Wonderfull Earth

What's New As summer has begun, so has my new job as the summer Nature Net intern! My name is Stephanie and I will be blogging, updating, and bringing you all the latest news Nature Net has to offer in the next coming months. About Me Occupation : Junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Major : International Studies, Environmental Studies, and East Asian Studies Hometown : Riverside, IL - A suburb of Chicago, right next to the Brookfield Zoo ! Favorite Animal: Panda Favorite Color : Teal Favorite Season : Fall Favorite Sports Teams : Chicago Bears, White Sox, and (of course) the Wisconsin Badgers Interesting Facts During the school year I am involved on campus through my participation in the Greek community and the Ultimate Frisbee and Club Water Polo teams. I also hope to become more involved with some of the environmental-oriented clubs and groups in the near future. I came across the Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Nature Net  because of the  Community an...

"In plain sight now, within the den, we found four baby raccoons, a month old perhaps. The entire litter of kits might easily have fitted within my cap. Each tail had five black rings. Each small face had a sharp black mask. Eight bright eyes peered up at us, filled with wonder and worry." - from Rascal, by (Wisconsin's own!) Sterling North Dear Reader, Who is that marauding at midnight? Who's ripping up and spreading around all your trash? Who washes their food and hands before every meal? It's the masked crusaders of the dark - they're raccoons! Ever since childhood, I've had a special affinity for these cunning critters. From Racoony, who would launch himself at our front door to eat my mom's ornamental corn wreathes, to Big Guy, rapping on our sliding glass doors for more catfood, I've had 'coon run-ins aplenty. But, despite their mischievous acts, I still find myself grinning whenever I see one of those little masks looking at me from a tr...

 "For myself I hold no preferences among flowers, s o long as they are wild, free, spontaneous." - Edward Abbey Dear Reader, Fall is upon us, but in these last warm days of summer, take a look at the wild beauty that blooms -- our native grasses and wildflowers. Native plants and wildflowers grow naturally and are deemed "native" because they existed in forests and prairies before pioneer cultivation. Native plants and wildflowers play important roles in the local ecosystems. For example, prairie grasses have deep root systems that help keep soil from eroding and soak up lots of water. This is why many rain gardens (gardens designed to keep runoff from buildings or roads from washing away the local ecosystem) feature native prairie plants! Learn more about these natural wonders in this edition of Nature Net News today! Enjoy, Kathe, Sarah & Brenna The Folks at Nature Net Did You Know..... The seed of the Indian Paintbrush is so tiny, that several hand...

Nature Net News Your source for tips & tricks for exploring nature with your kids Dear Reader, Summer is ending soon, and what better way to celebrate these last halcyon days than to get away for a weekend and live amongst nature? "The man who goes afoot, prepared to camp anywhere and in any weather, is the most independent fellow on earth." Horace Kephart I remember, as a little girl, sitting around the campfire with my family, lighting marshmallows aflame with glee. I also remember when the fire burned down to embers, telling ghost stories before going to bed and startling at every strange and exciting sound I heard that night.  Camping is not only a way to spend a vacation, but a way to instill a connection with the natural world. This is important, especially in these times when many children don't get outside as much as their parents or grandparents did in their childhood. Camping is a fun way to remedy that, promoting fami...

Nature Net News Your source for tips & tricks for exploring nature with your kids Dear Reader, What's the buzz about bees? "How doth the little busy Bee Improve each shining Hour, And gather Honey all the day From every opening Flower!" "Against Idleness And Mischief"  by Isaac Watts Plenty! Bees are busy pollinators, and their pollination helps produce over one-third of the human diet! That's not even including the delicious honey in everything from our morning tea to our lip balm. However, bees are often vilified due to the little stinger that they use for defense, in addition to their aggressive relatives, including the wasp, which patterns itself after the bee. Some bees, such as the bumblebee, sting very rarely and are quite mild. These buzzing beauties are in danger due to many modern factors, including pesticides (they don't distinguish between bugs), climate change (seasonal changes are affecting the synchronization of flower openings and bee...

Nature Net News Your source for tips & tricks for exploring nature with your kids Dear Reader, "I wish I were a muskrat, eye deep in the marsh." Aldo Leopold The croaking of the peepers is one of the first signs that summer is on its way and new life is teeming in a wetland nearby. From skating water bugs to baby bullheads waving tentacles in a friendly hello, the pond is one of the epicenters of life during early summer.  Did you ever go to your local pond to dip a fishing net (or a parent's really expensive butterfly net) into the waters, and pull out a netful of life? Did you ever catch and raise tadpoles, watching in amazement as limbs sprouted, and letting the little frogs hop off your hand deep into the pond from whence they came? Did you ever slip off your shoes and dig your toes into the marshy ooze? 'Tis the season for pond dipping, and that's just what this episode of Nature Net News is all about. Read how to collect and identify what you find, get ...

Nature Net News Your source for tips & tricks for exploring nature with kids     Dear Reader, "The crane is wildness incarnate." Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac Have you ever seen a crane flying overhead? Even with its long legs trailing behind, the crane manages to look graceful and make flying look utterly effortless. These beautiful creatures are seen as symbols of wisdom in China, good fortune and happy marriage in Japan and longevity in both. The Greek god Apollo was said to use the form of a crane when he visited the mortal world, and in Europe, cranes were associated with vigilance and loyalty. These classic beauties make their home and travel through our region. So what are you waiting for? Come, learn, and marvel at Wisconsin's cranes in this issue of Nature Net News! Enjoy! Kathe, Sarah & Brenna The Folks at Nature Net Did you know..... Sandhill crane chicks usually hatch in early May. In order to stop the extinction of whooping cranes, people dre...

Sign up to receive Nature Net News  in your inbox! See original newsletter at www.naturenet.com/NatureNetNews/Nature_Net_News_Flash_0411.htm   Happy Earth Day from Nature Net! Dear Parents, Swing into spring with some fun outdoor activities for the whole family! Earth Day Bouquet is going on now! In celebration of Earth Day , National Environmental Education Week , and the spring season, Nature Net's "Earth Day Bouquet of Events" offers your family a variety of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, get involved in your local and natural community, and become motivated to make a difference in the health and sustainability of the environment. From self-guided hikes to vacation mini-camps to fun family festivals, there is something for everyone. Check the schedule of free and low-cost family events going on now! Looking for more? Take a scientific look at Earth Day 2011 with the Forest Products Laboratory on April 22 (9am-2pm) and check out the bonus Earth Day event at B...

Nature Net News Your source for tips and tricks for exploring nature with your kids View original newsletter here . "The sunshine that strikes American roads each year contains more energy than all the fossil fuels used by the entire world." Denis Hayes, Earth Day Co-Founder Dear Reader, As Nature Net members focus on all things green in April, this issue of Nature Net News will highlight clean, green, renewable energy. Learn about energy's past, present and future, and the overlap between energy and nature. Enjoy! Kathe, Brenna & Sarah The Folks at Nature Net Did You Know..... Green energy sources, such as solar power, hydropower and wind power are not only renewable, but they are also low- or non-polluting. Their supplies are essentially infinite (at least during the lifespan of Earth and its Sun), and they emit very little carbon or pollution as they harness and produce energy. Along with these benefits, the positive or negative environmental consequences related t...