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A TOUCH OF NATURE
January 1, 2002 Issue

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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At the beginning of the farm crisis in the late 1970s, suffering rural communities welcomed factory-style feedlots, hoping to prop up sagging economies. It was only after these feedlots moved in that neighbors started to notice the real price of the operations to air, water and life quality. There must be alternatives for keeping the local water supplies clean and safe for yourself, your children and for future generations. The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Clean Water Network have compiled a report, "Cesspools of Shame."

Have a Blessed and Exciting New Year!
Donna Watkins, Editor

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CRITTER FACTS
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PILEATED WOODPECKERS

While most of these birds are small and forage by drilling holes in tree bark to extract one grub at a time, the crow-sized pileated woodpecker hacks away at wood on a somewhat larger scale - both to excavate nests for its young and to expose whole colonies of ants. During February and March, a male and female may pound a dead branch or old tree trunk for as long as a month to excavate a nesting cavity in which to raise 3-4 chicks. Both parents take turns, incubating the eggs and bringing food to the chicks. Males sit on the eggs mainly at night.

Although their diet includes some acorns and beechnuts in the fall, pileated woodpeckers eat mostly ants, flying insects, grubs and some seeds and fruits. Carpenter ants are a special favorite. When the forest floor is blanketed in snow, the birds use their powerful bills to dig out ant nests from tree trunks and tree bases. Jabbing at the wood, they remove chips 3-6 inches long and feed on the sap that runs from the trees' wounds and also eat the insects that are lured by the flow of sugary liquid.

Pileated woodpeckers have been known to rescue endangered eggs. In one documented instance, when a dead tree containing a nesting cavity collapsed, the female retrieved each of her three eggs with her bill and flew them to a hollow in another tree. On his return to the original nesting site two hours later, the male began a frantic search of the area and finally managed to locate his family. The pair soon settled into their new home and resumed their breeding efforts.

Source: Natural History, June 2001

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CHARACTER QUALITIES IN NATURE
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THRIFTINESS: Acorn Woodpecker

Times of plenty often lead to over-indulgence, carelessness, or laziness. However, the Acorn Woodpecker makes the most of abundant times by consuming only what it needs and storing the rest. By storing extra nuts for the lean winter to come, the woodpecker is assured of enough food for itself. This also helps to provide food for squirrels, titmice, jays, and deer.

Acorn woodpeckers prefer soft wood trees, such as Douglas fir and white pine, but if not available, they will use oak and sycamore and have also been found to use fence posts, loosened shingles, telephone poles, cracks of fallen logs, and even cedar siding of homes and buildings.

They store about 1,000 acorns for each member of the group and since they area all stored together, a tree may hold 10,000 acorns. Once found was a tree that contained 50,000 acorns tucked away in a neat pattern. They are careful not to penetrate the wood that grows beneath the bark of a tree. If an acorn is dropped during flight or insertion into the hole, the woodpecker will retrieve the acorn and continue it's job. Every acorn is important, nothing of the harvest is wasted.

Thus, God uses the labor and thriftiness of the Acorn Woodpecker to help carry out His commitment to provide food for other birds and animals. In the same way, we who have been blessed with more should be thrifty and store up for those times of "winter" to provide for ourselves and for others who have special needs.

Source: Character Sketches, Vol. 3 - Inst. in Basic Life Principles

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Resoring the Balance
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A natural garden is a place that is attractive and welcoming for both people and wildlife. Most people don't see the possibilities for the land around their homes: Space that can be a place of beauty, discovery, wonder, and joy. No matter the size, there is much you can do to provide for birds, butterflies, and other critters. It can turn a disappointing site into a delightful experience. In contrast, most modern American landscapes are models of conformity, built upon dominating nature rather than learning from it and working with it.

This new segment of this newsletter will be providing ideas on transforming your green space into an oasis of life for you and wildlife. If you've got any favorite tips or your favorite sites with this kind of information, be sure to forward them to me and I'll share them with the other readers

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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HOW TO BUY GREEN ELECTRICITY

Buying clean electricity is a simple and effective way for people to make an immediate environmental difference and help build a sustainable future. Where can you buy green electricity? What are the benefits of green electricity? Find out

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REDUCE, REUSE, THEN RECYCLE
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USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

It's best to buy reusable alkaline batteries for common sizes AAA through D. They can be recharged over and over, 25 times or more, saving money and resources. And they're not made with toxic cadmium like old-style nickel cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable batteries.

Visit "Get Green" to find more tips that will help you save the world AND save money at the same time.

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CREATION IN THE BIBLE
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Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body [more] than clothing? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought [worry] can add one cubit [inch] unto his stature?"

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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Wilderness reminds us that our plans are small
and sometimes absurd, and that our choices
matter a great deal. --- Barbara Kingsolver

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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WRONG WAY CORRIGAN RELEASED
Marine Rescue Story
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (H-SWRI) - San Diego, California

SeaWorld aquarists and Dr. Scott Eckert, sea turtle expert, reintroduced a rehabilitated male eastern Pacific green sea turtle back into the ocean. To track the turtle's migration patterns, a satellite transmitter has been attached to its shell. The more than 200-pound turtle, dubbed Wrong Way Corrigan was found out of range near Montague Island by two Alaskan hunters.
Green sea turtles typically are found along the west coasts of North and South America from California to Ecuador. The hunters picked up the emaciated turtle and transported it to authorities in Cordova. The turtle eventually was flown to H-SWRI in San Diego and given to SeaWorld for care. SeaWorld veterinarians and aquarists successfully rehabilitated and restored it to health by feeding it daily over a nine month period.

Find out more about the SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program.

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DISCLAIMER:
The content, suggestions, and web links in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not necessarily endorsed our sponsor "The Herbs Place.com" This is a personal publication by Donna Watkins. The ideas and information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna Watkins or "The Herbs Place.com" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication, including any action for infringement of copyright or defamation.