GBBR - Kids in the Biosphere by BCGD

Kids in the Biosphere

Activity Booklet

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

What’s the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve?

Get to know your Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve.

What makes the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve special?

Practice Ojibway Nature Words

Get Outside! 10

Activity 1: Find your Sit Spot

Activity 2: Search for Animal Signs

Activity 3: Night Hike

Activity 4: Photo Scavenger Hunt

What about the Water? 22

Activity 5: Marsh Monsters

Activity 6: Protect the Bay, Make Natural Products

Activity 7: Make a Wetland in your Kitchen

Helping Hand for Cool Creatures 30

What is a “Species at Risk”?

Meet our Frogs at Risk

Meet our Butterfly at Risk

Meet our Turtles at Risk

Meet our Bats at Risk

Meet our Birds at Risk

Meet our Snakes at Risk

ANIMAL DETECTIVES 40

Fish in the Biosphere

Frogs and Toads in the Biosphere

Birds in the Biosphere

Turtles in the Biosphere

Snakes in the Biosphere

Mammals in the Biosphere

Plants in the Biosphere

BONUS

My Nature Notes

My Nature Drawings

Crossword

Word search

, What s the Georgian Bay Biosphere? Have you heard of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR)? Georgian Bay is connected to Lake Huron and is sometimes called “the sixth Great Lake”. The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is an area of land, islands and water stretching 200 vkm along the eastern shoreline, from Port Severn to the French River.

you are here

Check out the map on the next page to see if you are in the Biosphere Reserve. If you are, you should be a happy camper because the GBBR is one special place. There is nowhere else like it on Earth. What makes this area so special? Well… • We’re talking about the biggest amount of freshwater islands anywhere on Earth! • Some species of animals living here live almost nowhere else on the planet. • Over 1000 different habitat types are found in Georgian Bay’s nooks and crannies, including open waters, sheltered bays, coastal wetlands, rock shores, sand and cobble beaches and dense forests.

Kids in the Biosphere Activity Booklet Completed by Kaitlin Chantler, Delaina Arnold and Glenda Clayton

Photo Credits: Cover; Clockwise: 4, 9, 25, 6, 2, 4. Andy Metelka: 1, Meg Wallace Photography: 2, thom morrissey photography: 3, Ted Krug: 4, Scott Gillingwater: 5, Jim Gardner: 6, David Bywater: 7, GBLT: 8, GBINP: 9, Eric McIntyre: 10, John Midwood: 11, Aidan Tierney: 12, Gord Darlington: 13, Tyler Miller: 14, Rick Snider: 15, Seguin Township: 16, Ryan Bolton: 17, Pat Chow-Fraser: 18, A. Mills: 19, Glenda Clayton: 20, Kenton Otterbein: 21, Jeremy Rouse: 22, Crowley: 23, Delaina Arnold: 24, Becky Pollock: 25, B. Brown: 26, B. DeVillers: 27, P. Horton: 28, Ralph Grose: 29, L. Broadbent: 30, C.Charbonneau: 31, John Sallinen 32, Cathy Scissons 33.

Get to know your Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve! The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is one of over 600 Biosphere Reserves worldwide! Although each Biosphere Reserve looks different, they have one thing in common: the nature and landscapes in each are rare and important. If you break the word down, the term “bio” means life and the word “sphere” can mean area. The term “biosphere” refers to all land, water and atmosphere that allow life to exist on Earth. The word “reserve” means a special area that is important to protect. When a community thinks their home is a place where nature is important and where humans live and work in harmony with nature they can nominate their area to become a Biosphere Reserve. That is what was done for the eastern coast of Georgian Bay in 2004 and the international group called UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) agreed to designate this area as a Biosphere Reserve. This means that along the coast of Georgian Bay we try to protect our one-of-a-kind environment while continuing to grow healthy communities. It is a place where people and nature live in balance. We want our nature to last forever! We believe that before people are willing to protect the environment they must first learn about it and LOVE it. This book is a way for you to meet the nature in the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and get to know it like a friend. After all, humans are part of nature too and not separate from it. We guarantee you’ll be surprised by the amazing things you’ll find out there!

are you ready to get your hands wet and boots muddy? Time to go exploring....

McGregor Bay & Killarney french river

britt

pointe au baril carling

parry sound Massasauga & Sans souci twelve mile Bay & Go home bay cognashene honey harbour

What Makes the Georgian Bay Biosphere Special? The GBBR is a special place because of the many different habitats found here. These habitats provide homes for a variety of wildlife including many at risk species. Take a look in your backyard for:

Rock Barrens Rock barrens make excellent homes for reptiles at risk like the eastern foxsnake, five-lined skink, eastern milksnake, Massasauga rattlesnake and eastern hog-nosed snake. These reptiles hide under rocks to protect themselves from predators and will bask on warm rocks to increase their body temperature.

Mixed Forests Bird species, like the Canada warbler, depend on forests with a variety of plants. Mixed forests have dead and living trees for red-headed woodpeckers to nest and find food. The bald eagle needs to live in huge areas of forest cover and to nest in big trees close to water. Eastern wolves need large areas of forest to hunt for deer, beaver and moose. The eastern hognosed snake might choose to live on the edge of a forest where it can dig for toads with its upturned nose.

What habitats do you see?

Rock Barrens

Mixed Forrest

What Makes the Georgian Bay Biosphere Special? Wetlands Habitats such as swamps, bogs, marshes and fens do so much for wildlife! Migrating birds stop at wetlands on their long flights. The Blandingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turtle, spotted turtle and snapping turtle find lots of food, protection from predators and places to hibernate in the slow moving water.

Coastal WetlandS Along the shores of Georgian Bay, wetlands are used by over 100 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and other animals.

Wetlands

Rivers and Streams Certain fish like the threatened lake sturgeon, the oldest and biggest fish in the Great Lakes, head to rivers between April and June to spawn. 20

What habitats do you see?

Coastal Wetlands

Rivers & Streams

Practice Ojibway Nature Words English Birds

ojibway

Owl

phonetic

Binesiinhs

Bin En Seehns

Kokokok

Koh-Koh-Koh

Osprey Ginew Gih Knew Common Loon

Mung

Bald Eagle

Mgizi

Maygizay

Great Blue Heron

Chiichock

Cheechalk

Common Merganser

Gyaash

Guy Yash

Woodpecker

Baapaase

Bah Pah Say

Turtle

Mshkiki

Mshkeykay

Snake

Gnabik

Frog

Mukii

Mucky

Esban

Es-Bun

Amik

Ahmick

Raccoon

Beaver

Black Bear

Fox

Red Squirrel

Porcupine Butterfly Bugs

Cedar

Forest

Gnahbek

Mkwa

Muckwah

Wagoosh

Wahgush

Misko Jidaamo

Miskoh Jidahmoh

Gaag

Gahg

Maamigwaan

Mah May Gwan

Manidoons

Man I Dohns

Giizhak

Geezhuk

Mtigak

Mih Tik Ugh

River

Ziibin

Zeebin

Summer

Niibin

Neebin

Ziigwaan

Zee Gwaan

Spring

Autumn Dgwaagi Dihwahgay Winter

Bboon

Bibone

Photos: Nobel School NSL Class 2013-2014

GET OUTSIDE! 33

ACTIVITY 1: FIND YOUR SIT SPOT We all appreciate nature in our lives but have you ever really tried to know it as your best friend? Try this: find a place in nature that you can visit all the time. Make sure it’s a place you can sit quietly by yourself as well as explore. You can call it your “sit spot”. Be sure to bring a magnifying glass, binoculars, camera, pencil and paper.

Get to know this place like the back of your hand: • The birds and animals that live in that spot • The trees that they sleep in • Your spot by day and night • What it looks like in winter, spring, summer and fall • The cardinal directions at your spot: north, east, south and west • The critters living in the soil and those up high in the sky • Let it be a place where you can listen and observe. Try going to your sit spot for 20 minutes each day. If you can’t do that, try going at least once a week. Try making a photo diary of your sit spot. You’ll be amazed at what you see and learn!

Use this space to sketch your sit spot or something interesting that you find in your sit spot.

ACTIVITY 2: SEARCH FOR ANIMAL SIGNS Time to become a detective! Use your pencil, your eyeballs and your brain to try to figure out who has been lurking in the natural areas of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve… Don’t just stop at who was here… think about why they were here, when they were here, what they were doing and where they were headed! Before you head out on an expedition try to improve your techniques with these activities.

Fox Walking - First, go for a short walk through the bush. Think about the things you notice. Now, bend your knees, relax your body, crouch down and gently step forward with your front paw, toes first. Rest your front paw quietly on the ground, shift your weight to the other paw and repeat. Hold your head steady. You are ready to walk like a fox! Fox walking frees our dominant sense of sight so that we can tune into the whole world, not just our feet!

OWL EYES - Owls move their heads back and forth to look about because they can’t move their eyes. They have excellent “peripheral vision” [puh-rif-er-uhl] meaning they can see out of the corners of their eyes. Try this: stretch your arms out to your sides and wiggle your fingers. Relax your eyes and look straight ahead. When you can see your fingers moving, without moving your eyes, you have owl eyes! Use these owl eyes on your expedition and you’ll notice much more. HIDE THE PENCIL - Close your eyes and have a friend or parent hide a pencil somewhere in the forest within your line of sight. Open your eyes and see if you can spot it. If you can, your observation skills are up to snuff...time to look for animal signs! Head into a nearby natural area and use the following section to record what you find...

Who is Lurking in Our Forest? Tracks and Trails:

Scat and Urine:

Eat Marks:

Homes:

Body Parts:

Territory Markings:

Sound and Smells:

Live Animals:

ACTIVITY 3: Time for a Night Hike! Experiencing nature at night is fun and exciting! At night the world is full of sounds and smells different from the daytime. Different animals wake up and start moving about. Temperature drops and humidity rises….

, Let s get some words straight: “Nocturnal” [nok-tur-nl] animals are most active during the night. Nocturnal animals in the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve include fox, mice, shrews, raccoons, skunks, owls and bats. “Crepuscular” [kri-puhs-kyuh-ler] animals are most active at dawn and dusk. (Crepuscular actually means twilight in Latin.) An example in the GBBR is a deer. “Diurnal” [dahy-ur-nl] animals are most active during the day. GBBR examples are squirrels, songbirds and reptiles.

, Stuff you ll want for a night hike: • Warmer clothes • Flashlight with RED plastic to cover the lens (so you don’t ruin your night vision!) • Crayons and scrap paper • Long pants & closed toed shoes

Why would an animal be nocturnal? It may have less competition with other animals for food. Also, there may be fewer predators at night and therefore less chance of being eaten!

LISTEN ONLINE! Before your night hike, try listening to some barred owl sounds online at allaboutbirds.org and some frog calls at: naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/on so you can become an expert.

Here are some examples of nighttime animals: BARRED OWLS The ring of feathers around an owl’s face can act as a radar dish to pick up sounds. The feathers can be moved around to help direct the sound. At the edge of the ring of feathers are the ears. An owl’s ears are actually bigger than its eyes. Each ear slit is pointed in a different direction. This way the owl detects noise from different angles and targets prey precisely.

RACCOONS Raccoons’ front paws have thousands more nerve endings than humans’ do! They explore the night world with their paws, picking things up and feeling their food before eating it. Some scientists think their sense of touch is enhanced by water.

Spring Peepers These frogs have a big voice. They are the first to sing in the spring to attract mates. The females are attracted to the males with the loudest song. With perfect conditions, all of their calls together can be deafening!

Little Brown Bat 5

This is the most common bat in our Biosphere and a species at risk. In one night, these animals can eat enough bugs to equal half their weight! Some people think bats are blind—this is not true; however, their hearing is the most important sense for catching food. Using echo location, these bats emit a stream of high pitched squeaks that bounce off objects and insects within a range of two meters. These calls are too high pitched for humans to hear.

ACTIVITY 3: Time for a Night Hike!

Test your senses during the night hike! Hearing Spend one minute being as quiet as you can. Try to notice every sound you can. Now, try to make yourself look like night time roamers with big ears (bats and deer). Put your hands behind your ears in a cup form to turn your ears into deer or bat ears.

Animal sounds that I heard on my hike: ___________________________________ ___________________________________

Sight Take a scrap of paper and a box of crayons with you on your night hike. When it is very dark, pull a crayon from the box without looking. Draw a picture on one side of the paper. Try to guess what colour the crayon is and write that colour on the opposite side. Check if you were right after the hike.

What animals can you think of that might have great night vision? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

Smell Canines (like foxes and coyotes) have cold, wet noses to attract and hold scent molecules. They keep their noses to the ground or high in the air as they hunt. Try sniffing things as you wander on your hike. Then wet your nose with water from your water bottle and sniff things again. Which gave you a better sense of smell, the wet or dry nose?

Which gave you a better sense of smell, the wet or dry nose? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Who else might use their nose to hunt for food and sniff out danger in the dark? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

MY POINT OF VIEW: by Sarah Richer Can you guess what I am, if I give you clues? You may have seen me outside or at zoos. I hibernate until winter is done, I will stretch out or curl up in the sun. But not too much heat! I love the outside, But I also need shady places to hide. I feel your feet when they walk on the ground, It helps me know you are coming around. Others like me start their life inside eggs. I smell with my tongue, and move without legs. I can raise my tail up off of the ground; it’s my favourite part – it makes its own sound! (Bzzzssshh!) You’ll only hear it if you come too near. It says, “Stay back! Please don’t hurt me, I’m here!”

But LEARN about me – and fear goes away! I am an important part of this land. I live in the woods, swamps, grass, rocks, & sand. I’m the same as turtles, birds, bugs, and deer – A link in the food chain! I belong here. I PROMISE, no bites – if I’m left alone. I’m shy, I just want to be on my own. Much like the butterfly, bunny, and bee, I don’t want to be hurt – I like being free! Tell family and friends – no need for fright. Please let me be, and we’ll both be all right!

I am a Rattlesnake! Please, you must see I’m MORE SCARED OF YOU than YOU are of ME! I can’t understand the words that you shout, Cars, people, dogs – I can’t figure them out! I can’t read minds; I don’t know what you’ll do! I’m scared you’ll EAT me! From my point of view, You might step on me, so I’m filled with fear! You are a GIANT to me, from down here! I PRETEND I’m mean – so you’ll leave me behind! There’s no need to hurt anyone of snake-kind. The venom I have is not meant for you; It’s for catching rodents – that’s what I do! When they see me, some folks scream or get mad; But their fear of me does NOT mean I’m bad. People are just scared of what they don’t know. They loathe what scares them; they let that hate grow; Then some people hurt those things they despise, Even when it’s just one-hundredth their size. Those people say I’m ‘mean’ and ‘don’t belong’, or think I’m ‘slimy’ – they have it all wrong! “Snakes are gross and dangerous”, they might say.

ACTIVITY 4: The Great Photo Scavenger Hunt! Let’s get to know some of the nature in the beautiful Georgian Bay area. Try to find and take a picture of each of these below. Remember you can send any interesting photos or questions to kids@gbbr.ca and you might have your photos put on the GBBR website!

A spittlebug nymph on a plant What does this look like? A wad of spit on a plant with a bug inside! Spittlebugs eat plants by sucking their juices. The frothy spit-like substance they cover themselves in is protection from other insects.

bright orange butterfly This could be a monarch or a viceroy butterfly. The key ID difference is the viceroy has a curving black line crossing the lower part of the wings. Monarch butterflies are poisonous because the eat milkweed. Monarch Viceroy

A mushroom or fungi Did you know the mushroom is only a tiny part of the fungus? Most of what makes up a fungus is the long, spreading hypha underground (like roots of a plant). The hypha spread out through the dirt looking for nutrients. These networks of hypha can spread for many kilometers and survive for centuries. Sometimes if you poke around in a rotting log you can see the bunched hypha running through the wood.

jack pine tree PINE CONE Jack pine cones only open to spread their seeds when exposed to intense heat or cold ( >50°C or <-46°C). This means cones stay closed for years until a forest fire opens them!

An invasive species

Evidence of a glacier Three million years ago, glaciers one kilometer high sat on top of this area and sculpted the rocks around Georgian Bay! As the glaciers moved they scraped and scoured the rocks leaving them nice and smooth.

This is a plant or animal that isn’t naturally from this area but has invaded and begun living here. This usually has a negative impact on the environment. The zebra mussel is an example.

a windswept whi te pine tree You can tell it’s a white pine if it has five needles per cluster.

Signs that show how the water levels on Georgian Bay have changed over time.

moth or butterfly pupa Pupa is the stage when a caterpillar larva makes a protective case and begins to turn into an adult butterfly or moth. You may hear people call these pupas a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cocoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

A white birch The bark peels naturally but if people peel it, it can kill the tree!

A beaver Evidence could be a beaver lodge, a dam, tracks or beaver poop!

A wildflower you choose the species!

A small frog with an X on its back This is the spring peeper.

A pileated woodpecker

bird with some brightly coloured feathers A snake swimming in the water dragonfly hatching from its nymph form A red fox A species at risk A great blue heron A bald eagle A group of tadpoles A loon A maple tree A leech A Bass A beautiful sunset

or holes left by one.

A swarm of mayflies

A bumblebee pollinating a flower

An interesting beetle

Something that you , can t identify

turtle basking in the sun

My nature notes

WHAT ABOUT THE WATER? 9

ACTIVITY 5: Marsh Monsters What Wetland Bugs Can Teach Us! Wetland habitats are alive with critters, which scientists call benthic [ben-thik] macroinvertebrates [mak-roh] [in-vur-tuh-brit,-breyt] (“benthic” means ground dwelling, “macro” means visible to the naked eye and “invertebrate” means creatures without backbones). Examples of macroinvertebrates that you may find in the GBBR include mayfly nymphs, dragonfly larvae, damselfly larvae, clams, leeches and underwater worms. These critters are awesome to look at! They can tell us about the health of a wetland. A healthy wetland is one with little pollution and, in some cases, lots of oxygen. Some of these critters are sensitive to changes in water quality while others are not. If a wetland doesn’t have enough oxygen or has too much pollution, the sensitive species will die. If you have a wetland nearby then go ahead and see if you can measure how healthy it is! Use a net to catch as many macroinvertebrates as you can. You will find lots of them living right in the mud! Then use a magnifying glass to count the amount of each type you find and tally them below. If you find a lot of pollution sensitive bugs (that can’t survive in polluted water) then you know your wetland is healthy.

MACROINVERTEBRATE

SENSITIVE OR NOT SENSITIVE

Total Count

Mayfly Nymph

Sensitive

____________

Caddisfly Larvae

Sensitive

____________

Dragonfly Nymph

Somewhat Sensitive

____________

Damselfly Nymph

Somewhat Sensitive

____________

Mosquito Larvae

Tolerant of pollution

____________

Midge Larvae

Tolerant of pollution

____________

ACTIVITY 5: Marsh Monsters

ACTIVITY 6: Protect the Biosphere What comes to mind when you think of pollution? Probably not your shampoo, soap or toothpaste! But some of the chemicals found in personal care products aren’t that pretty. When people use soap, toothpaste or shampoo that have harmful ingredients in them, it is washed into drains and into our wastewater. Water treatment plants cannot remove the harmful chemicals so they end up in our lakes, streams and eventually Georgian Bay. After they’ve been rinsed down the drain, chemicals like these can build up in the water (because they can’t easily decompose) and become harmful for fish and wildlife.

Check out the ingredients list on your cosmetics– all your powders, lotions, soaps, and shampoos. See if you find any of the following chemicals. These are just a few of many chemicals that are linked to health and environmental problems. 1. BHA and BHT– Used mainly in moisturizers and makeup. 2. DEA, Cocamide DEA, and Lauramide DEA— Used to make cosmetics creamy or sudsy. 3. Dibutyl Phthalate— Banned in cosmetics in the European Union, but not in Canada.

HOMEMADE TOOTHPASTE

4. Siloxanes (look for Cyclomethicone, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, or Cyclohexasiloxane).—Soften, smooth, and moisten skin.

This all natural toothpaste is easy to make and lasts indefinitely!

5. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (and other chemicals including the letters –eth).

• 3 tbsp. baking soda

6. Triclosan– used in deodorant, cleansers, toothpastes & hand sanitizers.

• 1/2 tsp. table salt • 1 tbsp. vegetable glycerin (found at health food stores or organic grocery stores) • 3 drops (optional) essential oil like peppermint or spearmint (start with small amounts as each of us react differently to essential oils) Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until it makes a paste. Store it in a covered container

Check out other great recipes at

Make your Own Natural Products! Homemade Shampoo

LIP BALM

Use once a week or as often as you like.

Ask an adult to help set up the double boiler, or heat the ingredients in a microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

• 3/4 cup distilled water • 2 bags peppermint, chamomile, or black tea • Boil water and make tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. • In another bowl, add: • 1/4 cup liquid castile soap (comes in many varieties, including lavender, orange, and unscented) • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1 tbsp. witch hazel or aloe gel Add tea to soap and salt. Stir. Store in pump or squeeze bottle.

TIP: the mixture will want to separate, so mix again before each use.

For dog shampoo: add some drops of anti-flea essential oils, like rosemary, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, spearmint, and citronella.

• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil (or avocado or olive oil) • 2 tbsp. grated beeswax • 1/2 tsp. local liquid honey • 5 drops (optional) essential oil like peppermint, grapefruit, lemon, or lime Add first 3 ingredients to the top bowl of the double boiler. Bring water to a boil. Once the bees wax is melted, remove bowl from heat. If you’re using an essential oil, add it now. Let mixture cool. Store in a covered container.

NOTE: Depending on your desired consistency, you may need to play with the amount of bees wax.

safecosmetics.org or makeyourcosmetics.com!

ACTIVITY 7: Make a Wetland in your Kitchen What you will need:

PROCEDURE:

• Food colouring • A few jars of water • Several different species of white flowers (Queen Anne’s lace, daisy, yarrow, white aster)

Day 1:

What is a wetland anyway? Wetlands are habitats where standing water covers the soil or the ground is very wet. Some people think wetlands are gross and stinky but really wetlands are very important for humans and nature. Wetlands can be a resting place for birds, a nursery that feeds young wildlife, a sponge that absorbs rain or melting snow, a strainer that filters out soil and more! Wetlands help keep Georgian Bay clean. Plants that live in wetlands will actually absorb (or drink up) harmful substances like pesticides, heavy metals, oil and other wastes. In this experiment you’ll be able to see how this can happen; the flowers will represent the wetland plants and the food colouring represents pollution in the water.

Pretend the food colouring is pollution from a toxic substance (like a pesticide). Imagine polluted water flowing into a wetland with many wetland plants. The flowers represent these plants. • Add several drops of food colouring to the jar of water. • Cut off the bottom tip of the flower stem and put the flower in the jar overnight.

Day 2: Over time the water will travel (using “capillary action”) up the stems into the petals. This is how plants can absorb pollutants with water they “drink”. Notice how some of the flowers may drink up more dye than others. Why might this be?

HELPING HAND FOR COOL CREATURES 25

Helping Hands for Cool Creatures: helping our Species at Risk! What is a species at risk anyway? A “species at risk” is any plant or animal that is close to being extinct or at risk of disappearing from our province. These are animals that need our help! You might have heard the words “endangered” or “threatened” before. These are two words that describe how much danger a species is in; threatened is bad and endangered is really bad.

Did you know?

Eastern Wolf

There are over 40 species at risk in the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve! Some of these species live in the Biosphere and almost nowhere else in the world! These animals need our help… and some need it badly. On the next pages you’ll find information about our species at risk and what we can do to help them.

Blanding’s Turtle

Meet our Frog at Risk The WEstern chorus frog

is greyish green to brown with a dark stripe through their eye and down the side of its body. There are also three dark stripes on its back and a “milk stain” along their upper lip. They belong to the treefrog family and so they have small smooth-skinned and little sticky pads on their toes. Listen for their call in the early spring, it sounds like a fingernail running along the teeth of a comb. Western chorus frogs are at risk because they’re losing their habitat, especially vernal pools. Vernal pools are temporary pools of water (usually fed by rain or melting snow) where they lay eggs in the spring.

Did you know that when frogs are underwater they breathe and absorb water through their skin? Because of this, pollution in the water (like pesticides and herbicides) can threaten their lives. It’s also why we shouldn’t handle them.

How to Help: Participate in FrogWatch FrogWatch is a program designed to help us learn more about frogs and toads in Ontario. By signing up as a volunteer for FrogWatch, you can help experts gather information about where frogs are living in our province. If you become a volunteer, all you need to do is learn some frog and toad calls, choose a spot to listen for them and let FrogWatch know which frog voices you heard! Any information you send in will be added to an online map showing the species present at your “observation location” and the location of other FrogWatch volunteers in Ontario. To learn frog calls, go to the website below and click on “Field Training”. naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/on/intro.html It’s best to monitor once or twice a week but even a single report is useful!

Meet our Butterfly at Risk The monarch butterfly definitely needs our help! Each fall millions of monarch butterflies from Canada and the USA fly south to Mexico! That’s more than 3,200 km away! They return to the exact same forests (and sometimes tree!) that their ancestors once landed on. Some estimates say up to a billion butterflies perch in only 12 forest sites in Mexico each year. It’s a mystery how they know where to go because they only live a few months and none makes the journey twice. At the end of the winter the pregnant females fly north, laying their eggs on milkweed plants along the way. It is the butterflies that develop from those eggs that make it back to Canada each year. These butterflies are at serious risk because of logging at their winter roosts in Mexico and because people put herbicide on milkweed to kill it. Milkweed is the only plant the monarch larva eats! To learn more type “Journey North” into a search engine and click on “monarch”.

How to Help: Build a Butterfly Garden!

1. Pick the perfect spot to entertain your butterfly guests. Choose a sunny location sheltered from wind. 2. Find a few flat stones—dark coloured ones that hold the sun’s heat are best. Butterflies love to sun themselves after a meal. 3. Butterflies require water so make a small butterfly pond in the mud. Or improvise and use a shallow tray or dish.

ADULT BUTTERFLIES, like colourful, smelly flowers that are rich in nectar and big enough for the butterflies to land on. Options for this area are Canada goldenrod, New England aster, common yarrow, wild bergamot, black-eyed Susan or boneset because they grow here naturally.

4. Choose colourful, native flowers to plant. 5. Along with the flowering plants for the butterflies you’ll want to provide food for larvae. Monarch larvae depend on milkweed; it is their ONLY food and provides protection. Around Georgian Bay, you might want to try using swamp (red) milkweed. 6. Include a place to sit in the garden such as a bench, chairs or sitting stones. You’re ready for some spectacular butterfly watching!

Meet our Turtles at Risk , Blanding s Turtle Black, streaked and high-domed, I look like a helmet. I like to eat crayfish, small fish and insects. With my protruding eyes and yellow chin and throat, You may see me basking while you drive in a boat. I’m ‘threatened” according to COSEWIC and OMNR, Because of loss of wetlands and speedy blind cars. Raccoons and skunks are two other fears, But if I can avoid them I can live up to 100 years! Are you a poetry fan? Try writing your own poem about your favourite species or natural area and send it along to kids@gbbr.ca. We might publish it on our website!

How to Help: Participate in a Turtle Tally! The Blanding’s turtle is an adventurous creature! The female can travel several kilometers to lay her eggs. This means many have to cross roads and lots get hit! We can help these turtles by being careful when driving and by helping turtles cross the road. When you help a turtle cross the road, always move it in the direction that it was travelling. That way the turtle won’t try to cross the road again. It is a good idea to have a snow shovel or paddle in your vehicle to help move snapping turtles! The spotted turtle is in trouble because it’s losing habitat. Protection of even small wetlands is important for this turtle. A great way to help turtles is by letting experts know where you see them. This way scientists are able to track where turtles are living, their important habitats and to locate places where they might be in trouble. You can report any sightings of turtles on the GBBR website: type gbbr.ca (click on “Our Environment”, then click “Report a Sighting”).

To be part of a bigger project, report your sighting to Toronto Zoo’s Turtle Tally program. Go to torontozoo.com/adoptapond/turtletally.asp and click on “submit your sighting”.

Meet our Bats at Risk The bats of North America are in trouble! White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus that grows in places like bat caves. The fungus makes the bats itchy so they wake up from hibernation to scratch. Then leave their caves to search for food and water in the middle of the winter! This has killed over a million bats in the USA and Canada since 2006 and it’s spreading about 300 km each year. A single little brown myotis can eat 1,200 mosquitosized bugs in an hour…who’ll do that for us if the bats are all gone!? Little Brown Bat

weight: 4-8g length: 4-5cm 8cm

Northern Bat

weight: 5-10g length: 8cm

Tri-Coloured Bat

weight: 4-10g length:

How to Help: Build a Bat Box We can help bats by building and installing bat houses on our property. Bats that survive White-nose syndrome may need smaller spaces to raise their babies in the summer. Scientists think that smaller bat houses will help bats that might be resistant to the disease to survive, reproduce and keep their species from going extinct. • The bat house can be made with untreated, rough-sawn timbers 20mm thick. • Openings should be between 15 and 25cm long and 2cm wide. • Place as high as possible in a sheltered spot, exposed to the sun. • They can be fitted to walls, flat surfaces or trees. • A clear flight line to the entrance is important. • If possible, face your bat box south.

Meet our Birds at Risk The Whip poor will A whip-poor-will is an extremely well camouflaged bird. It is coloured brown, black and grey with a long tail and rounded wings. They might be hard to see but they are easy to hear! They call their own names in a three part call, punctuating the first and last syllabus “WHIP-poor-WILL”. Whippoor-wills usually lay their eggs according to the cycle of the moon. Their eggs hatch about 10 days before a full moon so the adults have more light at night to catch insects.

The Barn Swallow Barn swallows are small birds with a cobalt blue back, tail and wings. Both male and female barn swallows have a rust coloured forehead and throat although the female has a white underside while the male’s is buff orange. Barn swallows are easily recognized by their deeply forked tails.

How to Help: Record your sighting Whip-poor-wills nest on the ground and although they may be hard for us to see, cats can easily find them. If you hear a whip-poor-will in your backyard it may be because there is likely a nest nearby. By keeping your cat indoors you will help the whip-poor-will keep the nest safe. In the past 40 years the population of barn swallows has decreased by over 60%. This means there are less than half as many as there used to be! A likely cause is the use of pesticides in their breeding and wintering habitats to kill their favorite food: insects! If you see a barn swallow or a whip-poor-will the GBBR would love to know! You can record your sighting by visiting our website.

Meet our Snakes at Risk The eastern foxsnake has a yellow background colour with dark blotches down its back and sides. Its belly looks like a yellow and black checkerboard. It’s generally found within 30 meters of Georgian Bay and unlikely to be found beyond one km inland. The Massasauga rattlesnake can be distinguished from the foxsnake by its very thick body, skinny neck and wide jaw. It is the only venomous species of snake in Ontario. It is a shy, small snake with a small amount of venom. Snake bites are rare and are very unlikely if you leave it alone! The eastern hog-nosed snake can be recognized by its upturned nose, which helps them dig for toads. When harassed, the hog-nosed snake will flatten and raise its neck like a cobra! It might also turn on its back and play dead. Don’t worry, this snake is harmless!

How to Help: Build a Snake Home These snakes are in trouble for a couple of reasons… • They are hit on roadways. • People kill snakes out of fear. There is no need to be afraid of any of these snakes. If you leave them alone they’ll leave you alone! • Habitat loss. It is especially hard when people change the natural landscape leaving fewer places for animals to live.

To help our legless pals we can report any sightings to the GBBR website: gbbr.ca (click on “Our Environment”, then click “Report a Sighting”). You can also help by building a rock pile for snakes to escape from bad weather and predators, to find food and to give birth.

My nature drawings

Nature detectives 4

Common fish in the Biosphere

Small Mouth Bass Small Mouth Bass Fingerlings

Pickerel

Lake Trout

Common Carp

Lake Sturgeon

pumpkinseeD

Northern Pike

Minnows

Common Frogs and Toads in the Biosphere

American toad

Wood frog

Northern leopard frog

American bullfrog

Mink frog

Pickerel frog

Gray treefrog

Green frog

Spring peeper

Common Birds in the Biosphere

Osprey

Herring gull

Common loon

Bald eagle

Great blue heron Common merganser

Common Tern

Double crested cormorant

Broad winged hawk

Common Turtles in the Biosphere

, Blanding s turtle

Painted turtle

Snapping turtle

Musk or stinkpot turtle

Spotted turtle

Northern map turtle

Common Snakes in the Biosphere

Northern water snake

Northern ribbon Massasauga snake rattlesnake

Eastern Milk snake Smooth green snake

Eastern garter snake

Redbelly snake

Northern rinG neck snake

Eastern Hog Nosed Snake

Common MAMMALS in the Biosphere

Little Brown Bat

raccoon

Beaver

red squirrel

Eastern chipmunk porcupine

Black Bear

Red fox

River Otter

Common Plants in the Biosphere

Blue Flag

jewelweed

Pipewort

White Water Lily

Bunchberry

, Old Man s Beard Lichen

White Baneberry

Common Milkweed Prickly wild rose

Common Plants in the Biosphere

New England Aster

Red Trillium

Trout Lily

White trillium

royal fern

, Yellow Lady s Slipper

Sphagnum Moss

wild strawberry

Yellow Water Lily

MY NATURE DRAWINGS

MY NATURE NOTES

GBBR CROSSWORD!

ACROSS 2. In the GBBR there are over ____ species at risk! 5. On which side of the bay is GBBR located. 7. A good way to help frogs at risk is to participate in _____ . 9. Something that sat on the GBBR millions of years ago, forever changing the landscape. 11. An _____ species is something that has been introduced to a new habitat and has negative consequences. 13. When scared the Massasauga Rattlesnake will rattle its _____ ! 14. White-nosed syndrome is a disease affecting the _____ of North America. 15. Macroinvertebrates can tell you about the _____ of a wetland. 18. The GBBR is the largest freshwater Archipelago in the _____. 19. The name of the largest part of a fungi.

DOWN 1. Coyotes have a better sense of smell partly because their noses are _____. 2. The Spring peeper is a little _____ with a really big voice! 3. When moving a _____ across the road, make sure it ends up facing the same way it started! 4. Water travels up the stems of plants using _____ action. 6. Closed toed _____ are the best for exploring the GBBR. 8. There are more than 1000 different types of _____in the GBBR. 10. The only plant eaten by monarch caterpillars. 12. The _____ butterfly might trick you into thinking it is a monarch! 16. Eastern White Pine is the most iconic ___ in the GBBR. 17. Eastern Hognose Snake is known to play _____ when frightened.

GBBR WORD SEARCH R W I J N O C T U R N A L B O O I F R I V E R E Z W T U C O C O R M O R A N T Q A T K D U R O Q W G C Z V C M T M P N E K J L I W O T H A E U E E S O E S O R M U E R R S C S T E U L A W R R M A F H K C R M F T C C E T L C L R E O M M T G A E P L O K Y O R E A L D E R E T E C T L O R M E M R C P X I Q K O B M M S A B A R B P L E O I F A N P U D G I F L E N R E L A L L G S O T W O S C R S K E L O P S N T I R H N B E U F S R P H F E N I T A F B R P I H F B L R T N T A U O R N E R I L Y K E G L G G E G R O R C E D A R L S N Y E E G D A E F O X

WORDS • • • • • • • •

BIOSPHERE ROCK FOREST FERN RIVER REPTILES WINTER LOON

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CRITTER FOX OWL CARP HEMLOCK WOLF TURTLE BUTTERFLY

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SPRING MAMMALS CORMORANT RATTLESNAKE FROG EAGLE OSPREY MAPLE

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FALL TAMARACK CEDAR BIRCH UNESCO BULLFROG EXPLORING BIRD

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SUMMER NOCTURNAL BAT WOODPECKER MUSHROOM DRAGONFLY BUGS

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thom morrissey photography