January 26, 2011
- Winter Wonders
- Family Fun
- Upcoming DEC Events
- Capital District - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
- Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center
Winter Wonders
Taking a walk in the winter can be a real eye-opener - not only because of the invigorating temperatures, but also the amount of wildlife that is still active. Go on a winter excursion into two different habitats to see what animals are active there.
Open Terrain
Non-woody vegetation such as grasses, hedges and broad-leafed plants grow well in open terrain. Scattered scrubs and trees may be found in fields and meadows. Look at how the snow piles up and gathers into drifts. Nearby roads may be covered even when the snow isn't very deep. This happens because the wind blows freely across the open terrain with few trees to block it. Both people and animals have to deal with the effects of wind chill in open areas. Red foxes and cottontail rabbits prefer meadows, while deer, coyote and skunks live among the shrubs and saplings.
The Woods
In wooded habitats, animals and people are protected from the strong winter winds and wind chill. It's sometimes easier to travel in wooded areas, as the snow doesn't drift, nor does it pile up as it does in open areas. Instead, a lot of snow sits on the branches, especially in an evergreen forest.
You can expect to see a wider variety of wildlife and plants in the woods. Animals can find more places to get out of the cold and hide from predators. Snow-covered evergreen shrubs (like junipers) create sheltered places for small mammals like rabbits, mice, and voles. It's a great place to look for tracks, signs for nibbling, and scat (animal poop). Kids can check for blue spots in the snow, which are really rabbit urine from rabbits that have eaten buckthorn.
Moose, deer, red squirrels and snowshoe hares are among the creatures that live in coniferous forests. (Conifers are trees that produce cones, such as pine cones.) Long-tailed weasels, deer mice and ruffed grouse prefer hardwoods such as birch. Gray foxes, gray squirrels and blue jays live in sugar maple forests, while wild turkey and Cooper's hawks prefer oak and hickory forests.
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Family Fun
A Season's History
As you are on your excursion, look for signs of the land underneath the snow. Snow will settle into lines along plowed farmland, but will be fluffy and uneven on grass. It will be compact on concrete and drift away from areas exposed to strong winds. If you have a snow bank along your driveway or yard, you can read the history of the winter. Using a small shovel, cut away a section of the snow bank. Look at the change in texture from top to bottom. Each new snowfall compacts and compresses and leaves a line in the snow bank. You can count how many times it has snowed this season and even tell which storms produced the most snowfall.
A Warm Blanket of Snow
Have you ever noticed animals curled up in the snow? Snow acts as insulation - it can actually keep the animals warm. In the snow bank that you cut in the previous activity, mark each layer with a popsicle stick. Take a thermometer and measure the temperature in the middle of each of the layers. Also record the air temperature when you are finished. The warmest temperature should be near the bottom and the coldest near the top. The snow temperature should also be warmer than the air temperature unless it is a very warm day. Using what you learned, if you were an animal, would you make a cozy bed underneath the snow?
Read Conservationist for Kids for more information and activities!
Upcoming DEC Events
Capital Region
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Misunderstood Animals
Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 AM
Learn to Snowshoe
Saturday, January 29 at 2:00 PM
Please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 by Wednesday, January 26 to reserve snowshoes and/or to register.
Watchable Wildlife: Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow
Saturday, February 5 at 2:00 PM
Event Descriptions at Five Rivers
Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center
Owl Prowl
Friday, January 28 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free.
More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
Western New York
Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center
Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959.
After-School Escape
Thursdays, January 27 and February 3 at 4:30 PM
For children in grades K-5. No registration required.
Snowshoeing 101
Thursday, January 27 and February 3 at 6:00 PM
Snowshoe rental: $2.00/pair; free for FORNP members.
Cross-Country Ski Tour
Saturday, January 29 at 1:00 PM
Ski rental: $2.00/pair; free for FORNP members.
Alien Invaders
Saturday, January 29 at 2:00 PM
We will use snowshoes if there is enough snow. Snowshoe rental: $2.00/pair; free for FORNP members.
Knee-High Naturalists
Wednesdays, February 2, 9, 16 and 23 at 10:00 AM
Participants must sign up for the entire series. For children ages 3 to 5. Materials fee: $10.00 per child; $6.00 per child for FORNP members.
Stories in the Woods at the Julia B. Reinstein Library
Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17 and 24 at 10:30 AM
For more information and to sign up for the Story Hour, contact the library at 716-668-4991.
New Moon Walk
Thursday, February 3 at 6:00 PM
Bring binoculars and flashlights if you have them.
Winter Wildflowers
Saturday, February 5 at 10:00 AM
Learn to Cross-Country Ski Seminar
Saturday, February 5 at 11:00 AM
Ski rental: $2.00/pair; free for FORNP members.