THE MONARCH MESSENGER
The Newsletter of the Ballard Nature
Center
10 Ways to Enjoy Nature Year Round at BNC
1.
2.
3.
4.
Visit weekly during spring to see new species of spring woodland wildflowers emerge.
Watch the purple martins return to the nests and spar for their favorite gourd.
Treat your ears to a plethora of sounds, bird songs in the morning and frog calls in the evening.
Watch the kingfisher at the fishing pond dive and catch a fish.
5. Hike the prairie trail in July to see a myriad of butterflies.
6. Count how many different color dragonflies you see from the wetland boardwalk.
7. Enjoy the color changes in the prairies and woodlands.
8. Sit, relax and listen to the chirping fall field crickets and the
thumping of falling nuts.
9. Look for animal tracks in the snow and then follow them.
10. On a cold winter day, just watch the birds at the feeders from the
comfort of the visitor center benches.
10 Reasons to Visit BNC Instead of Going Shopping
1. No long checkout lines here, just fishing lines
2. Kids don’t wine “I waaant it,” instead they shout “Look at that
huge frog!”
3. It is easy to find your car in the parking lot.
4. Our “aisles” are wide enough for two to pass.
5. Stress levels are shown to decrease while spending time in nature
but tend to elevate while shopping.
6. You don’t have to make decisions on color or style, just what
trail to take; since each trail is rewarding, you can’t go wrong.
7. No elevator music, just the soothing sounds of nature
8. Kids are free to explore; you can’t “break” nature.
9. No one will spray you with strong perfume; you may catch a whiff of nature’s fragrant flowers.
10. It is free!
By Karan Greuel
Just-for-Fun Pages
W I N TE R 2011
In XPLOR, a child’s magazine published by the Missouri Department of Conservation, I read an article “The Eight ‘Ates.”
It listed the ways animals tolerate winter: “insulate” (with big puffy fur), “congregate” (huddle like a covey of quail), etc. Each
way was a word ending in “ate.” Now here’s a riddle for you: “During the wintertime, what does a groundhog do while it is in
its underground burrow?” If you answered, “hibernate,” you are right! While winter days refrigerate us all, animals may hibernate, like groundhogs and bats; or they may just take long naps, like the chipmunk, who wakes to investigate again during February; but if the weather turns frigid, it may navigate back to its burrow for another nap. (Sounds like a good idea to me! Yawn)
So here’s our “Eight Ates” about animals anytime in Illinois. We decided to challenge you with riddles.
What do ducks and geese and many birds, and
even monarch butterflies, do in the fall as they
head to areas with warmer weather and food?
Which small box turtle has a dark brown carapace
(upper shell) decorated by yellow stripes radiating from
the center of each scute?
What does a caterpillar do when it has formed
its cocoon or chrysalis? (A verb indicating a time
of metamorphosis between larva and adult.)
What word means “hooked” and is the first word of the
name of a small white butterfly, Anthocharis midea, whose
forewings are tipped with orange color?
After the huge nest of branches is built & eggs
are laid, what do both male and female bald
eagles do, for up to 46 days, to assure hatching?
What word is sometimes used to refer to a wigeon duck,
Anas americana, because the male has a white crown and
forehead? (It is also another common name for the
Washboard Mussel, Megalonaias nervosa.)
What word describes the color of a dark-eyed junco,
Junco hyemalis? (Hint: This word also names a type of
metamorphic rock once used to make chalkboards.)
Falcate
6.
Ornate
5.
Innate
4.
Incubate
3.
Pupate
2.
Migrate
1.
Answers to 8 Ates
“I’m a daddy cardinal.
Daddy birds don’t lay
eggs.” Karan and I had
not expected that, especially from a first grader.
We were really happy that
the children were truly
thinking even while giggling and squirming.
We educators learned a
lesson that day :
Expect a lot from children
Baldpate
“If you do have wings but
no feathers, stand up.”
The butterfly stood, and
we all cheered. When I
said, “If you do lay eggs,
...” up hopped a snail, a
frog, a turtle, a blue jay,
hawk, and turkey; but one
little girl who was pretending to be a bright red bird
did not stand. We questioned her. She replied,
7.
During our wintertime
children’s program held
on December 29th, Karan
and I were eager to educate by trying out a new
educational game which
we called “If You Do,
Stand Up.” Each child
was assigned an animal by
being given a picture. We
were all seated on a rug.
Then for example, I’d say,
Slate
Another “Ate” Word — Educate
8.
Which word describes unlearned behaviors?
During hatching, a chick will use the egg tooth
on its beak to pip its egg shell in order to exit.
It’s not imitating actions witnessed beforehand.
By: Patty Gillespie
Games for
Variation: Say descriptions, not names.
“The one that makes slime to cover its body. “
Page 3
Fore
st
It’s too cold
outdoors,
but you want
to explore,
play this gam
e indoors
with animals
on the f loor.
Its scent is a warning.
It has wings but no feathers.
This long scaly creature has no legs.
It has orange webbed feet for swimming.
If it’s a male, it can grow antlers.
Its home is a shell that it carries.
Animals described in A Challenge: skunk, butterfly, snake, duck, deer, turtle and snail
Walking in the Forest
1. Find some old magazines and cut out pictures
of animals or just sketch
some animal pictures.
2. Write the animals’
names on slips of paper.
3. Place the pictures on
the floor in a big circle or
an oval like our forest rug
at Ballard Nature Center.
4. Ask friends or brothers
or sisters to play.
5. Turn on some music.
6.. Each player stands on
one picture and then
steps to the next picture
in time with the music.
7. One player or Mom or
Dad pulls out a slip of
paper and reads the name
of the animal.
8. The player standing on
that animal then gets to
run or skip or move like
the animal around the
circle while everyone else
must stand still.
Walking in th
e
Winter 2011
A Rodent of Many Names
Do you call him a groundhog, a woodchuck, a whistle-pig?
Or maybe you call him unmentionable names after he digs in your flower
bed or eats the peas in your vegetable garden? Whatever you may call him,
he is Marmota monax, a rodent belonging in the squirrel family. Despite
his comical squatty appearance and waddling gait, he is a very interesting
creature with much folklore surrounding him and an important role to play in the ecosystem.
It is not hard to understand how he became known as groundhog, for he gorges all summer on
plants in preparation for hibernation, and he digs subterranean tunnels. It is also easy to surmise how
he received the nickname whistle-pig. When danger is sighted, he lets out an alarm call, a shrill whistle.
But how did he become known as the woodchuck in that famous tongue-twister? Many think woodchuck is an anglicized version of a Native American word, wachak, which means “digger.” To the European settlers wachak probably sounded like woodchuck. Woodchucks do not chuck wood, well….except
for those on that Geico commercial; but they can chuck a lot
of soil. Woodchucks can dig a 12-foot burrow in only a few
hours. A woodchuck usually moves from its home each spring,
leaving the abandoned tunnels to be used by other animals like
rabbits, skunks, weasels, and more.
How did they become known as weather forecaster?
Hundreds of years ago in Europe, people celebrated Candlemas on February 2nd. On that day they prayed for nice
weather for the rest of the winter. They believed that if a badger woke up and saw its shadow on Candlemas, there would be six more weeks of bad weather. Apparently European settlers thought American
groundhogs looked a lot like Old World badgers, and they appointed them as their new forecaster;
hence, Groundhog Day. Our groundhogs are rarely out and about in early February.
A Shadow of Stout
Groundhog saw his shadow; he gave a shout
My, he had gotten fat, really stout!
The Groundhog’s Duty
On Groundhog day, a groundhog mustIt’s a sort of National Trust
Now it was over, his winter’s fling
Time to prepare his shape for spring.
Rub his eyes all sleepy and bleary
For he must see both far and clearly
No more turnips with sour cream
He’s much too broad across the beam.
Then stretch his limbs, fluff his coat
It’s time to cast that groundhog vote
In shock and dismay back home he stumbled
All month long his stomach rumbled,
For depending if his shadow he sees
He knows the duty of his species.
But he must be sleek, ready to run
Should farmer Grump get out his gun!
Will spring be early, yea or nay
On February second, Groundhog Day?
Poems by Marlene Feuerborn
Thank you for supporting us at our annual fundraising banquet!
“This large picture can
cover that hole in your
wall. Do I hear $200.00?”
, yes
“Yes
n ano
pu t i
b
ther
The la
dy at m
“I’ll b
id on th y table shou
te
e one
to the d,
left!”
id!”
“Is Daddy going to get the bid?”
Ten years of providing outdoor education opportunities & a place for the enjoyment of nature!
2000: grand opening celebration, wetland and prairie development begins, guided school field trips offered
2001: large pavilion available, boardwalk over wetland completed, summer camps offered, BNC receives Governor’s Hometown
Award for best example of volunteerism
2002: parking lot and sidewalk construction, bluebird trail installed, trails receive signage and footbridges, 1st annual Outdoor Day event held
2003: Ernie Ballard passes away, professional exhibits installed, entrance road improved, handicappedaccessible trail opens, prairie and savanna developments continue
2004: small pavilion available, Second Creek bridge installed and new trail system formed, restoration
projects in woodlands, flora & fauna surveys, vernal pools constructed
2005: kids’ fishing pond opens, last remaining agriculture land restored to prairies and wetlands, purple
martins find housing complex
2006: bluestem trail opens (1.5 miles), handicapped-accessible fishing pier completed
2007: inception of Earnest Initiative (engaging youth in community), bat houses & chimney swift tower erected
2008: additional footbridges constructed, improvements to the wetlands’ diversity, many youth service projects completed, 20-acres
of land donated in Cumberland Country to be used as a satellite nature area
2009: shrubland restorations, handicapped-accessible fire ring and benches installed, new displays in exhibit room
2010: rain garden/living herbarium project begins, staining of the fishing pier, wetland boardwalk and Second Creek bridge, volunteer Mike Clagg receives Governor’s Volunteer Service Award
Teaching About Birds to Two Different Flocks
As naturalists, Patty and I are interested
in and study about all aspects of nature. But I
admit that I have always had an affinity to
birds. So when Conservation Field Day rolled
around in October, I was thrilled to teach
about birds. Each year over a three-day period, the nature center is swarming with 5th
grade students from Effingham County schools.
The students emerge from the buses full of anticipation and enthusiasm. Our mission is to
give them an enjoyable and fun presentation
while sneaking in some education. To accomplish this, we developed a program titled,
“Can You Eat Like a Bird?” Through
games like pulling fishing worms from a
bucket of soil using forceps, students
learn how varied the many birds’ beaks
are. In the preceding activity students
learn about woodcocks; in another activity they become nuthatches
equipped with tweezers for beaks, picking out “insects” from “bark crevices.”
The students cheered and laughed, all the
while learning about the birds’ adaptations.
Mission accomplished!
Another opportunity for educating
about birds came in October. We were honored to be a part of the ROE #3 Professional
Development Teacher Institute. We each provided a workshop for the teachers to attend at
the nature center. I led a Flying Wild workshop which is a cross-curricular program that
teaches about bird biology, ecology and conservation. Patty led “There’s A Hair In My
Dirt or Dispelling Misconceptions.” With the
beautiful autumn weather assisting, the teachers thoroughly enjoyed discovering aspects of
nature. We had fun encouraging explorations.
The teachers participated in the
activities with much alacrity,
especially when challenged to
make their way through a migration obstacle course and to
find and identify hidden bird
photos along the trails. All the
participants plan to use Flying
Wild activities in their classrooms, fostering a new generation of bird
watchers. That is music to this naturalist’s ears!
~Karan Greuel
Ballard Nature Center’s Annual Family Science Night
“Water, Water Everywhere”
February 12, 2011
Witness the amazing powers of H2O
#
Be prepared to
investigate,
experiment,,
laugh & clap
Please register for this event. Call (618) 483-6856
#
Fine Arts Exhibit
Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011
Place: Ballard Nature Center
Time: 2:00 to 5:00
Featuring art by Sarah Gillespie
From vivid depictions of nature subjects to whimsical renditions of life’s moments, Ms. Gillespie’s works have
elicited a range of reviews from “like a breath of fresh air” to “portraying spirituality.” BNC has invited Ms.
Gillespie to share with the community her passion for and insight into creating art. “For me, art is an avenue
by which I can share my love of life and thereby can be of some service.” The exhibit includes charcoal drawings, paintings done in oils or acrylics, digital art, intaglio and linocut prints, and weavings.
Presently works by Ms. Gillespie can be viewed at Tarble Art Center in Charleston as part of the Drawing/
Watercolor: Illinois 18th Biennial Exhibition and on the EIU art department website.
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www.ballardnaturecenter.org
Our new & improved website
is now complete!
Check out our calendar of events
which features upcoming
educational programs,
as well as natural events.
View terrific photographs.
Peruse interesting text.
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tter
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ould like
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uest to
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Coming this summer:
For adults Avian Ecology or Bird-brained Lessons for Educators—Our BNC educators-naturalists, in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will be offering an ENTICE workshop. We invite all
educators to come talk turkey as we study our avian neighbors and their habitats through bird-related witticisms.
Registration will soon open; checkout the IDNR website or call (217) 785-0973
For children Summer Nature Camps—Youth, from ages 6 through 13, may become “budding biologists,”
“junior naturalists,” or “eco-explorers” as they discover the great outdoors and the wonders of nature.
Registration will open in April; check out the BNC website or call (618) 483-6856
Youth Become engaged in community by volunteering! New habitat project: “For He’s A Jolly Good Insect”
Just-for-Fun Pages
Winter
2011
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ballardnaturecenter.org
Phone: 618-483-6856
Fax: 618-483-6866
Ballard Nature Center’s
Staff
Patty Gillespie—Co-Director
Karan Greuel—Co-Director
Board of Directors
President—Jim Weiss
Vice-President—Terry Esker
Secretary—Kim Jansen
Treasurer—Stan Kirchhofer
Hours
Visitor Center
Mon - Fri : 8:00-4:00
Saturday : 12:00–4:00
Sun : 1:00-4:00 (Apr-Oct)
Trails & Fishing Pond
Everyday—Dawn to Dusk
Samantha Childerson
Debbie Clagg
Mary Ann Hoeffliger
Shari Marvel
Glen Mathias
Marge Shubert
Ballard Nature Center
5253 E. US Hwy 40
Altamont, IL 62411