Nighttime Noises Revealed
August 16th, 2010
Moon rising - Night is upon us
In your travels to a distant national park or from your own backyard, have you ever heard a strange nighttime sound? Whistling, screeching, howling, clicking, buzzing and things that go “bump” in the night have kept many a camper wide-eyed and sleepless. We humans are not at our best in the dark of night. If we can’t see it, we don’t like it.
Insects, amphibians, mammals and birds make themselves heard at night. No need being scared out of your wits unnecessarily. I thought I’d provide you a brief sampling of some nighttime sounds to change the “frightening” to “identifiable”. Once you know what you are listening to and decide you don’t like it, then you have my permission to be frightened.
Insects can fill a summer night with pleasant music. Members of the Orthoptera family are primarily responsible. These include crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. The following insect recordings are from the Singing Insects of North America (SINA) website. This fantastic site is still being compiled and is a great library of sounds. Click on the animal name to hear their recognizable sounds.
Southern Ground Cricket (Allonemobius socius) This is one of 900 species of crickets. Only the male cricket makes noise. It is done by rubbing the row of teeth-like ridges on the edge of a wing against the other wing edge. The wings themselves act as sounding boards.
Snowy Tree Cricket (Oecanthus fultoni) The chirping rate of this cricket can tell you the air temperature. The temperature in Fahrenheit is calculated by counting the number of chirps in 14 seconds and adding 40.
Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia) There are roughly 6,400 species of katydids, but this is called the Common True Katydid and one that you might recognize.
Northern Mole Cricket (Neocurtilla hexadactyla) The northern mole cricket burrows underground and comes out to chirp at the entrance of its burrow.
The following amphibian recordings all take you to one website, where you can hear these and more, thanks to Michael Benard. His excellent collection of photos and recordings are for reference and enjoyment.
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) This arboreal frog is probably quite familiar to you if you live in the Eastern US; if not by his appearance, then by his song. Gray treefrogs can camouflage themselves according to the substrate they are sitting on almost as well as a chameleon. So anything from green to gray are normal on their mottled, warty skin. You’ll probably hear a number of treefrogs chorusing from treetops throughout the midsummer night.
Other frogs and toads are commonly heard in the spring during their breeding season.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) This little fellow ( yes, only the male sounds off) is heard in the spring when it is calling for mating rights from nearby marshes, streams, and ponds.
Green Frog (Rana clamitans) is abundant in the eastern US in pretty much any fresh body of water.
The following mammal and bird recordings are from Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
White-tailed deer snorting – usually silent, deer may give a loud air-filled snort when alarmed.
Raccoon - an adult male
Coyote - howls and whines from a pack
American alligator – listen to the low rumbling and disregard the bird
Barred owl – A mnemonic for this nighttime singer almost sounds like, “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all”. When two call at each other, people mistake them for monkeys, but of course no monkeys live in North America where these birds reside.
Barn owl – this spooky sounding character has the white color of a ghost to boot.
Of course this is not a complete list by any stretch. It is however, a fun sampling to help you become more atuned to what is happening in nature when humans are generally “out of it”. This concert will make a night around the campfire, on the back porch or in your tent an entertaining adventure.
Be aware that all rights are reserved for all these recordings. The sounds are property of the Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Singing Insects of North America, and Michael Benard and can only be used for personal listening. Any other use requires you to contact them directly for permission.
National Monuments & the Antiquities Act – Oh to Wield Such Power
August 10th, 2010
The first family in Acadia National Park
Like many Americans, President Obama took his family out to visit a national park this summer. He, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia visited Acadia National Park last month. It’s a shame his handlers took his cell phone away; he could have downloaded a NaturePod for his visit.
Standing on top of Cadillac Mountain he might have had the same thoughts that many of us have had; wouldn’t it be great to preserve a big piece of land like this for future generations. Unlike us though, he has the power to do just that.
There’s a little bill that made it through Congress back in 1906. It’s called the Antiquities Act. It was written by a Congressman from Iowa to stop the “pot hunters” he felt were robbing America of its history. Artifact hunting was a big business back at the turn of the century and unscrupulous treasure hunters were ransacking western federal lands. Congressman John Lacey wrote a bill with just 4 paragraphs designed to give land management agencies a tool to fight the marauders. President Teddy Roosevelt signed it into law.
Lacey might have been concerned about protecting Native American artifacts, but Roosevelt read a broader message in the law. Section 2 gave the President the authority to establish national monuments to protect “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States.” Roosevelt quickly set aside Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as America’s first national monument.
Devils Tower - the first National Monument
Roosevelt might not have read the law very clearly for it states “the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” At more than 50,000 acres, Devil’s Tower National Monument was a bit of a stretch.
Two years later Roosevelt was at it again. He set aside 800,000 acres as Grand Canyon National Monument. By the end of his term, he would establish 18 monuments. Other Presidents would follow, for the Antiquities Act allowed a President to quickly preserve lands at peril. The Congressional route to National Park status was often too slow.
It wasn’t until Franklin Delano Roosevelt that Congress modified the Antiquities Act. By 1943, FDR and his predecessors had used the act nearly 100 times to establish or enlarge monuments. Congress had even taken the next step and reauthorized these monuments as national parks. But now FDR wanted to establish Jackson Hole National Monument in Wyoming and the state’s congressional delegation opposed the move. A fight ensued. The monument was established, but the Antiquities Act was amended to prohibit its use in Wyoming.
Alaska forced a similar amendment after President Jimmy Carter used the Act to establish 15 national monuments in 1978.
President Obama has yet to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, but in less than 2 years he has already taken his family to 4 National Parks, 2 of which, Acadia and Grand Canyon, began as national monuments formed from the Antiquities Act.
Acadia National Park Carriage Roads
July 20th, 2010
Horses on Acadia National Park Carriage Road
John D. Rockefeller Jr. became interested in Mount Desert Island in the early 1900’s when he and his wife spent several summers vacationing in Bar Harbor. Their son Nelson, future vice president of the US, was born here.
In 1910 John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased a house in Seal Harbor and over the years converted it into a large 100 room mansion known as the Eyrie. He was very interested in the preservation of land on the island and became the greatest donor of land and money to the formation of what is now Acadia National Park.
In 1913 he began building the carriage road system. Initially it was just around his property but in time his interest expanded and construction continued until the early 1940s.
In the end John D. Rockefeller Jr. built 16 stone bridges, 57 miles of carriage roads and the two gate-lodges most of which have been given to the park. Along with over 10,000 acres of land and several million dollars for various other projects including the construction of the park loop road and restoration after the 1947 fire, John D. Rockefeller Jr. has been the single greatest benefactor to Acadia National Park.
To this day the Rockefeller family continues its interest and generosity to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.
The significance of the carriage road system is not simply a generous gift or an engineering feat but as a pathway into the heart of the park, where people can experience the full beauty of nature away from human influence.
Today, the carriage roads are wonderful opportunities to experience Acadia by bicycle. Your only companions may be pedestrians and horses. Find out more about biking in Acadia here.
Make Birch Tea from the Bubble Gum Tree
July 6th, 2010At ECOS, our environmental school, I barely get to tantalize the 4th graders with the highlight to their trip in my introduction to the day. Some kid always brings it up first. “Can we go to the bubble gum tree?”
I wasn’t ready for this question when I first started teaching in the program. I didn’t know what tree they were talking about. My first thought was the spruce. Woodsmen used to pinch off nubs of sap from the bark and chew it like gum. But how could this be it? The stuff tastes awful. The kids can’t possibly be all hyped up about such nasty tasting tree gum.
My only other thought was the black birch, Betula lenta. Now that smells great and was used to flavor candies, gelatin and of course, bubble gum. Kids could get psyched about that. My colleagues later confirmed that this is the tree they touted as the “Bubble Gum Tree”.
Kids don’t seem to be disappointed that they can’t pluck off pieces of bubble gum like they envisioned. The flavor can be detected in the twigs. Just under the bark one can smell oil of wintergreen. They light up when they find their own bubble gum tree using the scratch and sniff method. Scratched twigs smell so deliciously cool, fresh and minty. I let them collect a 6-inch section and then share how I make birch bark tea. Here’s how:
Black Birch
1. Collect
It’s the twigs that you’ll need, so tall adult trees with branches out of reach will not do. Saplings or seedlings will need to supply twigs within reach. My backyard is full of B. lenta trees, so I frugally trim a few branches here, a few there, or when I have to get rid of a wayward seedling, I at least use it for tea.
stripping birch twigs
preparing birch twigs
2. Twig Prep
Strip the leaves off. Break up the twigs to be 2-4 inches long, or however short they need to be to fit into a pan. In doing so, expose the cambium, where the oil of wintergreen can be detected in the sap. I strip the bark on a couple sides of the twig. Fat twigs don’t contribute much, so stick to flexible twigs less than 1/8 inch thick I’d say. Just keep sniffing as you go to stick with those end twigs that have the most odor.
simmer twigs until brown
Infusion of birch twigs smells great
3. Heat it up
Cover your collection of twigs with water. Simmer – don’t boil. You want to extract the oil of wintergreen flavoring from the twigs but you don’t want to boil the flavoring away or make it taste harsh. Your kitchen will smell great during this process!
On this hot summer day, I’m thinking about making birch tea using the sun tea method. I imagine, putting the twigs in a clear container out in the sun for a while might extract the flavor as well. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe you can give it a go and let me know.
filter out floaters
4. Filter
Once the water is nicely brownish, I call it finished. You want to separate the water from the twigs and other stuff you don’t want to swallow. I often use cheesecloth, but a paper towel serves the same purpose as a filter. I just put it in the mouth of my container and pour my tea right through it.
Refreshing black birch tea
5. Enjoy
At this time of year, I stick my tea in the fridge to drink cold. In the winter, I prefer it warm. I have a sweet tooth and sugar usually goes in other teas, but black birch tea tastes just fine as-is.
At the end of our day, among the many frameworks-oriented lessons they’ve learned, my kids go home with lots of super skills. They’ve gained some plant identification skills, learned to look closely at nature and used their senses. Lastly, they realize there is specialness in plants. Well, at least one plant in particular. That’s my particular passion that I hope they pick up on – the unique world of plants.
Day Lilies – Eat Them
July 6th, 2010
Yesterday a bud, tomorrow a wilted has-been, but today a glorious beauty.
Garden fare is not just limited to your vegetable garden. Do you have day lilies blooming in your yard now? They are quite edibly delicious. If you are familiar with Asian cuisine, you may be familiar with eating lilies. Blossoms are sometimes stuffed. I like to eat the buds. Here’s how:
Day lily cluster
1. Collect:
It is called “day lily” because each day, one flower in the cluster blooms. They take turns. Tomorrow’s is fine, but the next day’s bud and the following day is the best. Any further than that, and they are kind of small.
Day lily buds to pick
Here are buds of just the right size.
Day lily buds
Just the right amount for a nice side dish for two.
Be conservative in your picking so that the beautiful orange blossoms can continue to decorate your landscape.
2. Cook:
Day lily buds ready to steam
Prepare the buds just like you would green beans. I like to steam my green beans. They won’t take as long to cook though. They’re just tender little things.
Then, I season with butter and a a bit of salt, but do whatever you like.
I’ve tried the buds raw and don’t care for them as they leave a nose-scrunching aftertaste.
Enjoy your new found flower garden side dish.
Fun Campfire Games
June 7th, 2010
campfire fun
What is camping without a campfire? Smores, ghost stories, cooking hot dogs on a stick – that’s what makes a campfire fun family time. Pack the marshmallows, lawn chairs, and creativity and have some fun with these games around the campfire:
1- Skin the Marshmallow – While toasting your marshmallows on a stick over the coals, see who can skin their marshmallow the most times. Toast your marshmallow to the point where you can pull off just the outermost toasted layer. Toast the remainder lightly until you can pull off its outer skin. Repeat until you have skinned your marshmallow down to nothing. Don’t forget to count how many times you skinned the same marshmallow. My personal record is 13 skins.
2- Circle Story – Everyone sitting around the campfire contributes to the circle story. One person starts the story with, “Once upon a time…” and for instance can say, ” a boy and his pet dragon went for a walk in the woods.” Then, the next person picks up the story and builds the drama. Each person can tell for as long as he/she wants, but cannot undo what previous storytellers said. Its fun to try to put in a twist for the next storyteller in the circle. The story ends when it completes the circle and comes back to the person who started it. (Or, keep it going round and round – it could go all night!)
3- A What? – This is a fun classic that is sure to make everyone laugh. One person hands an object to the person next to him in the circle saying, “This is a widget”. (Any word can be used, the weirder the better actually). The recipient asks, “A what?” and the response is, “a Widget”. The second person then hands the object to the 3rd person in the circle telling her, “This is a widget”, and the 3rd person asks, “A what?” and the 2nd person turns back to the first and asks, “A what?” and the first answers, “A widget”. The second then answers the 3rd with, “A widget” and the third can then hand it to the 4th person, saying, “This is a widget”, who of course has to ask, “A what?” which gets relayed all the way back to the starter. The object goes all the way around the circle with, “A What?” going all the way back to the original person as if no one has any memory at all, and “A widget” being conveyed back to the person with the object. Once you have that down, try passing a different object around the circle in the opposite direction at the same time. Then the confusion and hilarity really begins.
4- Rhythm Game – Everyone has to have their hands free for this one. Decide on a general topic, like animals. Then, start a rhythm by clapping thighs twice followed by two claps (slap-slap-clap-clap) Not too fast at first. To start, the first person names an animal beginning with the letter A on the claps. The next person in the circle then has to shout out an animal starting with the letter B on the very next claps. The third person in the circle then has the letter C to name an animal on the claps and so forth down the alphabet. If someone misses an animal or messes up the rhythm, he is out. Who of your group is the quick thinker and most coordinated? Other categories can include places, people’s names, food. You can come up with plenty others I’m sure.
5- Twenty questions – Another classic in which one person thinks of a person, place or thing. Others around the campfire can fire off questions with a “yes” or “no” answer to come up with what the person is thinking of. Narrow the focus with categories like movies, historical figures, famous people, astronomy, or whatever you want.
There are many games to play around the campfire. Make up some of your own. Those can be some of the best fun. Who knows, you may be up all night!
New – National Park Quarters
June 4th, 2010
Hot Springs coin
America’s National Parks and Preserves are featured in a new series of quarters to be issued by the US Treasury. Five quarters will be issued in 2010. Look for these in the palm of your hand this year:
1. Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas – the first publicly preserved landscape, will be the first quarter issued. As early as 1807, people had begun using the springs for relaxation and health. In the 1830s, President Andrew Jackson set aside some of the springs for public use. Although not designated as a National Park, the Hot Springs became the first nationally preserved land. In 1921, Hot Springs was re-designated as the 18th National Park.
Yosemite coin
2. Yosemite National Park in California - followed a similar path to National Park status as Hot Springs. President Abraham Lincoln set aside the land as a national preserve, but the land was returned to California soon thereafter. It wasn’t until 1890 that Yosemite returned as a National Park.
Yellowstone coin
3. Yellowstone National Park - the first official National Park will also be honored. In 1872, President US Grant established as the first National Park in the world. Established originally to preserve its scenery, some now refer to Yellowstone as America’s Serengeti for the exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities found here.
Mt. Hood coin
4. Mount Hood National Forest – although not a national park, the 100-year effort to make it so continues to this day. Mount Hood and its surrounding forests are managed by the US Forest Service. Although some land is preserved under wilderness designation, much of the land is managed for timber harvesting.
Grand Canyon coin
5. Grand Canyon National Park - was established as one of America’s first National Monuments. The US Antiquities Act gave the President the opportunity to set aside land without the approval of Congress. Originally meant to preserve important Native American archeological sites, President Teddy Roosevelt read into the act a broader mission. He used the act to create 18 national monuments, including setting aside over 800,000 acres as Grand Canyon National Monument. Learn more about the history of this special National Park with a Grand Canyon NaturePod.
Who’s That Singing? Easily Recognized Bird Song
May 11th, 2010
Eastern Phoebe; photo by Bruce Dayton
I stopped my cadre of 5th graders right under the tree where a songster was loud and distinct. “Listen to this fantastic bird, my friends,” I urged excitedly, and the group of 23 inner-city kids fell silent. After listening a few seconds I whispered, “This awesome bird sings his name. He’s called a Phoebe. Do you hear him sing “Phoebe” over and over?” Again, we all listen intently, and I see smiles creep across faces.
“Yea, I hear it.”
“That’s what he says.”
Other murmured phrases and nods of recognition ripple through my rapt audience.
I can’t really memorize bird song very well. I’m relieved to say I’m not the only one. The best way to distinguish and remember specific bird song is to translate it into English. It is not only easier to describe to kids (and adults) but recognizable in our brains.
There are a number of mnemonics that are commonly associated with certain birds. Here is a list of some birds you may hear this month, and the mnemonic of what their song sounds like:
American Robin – “cheery-up, cheery-o, cheery-up, cheerily”
Yellow warbler – “Sweet Sweet, Sweet I am so sweet”
Yellow warbler
Eastern towhee – “Drink your teeeeeea”
Black throated green warbler – Zee Zee Zee zoo Zeee”
Barred owl – “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”
Whip-poor-will – “WHIP-poor-WILL, WHIP-poor-WILL WHIP-poorWILL…“
Eastern Wood-Pewee – “Pee-ah-wee Pee-ah-wee”
Eastern Phoebe – “Fee-bbbbbe Fee-bbbbbe”
Black-capped Chickadee –
Call: “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee”
Song: “Hey-sweetie”
Warbling Vireo – “If I SEES you, I will SEIZE you, and I’ll SQUEEZE you till you SQUIRT”
Red-eyed Vireo – “Here I am. Where are you? Over here. Look up now. Do you see?“
Tufted Titmouse – “Peter-peter-peter. Peter-peter-peter.”
Carolina Wren – “tea kettle tea kettle tea kettle tea kettle tea kettle.” (loud and fast)
Brown Thrasher – “Spring’s here, spring’s here, plant it plant it, in the ground, in the ground, cover it up, cover it up…” (doublet after doublet; each doublet seldom repeated)
Chestnut-sided Warbler – “very very very very pleased-to-meet-you” (quite fast)
Ovenbird – “teacher teacher teacher teacher” (with each “teacher” progressively louder)
Common Yellowthroat – “Which-i-ty which-i-ty, which-i-ty, which-i-ty
White-throated sparrow – “Poor Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody” or “Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada” (depending on your nationality of course)
Red-winged Blackbird – “Honk-a-reeeeee”
Eastern Meadowlark – “spring of the year”
American Goldfinch – “per-chick-a-ree”
Here are some resources to further your study of birdsong:
The Backyard Birdsong Guide, by Donald Kroodsma – an audio field guide. Lets you listen to the birdsong with a push of the button.
Lang Elliott’s Naturesound Studio
The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of Bird Song
Exploring the Language of Nature with Jon Young
May the sound of a familiar songster bring a smile to your face too.
Cape Cod Lifesaving Service – Supreme Dedication
May 10th, 2010
Surfman using a signal flare
Memorial Day is approaching fast. It’s the unofficial start of the summer season. If the weather is warm, you will find the beaches at Cape Cod National Seashore filled with waders, swimmers, and sun lovers. If the weather is cool and stormy, the waves will teem with wet-suited surfers.
Should you find yourself at the Cape, and need a break from the sun and surf, check out the Old Harbor Lifesaving Station at Race Point Beach. Park staff and volunteers recreate the techniques first employed by the U.S. Lifesaving Service back in the mid 1800’s.
A strong offshore current known as “The Race” caused numerous ships to flounder as they rounded the tip of the Cape. Surfmen patrolled the beaches during stormy weather to spot and assist these ships.
Unloading rescued passengers from a surfboat
When the word went out that a ship was in trouble, surfmen would gather. When the weather was so bad that surfboats could not be launched, a canon would be fired to deploy a line to the struggling crew. As testament to the importance of these waters for trade, instructions were sent with the line in multiple languages. These instructed sailors to affix the line to their mast and ride a breaches buoy to shore, skimming across the tempest.
The lifesaving stations had a 99% success rate along the shores of Cape Cod, saving over 175,000 lives.
In 1915, the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the Revenue Cutters Service joined to create the US Coast Guard. Today, these men and women continue the tradition, going out in the worst of weather and under the most difficult conditions, to assist sailors in trouble.