Volume 31, Issue 4 December, 2006
www.jayhawkaudubon.org
WETLANDS FIELD TRIPS PROJECT WINS GRANT!
Jayhawk Audubon Society and Kaw Valley HeritageAlliance/StreamLink have been awarded a $4000 grantfrom the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund for our environmental education fieldtrips. High Interest in thefield trips from USD 497 4-6 grade teachers indicatesmore need for busing than originally expected, so part of this grant will help provide buses as well as materials for preparing classroom teachers. The grant will also helppay for KVHA/SL staff members to train a cadre of KUundergraduate life science students to conduct wetlandsassessments and to help facilitate activities in the field withthe elementary students.This grant is especially exciting because it showssupport for the joint efforts of JAS, KVHA/SL and severalKU Biological Survey scientists to create a variety of meaningful activities designed to increase children’sawareness and understanding of natural environments.The history of the Wakarusa wetlands and the importanceof conservation and preservation in protecting wetlandsand other essential, yet fragile, environments will also beemphasized.
* * * * * * * * *
HOLIDAYBOOK, FEEDER& SEED SALE
DECEMBER 9
*
10 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont
It’s all here
≈
food
for your birds,
books
for your loved ones,
feeders
for you to play with
≈
everythingto make the holidays perfect. Stop by to support JASwith your holiday shopping and birdfeeding dollars.
NEXT SEED SALE FEBRUARY 3
RD
Lawrence ChristmasBird Count
December 16
This is citizen science at its most fun. Join in the63rd Lawrence and 107th (!!)Audubon CBC to helptrack bird population fluctuations and movements. Neophyte birders are very welcome. You’ll go outwith experienced birders who love to share their knowledge so it’s a great way to break in your new binoculars-if you don’t have any we have extras.Contact CBC Coordinator Galen Pittman:gpittman@ku.edu(preferably) or call 785-843-8573He will assign you to a team. Potluck compilationdinner at Prairie Park Center at the end of the day.
See page 2 for info on the CBC at
©
Irish Peatland Conservation Council.Bogs in the Classroom project
* * * * * * * * *
Continued on Page 2 >>>>>>
JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY
2
<<<JAS WINS GRANT>>>
The goal of the Elizabeth Schultz Fund is to encouragenew and innovative ways to support and understand theenvironment. The other award winners were:- The Bonneville Environmental Foundation for a projectto install solar panels at Southwest Jr. High & teachstudents the benefits of renewable energy- KU Field Station and Ecological Reserves to buy landto protect wildlife diversity & an original prairie remnant.- Ken Lassman for publication of
Wild Douglas County,
a collection of seasonal guides, charts, maps, essaysand other resources.
Many thanks
to Beth Schultz, JAS member & KUprofessor emeritus, for her generosity and positive actionin establishing this fund. Visit www.dccfoundation.orgto learn more.- Sandy Sanders
Black-crowned Night-HeronDaniel Kilby
SLT ROUTE STILLUNDECIDED
ANOTHER CHANCETO HAVE YOUR SAY:
WHEN:
December 14, 200610 a.m. to 7 p.m.
WHERE:
Ks Nat’l Guard Armory200 N. Iowa, Lawrence
WHO:
Wendell L. Meyer Federal Highway Admin.
WHY:
To comment on the Federal HighwayAdministration’s (FHA) draft report on the 32nd St.vs. 42nd St SLT routes. This report can be seen atwww.ksdot.org/projects or at the Lawrence PublicLibrary. A final decision by FHA is expected byspring or summer of 2007.JAS prefers the 42nd St. route for many reasonsincluding the deleterious edge and noise effects thatwill extend into the wetlands far beyond the marginof the road and offset proposed mitigations, NativeAmerican concerns, and the strong need to preservean existing wetland rather than trade it for a prom-ise from a state agency whose funding is uncertain.See www.commondreams.org/views01/0527-05.htm for research notes by Sharon Collinge onthe pitfalls and inadequacy of many mitigations.You can also
WRITE TO:
Wendell L. Meyer Asst. Div. Administrator Ks Division Office FHA6111 S. W. 29th St.Topeka, KS 66614
Continued from Page 1
HOOKED ON THE CBC?
InDULGE YOURSELF at
Beautiful perry lake
On Sunday, December 17, plan on attending the area’s premiere Christmas Bird Count at beautiful PerryLake. The day will begin at dawn and end at dusk in acircle that encompasses the lake & portions of scenicJefferson Cty. At day’s end, a chili potluck will be heldat the Corps of Engineers office near Perry Dam, withthe coveted “Best Bird of the Day” prize awarded over dessert. It is
guaranteed
to be a fun filled day.You do not need to be an expert birder as inexperiencedand beginning birders will be paired with more experi-enced individuals. The goal of this event is to have funand enjoy the outdoors & our fine feathered friendswhile gaining valuable information for avian researchand birding trendsJoin the 26th annual event by contacting BunnieWatkins, compiler, at the Corps office at 785-597-5144(days) or 785-749-3581 home (evenings). Hope to seeyou on the 17th.- Bunnie Watkins
Short-eared owl. Steven D’A
mato
JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY
KID’S PAGE
3
BRRRRR
…IT’S
COLD
IN KANSAS!
How are you keeping warm and dry?>Are you staying inside with the furnace turned up??>Wearing a big coat, a hat & mittens???>Eating hot soup and drinking hot chocolate???How do you think wild animals, birds and insects stay warm and fed?>Do animals have houses with heaters and cupboards full of food like people do?? NO, but they DO have special ways to survive the winter:
*
Most furry animals grow an extra thick coat as the fall days get colder.>Pet your dog or cat and feel their thicker winter coat.
*
In autumn, animals eat as much as they can to put on extra fat because if they eat plants, fruit or insects there is little food for them in winter. Some animals store seeds and nuts for winter food.>Think hard...Have you seen any bugs crawling or flying outside this week?
*
Skunks, groundhogs, snakes and badgers use dens or burrows in the ground-even under houses-for shelter from wind and wet. Often several snuggle together to slow the loss of body heat.>Cuddle with Mom, Dad, Grandma or a pet. Warms you up doesn’t it??
*
Hibernating
animals appear to be in a deep sleep, but their breathing and heart beat have slowedway down & their body temperature drops very low so that they don’t need any food. Otherwisethey could starve to death over winter. True hibernators do not wake up until spring. Kansaswinters are not always cold enough for animals to fully hibernate. Earthworms, frogs, toads,mud turtles, bats, badgers, groundhogs, prairie dogs, raccoons and bumble bees are hibernators.
Torpor
is like hibernation but things don’t slow down as much. Animals in torpor often rouse onwarm days and come out of their dens to look for food or eat food they stored in the den. Somescientists say bears do not hibernate but instead enter a state of torpor. Others disagree.>Maybe YOU will become a scientist & solve this question some day.
*
BELIEVE IT OR NOT>
In Finland (a country in the far north of Europe--check anatlas) good dens can be so scarce that toads, frogs, grass snakes, lizards, bats, slow worms &adders (a kind of snake) may all share the same den to survive the
very
cold Finnish winters.>Guess where reindeer come from??? Do reindeer mind the cold?
Chickadee -Kirsten Munson
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