Posts Tagged With: science

Meet Penny

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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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

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Happy World Oceans Day!

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Happy World Oceans Day

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, fish, movies, nature, oceans, Today's Post, wildlife, Worlds Oceans Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We Hear Howling

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We Hear Howling

We were sitting around the camp fire last night when heard a howling! We knew immediately that it was the coyotes that call these woods home. We hoped it would be our friend Carla. Sure enough Carla met came down to the camp fire to meet the campers and tell us more about coyotes.

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Hello everyone! We coyotes are so glad to see you hear at camp. I’m going to tell you more about myself and my relatives.

  • We coyotes are members of the canine family.
  • We once roamed only the western plains, but we now call much of the North America our home.
  • The early human settlers of this place, the Native Americans told many legends of my kind. They said we were clever and mischievous.
  • No one ever called us dumb, that’s for sure.
  • We are predators and omnivores. We’ll eat most prey animals including snakes. Don’t worry campers, our diets don’t include you.
  • We coyotes have excellent senses of smell and sight.
  • And man are we fast! We can reach up to 40 mph!
  • I have a litter of cubs who were born this spring. My partner is watching over them. We take care them and protect our territory together.
  • You may think we are nocturnal, but in fact we are active all times of day depending on what animals are in our area. So you may see us during the day or you may hear us howling at night.

We coyotes are often misunderstood, like most predators. We all play our part in the ecosystems of North America. So next time you hear one of us howling, smile and howl back!

 

 

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

Amphibian Friend at Lake Salamander

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Amphibian Friend at Lake Salamander

We are so happy to meet our first friend of the summer! Camp E&E sits next to one beautiful lake- Lake Salamander. This special spot was named because of the special amphibians who live here! We are always so thrilled to find a few chilling in the woods.

Today we are meeting the Southern Zigzag salamander. Woohoo!

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Southern Zigzag Salamander Fun Facts: 

  • These adorable amphibians are carnivores. They eat mostly insects.
  • They only grow to about 3 1/2 inches long! Not a big animal for sure.
  • They call the forest floor their home, so watch where you are stepping while on hikes campers.
  • They have a zigzag stripe down their back. It can vary in color from red to yellow.
  • Females lay eggs in burrows. They guard their eggs until they hatch. Unlike a lot of salamanders, they do not go through an aquatic larva phase. When they are born, they look like miniature adults!
  • They are listed by the IUCN as Least Concern.

Can you imagine how cute teeny tiny zigzag salamanders are? We would hardly be able to stand it! We hear that Crafty Crab is coming up with a cute salamander craft later in the week! YAY!

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

Puffins!!

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Puffins!

We headed to the coast line to meet one of the most iconic birds of Norway’s coastline- the Atlantic Puffin! These adorable birds are so much fun to watch. We wish one would come live with us the University.

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Atlantic Puffin Fun Facts:

  • These little handsome birds grow up to 10 inches long and can weigh up to 17 oz.
  • They are nicknamed the “sea parrot”.
  • These carnivores eat fish.
  • Their brightly colored beaks are duller in color during the winter. They bright colors are brightest during breeding season.
  • These sea birds spend most of their life at sea. They can swim under water using a flying motion. They can even dive up to 200 feet deep.
  • In the air, they can fly up to 55 mph.
  • Both parents incubate the egg and then feed the chick.
  • They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

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These amazing birds form large breeding colonies. They breed in the same place every year. Scientists are not sure how the birds navigate back to the same place yet.

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

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