities in rock piles, empty mouse burrows, or under layers of dense vegetation.
- Carpenter bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, yellow-faced bees, and green sweat bees lay their eggs in hollow tubes or flower stems or in holes in the ground.
- The anglewing, red admiral, and mourning cloak butterflies hibernate as adults under loose bark of trees and in hollow logs.
- The swallowtail family overwinter in chrysalises hanging from branches or hollow flower stems.
- The viceroy overwinters as a caterpillar and curls up in leaves on the ground or in old seed pods.
- There are over 50 species of ladybugs in Minnesota that winter under leaves, at the base of plants, or under rocks.
- These great predators of farm and garden pests are declining in population.
- These insects include assassin bugs, lacewings, damsel bugs, ground beetles, syrphid flies, parasitic wasps, and lightning bugs.
- These insects will over winter in tree holes, leaf litter, and under rocks.
- These predatory insects are great to have in your garden or near agriculture due to the fact that they prey on pests like aphids, mites, whiteflies, and other soft bodied pests.
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist
MAY - April Showers Bring May Flowers?
Minnesotans have spring fever as soon as they see the first glimpse of spring from nature. Trees budding, hibernators waking up, or migratory birds making their way back north. Once the first nice temperature day has come and gone nothing will get us out of the spring mindset, even if there are still many days of below 40 degree weather and even snow storms in the weeks after.
One of the most coveted and celebrated parts of spring is the floral array that is put on display. But how do all of these plants know when it is time to bloom? As the old saying goes: April shower bring May flowers. Or does it? Is it actually true?
Believe it or not, the amount of rain that we receive in the early springtime does not fully influence when or how well flowers bloom. Sure, rainfall is needed for the overall health of the plant, too dry or wet of a fall, winter, and early spring can stunt the growth of seedlings leading to less healthy plants that can flower. However, other factors seem to be at play when it comes to the beautiful blooms. Temperature and light play a larger role on when we will actually see the flowers open.
Plants have an internal circadian clock just like animals do (us humans included). It helps us determine changes in in time whether that be days or seasons around us. Changes that send signals to alter reactions in our behavior in response to differences in the environment like lengthening daylight hours, or even temperature. These responses and changes happen all the way down in the DNA of the plant. As winter transitions into spring both an increase in temperature as well as day length is seen. As winter dwindles the sun starts to make longer appearances as the day lengthens all the way until the summer solstice in June.
The amount of daylight is an extremely important factor for these internal clocks we all have. The circadian clock helps regulate a lot of processes within the plant, including flowering. Not only will the internal clock help tell the plant that it is time to flower but it can also help determine how open the petals of the flower can be as well as what time of day to open in order to enhance pollination. Different pollinators are out foraging for flowers at different times of the day. In order for a flower to attract a specific pollinator it has to be open and welcoming at the time the pollinator travels by.
Even if the saying April showers bring May flowers is not necessarily true, it can still be a lesson of looking ahead to a brighter, prettier tomorrow even if today is full of rain. Be sure to come and check out all of the blooms at the nature center like bluebells, violets, marsh marigolds, buttercups, and more! Spring is already in full swing so visit soon before the flowers disappear.
Author: Kelly Bahl – Teacher/Naturalist
One of the most coveted and celebrated parts of spring is the floral array that is put on display. But how do all of these plants know when it is time to bloom? As the old saying goes: April shower bring May flowers. Or does it? Is it actually true?
Believe it or not, the amount of rain that we receive in the early springtime does not fully influence when or how well flowers bloom. Sure, rainfall is needed for the overall health of the plant, too dry or wet of a fall, winter, and early spring can stunt the growth of seedlings leading to less healthy plants that can flower. However, other factors seem to be at play when it comes to the beautiful blooms. Temperature and light play a larger role on when we will actually see the flowers open.
Plants have an internal circadian clock just like animals do (us humans included). It helps us determine changes in in time whether that be days or seasons around us. Changes that send signals to alter reactions in our behavior in response to differences in the environment like lengthening daylight hours, or even temperature. These responses and changes happen all the way down in the DNA of the plant. As winter transitions into spring both an increase in temperature as well as day length is seen. As winter dwindles the sun starts to make longer appearances as the day lengthens all the way until the summer solstice in June.
The amount of daylight is an extremely important factor for these internal clocks we all have. The circadian clock helps regulate a lot of processes within the plant, including flowering. Not only will the internal clock help tell the plant that it is time to flower but it can also help determine how open the petals of the flower can be as well as what time of day to open in order to enhance pollination. Different pollinators are out foraging for flowers at different times of the day. In order for a flower to attract a specific pollinator it has to be open and welcoming at the time the pollinator travels by.
Even if the saying April showers bring May flowers is not necessarily true, it can still be a lesson of looking ahead to a brighter, prettier tomorrow even if today is full of rain. Be sure to come and check out all of the blooms at the nature center like bluebells, violets, marsh marigolds, buttercups, and more! Spring is already in full swing so visit soon before the flowers disappear.
Author: Kelly Bahl – Teacher/Naturalist
July - Fireflies
There are few creatures on this planet that don’t amaze me in one way or another, but I will never forget the first time I saw a firefly as a kid. I felt a lot of different things; disbelief, wonder, the unrelenting need to catch it and put it in a jar… but mostly curiosity. How did they come to be? How do they light up, and why? Is there actually a little lightbulb in there or is something magical going on? All of these questions my mom couldn’t answer at the time, but luckily for you, this Nature Note is here to help.
Firstly and most importantly, fireflies or lightning bugs are not made of fire or lightning, and are not flies or “bugs”. Fireflies are, in fact, a type of beetle. Beetles are in the Coleoptera order and there are over 350,000 known kinds, making them the species with the most variation on our Earth. In fact, one out of every four animals on Earth is a beetle.
While most of us have one creature in mind when we think of fireflies or lightning bugs, there are actually 150 known beetle species that we call “fireflies” in North America, and over 2,000 in the world. They can be found on every continent on Earth except for Antarctica.
Not only is there an impressive number of firefly types in the world, there is a lot of variety in their shapes, sizes, and behaviors. Some fireflies are tiny, and some are as large as your palm. Some fireflies flash impressively, and some don’t flash at all: they use pheromones to communicate rather than flashes of light. Some even predate on other firefly species!
While there is a lot of variation among firefly species, their anatomy remains constant. Their long, soft bodies light up at the end of their abdomen in a part of their body called a “tail-light” (there is, sadly, not a tiny lightbulb in their stomachs like I believed when I was younger). Their ability to light up is thanks to a chemical reaction in their bodies where a compound called luciferin, which is created in the light-producing organ, is oxidized. Fireflies can control the duration and intensity of their blinking by how much oxygen they take into their abdomens.
Their ability to blink is used as a mechanism for reproduction, allowing for members of the opposite sex to find each other at night. Though, scientists believe that their blinking may have evolved as a warning to predators that they’re toxic – fireflies release toxic droplets of blood when attacked as a defense mechanism.
Blinking patterns are used as communication between fireflies, and the duration and intensity of their blinking can determine their likeliness to mate and reproduce. Brighter, faster blinks tend to be more appealing. Their blinking patterns are also individualized for each species of firefly; some species blink only once and others blink up to nine times, all while the females sit on the ground waiting to be impressed.
Fireflies go through metamorphosis just like all insects do: they hatch from eggs into larvae, then metamorphose into pupa, then finally reach adulthood. The larval stage is often the longest phase of a fireflies life. All firefly larvae can glow, and often are ferocious predators. Firefly larvae, which grow underground, are known to eat anything and everything in their path, including but not limited to snails, slugs, and worms.
Because of habitat loss, pesticides, and light pollution obstructing reproduction, firefly populations are fading fast. While the full extent of species loss is not known, their decline is indisputable. Conservation efforts have begun across the planet by preserving their habitat, raising larvae to be released, and reducing pesticide/herbicide use. A simple way that you can help the fireflies - turn your lights off during their breeding season, and reduce your pesticide use: July isn’t really July without fireflies, after all.
Author: Meredith Maloney - Teacher/Naturalist Intern
Firstly and most importantly, fireflies or lightning bugs are not made of fire or lightning, and are not flies or “bugs”. Fireflies are, in fact, a type of beetle. Beetles are in the Coleoptera order and there are over 350,000 known kinds, making them the species with the most variation on our Earth. In fact, one out of every four animals on Earth is a beetle.
While most of us have one creature in mind when we think of fireflies or lightning bugs, there are actually 150 known beetle species that we call “fireflies” in North America, and over 2,000 in the world. They can be found on every continent on Earth except for Antarctica.
Not only is there an impressive number of firefly types in the world, there is a lot of variety in their shapes, sizes, and behaviors. Some fireflies are tiny, and some are as large as your palm. Some fireflies flash impressively, and some don’t flash at all: they use pheromones to communicate rather than flashes of light. Some even predate on other firefly species!
While there is a lot of variation among firefly species, their anatomy remains constant. Their long, soft bodies light up at the end of their abdomen in a part of their body called a “tail-light” (there is, sadly, not a tiny lightbulb in their stomachs like I believed when I was younger). Their ability to light up is thanks to a chemical reaction in their bodies where a compound called luciferin, which is created in the light-producing organ, is oxidized. Fireflies can control the duration and intensity of their blinking by how much oxygen they take into their abdomens.
Their ability to blink is used as a mechanism for reproduction, allowing for members of the opposite sex to find each other at night. Though, scientists believe that their blinking may have evolved as a warning to predators that they’re toxic – fireflies release toxic droplets of blood when attacked as a defense mechanism.
Blinking patterns are used as communication between fireflies, and the duration and intensity of their blinking can determine their likeliness to mate and reproduce. Brighter, faster blinks tend to be more appealing. Their blinking patterns are also individualized for each species of firefly; some species blink only once and others blink up to nine times, all while the females sit on the ground waiting to be impressed.
Fireflies go through metamorphosis just like all insects do: they hatch from eggs into larvae, then metamorphose into pupa, then finally reach adulthood. The larval stage is often the longest phase of a fireflies life. All firefly larvae can glow, and often are ferocious predators. Firefly larvae, which grow underground, are known to eat anything and everything in their path, including but not limited to snails, slugs, and worms.
Because of habitat loss, pesticides, and light pollution obstructing reproduction, firefly populations are fading fast. While the full extent of species loss is not known, their decline is indisputable. Conservation efforts have begun across the planet by preserving their habitat, raising larvae to be released, and reducing pesticide/herbicide use. A simple way that you can help the fireflies - turn your lights off during their breeding season, and reduce your pesticide use: July isn’t really July without fireflies, after all.
Author: Meredith Maloney - Teacher/Naturalist Intern
AUGUST - HOWLING WITH DELIGHT
The wolf is magnificent animal that inspires deep emotions in humans. They can often be positive or negative emotions. Wolves are my favorite mammals. They are a symbol of strength, endurance, spirit and family. The family aspect of the wolf is why I respect and admire them the most. Wolves have a strong sense of loyalty and love for their family. Their very survival can depend on these close family ties just like in a human family. We need each other for survival.
How do wolves communicate? The most familiar sound is howling. But just like humans, wolves whisper, shout, scream, whimper, murmur or chat to communicate, so howling isn't the only way wolves vocally express themselves. They also deliver short-range messages types of vocalizations with a bark or a growl. I remember growing up and being reprimanded by my parents with what seemed like a short bark or growl. I understood those messages very clearly!
If you have ever had the opportunity to hear a wolf howl it is a truly a gift. It can literally take your breath away. (it did for me) It is a myth that wolves always howl at the moon. Canine experts have found no connection between the phases of the moon and wolf howling. Wolves pipe up more often during the night because they're nocturnal. But why do they point their faces toward the moon and stars when they howl? It's all about acoustics since projecting their calls upward allows the sound to carry farther. A howl can be heard up to 10 km / 6 miles from the originating wolf so when they howl, they are broadcasting their message far and wide.
Today, wolf howling is one of the most distinct and well-studied animal vocalizations. Wolves howl for a number of reasons—to assemble the pack for a hunt, to find a mate, to protect their pups, to identify each other and to protect their kill from predators. They also howl to stand their ground, to keep the pack together, to state their location and give out warnings. They may also howl because they are lonely. Although we think of wolves howling alone, they frequently do so as a group. Chorus howls involve members of a pack singing in unison at multiple pitches. Together, the chorus may include up to 12 related harmonies. Group howling can protect packs since the combination of harmonies tricks listeners into thinking there are more wolves present or sometimes, they'll howl just for the fun of it. An average howl from a single wolf lasts only three to seven seconds. A chorus by a pack can last 30 to 120 seconds, and longer during breeding season. Alpha wolves, leaders of the pack, usually display a lower-pitched howl and will sound off more frequently than those with a more subservient social standing. Pups also practice howling as they mature, mimicking those of adult wolves. Wolves identify each other by these communication sounds.
Why do wolves not howl? If the wolf pack is small, they are more afraid to howl to strangers or larger more confident packs. If one pack goes into another’s pack territory they will carefully choose when to howl and when not to howl, due to the dangerous conditions. The time of the year is also critical, if the wolves are denning they will not howl during this time to protect their pups from predators. The position or rank in the pack often dictate who can be allowed to howl. The alpha male and female are like the mother and father of a human family. They rule the pack. Lone wolves traveling through another pack’s territory will not howl to protect themselves. Wolves hunt in complete silence using nonverbal communication to hunt their prey. If you think about it, there are many similarities between wolves and humans.
The wolf has been the most misunderstood animal of modern time. It has been feared since the time early pioneers moved from the east coast to the west coast. Wolves and pioneers were often competing for the same food sources and it caused a lot of problems and still does today for farmers and ranchers. Only through education and understanding of the wolf will we learn to balance the relationship between wolves and humans and make sure the wolf population survives. Wolves are a very important part of keeping our ecosystem balanced.
The Minnesota DNR reports that Minnesota has the largest gray wolf population in the lower 48 states. An estimated 2700 wolves live across 40,000 square miles in northern and central Minnesota. So if you travel “Up North” and hear a wolf howl, howl back!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/Naturalist
How do wolves communicate? The most familiar sound is howling. But just like humans, wolves whisper, shout, scream, whimper, murmur or chat to communicate, so howling isn't the only way wolves vocally express themselves. They also deliver short-range messages types of vocalizations with a bark or a growl. I remember growing up and being reprimanded by my parents with what seemed like a short bark or growl. I understood those messages very clearly!
If you have ever had the opportunity to hear a wolf howl it is a truly a gift. It can literally take your breath away. (it did for me) It is a myth that wolves always howl at the moon. Canine experts have found no connection between the phases of the moon and wolf howling. Wolves pipe up more often during the night because they're nocturnal. But why do they point their faces toward the moon and stars when they howl? It's all about acoustics since projecting their calls upward allows the sound to carry farther. A howl can be heard up to 10 km / 6 miles from the originating wolf so when they howl, they are broadcasting their message far and wide.
Today, wolf howling is one of the most distinct and well-studied animal vocalizations. Wolves howl for a number of reasons—to assemble the pack for a hunt, to find a mate, to protect their pups, to identify each other and to protect their kill from predators. They also howl to stand their ground, to keep the pack together, to state their location and give out warnings. They may also howl because they are lonely. Although we think of wolves howling alone, they frequently do so as a group. Chorus howls involve members of a pack singing in unison at multiple pitches. Together, the chorus may include up to 12 related harmonies. Group howling can protect packs since the combination of harmonies tricks listeners into thinking there are more wolves present or sometimes, they'll howl just for the fun of it. An average howl from a single wolf lasts only three to seven seconds. A chorus by a pack can last 30 to 120 seconds, and longer during breeding season. Alpha wolves, leaders of the pack, usually display a lower-pitched howl and will sound off more frequently than those with a more subservient social standing. Pups also practice howling as they mature, mimicking those of adult wolves. Wolves identify each other by these communication sounds.
Why do wolves not howl? If the wolf pack is small, they are more afraid to howl to strangers or larger more confident packs. If one pack goes into another’s pack territory they will carefully choose when to howl and when not to howl, due to the dangerous conditions. The time of the year is also critical, if the wolves are denning they will not howl during this time to protect their pups from predators. The position or rank in the pack often dictate who can be allowed to howl. The alpha male and female are like the mother and father of a human family. They rule the pack. Lone wolves traveling through another pack’s territory will not howl to protect themselves. Wolves hunt in complete silence using nonverbal communication to hunt their prey. If you think about it, there are many similarities between wolves and humans.
The wolf has been the most misunderstood animal of modern time. It has been feared since the time early pioneers moved from the east coast to the west coast. Wolves and pioneers were often competing for the same food sources and it caused a lot of problems and still does today for farmers and ranchers. Only through education and understanding of the wolf will we learn to balance the relationship between wolves and humans and make sure the wolf population survives. Wolves are a very important part of keeping our ecosystem balanced.
The Minnesota DNR reports that Minnesota has the largest gray wolf population in the lower 48 states. An estimated 2700 wolves live across 40,000 square miles in northern and central Minnesota. So if you travel “Up North” and hear a wolf howl, howl back!
Author: Julie Champlin - Office Manager/Naturalist
September - Over a Sea of Gold
September are the days filled with the feeling of back to school, hopefulness of cooler weather, and the return of autumn and all of its glory with pumpkin spiced everything. However, even before the leaves start their parade of colors and Jack Frost visits for the first time, there are plenty of signs of the impeding fall season. Whether you notice the migrators leaving their summer homes, like the orioles, Hummingbirds, and monarch butterflies, or maybe watching squirrels gathering acorns for their food stocks for the winter months; the land itself will tell you the tides are turning as they change their tune from the summer. The prairies turn from a rainbow display peeking through the green with whites, purples, pinks, yellows, oranges, and everything in between, into a full on display of gold. One type of plant has patiently waited for the time to shine with its yellow flowers. Goldenrod is a very common plant that Minnesota is home to 16 of the total 77 species found in the world. This plant is what dominates in September into October causing once green fields dotted with flowers to be almost completely yellow, or golden, in color. The more subdued yellow color this plant sports is the inspiration for the goldenrod crayon you can find in your pack of colors.
Goldenrod not only helps brighten up the summer to fall transition, it acts as a vital food source. When a lot of flowers have already dropped or turned to seed goldenrod is there to keep the nectar flow alive and well. There are a lot of things that rely on nectar for their food source before fall officially arrives, such as butterflies, beetles, flies, bumble bees, moths, and honey bees! September is prime time for harvesting honey for our hives at the nature center and our prairies full of goldenrod keep them happy and healthy through harvest and into the winter. On the other side of the food web, goldenrod acts as an all you can eat buffet for critters like wasps, spiders, beetles, and birds who come and prey on the insects feeding on goldenrod nectar.
There is one insect that is especially thankful for this native wildflower where it gets its namesake. The goldenrod gall fly relies on goldenrod plants in order to continue its life cycle. This fly, like most insects, go through metamorphosis where it proceeds through stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. A lot of insects make their own pupa/chrysalis/cocoons, but the goldenrod gall fly will use the goldenrod plant. This fly will lay its egg inside of the stalk of one of the plants. The goldenrod will provide protection for the egg and larvae as it makes a circular mass around where the larvae is insulating and protecting it through the winter. Next time you walk out on the trails this fall, winter, or spring, you can look for little spheres on the stalks knowing that there is a larvae inside waiting for the spring thaw.
Author: Kelly Bahl - Outreach Naturalist
Goldenrod not only helps brighten up the summer to fall transition, it acts as a vital food source. When a lot of flowers have already dropped or turned to seed goldenrod is there to keep the nectar flow alive and well. There are a lot of things that rely on nectar for their food source before fall officially arrives, such as butterflies, beetles, flies, bumble bees, moths, and honey bees! September is prime time for harvesting honey for our hives at the nature center and our prairies full of goldenrod keep them happy and healthy through harvest and into the winter. On the other side of the food web, goldenrod acts as an all you can eat buffet for critters like wasps, spiders, beetles, and birds who come and prey on the insects feeding on goldenrod nectar.
There is one insect that is especially thankful for this native wildflower where it gets its namesake. The goldenrod gall fly relies on goldenrod plants in order to continue its life cycle. This fly, like most insects, go through metamorphosis where it proceeds through stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. A lot of insects make their own pupa/chrysalis/cocoons, but the goldenrod gall fly will use the goldenrod plant. This fly will lay its egg inside of the stalk of one of the plants. The goldenrod will provide protection for the egg and larvae as it makes a circular mass around where the larvae is insulating and protecting it through the winter. Next time you walk out on the trails this fall, winter, or spring, you can look for little spheres on the stalks knowing that there is a larvae inside waiting for the spring thaw.
Author: Kelly Bahl - Outreach Naturalist
october - Hummingbird Moths
October is, without question, one of my favorite months of the year. October feels like the real beginning of autumn. In October, the air gets a bit crisper and nature takes notice. Leaves fade from green to red. Migratory birds make their travel plans. Creatures of all shapes and sizes prepare themselves for what’s to come. In October, we all savor the time we have left before the first snowfall, including hummingbird moths.
Hummingbird moths are arguably one of the coolest creatures Mother Nature has devised. The white-lined sphinx moth (or the hummingbird moth) have a wingspan of about 2.5-3.5 inches and are easily identified by their dark greenish/brown wing coloration with a thick, beige stripe from the base to the tip of the wing. This beige stripe is crossed with thinner, white veins. Their hindwings are black with a thicker, light-red strip from the base to the tip of the wing. Sphinx moths don’t have ears and communicate with each other via pheromones: consequently, they have an excellent sense of smell.
They got their common name because of their ability to beat their wings so rapidly that they are able to hover like a hummingbird – so rapidly in fact that they can fly at a speed of 35 miles per hour! They have often been mistaken for small hummingbirds at first glance because of this, and because of their long proboscis that resembles a hummingbird’s beak. The “sphinx” portion of their name comes from their caterpillar’s behavior – caterpillars are known to stick their heads in the air when concerned, resembling an Egyptian sphinx.
Hummingbird moths seem to prefer highly scented flowers, though aren’t very picky. They prefer columbine, evening primrose, honeysuckle, lilacs, petunias, and phlox to sip from. Because of their love for flowers, they tend to live in meadows, fields, and gardens.
Like other insects, the white-lined sphinx moth undergoes metamorphosis; beginning life as an egg, hatching into a larva (or a caterpillar), changing into a pupa, and then emerging in their final adult form. Females can lay hundreds of eggs, and lay their eggs on a variety of different kinds of plants. The larvae or caterpillars of white-lined sphinx moths vary greatly in color and have pointed orange horns on the back-end of their bodies. Several generations can be produced in a season, though there are typically two main broods that hatch from May to October. Hummingbird moth caterpillars change into a pupa underground; unlike a butterfly that forms a cocoon, these moths take shelter under leaf litter or buried in the soil for about two to three weeks.
They have a large range and can be found throughout southern Canada, North America, and parts of northern Central America. Amazingly, there are over 125 different kinds of sphinx moths in the Sphingidae family in North America alone.
Author: Meredith Maloney - Naturalist Intern
Hummingbird moths are arguably one of the coolest creatures Mother Nature has devised. The white-lined sphinx moth (or the hummingbird moth) have a wingspan of about 2.5-3.5 inches and are easily identified by their dark greenish/brown wing coloration with a thick, beige stripe from the base to the tip of the wing. This beige stripe is crossed with thinner, white veins. Their hindwings are black with a thicker, light-red strip from the base to the tip of the wing. Sphinx moths don’t have ears and communicate with each other via pheromones: consequently, they have an excellent sense of smell.
They got their common name because of their ability to beat their wings so rapidly that they are able to hover like a hummingbird – so rapidly in fact that they can fly at a speed of 35 miles per hour! They have often been mistaken for small hummingbirds at first glance because of this, and because of their long proboscis that resembles a hummingbird’s beak. The “sphinx” portion of their name comes from their caterpillar’s behavior – caterpillars are known to stick their heads in the air when concerned, resembling an Egyptian sphinx.
Hummingbird moths seem to prefer highly scented flowers, though aren’t very picky. They prefer columbine, evening primrose, honeysuckle, lilacs, petunias, and phlox to sip from. Because of their love for flowers, they tend to live in meadows, fields, and gardens.
Like other insects, the white-lined sphinx moth undergoes metamorphosis; beginning life as an egg, hatching into a larva (or a caterpillar), changing into a pupa, and then emerging in their final adult form. Females can lay hundreds of eggs, and lay their eggs on a variety of different kinds of plants. The larvae or caterpillars of white-lined sphinx moths vary greatly in color and have pointed orange horns on the back-end of their bodies. Several generations can be produced in a season, though there are typically two main broods that hatch from May to October. Hummingbird moth caterpillars change into a pupa underground; unlike a butterfly that forms a cocoon, these moths take shelter under leaf litter or buried in the soil for about two to three weeks.
They have a large range and can be found throughout southern Canada, North America, and parts of northern Central America. Amazingly, there are over 125 different kinds of sphinx moths in the Sphingidae family in North America alone.
Author: Meredith Maloney - Naturalist Intern
November - In a rut
When November rolls around in Minnesota, there is no denying that winter is well on its way. Although December is technically the beginning of the winter season, it sure seems to get a head start in Minnesota by November, if not earlier! Many migrating animals are long gone (or on their way out), and the length of the days starts to rapidly decrease as the month goes on, meaning the walk to your car after work may soon be in the dark.
Winter harbingers like the dark-eyed junco--a small, grey sparrow—arrive around this time, signaling the approach of winter. American goldfinches, which will stick out the long, tough winter with us, are difficult to spot in their new, drab colors as the males molt, leading many to mistakenly believe that they have left us for the winter. However, there is one clear sign that November has begun in Minnesota, and it has nothing to do with our winged friends. If you know any hunters, they will be eagerly awaiting this sign that November has begun, for it concerns our four-legged friends, the white-tailed deer.
Yes, November may be considered the month of clouds, but a more subtle sign of its arrival is the start of the rutting season for deer. The whitetail rut, or the breeding season, kicks off in mid to late October, but is truly coming to its peak as November rolls around.
While some may write off mating as a fairly simple, straightforward process in the animal world, finding a receptive doe is not an easy task for bucks, and the whitetail rut actually plays out in several phases: pre-rut, seeking, chasing, tending, and post-rut. You may even find that some aspects of the rut aren’t that different from the human dating scene. The pre-rut phase, for example, is characterized by rubs and scrapes left by bucks, which advertise to the ladies that they are ready and available, almost like creating an online dating profile. In this case however, the males are advertising themselves through their scent, rather than trying to come up with a unique and attractive profile to advertise themselves like us humans may do. A rub consists of a buck rubbing his antlers or forehead on a small tree, whereas a scrape involves the buck scraping a small spot in the ground, urinating in it, then rolling around in the resulting mud. Pretty irresistible, right?
Next comes the seeking, which usually covers the first few days of November and consists of exactly what the name implies. Bucks begin to seek out the females, meaning they are more prone to walking around in broad daylight. Then comes the chase! The chasing period is a time when the males lose all natural caution, as many male mammals are prone to do when a female is nearby (sound familiar?). This is usually what the hunters refer to as “the rut” because the bucks become focused on one thing and one thing only, making them much easier targets. Then comes the tending, or lockdown, in mid to late November, where bucks have finally found their match and are bedded down together.
Flash forward about seven months and there will be obvious signs of the rut having taken place, with little fawns prancing about with their mothers. For now, however, the rubs and scrapes are some of the only clues we’ll get about what’s happening, so keep your eyes out on your next walk for a tree with some bark missing, or the crunch of leaves as a buck passes by, searching for his perfect match.
Author: Greta Wilkening – Naturalist/Teacher Intern
Winter harbingers like the dark-eyed junco--a small, grey sparrow—arrive around this time, signaling the approach of winter. American goldfinches, which will stick out the long, tough winter with us, are difficult to spot in their new, drab colors as the males molt, leading many to mistakenly believe that they have left us for the winter. However, there is one clear sign that November has begun in Minnesota, and it has nothing to do with our winged friends. If you know any hunters, they will be eagerly awaiting this sign that November has begun, for it concerns our four-legged friends, the white-tailed deer.
Yes, November may be considered the month of clouds, but a more subtle sign of its arrival is the start of the rutting season for deer. The whitetail rut, or the breeding season, kicks off in mid to late October, but is truly coming to its peak as November rolls around.
While some may write off mating as a fairly simple, straightforward process in the animal world, finding a receptive doe is not an easy task for bucks, and the whitetail rut actually plays out in several phases: pre-rut, seeking, chasing, tending, and post-rut. You may even find that some aspects of the rut aren’t that different from the human dating scene. The pre-rut phase, for example, is characterized by rubs and scrapes left by bucks, which advertise to the ladies that they are ready and available, almost like creating an online dating profile. In this case however, the males are advertising themselves through their scent, rather than trying to come up with a unique and attractive profile to advertise themselves like us humans may do. A rub consists of a buck rubbing his antlers or forehead on a small tree, whereas a scrape involves the buck scraping a small spot in the ground, urinating in it, then rolling around in the resulting mud. Pretty irresistible, right?
Next comes the seeking, which usually covers the first few days of November and consists of exactly what the name implies. Bucks begin to seek out the females, meaning they are more prone to walking around in broad daylight. Then comes the chase! The chasing period is a time when the males lose all natural caution, as many male mammals are prone to do when a female is nearby (sound familiar?). This is usually what the hunters refer to as “the rut” because the bucks become focused on one thing and one thing only, making them much easier targets. Then comes the tending, or lockdown, in mid to late November, where bucks have finally found their match and are bedded down together.
Flash forward about seven months and there will be obvious signs of the rut having taken place, with little fawns prancing about with their mothers. For now, however, the rubs and scrapes are some of the only clues we’ll get about what’s happening, so keep your eyes out on your next walk for a tree with some bark missing, or the crunch of leaves as a buck passes by, searching for his perfect match.
Author: Greta Wilkening – Naturalist/Teacher Intern
DECEMBER - Beavers In Winter
One of my favorite classes to teach as an environmental educator is about beavers. Why beavers, you may ask, sounded stunned because beavers are just a nuisance. That is exactly why I like teaching about them, because most people do not think highly of them or do not think of them at all! I am here to tell you that they are very interesting, intelligent, and beneficial creatures.
I would start this class off with a drawing on the board, like the one pictured here, but without all the explanation arrows. I would ask the students what they thought was going on here and then to draw their thoughts on the board. Now their drawings would not be as scientifically correct as mine, but they were very entertaining and fantastical. The one thing we all agreed on is that there is a lot of activity that goes on under the water that we cannot see!
Beavers are part of the mammal class and the largest member of the rodent family. They can grow to be 4 – 6 feet long and weigh 40 to 60 pounds. Beavers mate for life and usually mate in February. They have anywhere from 3 – 9 babies, called kits, which are born in May. Young beavers usually live with their parents for 2 winters, so there could be anywhere from 6 – 18 kits in a lodge over winter!
When the 2 year old kits are kicked out of their parent’s lodge at the end of winter, they have to find a suitable territory to call their own. Beavers will build lodges if a suitable river bank is not available to burrow into. They try to build these lodges as far from the shore as possible to keep predators away. It is important that they have a constant water depth of about 5 feet, or else it takes too many resources to build a suitable lodge. They will spend the summer chopping down trees and dragging most of them under the water and stick them in the mud to be stored as a winter cache. They are also finding old fallen trees or braches to make their lodge out of and packing as much mud as they can into the cracks and crevices to get it to hold. This winter cache includes the bark from aspen, birch, willow, alder, and some shrubs.
As winter approaches they start growing in an even thicker, coarser coat or pelt, which they comb through with an oil they secrete which helps them repel water. Beavers will cut and cache food until the water around their lodge has frozen over. By this they should have a nice dry area above the water level in their lodge where they can eat and sleep. They only go into the water to collect food from their cache. Throughout winter the inside of the lodge stays right around 40 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of the harsh conditions outside. This is in part because of the fluffy snow that has accumulated on top of the lodge, creating more insulation. If you are lucky enough to find a beaver lodge in the winter, you may be able to see steam coming off the top of the lodge due to the warmth inside!
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist
I would start this class off with a drawing on the board, like the one pictured here, but without all the explanation arrows. I would ask the students what they thought was going on here and then to draw their thoughts on the board. Now their drawings would not be as scientifically correct as mine, but they were very entertaining and fantastical. The one thing we all agreed on is that there is a lot of activity that goes on under the water that we cannot see!
Beavers are part of the mammal class and the largest member of the rodent family. They can grow to be 4 – 6 feet long and weigh 40 to 60 pounds. Beavers mate for life and usually mate in February. They have anywhere from 3 – 9 babies, called kits, which are born in May. Young beavers usually live with their parents for 2 winters, so there could be anywhere from 6 – 18 kits in a lodge over winter!
When the 2 year old kits are kicked out of their parent’s lodge at the end of winter, they have to find a suitable territory to call their own. Beavers will build lodges if a suitable river bank is not available to burrow into. They try to build these lodges as far from the shore as possible to keep predators away. It is important that they have a constant water depth of about 5 feet, or else it takes too many resources to build a suitable lodge. They will spend the summer chopping down trees and dragging most of them under the water and stick them in the mud to be stored as a winter cache. They are also finding old fallen trees or braches to make their lodge out of and packing as much mud as they can into the cracks and crevices to get it to hold. This winter cache includes the bark from aspen, birch, willow, alder, and some shrubs.
As winter approaches they start growing in an even thicker, coarser coat or pelt, which they comb through with an oil they secrete which helps them repel water. Beavers will cut and cache food until the water around their lodge has frozen over. By this they should have a nice dry area above the water level in their lodge where they can eat and sleep. They only go into the water to collect food from their cache. Throughout winter the inside of the lodge stays right around 40 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of the harsh conditions outside. This is in part because of the fluffy snow that has accumulated on top of the lodge, creating more insulation. If you are lucky enough to find a beaver lodge in the winter, you may be able to see steam coming off the top of the lodge due to the warmth inside!
Author: Sydney Weisinger – Teacher/Naturalist