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A TOUCH OF NATURE
October 1, 2002 Issue

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This newsletter is sponsored by The Herbs Place.com
Natural Health Solutions for Adults, Children and Pets!
Newsletters, Online Classes & *Herbal Medicine Chest*

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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Hi Friends and Nature Lovers!

I have a friend arriving tomorrow so this is going out a day early! I'm so excited to be able to show somebody our little piece of land near the mountains. She came last year and we drove over in that area and both decided it would be the place we'd love to be. It's like a confirmation trip to our dream of last year's visit.

The first northern right whale calf to be seen in the eastern North Pacific Ocean in perhaps a century was reported by the National Marine Fisheries Service a couple weeks ago after confirming the information/evidence they had. This is a great thing since the northern right whale is the most endangered whale in the world. Read the entire story.

The leaves are turning! Get out to those beautiful woods and pick up a few leaves to take home with you! Kids love to play in leaves and walk through the woods exploring. Get the entire family outdoors before it gets cold. Take a picnic - the ants are in for the winter in most places.

Quiet contemplation brings many rewards to the soul!
Donna

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CRITTERS
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CHICKADEES IN WINTER

All small warm-blooded creatures have difficulty maintaining their body temperatures in freezing weather, so many birds fly south for the winter. How do non-migrating chickadees manage to stay alive?

They have several physical adaptations - including dense plumage, shivering, and the ability to survive reduced body temperatures. They also adapt their behavior in several ways. They travel less in cold weather and are more likely to center their activity around rich food sources, such as feeders.

Plumage: Chickadees molt at the end of the summer, so they enter winter with as much as 50% more plumage than at any other time of the year, and their feathers are thicker and less worn. They also fluff them up to increase the thickness of their insulation.

Shivering: As temperature drops, chickadees begin shivering to keep warm. On cold winter nights chickadees often go into a state of regulated hypothermia. They actually drop their body temperature by decreasing, not stopping, shivering in the pectoral muscles. They then regulate their lower body temperature with intermittent and reduced bursts of shivering.

Foraging: Long winter nights pose a problem with fewer daylight hours for foraging. To compensate, chickadees begin and end their foraging times at lower light levels during this time of year than any other. They also intensify their use of reliably stocked feeders, so their time is reduced foraging. Black oil sunflower seeds and suet are the best choices of fat and energy for these little guys and other birds.

Studies at the University of Wisconsin show that chickadees have twice the survival rate when they have access to feeders. Ohio State University studied the importance of cavity roosting during the winter. Often birds have just enough energy in reserve to make it through the night. If you leave your nest boxes up this winter for the birds to use as a roost, you can help them survive the periods of extreme cold. You can also purchase roost boxes or make your nesting boxes convertible. Make small holes on the inside back side so you can put short dowel rods in there for the winter and then remove them for the summer for nesting.

Make a difference for the birds in your backyard. It will probably be the difference between life or death.

Source: Wild Bird News - Vol. XIV, No.6

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HAVE A PARTY!

Enjoy gathering with women and doing girl stuff? Want to make a few dollars while you have fun? Check out the new HomeSpa Party Plan. Make household cleaners, deodorizers and bath and beauty products with essential oils.

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CHARACTER QUALITIES IN NATURE
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In our last issue this section carried a segment called:
DETERMINATION WITH ACHIEVABLE GOALS: Arctic Tern
Gary Spangler replied with additional information about the behavior of these magnificent birds. I'd like to share that information with you. The natural world is simply incredible. When you think there is no order to the universe and it's all falling apart, remember these words:

From Gary Spanger: Your descriptive sketches of the creatures with which we share our planet are always a joy to read. The article on Arctic terns brought to mind many trips to the Dry Tortugas and Bird key, a tiny island 70 miles west of Key West, FL, where a tern colony - DEAD LINK REMOVED- of about 3 million Sooty Terns and several thousand Noddy Terns nest.

Another colony of Sooty terns nest on Midway Island in the Pacific and each colony is unique. The Florida birds will land only on the 18" square parcel of land on which they were hatched, and upon leaving their "home" they fly for 2 to 4 YEARS never landing even in the water. Going down the coast of South America, across to Africa and up to the Mediterranean where the flock breaks up - the younger coming home earlier than the adults for reasons explained below.

When arriving back at Bird Key, a few sentinels will scout out the tiny island under cover of darkness. The next night a few more will check it out; never landing. A few days later, at dawn all 90,000 or so will come in and land, each in its own birth site - a sight which I have personally observed and which is spectacular.

If two birds come back to the same spot, they will fight to the death over it, hence the necessity for the splitting of the flock mentioned above.

While I was there during one nesting season in the late 1970s, the Audubon Society was tagging birds and provided me with the facts above. That year they captured a bird which had been tagged 37 years prior (a testament to the virtue of arduous exercise!) All terns are beautiful and graceful birds, and many species share the south Florida seas. Thank you for your informative newsletter.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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LEARN TO RECOGNIZE INSECTS

Some of the insects featured eat other insects, which may be pest species, and others are important pollinators of flowering plants. Also learn which birds to attract to your habitat to control the insect populations. Visit this site.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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RECYCLING FOAM PACKAGING

Recycling packing peanuts produces eight times more air polluting emissions than manufacturing them. You can REUSE them for your own packing and shipping, or pass them on to somebody who can. The easiest way is to drop them off at a local shipping store, like Mailboxes, Etc. (where I drop mine). Anybody that ships will appreciate not having to buy these and you will feel good about not trashing them.

If you have the vegetable starch peanuts (wet one - if it dissolves, it's starch), they can be put in the compost pile.

If you need to get rid of large pieces of foam packaging, you can find out where a collection site is by calling (410) 451-8340 or visiting this website.

YOU MAY HAVE GREENER OPTIONS FOR A CAR

The EPA has a guide to help you choose the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. Low emissions and good fuel economy are both important for the environment. Check out the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"Nature may be a cruel contradiction - life forever warring against life -
but her ultimate message is the friendship of God. Secure in that
friendship we cannot be afraid. Life is the glorious experiment and Death
the great adventure, when the mist shall at last lift long enough for us to
see clearly." ---- Vivienne de Watteville

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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RIVER SEAL SAVES OLD DOG
(Reuters)
A seal saved an elderly dog from a watery grave after it was swept away by fierce currents in a fast-flowing river in northern England. Eyewitnesses said the dog, who appeared to be injured before hitting the water, scampered into the River Tees and tried to swim to the opposite bank -- but the current got the better of him.

Suddenly, a seal appeared from the depths and gently pushed the dog, a German Shepherd, into mudflats on the bank.

"I've never seen anything like it and I don't think I ever will," eyewitness Chris Hinds told Reuters Wednesday. "This seal just came out of nowhere. It was like the guardian angel came up.

Hinds took care of the dog until emergency services arrived after Tuesday's rescue. No owner was immediately tracked down and the dog was being looked after by the RSPCA animal charity. The charity named the dog "Seamo" after David Seaman, the goalkeeper of England's World Cup soccer team "because it was a great save."

Seals are not known for friendliness to dogs, but the RSPCA said they were naturally inquisitive creatures and it could have been just playing.

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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

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