Outdoor Elements


SEASON 5

	Episode 501 Hands-On Nature Topic: Making bowls from native hardwoods Dick Reel, woodcrafter Nature Nuggets: Wood from our native Basswood trees is popular with carvers and woodworkers due to its even grain and buttery texture. Creatures and Features Topic: The Great Bug Discovery Dr. Anson Pantz Kalamazoo Nature Center Nature Nuggets: 95% of all the animal species on the earth are insects. Millions of insects can exist in a single acre of land! Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Preventing Bird-Window Strikes Preventing Bird-Window Strikes Michaele Klingerman St. Joseph County Parks Department Nature Nuggets: Window strikes are reportedly the most common cause of death associated with bird feeders. Cats are the second leading cause of bird mortality. Field Guide: American Goldfinch American Goldfinches are frequent visitors to backyard thistle feeders. In the spring and summer the males are bright yellow. In winter the males turn a soft olive-green. You can also look for the white stripes on their black wings. The Latin genus for this bird is “Tristus” which means sad, and it refers to its plaintive song. back to top Episode 502 Hands-On Nature Topic: Phases of the Moon Phases of the Moon Pete Stobie: Interpretive Naturalist Kalamazoo Nature Center Nature Nuggets: The moon rises and sets every day, just like the sun. It rises about 30 to 70 minutes later each day than the previous day, so the moon is out during daytime as often is it's out at night. Creatures and Features Topic: Beavers Field Segment: Tim Cordell, Potato Creek State park Nature Nuggets: During the early history of Indiana, beaver pelts were used in place of currency by trappers, traders, and Indians throughout the Midwest. In fact, it was disputes over beaver trapping rights that fueled the French and Indian Wars. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Green Shopping Techniques Green Shopping Techniques Laura Fuderer South Bend Elkhart Audubon Society Nature Nuggets: Many families spend over $260 each year on paper towels and napkins. Switch to cloth napkins, sponges, and cloth towels or wipes. Field Guide: Little Blue Stem Little Blue Stem is a native grass with slivery seeds, and blue sheaths around the leaves in fall. It once covered vast areas of the Midwest prairies and bison feed on this warm season grass. back to top Episode 503 Hands-On Nature Topic: Making Bird House Gourds Making bird house gourds Carole Mitchell Nature Nuggets: People have been making gourd birdhouses to attract Purple Martins for a long time. Early settlers and Native Americans hung clusters of hollow gourds in trees near their gardens. Creatures and Features Topic: Ticks! Catherine Young PhD student at Univ of Notre Dame Center for Tropical Disease Research and Training Nature Nuggets: Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, used themselves as bait and found that sitting on a log for five minutes resulted in a greater exposure to ticks than sitting in leaves (which wasn’t particularly risky).--Journal of Medical Entomology. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Multiflora rose Field Segment: Krista Daniels Nature Nuggets: Multiflora Rose is so impenetrable that at one time it was planted near highways to serve as crash and snow barriers and to reduce automobile headlight glare. Field Guide: Cut-leaf Toothwart Cut-leaf Toothwort is a spring woodland wildflower with four white petals. The leaves look like they have been cut with scissors. Its spicy tasting, tooth-shaped root was once used to cure toothaches. back to top Episode 504 Hands-On Nature Topic: Plein-air Painting John DeMaegd, St. Jo County Parks Nature Nuggets: The origins of plein-air painting are in the 19th century, when Englishman John Constable believed the artist should trust his own vision in finding truth in nature. He made sketches outdoors, then finished them in the studio. Creatures and Features Topic: Box turtles Kip Miller, Chief naturalist, Berrien County Parks Nature Nuggets: In the spring and fall, box turtles are active throughout the day. During the heat of summer, eastern box turtles usually move about only during the morning and after heavy rainfalls. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Leaves and fall air quality Field Segment: Jim Weingart Environmental Manager, IDEM Nature Nuggets: Burning leaves produces carbon monoxide which binds with hemoglobin in the bloodstream to reduce oxygen flow. Field Guide: Spicebush Spicebush is a shrub found in damp woodlands.In spring, it gets small yellow flowers.The leaves and twigs have a lemony-spicy scent when crushed.They can be steeped in hot water for a delicious tea.The shrub’s red berries in the fall are popular food for wildlife. back to top Episode 505 Hands-On Nature Topic: Willow Weavings Viki Graber, Willow Crafter Nature Nuggets: The Greek physician Hippocrates discovered that chewing willow bark relieved pain and fever. In 1829, the ingredient salicin was isolated from the bark. Salicin is now an ingredient in aspirin. Creatures and Features Topic: Gross things animals do Angie Manuel Park Interpreter Potato Creek State Park Nature Nuggets: To protect themselves from bacteria and infections, Turkey Vultures defecate on their legs. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Winter Roosting Sites Field Segment: Dick Shenkel Nature Nuggets: Birds that commonly roost in larger numbers include: starlings, house sparrows, crows, grackles, gulls, purple martins, red-wings blackbirds, pigeons and vultures. Field Guide: Nettles There are several varieties of nettles, and not all “sting.” Most have toothed leaves, and small inconspicuous green flowers. Stinging nettles gets its name from the itchy reaction that most of have when we come in contact with the tiny hairs on the plant. back to top Episode 506 Creatures and Features Topic: Insect parasitoids Vince Gresham Interpretive Naturalist Rum Village Nature Center Nature Nuggets: A female cicada killer can carry a cicada weighing 6 times her own weight through the air and across the ground to its burrow. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Rubbish Designs Field Segment: Amelia Hochberg, Owner, Rubbish Designs Nature Nuggets: The 4 Recycling Principles: 1. Reduce the trash you discard 2. Reuse containers and products 3. Purchase and use recycled products 4. Recycle products you no longer need Field Guide: Barn Swallows Barn Swallows are some of our swiftest flying birds. Their nests, made of plant fibers, mud and saliva, are often built inside barns. You can recognize them in flight by their sharply forked tail, deep steel blue backs and rusty chests on the adults. back to top Episode 507 Hands-On Nature Topic: Geocaching K.C. Nieboer Leisure Services Supervisor St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: When the GPS signal degradation called Select Availability (SA) was removed by the Clinton Administration May 1, 2000, it opened up the possibility of geocaching games. Creatures and Features Topic: SevereWeather Sam Lashley Senior Meteorologist National Weather Service Nature Nuggets: Annually, the United States suffers approximately one billion dollars in crop damage from hail. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Curbside Recycling with Bicycles Field Segment: Tom Benevento, Goshen Recycles Coordinator Nature Nuggets: Regular cycling can help manage or prevent many disorders, including obesity, coronary heart disease and arthritis. Field Guide: May Apples May Apples look like leafy umbrellas on the spring forest floor. Their white flowers appear in May in our region. A golden apple-like fruit will appear in fall. This tasty fruit makes delicious jam, but usually the local raccoons and opossums beat us to the harvest. back to top Episode 508 Hands-On Nature Topic: Dragon Fly Crafts Dragonfly Crafts Jan McGowan Park Interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: Immature and adult dragonflies are predaceous, frequently feeding on mosquitoes. Nymphs capture mosquito larvae in the water. Adults capture mosquito adults and other small insects in flight. Creatures and Features Topic: Sandhill Cranes Jasper Pulaski State Park Nature Nuggets: Sandhill cranes fly with their neck out-stretched. Great Blue Herons tuck their neck in an “S” curve. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Community Supported Agriculture Field Segment: Paul Steury, Merry Lea Environmental Center Rachel Hershberger Farmers' Market Manager, Goshen Nature Nuggets: Organic fertilizers depend on soil organisms to break them down to release nutrients. They are most effective when soil is moist and warm enough for microorganisms to be active. Field Guide: Poison Ivy in Winter It’s true; if you are sensitive to Poison Ivy, you can still get a reaction from it in winter. Look for the threadlike hairs that cling to the host tree’s bark. These hairs support the vine as it grows. You may spot a few of the white waxy Poison Ivy berries in winter. They are a favorite food of yellow-rumped warblers. back to top Episode 509 Hands-On Nature Topic: Flint Knapping Rex Garnewicz, Indiana State Museum Nature Nuggets: The ancient art of flint knapping (making stone tools) has been around for about 4 million years. Flint knapping is a reduction process because flakes of stone are broken off the original piece of stone to create the desired tool. Creatures and Features Topic: Gypsy moths Kallie Bontrager, Indiana DNR Nature Nuggets: Scientists believe that it is impossible to stop gypsy moth spread but evidence indicates we may be able to reduce the rate of spread by 50% or more. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Prescribed burns Field Segment: Tim Cordell, Potato Creek State park Nature Nuggets: Prescribed burns, when used properly, is an effective way to reduce the "fuel" for wildfires. Controlled burns actually mimic what happens in nature and a variety of animals and plants rely on occasional fires to change the environment in a way that is beneficial to them. Field Guide: Dutchman's Breeches Dutchmans’ Breeches is a delightful spring woodland wildflower, with soft, low growing fern-like foliage.The cream-colored flowers look just like a pairs of Dutch boy pants hanging on the line to dry. These flowers are short-lived, so check local woods in late-April and early May for these gems. back to top Episode 510 Hands-On Nature Topic: Fun with Film Canisters Fun with Film Canisters Maria Peacock Park Interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: The most common item discarded into landfills is paper products, followed by yard trimmings, food and plastic. Creatures and Features Topic: Tree folklore Author, Susan Albert Nature Nuggets: Trees have long been a part of American folklore: Sweep away evil spirits with a broom made of birch. Plant elm trees for protection from lightning. Carry a buckeye for good luck. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Waterfowl and oil pollution Field Segment: Chris & Martin Kratt Nature Nuggets: Waterfowl have a special gland that produces oil near their tail. Using their beak, the birds spread the oil on their feathers to create a waterproof coating. Beneath the waterproof coat are fluffy, soft feathers that keep the duck warm. Field Guide: Skeletons of Summer Plants: Gall Winter is a great time to examine the skeletons of summer plants. If you are in a goldenrod field, look for a bulbous section on the stems of some of the plants. This is a gall, formed when a tiny fly lays an egg on the stem. The stem swells around the larva. In fall the larva tunnels an exit through the gall right to the edge of the skin. In spring, the larva pupates then changes into an adult fly that chews its way out of the stem. back to top Episode 511 Hands-On Nature Topic: Pop Bottle Vermiculture Pop Bottle Vermiculture Guest: Ronda DeCaire Elkhart Environmental Center Website: http://business.michiana.org/elkhart/eechome.htm Nature Nuggets: One pound of mature worms can eat up to half a pound of organic material per day. Creatures and Features Topic: Great Blue Herons Guest: Tim Cordell Potato Creek State Park 25601 State Rd. 4, P.O. Box 908 North Liberty, IN 46554 Phone: 574.656.8186 Nature Nuggets: More than half (69%) of the great blue herons born in one year will die before they are a year old. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Non-native pets Guest: Greg Bockheim, Poatawatomi Zoo 500 South Greenlawn Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46615 Zoo Office 574-235-9800 Website: www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/rabies.htm Website: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/bvirus.htm Website: www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/salmonellosis.htm Website: http://www.sbpark.org/zoo/zoo.htm Nature Nuggets: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discourages direct contact with wild animals because they can carry diseases such as rabies, herpes B virus, and Salmonella. Field guide: Bullfrogs Male Bullfrogs have yellow throats and often bask in shallow water near the edge of ponds. Listen for their deep "jug-o-rum" call that warns other males to keep out of their territory. Bullfrogs feed on insects and small fish. It takes two years for Bullfrog tadpoles to grow legs and turn into frogs. back to top Episode 512 Hands on Nature Guest: Pat Underwood Interpretive Naturalist Berrien County Parks 9228 Huckleberry Road Berrien Center, MI 49120 Phone: 269.471.2617 E-mail: lovecreek@qtm.net Website: www.berriencounty.org/parks Nature Nuggets: Snowshoe Thompson and Jackrabbit Johannsen of Norway are widely credited with introducing cross-country skiing to modern North America. Creatures & Features Topic: Mastadons Guest: Ron Richards Indiana State Museum 650 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 Phone: 317.232.1637 Website: http://www.in.gov/ism/ Nature Nuggets: Mastodons were well adapted to a cold climate; they may have used their tusks to push through snow looking for food. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Great Lakes Invasives Guest: Patrice Charlevoix Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program Lake Michigan Biological Station 400 17th Street Zion, Illinois 60099 Phone: 847.872.0140 Nature Nuggets: Just one year after Zebra mussels were first discovered in the Great Lakes, their population was estimated at densities of 35,000 per square yard. Field Guide: Woodpecker Our most common woodpecker is the Downy Woodpecker, a small black and white bird well adapted to hunting for insects under bark and in crevices. It will also come to suet or feeders filled with shelled, unsalted peanuts in winter. The male has a red spot on the back of his head. back to top Episode 513 Hands on Nature Topic: Build a Chair From Skis Build a chair from skis! Guest: Courtney Franke, Elkhart County Parks E-mail: crfranke@elkhartcountyparks.org Nature Nuggets: Cross-country skiing burns an average of 650 calories per hour. By comparison, fitness cycling averages 540, and exercise walking averages 450 calories per hour. Creatures and Features Topic: Owls in Winter Guest: Kip Miller Nature Nuggets: Great Horned Owls use their ear tufts to convey body language. Just like horses, their ear tufts lie flat when they are irritated, and stand upright when they are inquisitive. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Cats Indoors! Guest: Deanna McCool President, South Bend Elkhart Audubon E-mail: rmccool@aol.com Nature Nuggets: There are more than 77 million pet cats in the U.S. Only about 35% are kept exclusively indoors, leaving the remainder free to roam–and potentially kill wildlife. Field Guide: Daddy Long Legs Daddy Longlegs are not spiders, despite the fact that they have 8 legs. They are in their own order called Opilones. Unlike true spiders, they only have one body segment, and they do not produce silk. They feed on decomposing plants and animals, and do not have venom glands. back to top

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