Take the Kids to the Park

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is participating in the national effort this weekend to get children into parks.

National Kids to Parks Day is held the third Saturday in May as part of an ongoing effort to connect youth with nature and encourage them to explore outdoors, especially at parks in their communities.  A list of events registered in each state is available at http://parktrust.org/kidstoparks.

To add an event, go to http://parktrust.org/kidstoparks/national-kids-to-parks-day/host-an-event.

The DNR has been promoting reconnecting Iowans with their natural resources through Take it Outside and Healthy, Happy Outdoors campaign.

“We want every Iowan to know that spending time outdoors increases physical activity and reduces stress,” said Todd Coffelt, chief of the Iowa DNR’s State Parks Bureau.

For information on Iowa State Parks, go to www.iowadnr.gov/parks

“No matter where they live, Iowans can find places to spend outside that are close to home,” Coffelt said.

April is National Frog Month!

Celebrate this frog-tastic month with these fun froggy activities:

• Observe frogs in a pond or wetland.
• Read books about frogs.
• Make a frog craft.
• Write a poem about frogs.
• Play frog hopscotch.
• Pick up garbage at your local pond to help keep frog habitat clean.

Froggy crafts
Frog Life Cycle Craft: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mfroglifecycle.htm
Frog Puppet: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mpfrog.html

Books about frogs
Arnosky, J. 2002. All About Frogs. Scholastic, Inc.
Beltz, E. 2009. Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World. Firefly Books, Limited.
Heller, R. 1995. How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians. Groslett & Dunlap.
Marent, T., and T. Jackson. 2010. Frog: A Photographic Portrait. DK Publishing, Inc.
Naden, C.J. 1972. Let's Find Out About Frogs. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Stewart, M., and H. Bond. 2010. A Place for Frogs. Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.

Fun Frog Facts

• Instead of drinking water, frogs soak it into their body through their skin.
• Frogs breathe through their nostrils, but they absorb about half the air they need through their skin.
• Frogs use their sticky, muscular tongue to catch and swallow food.
• Frogs can see forwards, sideways and upwards all at the same timeFrogs actually use their eyes to help them swallow food.
  

Want to do more?
April 25th is Save the Frogs Day! Learn more at: http://www.savethefrogs.com/

Nature Poetry

April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate with a study of nature poetry!

Ask children if they know what poetry is? Have they heard poems? Are books poems? Discuss. Read poems about nature and wildlife (see book list below). Listen to nature songs and music - since songs are poems set to music! Try “Billy B” Brennan, Stan Slaughter, or The Banana Slug String Band.

As a class, create your own illustrated nature poetry book. Take kids on a nature walk, find a quiet place to sit, listen, and reflect. Record students’ observations and feelings. Allow children time to draw pictures of what they see or how they feel while in nature. When you return to the classroom, as a class, create/write poems from the children’s observations. Compile a book of the children’s drawings and poetry.

Book Lists

Educator Book List

Anderson, P. 1996. Henry David Thoreau: American Naturalist. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Bosselaar, L., and E. Hiestand. 2000. Urban Nature: Poems About Wildlife in the City. Milkweed Editions.

Ferra, L., and D. Boardman. 1994. A Crow Doesn’t Need a Shadow: A Guide to Writing Poetry from Nature. Smith, Gibbs Publisher.

Hass, R. and P. Michael. 2008. River of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things. Milkweed Editions.

Leopold, A. 1989. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press.

Leslie, C. W., and C. E. Roth. 2003. Keeping a Nature Journal. Storey Books.

Leslie, C. W. 2003. Nature Journal: A Guided Journal for Illustrating and Recording Your Observations of the Natural World. Storey Books.

Muir, J. 1997. John Muir: Nature Writings. Penguin Group.

Shamir, I. 1999. Poet-Tree, the Wilderness I am. Better World Press, Inc.

Children’s Book List

Florian, D. 2002. Insectlopedia. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Florian, D. 2005. Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Florian, D. 2004. Mammalabilia. Voyager Books.

Florian, D. 2000. On the Wing. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

George, K. O., and K. Kiesler. 2007. Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Glaser, L., E. Kleven. 2002. Our Big Home: An Earth Poem. Lerner Publishing Group.

Harrison, M., and C. Stuart-Clark. 1992. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Oxford University Press.

Heard, G., and J.O. Dewey. 1997. Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: Poems. Boyds Mills Press.

Paladino, C. 1993. Land, Sea, and Sky: Poems to Celebrate the Earth. Little, Brown & Company.

Paolilli, P. and D. Brewer. 2001. Silver Seeds: A Book of Nature Poems. Viking.

Peters, L. W., and C. Felstead. 2003. Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up. HarperCollins Publishers.

Ryder, J., and D. Nolan. 1990. Under Your Feet. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Sidman, J., and B. Prange. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Sidman, J., and R. Allen. 2014. Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

VanDerwater, A. L., and R. Gourley. 2013. Forest Has a Song: Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Worth, V., and S. Jenkins. 2007. Animal Poems. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Yolen, J. and J. Stemple. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. Boyds Mills Press.

Helping our Native Pollinators

What is Pollination?

Pollination is the process where plants receive pollen from other plants of the same species so they can reproduce and form seeds. Many plants are pollinated by animals, and most of the animal pollinators are insects. The relationship between plants and their insect pollinators is beneficial to both the plant and the pollinator. The insect pollinator receives food, usually in the form of nectar, while it spreads pollen from plant to plant aiding the plants reproduction. Pollination is really just a “happy accident” that happens when an insect visits a flower to get food. The insects do not know they are pollinating plants as they are finding food for themselves.

Insects have been pollinating plants for approximately 140 million years, since the dawn of angiosperms (flowering plants). Flowering plants lure pollinators to them with scent, visual cues, and food. Learn more about the process of pollination: The Plant Pollination Process: http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/plant-pollination-process.html

Why We Need Pollinators

More than one-third of our food supply depends on pollinators. Without pollinators there would be no apples, onions, oranges, pumpkins, and many other fruit and vegetables. There would be no coffee, chocolate, nuts, or cotton for our clothes. Without pollinators our world would be a much different place than it is right now.

Produce Section With And Without Bees

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/15/supermarket-without-bees_n_3442938.html

List of crop plants pollinated by bees

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crop_plants_pollinated_by_bees

Why you should be more worried about pollination than a bee sting

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/why-you-should-be-more-worried-about-pollination-than-a

Flower Dissection

Gather flowers from your yard or visit a local flower shop and get flowers to dissect. Cut the flowers in half. Identify the different parts and talk about what they are and how pollination works. Ask children if they have seen bees or butterflies on flowers? Why do they think they were on the flowers?

Pollination Crafts

Create tissue paper flowers. Have children draw pictures of pollinators to glue to their flowers.

Pollination Field Trip

Visit a local apple orchard, garden, or even walk around your schoolyard this spring and observe how many pollinators you can find. Make a chart to keep track of different kinds (bee, butterfly, moth, beetle, etc).

Gardening for Pollinators

Plan and plant a school garden for pollinators. Already have a school garden? Add plants for pollinators or devote a section to pollinators. Even growing a few pollinator-friendly plants in containers can be beneficial!

Blank Park Zoo: Plant. Grow. Fly.

http://www.blankparkzoo.com/en/conservation/plant_grow_fly/

Become part of a new conservation initiative to help protect native pollinators! Whether you have several acres, a small back yard, a schoolyard, or even a business courtyard – you can make a difference! Plant seeds, watch them grow, and help our native pollinators thrive!

Other things you can do to support pollinators:     

• Avoid or limit pesticide use at home and never use a neonicotinoid pesticide
• Buy organic produce
• Provide nesting sites, such as bee nesting blocks

Helpful Links

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation – Looking out for Iowa: Native Pollinators

http://www.inhf.org/lookingoutforiowa-native-pollinators.cfm

Native Pollinators: The Amazing World of Native Pollinators

http://nativepollinator.com/

Native Bee Conservancy: Saving Our Wild Pollinators

http://www.nativebeeconservancy.org/

Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/BeeBasics.pdf

Bug Guide: Native Bees of North America

http://bugguide.net/node/view/475348

Animal Pollination

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/index.shtml

USDA Forest Service: Gardening for Pollinators

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening.shtml

Planting a Pollinator Garden

http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/3029

The Xerces Society: Pollinator Gardens

http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/gardens/

Garden for Wildlife

http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create-a-Habitat.aspx

White House Gets “First-Ever” Pollinator Garden, Milkweed Planted at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/monikamaeckle/2014/04/white-house-gets-first-ever-pollinator-garden-milkweed-planted-at-1600-pennsylvania-ave/

Book List

Educator Reference

Barth, F. G., and M. A. Biedermann-Thorson. 1991. Insects and Flowers: The Biology of a Partnership. Princeton University Press.

The Xerces Society . 2011. Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide to Conserving North American Bees and Butterflies and Their Habitat. Storey Books.

Children’s Books

Galvin, L.G., and K. Kest. 2000. Bumblebee at Apple Tree Lane. Soundprints.

Heiligman, D., and B. Weissman. 1996. From Caterpillar to Butterfly. HarperCollins Publishers.

Hoff, M. K. 2004. Pollination. The Creative Company.

Lawrence, E. 2012. What Lily Gets from Bee: And Other Pollination Facts. Bearport Publishing Company, Inc.

Schaefer, L. M., and A. Richardson. 2001. Butterflies: Pollinators and Nectar-Sippers. Capstone Press.

Slade, S., and C. Schwartz. 2010. What If There Were No Bees? Capstone Press.

Lauber, P., and J. Wexler. 1986. From Flower to Flower: Animals and Pollination. Random House Children’s Books.

 Ethan H. 

Category I (Grades K-2) 

1st Place (Tie)

Emma F. 

Category I (Grades K-2) 

1st Place (Tie)

Iowa Kids “Take It Outside” with IDNR Art Contest

To view all of the winning posters visit the IDNR Education Competitions:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/EducationCompetitions.aspx

Over 1800 Iowa students, ranging from Kindergarten to grade 12, participated in this year’s Iowa Department of Natural Resources “Take It Outside” Art Contest. Entries showcased children enjoying their favorite natural places in Iowa – from prairies and forests to lakes and streams.

This year art contest participants were asked to portray their favorite natural place to “take it outside”. They were asked to show what makes the place special to them. From hiking, fishing, hunting, reading under a tree to bird watching, lying in the grass, and climbing trees – this year’s participants showed us the wonderful ways they like to enjoy Iowa’s natural resources!

Iowa is abundant with wonderful natural resources and natural areas are found throughout the state. Natural places can be public, such as state parks and recreations areas, or private, such as farms and backyards. Regardless of size or location, natural places connect us to the outdoors and enrich our lives.

Schools were asked to submit posters in the following categories: Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12. All categories were for original hand-drawn artwork. Winners were selected based on portrayal of theme, creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit. 

Individual winners (by category):

Category I: Grades K-2

1^st Place – Emma F., Homeschool

1^st Place – Ethan H., Homeschool

Best Use of Color – Krystal W., Benton Community Schools

Category II: Grades 3-5

1^st Place – Nathan P., Mid-Prairie HSAP

Best Use of Theme – Rebecca U., Pleasant Valley Schools

Most Creative – Molly S., South Tama Schools

Best Use of Color – Amelia J., Des Moines Catholic Diocese

Category III: Grades 6-8

1^st Place – Carmen A., Benton Community Schools

Most Creative – Tyler P., Ames Schools

Best Use of Color – Emily P., Southeast Polk Community Schools

Category IV: Grades 9-12

1^st Place – Gabby R., West Marshall Schools

Best Use of Theme – Tessa M., North Polk Schools

Individual artists who placed first in each category received a prize package of exploration and/or outdoor recreation supplies. Every participant received a certificate from the IDNR. Winning entries will be displayed during the Iowa State Fair at the DNR building.

Grant for natural resources-based recreation experience

Each school that submitted art contest entries was entered in a drawing to receive a grant (total of 4 grants awarded) for a fishing field experience at a local outdoor recreation area.

Thank you again for all of the entries!    We enjoyed the opportunity to view all of the wonderful artwork and creativity of the students!

MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Hafner, DNR, at (641) 747-2200 or shannon.hafner@dnr.iowa.gov

Iowa Fish

What is a fish? Fish are animals that live their lives in water. Fish are cold-blooded, which does not mean that their blood is cold but rather that their body temperature changes with the temperature of the water around them. Fish are also vertebrates - they have a backbone and an internal skeleton made of cartilage or bone. 

Since fish are animals they must breathe oxygen just like other animals - but how do they breathe oxygen under water? With their gills! Gills make it possible for fish to breathe oxygen under water by absorbing the dissolved oxygen in water.

Fish also have fins and scales. Fins are how fish move around in the water. Different fish have different fin shapes and sizes. Scales cover fish and protect them. Most fish have scales but some, like catfish, are covered with tough skin.

There are 148 species of fish in Iowa.

Creature Feature – Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

Green sunfish are small sunfish growing no more than 7 inches in length. They have a heavy body that is blue-green on the sides and back with a yellow or white belly. The sides of green sunfish head’s are spotted with emerald and yellow streaks. The flap on the gill cover is edged with white or yellow. They have a large mouth with the upper jaw reaching to about the middle of their eye. Green sunfish usually have whitish or yellow-orange leading edges on their fins.

Green sunfish live in streams, lakes, wetlands, and ponds throughout Iowa. They are often found in water bodies that have lower water quality where other sunfish cannot survive. Green sunfish eat insects, fish, worms, and crayfish.

Green sunfish spawn, or mate, in June. The male constructs the nest. After the female lays the eggs the male will stay with them until they hatch in 3 to 6 days.

Fishing Fun!

Use Growing Up WILD’s “Fishing Fun!” to explore fishing with young children! By engaging in dramatic play children will learn about fish and the basics of fishing. Using stick poles children fish for paper fish.

Growing Up WILD: Fish Information Sheet

http://projectwild.org/growingupwild/Fishing_Fun.pdf

More Ideas!

Set up a small aquarium in your classroom so children can watch how fish move and breathe.

After exploring fish and fishing with “Fishing Fun!” plan a fishing fun day for your students. Utilize parent helpers, community help, and contact your local County Conservation Board Naturalist for supplies, locations, and assistance.

OR plan a trip to a local aquarium or pet shop to observe different species of fish.

Fish for your snack! Use pretzel sticks for “poles” and dip for “bait” and “fish” for fish-shaped crackers. Dip pretzel sticks in dip and use the dip on the end to pick up fish crackers. How many fish can you catch with one “cast”?

Books List

Amdahl, P. 2000. The Barefoot Fisherman: A Fishing Book for Kids. Clearwater Publishing.

Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's Twenty-five Fish Every Child Should Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Bryan, J. et al. 2007. Take Me Fishing: 50 Great Writers on Their Favorite Sport. Skyhorse Publishing.

Burger, C. 1960. All About Fish. Random House.

Cook, B. 2005. The Little Fish that Got Away. HarperCollins.

Gallimard, J. 1998. Fish. Scholastic.

Heinrichs, A.R. 2003. Fish. Coughlan Publishing.

Klein, A. G. 2008. Fishing. ABDO Publishing Company.

Long, E. 1987. Gone Fishing. Houghton Mifflin.

Parker, S. 2005. Fish. DK Publishing, Inc.

Pastel, J., K. Fitzsimmons and L. VanDeWeghe. Bur Bur's Fishing Adventure: An Exciting Fishing Adventure. IGI Press.

Pfeffer, W. 1996. What's it Like to be a Fish? (Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science 1). Harper Trophy.

Prosek, J. 2004. A Good Day’s Fishing. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Quigley, M. 2007. Granddad’s Fishing Buddy. Dial.

Schaefer, L.M. 2001. What Is a Fish?. Coughlan Publishing.

Sill, C. 2005. About Fish: A Guide for Children. Peachtree Publishers.

Wells, E. 2006. Wishing I was Fishing. Beaver’s Pond Press.

Links

IDNR: Fishes of Iowa

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/IowaFishSpecies.aspx

IDNR: Taking Kids Fishing

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/FishingTipsHowTos/TakingKidsFishing.aspx

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Iowa Invertebrates

More than 97% of the animal species on Earth are invertebrates. Invertebrates are small animals that do not have backbones. There are many types of invertebrates, from fluid-filled jellyfish, and squishy earthworms to hard shelled insects like beetles, and eight-legged arachnids. This fascinating and diverse group of animals spans the globe – invertebrates live on every continent and in every body of water!

BrainPOP: Invertebrates

http://www.brainpop.com/science/livingsystems/invertebrates/

Science for Kids: Invertebrates Poem

http://www.science-for-kids.net/invertebrates.html

Creature Feature – Dragonflies & Damselflies

There are 450 species of dragonflies and damselflies in North America and about 110 of those call Iowa their home. Dragonflies and damselflies are similar to one another but can be distinguished from each other by their size and by how they hold their wings at rest. Dragonflies are larger and hold their wings out horizontally from their body. Damselflies are smaller and hold their wings together above their body. Collectively they are in the insect order Odonata.

Dragonfly species have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. These giant prehistoric dragonflies had wingspans over two feet wide!

Dragonflies and damselflies usually live near bodies of water. The presence of dragonflies and damselflies in aquatic ecosystems is a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

Adult dragonflies feed on other, smaller insects, catching them mid-flight.

Dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs in the water or on vegetation near or above the water. The young are fully aquatic and are called nymphs. Nymphs are voracious predators and eat other aquatic organisms, including other juvenile insects, and even small fish. The nymphs will grow and molt several times before their final molt when they will become a flying adult.

Iowa Odonata Survey

http://iowaodes.org/

Odes for Beginners

http://odesforbeginners.com/

Dragonfly Activities

Show children pictures of dragonflies and damselflies and ask them if they have ever seen these insects. What do they know about them? What would they like to know? Make a chart of their responses.  Read books about dragonflies and damselflies.  Discover the answers to their questions together. Using craft supplies build dragonflies or dragonflies. Some good supplies to have would be pipe cleaners, tissue paper, googly eyes, etc. Hang their creations from the ceiling over you reading or science center.

Cut lily pad shapes out of cardboard or other durable material. Paint green. Place them on the floor approximately 12 inches apart. Have the children pretend they are dragonflies or damselflies and flit from lily pad to lily pad. Ask the children to hop, jump, skip etc…

Check with your local County Conservation Board for assistance from a Naturalist and plan dragonfly/damselfly walk to a local body of water. Observe any dragonflies or damselflies you see. Using nets and containers check the water for dragonfly nymphs. 

Dragonfly Learning Activities for Preschool

http://www.ehow.com/info_7849895_dragonfly-learning-activities-preschool.html

Book List

Allen, J., and T. Humphries. 2004. Are You a Dragonfly? Kingfisher.

Amery, H. and T. Gibbons. 1997. Dragonflies. Gareth Stevens Publishing.

Bernhard, E., and D. Bernhard. 1993. Dragonfly. Holiday House, Inc.

Glaser, L. 2008. Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle Story. Lerner Publishing Group.

Johnson, J. 2013. What’s it like to be a DRAGONFLY? Riverstream Publishing, Inc.

Kavanagh, J. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies. Waterford Press Ltd.

Nikula, B., et al. 2002. Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies. Little, Brown and Company.

Pringle, L., and B. Marshall. 2001. A Dragon in the Sky: The Story of a Green Darner Dragonfly. Scholastic, Inc.

Rice, R. H., and G. Torrisi. 1996. Dragonflies. Owen, Richard C. Publishers, Inc.

Rinehart, S. C., and A. C. Hovemann. 2004. Eliza and the Dragonfly. Dawn Publications.

Rosman, S. S., and G. Carmi. 1992. Deena the Damselfly. URJ Press.

Sexton, C. 2008. Damselflies. Scholastic Library Publishing.

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx