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A TOUCH OF NATURE
April 1, 2002 Issue

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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Easter:
I'm sending this issue early so that I can wish you all a Blessed Easter! It's a time of year that reminds us that life and hope can spring from a bleak situation. It's a refreshing and renewing time of the year. Enjoy! Take time to look closely at what's in your yard. Spend a little time with those strong, bursting, young shoots and you will be renewed yourself.

Backyard Habitats:
I have a passion for people turning their own green space into more suitable habitat which goes a long way for critters and birds. National Wildlife Federation's brand new interactive Backyard Wildlife Habitat web site sure offers a lot of information to make it easy to know what to do with your own green space. It includes: Online Habitat Planner, Tips and Projects, The Native Plant Guide and Wildlife Finder, Habitat Steward Classes, Regional Information, The Habitat Shop, an "Ask The Expert" feature, Message Boards, and much, much more! Check it out!

Bears at Feeders:
With Spring arriving in North America, you may want to know that Alaska isn't the only place where bears cause problems at bird feeders. Many state agencies have issued precautions when feeding birds in bear country.

Feeders can bring bear much too close to humans, so many areas must discontinue feeding when bears are most active, generally late March through November. Check here for bear populations in your state and links to wildlife agencies.

Spring isn't the only time bears are busy with feeders. Last Fall, when the bears were storing up for winter, we had our feeders "attacked" by bears. We found the steel poles they were on bent to the ground. Bear had been sighted in our community, but we never personally saw any.

Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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SMART CROWS
Hooded Crows that winter in Moscow are known for their intelligence. In cold weather, people hang bags of meat out of their windows if they don't have enough space in the freezer. Crows rob these bags. When the meat is too large to swallow, they take it to a subway air vent to thaw.

Source: The Birds of Russia, by Vladimir Dinets

CROWS
Because of their taste for corn and other agricultural crops, because they occasionally raid the nests of other birds, and because they are often accused of damage caused by other animals, crows have long endured persecution by humans. Crows actually have proven themselves to be beneficial by eating insects and larvae that damage crops. They persist by adapting to novel circumstances and expanding their range.

We live in a forested area and have a family of crows that visit daily for the corn I put out. With a preference for coniferous trees, crows build their nests in woods or isolated trees at least 60 feet above ground. Nests are solidly built of branches and twigs, and are lined with bark, plant fibers, mosses, twine, and other found materials. Male and female share incubation of the 4-6 eggs which hatch in 18 days. Young first fly when about a month old. Frequently, at least one young bird will remain with its parents through the next nesting season to assist in the care of the new nestlings by bringing food and guarding the nest.

While crows have young in the nest and on the ground learning to fly, they may defend adjoining territory by dive-bombing other animals and people. It is best to stay away from nesting territories until the young have fledged and the parents are no longer as protective.

Source: Howl Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Lynnwood, WA

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CHARACTER QUALITIES IN NATURE
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COOPERATIVE EFFICIENCY - Honeybee
The beehive presents an amazing picture of efficiency. To ensure productivity among thousands of bees, a delicate chemical balance must be maintained. The queen bee must lay 2,000-3,000 eggs each day and the worker bees must mature, passing in sequence through six distinct stages of development and responsibility. Each worker bee functions in the roles of cleaner, nurse, storer, repairer, guard and finally scout during its brief lifetime of cooperative effort.

What happens when a hive is damaged and vital functions impaired? In a remarkable way, the body functions and abilities of the other bees change in order to assume new responsibilities for the emergency state. How does each be know what duties to assume? What keeps the hive from becoming totally chaotic and unable to function?

The secret is contained in the message of the honey the bees pass among themselves. Each bee contributes a distinct glandular secretion to the honey according to the function it performs. When all secretions are present in sufficient supply, the hive is balanced, functioning normally.

When one secretion is inadequate or missing, such as that which comes from a queen, a moaning sound travels throughout the hive. All the bees throb as though they were afflicted with fever. This is their signal to quickly adapt themselves - even change roles - in an effort to make up the loss and re-establish the balance of the hive.

Without precise communication, a crucial imbalance could go unnoticed in the beehive and it would inevitably collapse. The bees demonstrate loyalty for their common goals and to each other through their amazingly accurate system of intercommunication.

Source: Character Sketches, Vol. I, Institute in Basic Life Principles

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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GARDENING FOR THE BIRDS
Gardening for birds provides many benefits for the garden as well as for the birds. Good flowers to include are zinnias, cosmos, tithonia, sunflowers, beebalm monardas, foxglove and snapdragons.

Read more about establishing a bird garden.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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TOXIC WASTES
We've heard a lot about toxic wastes, but it's not only government and industry that has to deal with poisonous substances. Most households regularly use poisons to wash clothes, clean stoves, kill pests, and manage gardens.

They're often dangerous to use - and always danger to dispose of. It would be better to "just say no" to such household poisons. Use up what you have, dispose of the container carefully, and find an alternative.

For gardens, here's a great site with alternative garden/pest solutions.

For flea control on the pet, give a weekly bath in gentle soap, followed by a weekly powder with rotenone (a harmless and edible garden and pet insecticide).

Our favorite natural soap/cleaner/laundry detergent is Sunshine Concentrate. I've used nothing else for 14 years.

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REDUCE, REUSE, THEN RECYCLE
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RECYCLING EGGSHELLS IS FOR THE BIRDS
Eggshells can provide "grit" for birds and also part of the nest for some species. Unsterilized eggshells may contain harmful Salmonella bacteria. Before throwing them out for the birds, boil them for 10 minutes or heat in oven for 20 minutes at 250 degrees. Let the eggshells cool, then crush them into pieces smaller than a dime. Offer the eggshells in a dish or on a low platform feeder.

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CREATION IN THE BIBLE
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Song of Solomon 2:11-13 KJV
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and
the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"In every petal of every flower
that springs forth from the sod
Is the miracle and the mystery
of all creation and of God."
Helen Steiner Rice

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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SEAWORLD RELEASES FIRST MANATEES
(Orange City, Florida)

A team of SeaWorld animal care experts released a 520-pound,7-foot-long male manatee into the St. John's River at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida.

This sea cow, along with another male manatee released the same day, was rescued in early January from Jacksonville's JEA power plant. Suffering from cold stress due to unusually frigid temperatures, both manatees recovered under the care of SeaWorld's animal experts.

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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.