Frog Calls Newsletter of Crosstimbers Connection Volume 2, No. 1
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March, 2014
What’s That in the Water? Last September’s Trip to the Clear Fork, Trinity River As it flows into Benbrook, the Clear Fork of the Trinity River is
As it turned out, a mid-September cool front would dump
shallow, pretty clear, and supports lots of fish, frogs, reptiles,
some much-needed rain in our area, and so we worried
and invertebrates. The river bottom gradually changes from
about how deep and fast this rain-swollen river would get.
limestone to gravel to sediment as it nears Benbrook Lake,
Could we still do our walk? When it rains, the normally clear
with shallow areas of riffles and deeper pools. We thought it
and easygoing waters of the streams in western Tarrant
would be a great place to walk and wade, and so we planned
County tend to get clouded with sediment, and they become
to do just that on Saturday of last September 21st.
deeper and fairly swift-moving. It can be fairly easy to lose
Frog Calls
March, 2014
What’s That in the Water? (continued)
larger and “chunkier.” While fairly plain-looking, they have a subtle but beautiful blue iridescence. White-footed Meanwhile, the kids did not waste much time getting wet. Initially, most of us looked for shallower places to wade, but before long kids were sityour footing and fall, and that hard limestone river bottom is
ting in the shallows on the limestone river bed, feeling the water flowing past their shoulders. Then a well-placed
only a couple of feet below the surface.
scoop with a net brought up a small red-eared slider for After determining that the river was not too deep and would Dominic to examine. Its cute green face was lined with yelnot wash us all down into the lake, we got started with our
low, and there was a bright red patch on either side of its
walk. Nic was our expert on aquatic creatures, and right
head toward the back. After everyone got a look, we re-
away he showed us the little ghost shrimp that prowled the
leased this turtle to swim off to some hiding place.
bottom of the river. They are small freshwater shrimp, clear as glass except that some had green patches within the tail.
There were a couple of reptiles seen
These were the eggs carried by females.
along the banks of Two fish species that Nic pointed out were red shiners and
the river. One was
blacktail shiners, which are silvery minnows that easily dart
the little brown
away from all but the most skillful predators. The blacktail
skink, a coppery-
shiner has a black spot at the base of the tail, while the red
brown lizard with a
shiner may be a fairly plain-looking minnow for much of the
long body and
year. However, in breeding season, several of the male’s fins
short legs that
take on a red-orange hue. These include the pectoral fins
seems to wiggle through the leaves like a snake as much as
(behind and below the gills), anal fins (along the underside
like a lizard. Josh got a chance to hold it and get a good
and toward the tail) and caudal (tail) fins. On the surface of
look before we released it. A second kind of lizard was the
Little brown skink
the water, moving about in small groups, were mosquitofish, five-lined skink, with its glossy dark scales and light stripes so-named because they can eat large numbers of mosquito
down the body. This was a young lizard, with the bright blue
larvae. Males are small and slender, while the females are
tail that juvenile skinks of this species have.
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Frog Calls
March, 2014
What’s That in the Water? (continued) As we waded back upstream and our walk neared an end, we seined several crayfish or “crawdads.” These crustaceans look like miniature lobsters, with grasping claws in the front and segmented tails. The tails are used for quick getaways, flexing rapidly under the crayfish to propel it backward. There are many kinds of crayfish, and the species we found had claws with bluish color ending in orange at the tips of the claws. We were careful to keep our fingers away from the claws, which can give quite a pinch! We all went home wet and happy, after walking, wading, having lots of fun and seeing some great examples of the wildlife that lives along the Clear Fork of the Trinity River.
Five-lined skink
Want to Go For a Walk With Us? Some Upcoming Events Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
On Sundays - April 6, May 4, June 1
Join us at one of our favorite places as we look for such species as green treefrogs, skinks, water snakes, and slider turtles and learn about how they live. We will try to get close enough for detailed observation and photos, and we will talk about how to look for them and photograph them. Best for ages 7 through adult. (While Crosstimbers Connection does not charge a fee, there is an entrance fee to the nature center-see their website, www.fwnaturecenter.org) Meet us at the Hardwicke Interpretive Center by 2:00pm
Prairie Fest
On April 26, 11am to sunset
Prairie Fest is an annual festival held at Tandy Hills Natural Area, a 160 acre remnant of the Fort Worth prairie. We will have a booth there and will lead some "HerpWalks” - hikes to discover the reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife that live on the prairie. Participants look for these animals and learn about how they live. The ideal ages for this walk are 7 through adult. See the website, www.tandyhills.org/fest
Buffalo Boogie
On May 10
Buffalo Boogie is a 1mile/ 5K walk and fun run held annually at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, and there are always exhibitors, other activities, and lots of fun. The onsite registration and sign-in is at 7am and the starting gun is at 8:30am. There is no gate fee on the day of Buffalo Boogie! We will offer “Herp Boogie” walks to look for reptiles and amphibians (herps) and talk about how they run, hop, crawl, and generally “boogie” through their habitats. Page 3
Frog Calls
March, 2014
Sharing the Natural World with Kids - Michael Smith
So, your kids spend too much time on the iPad, you’ve read Richard Louv and worry that they might have “nature deficit disorder,” and you want to get them out to see a pond and climb a tree. Wonderful! Now, what’s the best way to ease the kids away from malls and gadgets, and steer them toward a love of nature? Just announce that there will be no TV today because we’re going on a nature walk? That’s probably not the recipe for success. Let’s consider a few ideas that might get the kids wanting to spend more time in nature. ·
Laying the groundwork
Be an example – if you show an interest, curiosity, and pleasure in the natural world, the kids may
Unless your child already wants to get outside, you may
follow. Notice things and comment about their
need to lay the groundwork so that a nature experience is
beauty or about how they work. You might pick up
really enjoyable for him or her. Here are a few ideas to
an acorn and wonder whether it will become squir-
consider:
rel food or get to grow into an enormous tree. You
·
Listen to your child’s interests – does she talk about
could comment on the hawk you see soaring near
things that connect with the natural world, such as
the roadside as you drive somewhere. Kids are
a memory of a favorite vacation or an animal that
more influenced by what they see us do than what
she likes (that stuffed tiger, perhaps)? If there is a
we say.
nature program on, does she watch a little of it?
·
Bring some of nature into the house – do you have
These are opportunities to spark an interest in na-
any photos of nature subjects on the walls, or sea-
ture, if you can start a conversation and expand
shells on the shelves? Any nature books lying
the nature theme just a bit while staying within the
around or a collage of leaves displayed some-
child’s interest and attention. “Yeah, the beach was
where? Things like this may be “absorbed” a little
really fun – it was great to feel the sun and swim in
bit in the daily life of your child, when he notices
the surf. Do you remember that crab we saw?” Or,
the picture or maybe flips through the book. Our
“big cats like that tiger are really cool – there’s
homes help establish a little of what is natural for
even some big cats that live in parts of Texas.”
us and help shape our sense of who we are.
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Frog Calls
March, 2014
Sharing the Natural World with Kids (continued) Planning an outing
dom within those boundaries. Your child should know
If you are planning an outing with your child in mind, you
ahead of time what the boundaries are, to a reasonable de-
should continue to listen and be guided by his or her inter-
gree (but you cannot anticipate everything and should not
ests and capacities. A more athletic child may enjoy some
over-prepare to the extent that it takes all the fun out of it).
physical challenges like climbing or canoeing. Those who
Being outside with your kids
thrive on social contact may want to take a couple of friends along. The quiet child who likes to be still and take it all in
Once you are on your outing, follow your plan and have fun! Notice what is going on around you and be aware of
may want few human distractions and a hike with lots of
what the kids are noticing. Doing so will present some op-
places to stop and look at everything or listen to birds.
portunities to talk about things, or wonder about them with-
There are lots of ways to experience nature, so don’t be too
out knowing the answers. For example, “I wonder if that is a
focused on what you see as the ideal outing. You and your
moth or a butterfly?” and “Look at that hole with the egg-
child can work together to come up with a great plan. To-
shells in it – I’ve heard that turtles dig nests in places like
gether you can think of fun and interesting ideas, and also
this.” You could improvise games like, “Let’s see who can
talk about taking things you will need (like water), avoiding
find the most leaves from different trees.” There is a useful
places or activities that are unsafe, and deciding how much
little book called Sharing Nature with Children, by Joseph
time and money are available.
Cornell, that contains many activities and games for outings in the woods and fields.
Have a plan for where the “boundaries” need to be for this particular trip. Do kids need to stay on the trail, or is some
Just remember that a love of nature is something built over
wandering OK? Do they have to stay where you can see
time through joyful, fascinating, and fun experiences. Once it
them, or can they explore and then meet back up at a par-
takes hold, it keeps itself going because the child seeks out
ticular time? If there is water, can they swim or wade, or
even more experiences which strengthen that love. Our role
should they stay out of the water? Is it OK for them to catch
is to create opportunities and to make room for the wonder,
and handle wildlife like insects, lizards, or snakes, or do they have to observe from a distance. As much as possible, figure out the boundaries and be prepared to let kids have free-
the play, and the fun in nature that should be every child’s birthright.
Crosstimbers Connection - Connecting People with Nature in North Texas We take people out into the woods and prairies, looking for reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife, learning and having fun. And we do it without charging anything (but we gladly accept tax-deductible contributions to keep us going). We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - please visit us on the web at: http://crosstimbersconnection.org. Michael Smith, President - michael@crosstimbersconnection.org Mark Pyle, Vice President - markpyle@crosstimbersconnection.org Debbie Dorman, Secretary - ddorman@crosstimbersconnection.org Jo Smith, Treasurer Nick Martinez, Board Member Rob Denkhaus, Board Member
P.O. Box 151882
v
Arlington, Texas 76015
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