NatureWILD Magazine for Young Naturalists in British Columbia
DESERT DWELLERS of the OKANAGAN
Volume 14 Issue 3 2013
BC’s Beavers 89
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2 NATURE 1 AND 21 NUMBERS
3 55 144 Gwaii Haanas 13 Legacy Pole, Windy Bay
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THE PERFECT PLACE
www.ync.ca
“Young Naturalists Observe and Conserve”
Inside...
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BACKYARD NATURE
DESERT DWELLERS
6 BC’s Beavers 8 Legacy Pole 10 THE PERFECT PLACE 12 Fibonacci 14 Ask Al 15 NatureWILD NEWS 16 Varied Thrush Maze
Hello,Young Naturalists! I hope you all had a great summer. Are you all ready to go out and explore nature with your Club? YNC Explorer Days are starting up again – Looking for Spiders, Orienteering, Shoreline Clean-up, Making Bird Boxes, Pond Dipping, Beach Explore and many other amazing adventures are planned. Don’t forget to take your Passport to Nature with you and get it signed by your Club Leader. When all six tickets have been signed, send your Passport in to the office. With every two completed Passports you will earn a YNC Cap. That’s the only way you can get a YNC Cap! I am looking forward to receiving your Passports and sending you your Certificates and Caps. Daphne Solecki, Honorary President
Check out the YNC blog for more Club info: www.ync.ca YNC is an exciting nature discovery and environmental action program
Questions? Comments? Ian McKeachie, President info@ync.ca Kristine Webber, Executive Director kristinewebber@ync.ca
that invites young people ages 5-12 years to discover nearby nature on Explorer Days with local experts, learn about native wildlife and plants in NatureWILD Magazine and take part in environmental actions to protect their habitat with the Action Awards program. For more information: www.ync.ca.
Tammy Keetch, Clubs Coordinator coordinator@ync.ca
Thank you to our sponsors and
supporters who share our vision that all children be connected with nature.
Rebecca Baker, Membership and Office Coordinator info@ync.ca NatureWILD Editorial Committee Content Editor: Daphne Solecki Production Editor: Monica Belko Editorial Assistant: Ruth Foster Contributor: Al Grass
NATURE
VANCOUVER
RR Donnelley
1620 Mt. Seymour Rd. North Vancouver, BC V7G 2R9
www.ync.ca 2
We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia
ISSN: 1492-7241 NatureWILD is printed on SFI certified paper by Benwell Atkins an RR Donnelley Company,Vancouver.
BACKYARD NATURE Nature is ever ywhere - look for these animals in your neighbourhood park or garden.
ANT APHID DEER BEETLE BUMBLEBEE CROW EARTHWORM HOUSECAT*
*Housecats are usually pets, not wild animals. You can spot them prowling through the garden or park.
JAY LADYBUG MOUSE PILLBUG RACCOON RAT ROBIN SKUNK SPARROW SPIDER SQUIRREL WASP
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What is a desert?
Deserts get less than 30 cm of rain or snow in a year. They are places where it is too dry for trees and where only special kinds of plants can grow.
British Columbia
The Okanagan desert is near Oliver, BC. There are two centres where you can find out all about the desert plants and animals.
Osoyoos Desert Centre
is a fun place to learn more about desert living! Tour the desert on the boardwalk to discover the secrets of desert survival. The centre is run by the Osoyoos Desert Society, a non-profit organization that works hard to promote the conservation of the desert in the South Okanagan.
DESERT DWELLERS of the OKANAGAN By Margaret Holm and Joanne Muirhead
Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre
explores the land, legends and indigenous culture of the South Okanagan. Owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band, it has an interpretive centre and theatre. Bring your camera and explore trails, animal displays and outdoor sculptures.
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Big Sagebrush
Mmm, the smell of sagebrush on a summer day! Okanagan First Nations people used sagebrush in weaving mats and bags. The fragrant smell of burning sage is also used in ceremonies.
Bitterroot
Bitterroot has a beautiful pink flower. Okanagan native people call this important traditional food plant speetlum. Its roots were dug up and eaten in the spring.
Sagebrush and antelope-brush are important desert-dwelling plants. They provide food, shelter, and shade for birds, snakes and mice.
Pigmy Short-horned Lizard
Only as big as your thumb, the short-horned lizard has spikes on its head, back and legs. It is a round flat lizard that loves to eat ants. If attacked, it can squirt bad-tasting blood out of its eyes to make an enemy let go. Eating all those ants makes their blood taste bad.
Burrowing Owl
This is the only owl that lives under the ground! It’s light brown with white eyebrows and a white collar. These owls move into old burrows made by other animals such as badgers. Baby Burrowing Owls can mimic the “sh-sh-sh” sound of a rattlesnake, which is great for scaring off enemies! Only a few wild Burrowing Owls come back to BC each summer from their winter homes in Mexico.
Tiger Salamander
These black and green salamanders look like they’re wearing camouflage suits. They are about as long as a pencil, three times as wide, and have large heads. Salamanders lay their eggs in ponds where they live as tadpoles. Most leave their pond and live in the surrounding desert underground or under wood. Sometimes “mudpuppies” stay in the water for years and will eat other smaller salamanders.
Joanne Muirhead I am a Wildlife Biologist. After high school, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to be. I have always loved animals so I thought I’d learn more about them through Biology classes at University. I ended up with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology, and have worked with animals and the outdoors ever since. I believe that people should do what they love, then they’ll always love what they do! Margaret Holm I am lucky to have a job where every day I learn new things. I have worked in parks, museums, art galleries and science centres doing research for displays and programs. I have a Masters Degree in Anthropology and like the outdoors.
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BC’s Beavers
Scientific Classification: Order Rodentia Family Castoridae (Castor canadensis) Length: 90 to 120 cm Weight: 16 to 30 kg (35 to 66 lbs) Habitat: freshwater wetlands, forests, lake shores
The only beaver found in BC (or North America) is the American Beaver.
Range: most of North America except the very far north, Florida, Nevada and southern California
The Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa), also known as ‘ground bear’ or ‘giant mole’, is very different from the American Beaver and not related in any way. It is said to be the world’s most primitive living rodent, similar in appearance and behaviour to animals that lived 60 million years ago. Photo by PerHaraldOlsen.
Early explorers came to Canada to trap beavers for their valuable glossy pelts, which were very popular in Europe. Now, this beaver is a symbol of our country and its picture is on the back of the Canadian five cent coin. American Beavers have an amazing ability - they are the only animal other than humans that can significantly change their environment. By cutting down trees and damming creeks/rivers, beavers can change a stream-side forest into a marshy area very quickly. A beaver dam. Photo by fungusguy.
An illustration of a beaver lodge.
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American beavers are in the Order Rodentia, which means they are rodents and are related to mice, rats, marmots, chipmunks and squirrels. American beavers eat mostly deciduous tree bark and aquatic vegetation. American Beavers are usually nocturnal (active at night) and are believed to mate for life. A beaver lodge.
Beaver lodges are amazing structures! They are made out of logs, branches, twigs, mud and vegetation. Each lodge has one or more underwater entrances and a ‘living area’ near the top. The lodge also contains an air-hole for fresh air. When building a lodge, beavers create a pile of wood and mud. Then, starting underwater, they hollow out the entrance to the den.
Photo by SteveHersey.
American Beavers have very sharp front teeth (incisors) for chewing wood. They have large flat scaly tails which they use like rudders to steer while swimming. Beavers also thump their tails on the water to communicate danger to other beavers.
For more beaver info, videos and pictures check out the Hinterland Who’s Who webpages (Environment Canada and Canadian Wildlife Federation) at www.hww.ca/en/ species/mammals/beaver.html
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In 1985, Lyell Island on Haida Gwaii was the scene of a very important moment in the history of developing sustainable logging practices in British Columbia. A forest company had permission to log some ancient forests on the island, but the people of Haida Gwaii did not want these forests cut down. They said they had the right to decide what happened on their land.
Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole, Windy Bay
Haida of all ages, including elders, blocked the road to keep the loggers from cutting the trees. Everyone in BC followed the story of the blockade. This historic protest eventually led to the creation of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. It also led to protection of ancient forests in other parts of BC and new ways to log forests in a sustainable manner.
BC
To celebrate 20 years since the signing of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement an almost 13 metre (42 feet) tall monumental pole was carved in Skidegate over the winter and raised in Hlk’yah GawGa (Windy Bay) just this summer on August 15. Windy Bay is the intact watershed that people rallied to save from clear-cut logging during the protests.
Haida Gwaii
Windy Bay
The Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole is the first monumental pole to be raised in 130 years in Gwaii Haanas. It was created by Jaalen Edenshaw, his brother Gwaai and assistant Tyler York. The pole design includes many important figures - such as Raven, Eagle, Sculpin, and Grizzly Bear. Sacred-OneStanding-andMoving, the supernatural being responsible for earthquakes, was added to the design to honour the impact of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake of October 2012. More than 400 people participated in the raising of the Legacy Pole. There were speeches, dancing, feasting and the singing of the Haida National Anthem. The sun shone. It was a wonderful day of celebration!
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Vancouver
Raising the pole.
Celebrating the pole.
Check out the picture on page 9 describing all the animals and other images that were included in the Legacy Pole.
All photos, drawing and information about the raising of the Legacy Pole are courtesy Parks Canada.
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A muskrat. Photo by D. Gordon and E. Robertson.
THE PERFECT PLACE A read aloud story
There was a story going round. The animals whispered it to each other in the grass and up the trees, by the river and on the breeze. There was just one problem. Each animal was sure the story was just about them. “Have you heard?” said Muskrat. “Over the hill, the Two-Legs have made a special place just for muskrats to live happily ever after!” “Muskrat, are you sure?”said Blackbird. “I heard it was for Blackbirds.” “You must have heard wrong,” said Kingfisher. “My cousin’s best friend’s brother told me it was totally for kingfishers, so there!” “Your cousin’s best friend’s brother must have cloth ears,” said Sparrow, “Because my auntie’s uncle’s niece said it was for sparrows.” The animals began to argue among themselves. THE TALL TALE “Enough!” cried Muskrat. “I shall set out and see if the tale is true,” he said, “for if anyone deserves a special place to live, it is me.” Over the hill, it was just as he had heard. The tale was true. There was just one problem – everybody else thought so, too. “What are you doing here?” Muskrat asked Blackbird. “This place is for muskrats. Look, the TwoLegs clean the river and fill it with tasty water plants. This is made for muskrats, I tell you.” “You’re wrong” said Blackbird. “Look at these cattails the Two-Legs have planted. Just perfect for building nests. This is for Blackbirds.” “Blackbirds, pah!” said Kingfisher. “It’s quite clear this place is for kingfishers. See how the trees overhang the river. The Two-Legs keep it full of fish.” “Go away, all of you,“ cried Sparrow, bursting out of the long grass. “This is my place! This isn’t for the likes of you! Look at all the long grass and seedy-seeds the Two-Legs give me. This is a sparrow place – for sparrows. And the animals began arguing all over again.
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A Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Mark Belko.
NOT SO PERFECT Then a little voice piped up. “It doesn’t seem like a happy place at all if we’re all arguing,” said Muskrat. “Yes, why would the Two-Legs make a place like this?” said Blackbird. “I don’t know,” said Sparrow, “but there is something in the grass. It might give us a clue.” It was a big wooden thing on a tree trunk. The animals looked up at it. It just stood there. “Well, you can’t live in it,” said Muskrat. A Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Teddy Llovet
“You can’t eat it,” said Blackbird “You can’t even fish from it,” said Kingfisher. “Or hide in it,” said Sparrow. “Whatever is it for?” “It’s...it’s... for making friends,” said Muskrat slowly. They all looked at him. “Well, we’re not arguing now, are we?” SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE “But we can’t all be right!” said Kingfisher. “Can we?” “Perhaps we can,” said Blackbird. ‘It does seem to be a nice, safe place for everyone,” said Sparrow. “Friends?”
A Song Sparrow. Photo by Mark Belko.
“Friends!” they decided.
And they went off to enjoy their new homes – no problem. The big wooden thing watched them go. It didn’t do anything else at all From WILD TIMES, a publication of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, adapted with permission.
It just said: NATURE
RESERVE 11
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NATURE AND NUMBERS
1 5 b m u N 5 Fibonacci
An illustration of Leonardo of Pisa.
144
Before you start reading this, find a pinecone or fir cone and put it in water to close it up.
About 800 years ago, there lived in Italy a brilliant mathematician called Leonardo of Pisa. Leonardo discovered that Arab mathematicians used a Hindu-Arabic number system – 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 – and not the Roman numerals used in Europe at that time. He showed people how to use these Arabic numbers and everyone agreed with him that 27 definitely was easier to work with than XXVII!
He also discovered a sequence of numbers that turns out to have an almost magical relationship to nature. Because Leonardo published under the name ‘Fibonacci’ (Fee-buh-NOTCH-ee) these numbers have come to be known as the ‘Fibonacci numbers’. Here’s the beginning of the sequence – 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144. Can you figure out what is going on? Answer: Each new number is created by adding the previous two numbers: 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, 3+2 = 5, 5+3 = 8, 8+5 = 13, 13+8 = 21, 21+13 = 34, 34+21 = 55, 55+34 = 89, 89+55 = 144
You can look for Fibonacci numbers in nature, starting with a pinecone. First, look at the picture of a pinecone, then look at a real pinecone (Cone #1).You can see that the bracts (scales) are arranged in spirals from the base to the tip, and not just one kind of spiral. Cones have ‘gradual’ spirals going one way (Cone # 2), and ‘steep’ spirals going the other way (Cone #3). When you count the number of spirals on a cone they are almost always in numbers from the Fibonacci sequence. Some have 3 gradual spirals and 5 steep, others will have 5 gradual and 8 steep, and so on. Artichoke petals, cauliflower florets and pineapple scales can be counted the same way (Pineapple 1, 2, 3). The seeds of a sunflower also grow in spirals, one going clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. If you count a large sunflower you will most likely find 55 seeds going one way and 89 seeds going the other way.
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Cone #1
5
21
bers
89
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Plants also show the Fibonacci numbers in other ways. If you count the petals of flowers such as buttercups, wild rose, cosmos, ragwort, asters and Michaelmas daisies, you will find the Fibonacci numbers, and you will find them again in the way leaves grow around their stems, though observing this is rather more difficult than can be explained here. One estimate is that 90 percent of all plants demonstrate this pattern of leaves involving the Fibonacci numbers.
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This is just an introduction to the fascinating world of Fibonacci numbers – you can find more in the library and on the internet. Pineapple #1, 2, 3
Cone #3 - steep spiral.
Cone #2 - gradual spiral.
A Douglas fir cone. Photo by RVWithTito.
References: Fascinating Fibonaccis – Mystery and Magic in Numbers by Trudi Hammel Garland, published by Dale Seymour Publications www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html
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Have a Nature Question?
ASK AL
Why do crows sometimes dive at people?
Anyone who has done even a little bit of crow watching knows that they can be very noisy. They caw loudly as they swoop down and almost hit the intruder. This behaviour usually happens only during the nesting season. Maybe you’re standing too close to the nest or young that have recently left their nest. Crows are just trying to protect their families: they are not being mean! Crows also dive at owls, hawks, raccoons and even cats. They do this to drive predators from their territory. This behaviour is called mobbing. Watching crows is a good way to locate hawks and owls. Crows are much better than humans at spotting well hidden predators. A sign warning people about diving crows. Photo by Tony Perodeau.
Al Grass has worked as a career park naturalist and ranger throughout BC. Now he is a well-known nature tour leader and photographer. Al especially likes birds, insects and spiders.
Why do some crabs live under rocks? Peek under almost any rock at the seashore and what do you usually find? Lots of small crabs scurrying for safety. These include Purple Shore Crabs, Green Shore Crabs and Hermit Crabs (who can live in empty snail shells). One good reason to live under a rock is that the beach (to a small shore crab) is a very dangerous place! There are lots of hungry gulls and crows looking for easy meals. Also, it’s moist and cool under rocks on hot summer days and the waves won’t wash the critters away. Under a rock is a great place to be for small crabs, worms and a host of other creatures. A Purple Shore send me more Al says “Please ur question is Crab. Photo by questions. If yo ill win Walter Siegmund. chosen for NatureWILD you w ncil! pe d an book
Nature Champion – Elissa Coe
te a Rite-in-Rain no a ns to info@ync.c tio es qu ur yo Send r Road 1620 Mount Seymou G 2R9 V7 BC r, ve ou nc Va North
(YNC Vancouver Home Learners)
Congratulations to Elissa for earning her Bronze Level Action Award! Here are some of the actions she completed: • Participated in the Dandelion Plant Watch program this spring. • Created a habitat for Pill Bugs and followed that with several experiments to find out Pill Bugs habitat preferences. • Participated in Surrey’s 100 Storm Drains project and painted fish on storm drains. • Made the video ‘Only Rain Goes Down the Drain’ to tell others about the importance of protecting animal habitats by not pouring liquids that don’t belong in streams - like household cleaners and motor oil - down the drain. This can be seen on the YNC blog - www.ync.ca.
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Great work, Elissa!
Elissa painting a fish near a storm drain.
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W r e I D u t a N NEWS
In summer 2013, Nature Vancouver sponsored two YNC families – the Gaerbers and the Johnstons - to join their Summer Camp near Blowdown Pass. Cole and Emma tell their stories:
Enjoying a dip in the lake. Photo by Shari Gaerber
Cole Gaerber We drove on 10 km of horrible logging road to the car park but on the way we saw a Sooty Grouse, a Snowshoe Hare (in summer colouration) and a huge tree that had been stripped of its bark by bears. Then we hiked for an hour and a half uphill to the camp site to set up our tents. Before dinner, I did a quick hike up to Blowdown Pass, which was extremely fun. All the food was cooked by Mim and Cat and was the best I have ever eaten while camping. I went on many hikes. The most adventurous was to Gott Peak, the highest peak in the area which took over six hours to complete. I saw many animals, including Hoary Marmot, American Pika, Giant Cave Cricket, American Kestrel and a Grizzly Bear. I often found Coyote scat and once I found a monstrous marmot tooth in it.
Ashton and Cole atop a rocky outcrop. Photo by Shari Gaerber
The last two nights it rained REALLY hard with constant thunder and lightning. We didn’t think it would be a major problem - we were wrong! A mudslide covered the road back and we were completely stuck. That night everyone slept in cars or tents until the forest service showed up to clear the road and at break of dawn we left. Overall, everything was amazing about the camp - we had a monumental time!!! Emma Johnston Once set up, our camp became like a community. Accomplished mountaineers and naturalists were so generous with their knowledge, and accommodating with the young members of the group. They led hikes up every peak and to lakes and meadows, with options for every age and ability level.
Emma hiking with Nature Vancouver. Photo by Alison Johnston.
Every night, with mosquitoes buzzing, we gathered to eat dinner and listened to reports on the day’s hikes. This part of the evening was lovely because every member of the camp got to contribute to their group’s report. One amazing hike was to the saddle between Gott and Demi Gott peaks - twin mountain tops that towered over our camp - a steep ascent through meadows of intensely purple lupins, vibrant red paintbrush and butter yellow and cream coloured daisies. Arriving at the saddle, I felt dizzy from the sheer height of the mountain but then my fright dissolved into wonder. A few brave souls continued on to the actual peak, but I was content to eat my lunch and enjoy the towering view. This trip deepened my urge to keep on going out into nature to appreciate the beauty of every flower, stream or tree, and to make sure it’s all still here for generations to come.
These boots took me to a wonderful view. Photo by Emma Johnston.
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Help! This Varied Thrush needs
your assistance to find its next meal. Find a path through the maze to get to the worms.
Next issue... Northern Lights
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