KIDS CORNER!

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Animal Fact!

Ermine

Countryside Montessori School

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Let‛s Get Crafty: Acorn Jewels

One of the most common trees we have here on our Island are oak trees. They are very tall and have lobed leaves. All oak trees have rough bark. Did you know oak trees make a fruit? It’s not a fruit like an apple or a pear, or even an orange. The fruit of the oak tree is a nut called an acorn. Many animals eat acorns, like deer, squirrels and opossums. They only eat the nut part, leaving the caps behind. A fun craft that uses these woody stems is acorn jewels.

Supplies:

Acorn caps

Toothbrush (or some other gentle cleaning brush)

Use the toothbrush to gently clean the acorn caps. Next, color the inside of the caps with the markers. Be creative! You can use different colors in the same cap or one solid color. Once the caps are all colored, coat the inside

Washable markers

White school glue

Glitter (optional) small paintbrush (optional) with the white glue. You can squirt it directly inside and then turn the cap to spread it evenly, or use a small paintbrush. If you want to add glitter, sprinkle now. Then, leave to dry for 24 hours. When they are finished, the caps will be filled with a glossy layer of color.

Question:

According to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, ermines, also known as the short-tailed weasel or stoat, are Alaska‛s cute, color-changing weasel. They weigh just under half a pound, and they may be one of the best pound-for-pound predators in Alaska, taking down rabbits twice their size. They are highly adaptable and can be found in nearly every corner of Alaska. In the summer their fur is a brownish red color, and in the winter they have pure white fur. Their nests are usually a former burrow of a small rodent and are typically lined with rodent hair. They also settle down in a rock pile, hollow log, under brush piles or trees. For ermines further north, snow provides vital insulation against the extreme air temperatures. They are carnivores who mainly eat small mammals like voles and mice. They occasionally eat shrews and rabbits and other small vertebrates and insects. Sometimes they also eat fish in nearby rivers.

Challenges facing the ermine include being hunted for their pelts that are often used to trim coats and other clothing, getting caught in traps meant for other small species, losing their preferred homes to logging and increased competition with other animals for food. Did you know that they dig a special storage area in their dens for excess food?

Answer: Your name.