Posts Tagged With: adventure

Curlew!

Curlew!

We are meeting our first resident of Camp EE at the beach- the long-billed curlew. One of our favorite pastimes at beach camp is to watch shore birds run around looking for food and running away from the waves.

 

2 of 5 Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) bird eating sand

Long-billed curlew fun facts: 

  • These carnivores use those long bills to grab crustaceans and marine invertebrates.
  • They hunt for prey in groups.
  • They run or walk on the ground often.
  • They are the largest member of the sandpiper family.
  • Males do fancy flights to attract mates. They mate in grasslands and prairies away from the shore.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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We love these birdies with their skinny legs and long funny beaks. We could watch them all day and we might just do that!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Camp E&E at the Beach

Camp E&E at the Beach

We are so excited to be back at camp after our vacation. We hope everyone had a nice time during the break too. The cabins are ready just off the beach and we are unpacking for 6 more weeks of adventures. There will be crazy fish, searching for shells, sharks, crafts, poems and much more! We hope you are ready!

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Beach rules:

  • Campers can not go on to the beach after dark without counselors.
  • All lights on the beach must have a red filter as to not disturb nesting turtles.
  • Only collect sea shells that are empty.
  • All trash must be taken back to camp.
  • No feeding the seagulls.
  • Have fun exploring and ask loads of questions.

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Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Goodbye Lake Salamander

Goodbye Lake Salamander

Time to pack up, it’s the last day of camp! We are off next week. Beach Camp E&E starts on July 9th! As we back up our trunks, we are a little sad to say goodbye to this special place. Come sit down with us and sing the camp song with us one more time. We are excited to see you at the beach.

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On the shores of Lake Salamander, among the old live oak…

We enjoy Camp Ellie and Edmond and the frogs that croak.

We salute you Camp E & E and all your animal friends…

All our days are each a gem.

While we sit next to the campfire, telling stories of old…

We laugh and sing and watch the stars of gold.

We love you Camp E &E and all our memories of our days…

We hold Camp E & E close to our hearts and we’ll never stray!

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Categories: A, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Strawberry Moon

Strawberry Moon

We have a special post today for you! We made a little video about how the moon affects animal behavior in collaboration with our science partner- Science With My Cat!

Learn some fun animal facts with us and then head on over to their site to find a fun activity about moon phases! YAY for science!

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, oceans, science, space, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meet Penny

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Hi campers! We are meeting one of our favorite residents of the woods here at Lake Salamander, Penny the Porcupine! She hangs out with us around the campfire at night! She’s great at roasting load of marshmallows at once.

 

Hi Penny! We are so glad you have joined us at camp this year! Can you tell all the campers a little bit about yourself!

I’m happy to tell you all about porcupines!

  • We porcupines are rodents! That’s right, I’m related to squirrels and mice.
  • My back is covered in quills. I can not throw my quills, but if a predator like a wolf tries to attack me- I can release my quills.
  • I have around 30,000 quills!
  • My quills are made of keratin, the protein that make up human nails & hair.
  • I am a good climber and a good swimmer.
  • I like to eat a variety of plants, bark, berries and roots.
  • When I was a baby, I was called a porcupette! When we are born our quills are soft. They grow harder in just a few days.

Wow! You porcupines sure are neat! We just love your quills, especially that they are good for roasting marshmallows- hehehe! Thanks for coming!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One Big Weasel

One Big Weasel

We are meeting a local here of the woods at Lake Salamander- the largest member of the weasel family- the wolverine. We are lucky to know one too, there aren’t many in these parts.

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Wolverine Fun Facts:

  • Wolverines are solitary. They live in a large territory. A male shares his territory with several females.
  • These predators are known to eat some vegetation and berries in the summer, but they are carnivores.
  • They can grow up to 42 inches long and weigh up to 55lbs. Males are larger than females.
  • Wolverines have thick fur coats that are water and frost resitant.
  • They are sometimes called the skunk bear because of the musky scent these use to mark their territory with.
  • The wolverine’s main predator is the grey wolf.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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These animals are known for their tenacity. They have been known to steal carrion from larger animals than themselves.

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not Really Made of Wood

Not Really Made of Wood

We are meeting a creature that you often find sunning themselves on branches along the shore of Lake Salamander. These reptiles are called Wood Turtles- but guess what, they aren’t made of wood- hehehe.

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Wood Turtle Fun Facts:

  • These little turtles grow up to about 8 inches long.
  • There scutes are slightly domed shaped.
  • These omnivores eat fruit, leaves, insects and worms.
  • Wood turtles thump on the ground with their feet to make earth worms come out of the ground. They then snatch up the worms.
  • They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
  • It is thought that their lifespan is over 60 years old.

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These neat little turtles are losing their habitats. That’s why intact and clean habitats like our lake here at camp are so important.

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, reptiles, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Foxy

Foxy

We met another resident of the woods around camp- the red fox. These canines are known for being clever and sneaky. We just think they are cool.

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Red Fox Fun Facts: 

  • Red fox can grow up to 21 inches long and weigh up to 24 lbs.
  • They are the largest member of the true fox family.
  • These graceful mammals walk on their toes!
  • They are mostly solitary.
  • These omnivores eat small mammals, fish and frogs, but also eat fruit and vegetation.
  • While the red fox is mostly nocturnal, they are known to come out during the day.
  • They are very vocal and can produce 28 different sounds. Does anyone here speak fox?
  • Those large fluffy tails are called brushes. Foxes use them for balance and to wrap themselves up in during colder months.

Red Fox (Male), Horsefly Peninsula, Quesnel Lake, British Columbia

You can hear the fox around Lake Salamander chatter. These gorgeous animals often get a bad wrap, but that is very much undeserved. They are one of the most successful members of the canine family and can be found on 5 continents.

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lighting Up the Night

Lighting Up the Night

One of the best parts of being at camp is watching the fireflies at night while we sit around the camp fire. We’re going to learn about these amazing beetles! That’s right- fireflies are beetles!

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Firefly fun facts:

  • Most fireflies have wings.
  • They on every continent except the Antarctica and the Arctic circle.
  • There are around 2,000 species of fireflies in the world.
  • Fireflies get that famous glow from a special organ under their abdomen. They take oxygen in to that organ and  it produces the glow with no heat!
  • Each species of firefly has their own pattern of flashes.
  • These lights are used to find potential mates.
  • These bioluminescent beetles can glow with yellow, red or green.
  • Scientist think that fireflies use their glow to help warn predators that they taste bad.
  • Fireflies are omnivores, eating worms as larva and nectar as adults.

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We here at Camp E & E call fireflies, lightening bugs! It’s fun to gather them in a jar with holes poked in the lid to watch them glow for a bit and return them to the skies to find a mate. What do you call fireflies in your neck of the woods?

Categories: adventure, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, insects, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers

We are meeting a little frog that calls Lake Salamander. These little frogs sing their songs at night while we’re sitting by the lake. Luckily one little peeper hopped by to talk to us about spring peeper frogs.

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Spring Peeper Fun Facts:

  • My calls usher in spring across the Eastern United States.
  • I am a member of a group of frogs known as chorus frogs.
  • I have pads on my toes that help me grip to surfaces.
  • Those pads help make me an excellent climber!
  • Like all frogs, I am a carnivore.
  • I like to winter in Florida, hahaha! Just kidding, I hide under piles of leaves and logs.
  • In the winter, I allow my body to freeze! Yep, bet you can’t do that!
  • I have a lovely X shaped pattern on my back.
  • You can hear our lovely chorus here!

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I am one shy frog and you won’t see me out during the day! But if you’re sitting outside listen for us and our lovely songs of spring!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, camp, Children, conservation, education, Environment, frogs, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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