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A TOUCH OF NATURE
October 15, 2002 Issue

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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I rescued a turtle from the road almost a week ago. He had been hit so I made the trip to the wildlife rehab center. Been checking on him and he's still doing well. When he's ready to be released we will pick him up and place him back in the habitat he came from [on the side of the road he was wanting to get to, so that he doesn't have to cross that highway again.] It's a very special thing to release a wild thing back to the wild.

If you don't have contact info for rehabilitators in your area, visit this site to make note of one near you. You don't want to wonder where it is after you find an injured animal. (International info is available here also)

Get information on what to do when you find a baby animal

Don't forget to vote on the colors of the new site at The Herbs Place, the sponsor of this newsletter. See the "ad" above. You get to choose the colors and win product prizes at the same time.

Till next time.....take a walk in the woods!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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LIVING WITH MICE

Because they are gnawers, mice can cause damage to buildings, especially insulation and wiring. They are attracted to stored food, especially grain and seed, and they can contaminate it with their urine and feces. With habitat modification, property owners can discourage and exclude mice and rats with these actions:

1) Remove all available food sources or store in secure containers. Compost piles can be a problem. It would be best to use an underground composter or a lidded worm box instead.

2) Modify outdoor habitat to eliminate shelter sites by mowing long grass, removing weeds and brush, and trimming shrubs at ground level. Remove debris and wood piles close to buildings.

3) Mice can enter buildings through holes no bigger than 1/2" in diameter and they can climb interior walls. Stuff steel wool into cracks and around drain pipes and other openings, or seal with caulking or cement. Use hardware cloth to patch larger holes or screen vent openings. Consider walls, eaves, and roofs.

Live-trapping and release is a more humane way to remove mice and rats than glue traps, poisoning or snap traps. Consider some of the options above to keep them from buildings you don't want them in.

Source: Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Lynwood, WA

Editor's Note: Consider making them another home out in the field. See instructions below

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MAKING LIFE EASIER ON WILDLIFE
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MAKING A MOUSE HOUSE

The common field mouse was beginning to become extinct. Old tennis balls can make a great house for a mouse. Cut a hole through the center and through the other side the size of the dowel rod you'll use. Cut a small hole on one side of it about the size of a quarter for an entrance. Put the dowel or small rod through the middle and then place the tennis ball with rod out in the field. Makes a great house for a mouse. They'll climb into it like a kid does a tree house.

Anybody that plays tennis is going to have lots of "dead" balls to give away. Stop by a tennis court if you don't know anybody and ask somebody if you could stop by again and pick up some old balls.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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MULCHING FOR THE WINTER

Winter mulch has a different purpose than summer mulch does, according to horticulturist Rosie Lerner of Purdue University. "It protects against wide temperature fluctuations in the soil," she says, "and prevents extreme cold temperatures from harming plants." You want to keep everything dormant until spring truly arrives. Mulch will maintain a cold soil even when temperatures hit 50°F in February, or when the snowpack melts temporarily.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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GREEN PEOPLE

The world's largest, searchable database of eco-friendly products: organic food, pet supplies, baby products, beauty products, home improvement, hemp, organic cotton, health products, recycled products.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to plan in and pray in,
where Nature may heal and cheer
and give strength to body and soul alike."
John Muir

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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SATELLITE TRACKS LEATHERBACK TURTLE

In a prime example of how innovative partnering, space technology, and good timing can advance discoveries in marine biology, University of Central Florida and Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute marine biologists have succeeded in attaching a satellite transmitter to track the migration of a leatherback turtle after nesting in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. This is an important step to understand the migration patterns of endangered leatherback turtles after they leave the nesting beaches of the Refuge and begin their long journey in the Atlantic Ocean.

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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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