Kids in the Biosphere: Fall is in the air

Hey there Kids in the Biosphere,

September is here, nights are cooler, days are getting shorter, and back to school soon...

There are other activities going on in the Biosphere that tell us the season is changing:

• Maple trees have finished producing their seeds, commonly called helicopters; throw these in the air to see why.
• Fall webworm nests are noticeable on shrubs and trees (they overwinter as pupae). They look messy but are great food for lots of birds and have a small impact on the trees as they are about to shed their leaves anyway.
• Beavers are busy cutting trees for a winter food supply. Look for piles of branches near their lodge.
• Chipmunks, Grey Squirrels, and Red Squirrels are busy storing food for the winter.

Another way we know fall is coming is the Kids in the Biosphere program is beginning to wrap up.  

We've had a great summer meeting so many people, attending lots of events, and enjoying your cool nature finds! Strawberry the snake was so busy meeting people, he worked up quite the thirst, check out the video!
  
DON"T FORGET TO PICK UP YOUR PRIZE at the Museum on Tower Hill, 17 George Street Parry Sound. Prizes can be picked up any day during business hours.


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

Invaisve Species Mouthfull Challenge!

Biodiversity is short for biological diversity, which means the variety of life on earth, from microbes to plants and animals.

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of Ontario’s waters, wetlands, and woodlands. Coming from other regions of the world, and without their natural predators and controls, invasive species negatively affect biodiversity by taking over habitats and ecosystems.

To help appreciate the impact of invasive species, try the activity below. Each paragraph represents an ecosystem, the letters are the normal components (like native species). The characters represent an invasive species. See how unrecognizable the ecosystem becomes!

1. The introduction of invasive species:
Biodiversity is the va#riety of life on earth, from microbes to pla#nts and a#nima#ls. Invading species a#re one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of Ontario’s waters, wetla#n*ds, and woodla#n*ds. Coming from other regions of the world, a#nd without their natural pre*dators and controls, invading species a#ffect biodiversity by ta#king over habita#ts an*d ecosystems, and re*ducing the numbers of native species.

2. Invaisve species establish in a new ecosystem:
Bio*diversity is the va#riety of life on ea#rth, from microbes to pla#nts an*d a#nima#ls. Inva#*ding species a#re one of the grea#test thre#ats to the bio*diversity of Onta#rio’s wa#ters, wetla#n*ds, a#n*d woo*dla#n*ds. Coming from other regions of the worl*d, a#n*d without their na#tura#l pre*da#tors a#n*d controls, inva#*ding species a#ffect bio*diversity by ta#king over ha#bita#ts a#n*d ecosystems, a#n*d re*ducing the numbers of na#tive species.


3. Invaisve species out-compete native species for resources:
Bio**divrsity is th va##rity of lif on a##rth, from mirobs to pla##nts an*d a##nima##ls. Inva##**ding spis a##r on of th gra##tst thr##ats to th bio**divrsity of Onta##rio’s wa##trs, wtla##n**ds, a##n**d woo**dla##n**ds. Oming from othr rgions of th worl**d, a##n**d without thir na##tura##l pr**da##tors a##n**d ontrols, inva##**ding spis a##fft bio**divrsity by ta##king ovr ha##bita##ts a##n**d osystms, a##n**d r**duing th numbrs of na##tiv spis.

Check out this resource on invasive species in Ontario and what you can do. Share this challenge with your friends and family!


Credit: Ontario's Invasive Species Awareness Program

Bioblitz Challenge: Citizen Science Time!

Scientists use surveys to learn which plants and animals are in an ecosystem, sometimes referred too as measuring biodiversity. The more different types (or species) of animals and plants are found, the greater the biodiversity! This system is also a good way to monitor changes in what species are present.

This system can turn up lots of neat things, even invasive species! An invasive species is a type of animal or plant that has been introduced to an area by people and out-competes native species for food and habitat. 

Time for a biodiversity activity! You will need: identification books, 4 pieces of 1m long string, pencil and paper.

1. Randomly find the centre of your plot by throwing a hat nearby. Avoid sampling your lawn, there might be more biodiversity in a forested area.

2. Lay your string in the shape of a square (or use sticks to mark the outside).

3. Bioblitz! Record all the plants and animals you find in the plot. You can also record signs like tracks and scat.

4. When you find a mystery species, use an ID book or guide, take a photo or draw a picture it. Highlight which species are non-native and invasive!

Invasive Phragmites. Tough to make a plot here!

5. Share what you’ve found with kids@gbbr.com or upload photos to the website! If you find an invasive species, email Delaina or do some research to find the best control method.

BONUS: Make multiple plots and count how many species you find in each. 

Challenge your friends to make a Bioblitz too, who can find the most biodiversity?

Make a wish! Perseid Meteor Shower Run before second week of August

Earlier this summer we talked about stargazing. We hope you’ve all had a chance to look up and discover the night sky!

There’s a very cool event happening this week for space fans. From August 11th to 14th you can catch the Perseid Meteor Shower lighting up the sky.

Meteors, also known as “shooting stars”, are tiny rocky or metallic pieces of space debris burning up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. If there’s a whole bunch of them, it’s called a meteor shower. During the Perseid Meteor Shower, it is sometimes possible to see 100 meteors in an hour!

All you need to see the meteor shower is a clear, dark night and your eyes. No telescope needed!

Let us know if you are able to watch the meteor shower! How many meteors can you spot in an hour?

Three cheers for wading in shallows, and roasting marshmallows!

You Voted! Our Turtle Friend has a Name!

Hello all Kids in the Biosphere!

The votes are in and we’re happy to announce that our spotted turtle has a name. Her name is...

Drumroll please...

Blueberry!!!

Spotted turtles sometimes snack on blueberries, but they usually catch and eat aquatic insects. Blueberry loves to eat mosquitoes, worms, and other creepy crawly critters! Yummy!

Haven't been able to make it to an event yet? Its not too late! Come to one of these events; play games, enjoy nature activities, plus there may be opportunities to help beautify the shoreline!

Planting in the Biosphere Aug. 11th 10am-12 at Healey Lake Lodge, Mactier, held by GBBR and Healey Lake Lodge.

 

Family Fun Day Aug 23rd 10am-12 at Craganmor Point Resort, held by South Channel Assoc.


Three cheers for wading in shallows and roasting marshmallows!

Bird Talk, Chitchatter, & Calls

Birds are talkative animals, often calling (quite loudly) to one another. But what exactly are they saying?

Here are some birds you may hear in the GBBR, and what they are talking about.

1.    Black-capped chickadee
The famous chick-a-dee-dee call is an alarm used to tell other chickadees of nearby danger. The closer a predator gets, and more dee notes a chickadee will add to its call.


2.    Pileated woodpecker
While they can sing, woodpeckers will drum on wood to establish territories. Woodpeckers even drum on the sides of houses and metal signs, because while the noise this creates can be annoying to people,
 it sounds great to a woodpecker! You’ll know you’re listening to a pileated woodpecker if you hear a slow, powerful drumming.


3.    Common loon
If you hear a high, wavering call, a loon is sounding an alarm. Loons use long, haunting wails to tell other loons where they are.

If you hear bird song and want to figure out who you’re listening to, an amazing resource is The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This site gives you tons of information on different kinds of birds, and you can even listen to their calls!

Let us know if you hear any interesting bird songs this summer!

Here’s to soaring hawks and nature walks!

Our Friend the Spotted Turtle

Hello everyone!

We have a very special guest joining us at the GBBR this summer, a spotted turtle!

Spotted turtles have bright yellow dots on their shells and bodies. They are one of the smallest turtle species in Ontario, only reaching about 12 cm in length.

Spotted turtles are native to the Biosphere, and like to live in wetlands like bogs and small ponds. Sadly, spotted turtles are endangered. This means that they are disappearing from our Biosphere, and soon there may not be any left in the wild. There are several reasons spotted turtles are endangered. Can you think of any?

Our little turtle needs a name! We’ve collected a few turtle names, and it’s up to the Kids in the Biosphere to choose the best one! If you send in a vote for a name to kids@gbbr.ca, add one point for your Kids in the Biosphere scorecard!

1. Blueberry        2. Freckles        3. Pearl        4. Speedy

We're Like'n Lichens!

Ever noticed a green or orange rock while out exploring Georgian Bay? It’s likely that you’ve discovered a rock covered in lichen!

Lichens are actually made up of two living things, an algae and a fungus. They join up together in a symbiotic relationship, where they both benefit from living together.

Algae produce energy from the sun through photosynthesis, just like trees and other plants. This energy is used as food for the algae and fungus. In return, the fungus provides a home and protection for the algae. Sounds like a good partnership!

Lichen are very sensitive to air quality. If lichens start disappearing from an area, that can be a big warning sign that there is air pollution.


Here are some lichen you may spot this summer:

1.    Caribou lichen
The caribou lichen is favourite food of - you guessed it - caribou!



2.    Common orange lichen
This lichen can grow on rocks but it needs a bit of help getting all of its nutrients. One way it can do this is by growing on top of bird droppings - so if you find some orange lichen, it’s likely a bird





3.    Map lichen
Astronauts exposed a species of map lichen directly to outer space for 10 days. The lichen survived


Three cheers for ancient rocks and floating docks!

Prevent Plastic Pollution

We love exploring the waters of Georgian Bay! People use the Bay to go fishing, sailing, kayaking, swimming and even scuba diving! 

We all want our lakes to be clean for us, animals and plants. But there is a sneaky type of pollution making its way into the water - plastic microbeads!

Plastic microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic that people put in cleaning products like hand soap, body wash, and even toothpaste!

Microbeads scrub away dirt, but once their job is finished they get washed down the drain and into lakes. Fish, birds and other animals can become sick by eating these plastic beads.

To help protect wildlife, make sure you’re not using any products with microbeads. When you’re at the store, look at the ingredients on the soaps and toothpaste. Make sure you don’t choose any soaps with an ingredient called polyethylene - that’s plastic!

If you want to get creative, the GBBR has put together some recipes to make your own eco-friendly shampoo, soap and toothpaste! Check it out here! That way you can keep yourself and Georgian Bay squeaky clean!

Three cheers for canoeing on the lake and spotting a snake!

Reach for the Stars - Summer Stargazing

Now that nights are getting warmer, we’re excited to do some stargazing!

Stargazing can be hard when you’re in a big city. The lights from buildings, streetlights and cars can block our view of the night sky. The extra light can be confusing for animals such as birds and insects that use moonlight and starlight to find their way around at night.

In the GBBR we have less artificial light than big cities, so we have some spectacular views of space. Remember, to keep our skies dark always turn off lights when you leave a room.

Here are some stargazing tips:

You don’t need a telescope to go stargazing. Your eyes alone can spot stars, meteors, and planets.

Bring some blankets to sit on, plus a warm sweater and hot chocolate for when it gets chilly!

Tri-coloured Bat by S. Dobbyn

While you’re stargazing, keep a lookout for nocturnal animals. Nocturnal animals are creatures that are active at night and sleep during the day. Listen for owls hooting and watch for the glow of fireflies. You'll probably see a bat fly by at night too!

Let us know if you have any neat space or nocturnal animal sightings!

Three cheers for starry skies and dragonflies!