Summer is Wrapping Up

Hey there Kids in the Biosphere,

It is almost the end of August, you know what that means, back to school soon...

We know fall is coming because of the temperature change and the fact we are getting ready to go back to school. There are some other activities going on in the Biosphere that show the change of the season:

Katydid - Good find Armstrongs!

• Listen carefully, there is a symphony of insects including: cicadas, crickets, katydids, grasshoppers and more! 
• Maple trees have finished producing their seeds which are commonly called helicopters; throw these in the air to see why.
• Fall webworm nests are noticeable on shrubs and trees (they overwinter as pupae).
• Beavers are busy cutting trees for their winter food supply. Look for piles of branches near their lodge.

  

  Busy Beaver - Nice work Eatons!

• Eastern Chipmunks, Eastern Grey Squirrels, and Red Squirrels are busy storing food for the winter.
• Birds begin traveling south to Central and South America. To get an idea of the volume of bird migration, stand outside on a calm clear night and you’ll hear the contact calls of thousands of migrating songbirds- particularly thrushes and warblers.

  

  Beautiful Butterfly - Well spotted Campbells!

• Common Nighthawks are most visible during the last three hours of daylight (seen in groups, quite high in the sky, moving in a southwesterly direction).
• Red-winged blackbirds are beginning to mass, prior to migration. Check out a nearby marsh!
• Blue Jay calls are common sounds. Some Blue Jays will move south, while others will stay.
• Some butterflies are migratory too! Look for butterflies clustering in trees along shorelines. Lets wish the Monarch Butterflies safe travels to Mexico. 
  

Another way we know fall is coming is the Kids in the Biosphere program is beginning to wrap up.  Keep sending in pictures and activities right up until the end of summer. Don't forget to pick up your prize at the Museum on Tower Hill, 17 George Street Parry Sound. Prizes can be picked up anytime. 


Three cheers my friends for rain drops and frog hops...

Kids in the Biosphere - You are doing GREAT!

 Hi Everyone!

It seems the farther into summer we go, the larger the things we are finding in the Biosphere, just check out these amazing observations:

Tall invasive Mullen                                                          A Moose in Sans Souci                                                   A Black Bear            
Spotted by the Eaton Family                                         Spotted by the Denune Family                           Spotted by the Reicheld Family

Fun Facts: 

Mullen is an invasive species, this means it is not normally found in this area but has been brought here by people. This can have a negative impact on native species. Can you think of another invasive species?

 The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Unlike other species in this family it is a solitary animal that does not live in herds. 

Black bears have a FANTASTIC sense of smell, even better than a dogs. They are 85% herbivore, which means plants make up a large portion of their diet.

Time to reveal the answer to the POP QUIZ in the last post: what are some of the differences between a moths and butterflies? They have a lot in common but here are some different features:

1. Activity - Moths are nocturnal, which means active at night. Butterflies are diurnal or most active during the day. If you see something on a flower during the day it is probably a butterfly whereas if something is flying around a porch light at night, it is a moth.

2. Wings - When a moth is resting its wings will lay at its sides. A butterfly however, unless basking, will hold its wings upright.

3. Antenna - A butterfly's antenna are wider at the tips, moths tend to look fuzzier and more feather like.

Remember: sometimes a species doesn't follow these guidelines so it is best to use multiple features to tell what you are looking at!

Three cheers for sandy ant hills and yellow duck bills... 

Butterflies and Moths, Oh My!

Monarch Caterpillar - Eaton Family

Hello my friends!

One thing you guys are finding lots of are insects, in particular: caterpillars! Were you able to see the wooly bear caterpillar in the last post?

We are seeing butterflies and moths in many of the stages they go through in their life. In each stage they transform shape, colour and size!


First, a mother butterfly/moth will lay her eggs on specific plants that will make good food for her babies.

Next, a larva will hatch from the egg. We call larva by a different name- caterpillar! The first meal for each caterpillar will be its own eggshell… mmm nutrients.

Monarch Butterfly - Katherine Denune

Caterpillars go through several stages (called instars), where they grow too big for their own‘skin’ so they shed or molt. Sometimes when they molt (change instars) they will end up looking like an ENTIRELY different caterpillar! Caterpillars will continuously eat, poop, molt, eat, poop, molt, until they are finally ready to turn into a moth.

Then they leave their plant, find a safe place, and start to “pupate”, or form a hard, strong, skin. Sometimes when this happen they will turn brown!

Once they are fully pupated, they are called chrysalides (if butterflies) or cocoons (if moths). They might stay in that stage all winter, and then hatch as moth/butterfly in the spring! They hatch by pumping a liquid into the veins of their wings to expand them. Adult moth/butterflies are in the “imago” stage.

POP QUIZ! What are the differences between a butterfly and a moth? 

Three cheers for butterfly nets and pretty sun sets!

Best Time of Year to See Mushrooms, PLUS The Mystery Revealed

Hellooooo Kids in the Biosphere!

Another awesome week of exploring the Biosphere has gone by and what a week it has been.We have seen lots of reptiles, some very pretty flowers and many, many insects!

I'm sure you have been wondering what in the world the picture is in the last blog post. Some odd black ball thing in the water? Drum-roll please... it is a school of juvenile (or baby) catfish! Look closely and you can see the individuals. They might look similar to tadpoles but on closer inspection actually have small 'whiskers' on their face, hence the name catfish! Unlike real cats who's whiskers are made of hair, catfish whiskers are made of skin and contain sensors that allow them to feel, smell and taste.

When you are walking through the forests this weekend be sure to have a close look for mushrooms. This is one of the best times of the year to see many different kinds. Rainfall plus warmer temperatures causes them to grow super quickly!

If it is too rainy to go outside, here is another mystery to solve: what animal is in this picture?

Hint: it is widely rumored this animal can be used to predict the winter weather!

Happy adventures and three cheers for pine cones and beaver homes...

Can You Tell What This Is?

Howdy All!

I have received soooo many amazing pictures lately! Everyone is seeing some awesome things this summer in the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. This photo I received is of something that you might not have seen before:

What do you think is in this picture? Hint: Dotty the turtle might come here for lunch!

The answer will be revealed at the end of the week...

Many, many more pictures are on and being added to the Kids in the Biosphere webpage, can you tell which one is which?

• Monarch butterfly and caterpillar
• Massasauga Rattlesnake
• Dekay's Snake
• Deer
• Birds nest
• Rock bass
• Red fox
• Swamp rose
• Lichens

Keep sending me in questions and letting me know when you have completed activities!

Three cheers for catching frogs and looking under logs...