From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Oct 8 13:27:34 2008 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us) Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 13:27:34 -0400 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] October 8 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <48ECB546.D567.00BD.0@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery October 8, 2008 Owls Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Hudson Valley - Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center Central New York - Rogers Environmental Education Center Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center Subscribe to Outdoor Discovery or change your subscription options (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) Owls Owls are nocturnal birds that are easily recognized by their large heads, huge eyes and chunky bodies. They are well adapted for hunting and feed on mice and other small mammals, insects and even fish. While there are a number of different species of owls that make their home in New York State, many people have never seen one. Soft feathers make their flight nearly silent, and they have excellent hearing, which enables them to hunt in the dark. One of the most unusual features of owls is their ability to turn their head 270 degrees. Their eyeballs are fixed in their sockets, so owls must turn their heads to see what is going on around them. People need 10 times the amount of light that owls need to see. Several hours after eating, owls will regurgitate an owl pellet, which consists of the indigestible parts of their prey. The pellets are gray or brown masses that contain fur, feathers, bones, bills, claws or teeth. You can find owl pellets at roosting or nesting sites, and they can tell you the story of the owl's diet. If you find an owl pellet, soak it in warm water and dissect it to learn just what food the owl has eaten. Some common New York owls include: Great Horned Owl - A very large, powerful brownish owl with yellow eyes and prominent ear tufts, the great horned owl likes a variety of wooded habitats, including the suburbs, often nesting in large tree hollows. This owl reaches a length of up to 25" with a wingspan of 55". Eastern Screech Owl - A fairly common small owl with yellow eyes and ear tufts, the Eastern screech owl can be red or gray. This smaller owl prefers a mix of woods, open areas and water, and reaches a length of 10" with a wingspan of 22". Barn Owl - A medium-sized pale owl with a white, heart-shaped face, dark eyes and long legs, the barn owl is found in meadow, grassland or marsh areas. As the name implies, the barn owl sometimes nests in barns or silos but prefers tree cavities. This owl reaches a length up to 20" with a wingspan of 44". Check out DEC's website for additional photos.. Send us an e-mail and tell us what you think about Outdoor Discovery. Let your friends know about Outdoor Discovery - forward this e-mail! Back to top Family Fun Go Away! Make an owl head now to scare away birds that will be eating in your garden next spring. Get two recycled CDs, some wiggle eyes, light brown, black and dark brown craft foam. Glue the two CDs in the middle of the piece of light brown craft foam, and glue a wiggle eye in the center of each CD. These will be the owl's eyes. To make the owl's head, draw an oval shape with two ears around the CDs and cut out the head. The forehead and beak are two triangles (one larger than the other) cut out of the dark brown and black foam, respectively. Glue the forehead triangle on top of the CDs and the beak triangle on top of the forehead between the "eyes." Punch a hole in the owl's head and hang it from a window or garden post using some ribbon. The light will reflect off the CDs and warn birds to stay away. Wild Night On a clear night, head outside with an adult and a small flashlight. Stay in the shadows under the trees and walk softly. To help you hear the sounds of the night, you can cup your hands behind your ears. If you think you hear an owl call, stop and listen for the next round. If you want to talk back to the owl, memorize the number of sounds and their rhythm, and try to repeat it. The owl may actually fly in for a closer look to see who is in its territory. Hold your flashlight next to your head at eye level to see if you can spot any owl eyes peering back at you. To familiarize yourself with some owl sounds, visit the Owl Pages website. Make Tracks!TM Family Trail Weekend Walk, bike, roll or stroll to a trail near you this Columbus Day Weekend (October 11-13th, 2008) for the first annual Make Tracks Family Trail Weekend, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour?. Check out Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Fall Family Fishing Festival and Children's Festival ? Hempstead Lake State Park Saturday, October 18 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Come out and enjoy a day of free fishing with the entire family! Headlining the event is a children's "Casting for Pumpkins" contest. In addition, more than 1,000 trout will be stocked prior to the event. Loaner rods and free bait are available at every event. Cost: $5 for participants 12 years and older, plus $6 parking fee; free with Empire Passport. For more information, please visit the I Fish New York website. To register, please call Malynda Nichol at 631-444-0283. Hudson Valley Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1833.html) Campfire Cooking Saturday, October 18 at 2:00 PM One of the pleasures of camping is creating simple but tasty meals over a wood fire. Learn what tools you need to become a wilderness chef, get a few recipes and sample some fresh-cooked delicacies around our campfire. More events at Stony Kill (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/2001.html#october) Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Predators of the Night Friday, October 10 at 7:00 PM Join us for a walk on Five Rivers' trails to learn about the nocturnal animals that are flying, running or slithering after prey. Raccoons: Masked Bandits? Saturday, October 11 at 2:00 PM An indoor presentation will be followed by an outdoor walk to look for signs of these fascinating mammals. Wild Apples Saturday, October 18 at 10:00 AM More than 50 species of birds and mammals go bananas for apples. Join us on a field study of the history of wild apples, as we scour the old Ackerman farm for surviving trees from an earlier era. Helping Birds Eat Local Saturday, October 18 at 2:00 PM Niger seed imported from Nepal, safflower from Utah, sunflower from the Dakotas...wow, bird seed travels farther than the birds do! Join us to learn how to lower your bird-feeding carbon footprint (and expense) using local sources and savvy gardening/landscaping ideas. More events at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#October) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/main.htm) Mushrooms of the Pine Bush Saturday, October 11 from 10:00 AM to Noon Have you ever wondered what the different kinds of mushrooms are that you see growing in the Pine Bush? There is a beautiful diversity of fungi in the Pine Bush Preserve, of various shapes, sizes and an array of colors. Please call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. Fall Foliage Hike Saturday, October 18 from 10:30 AM to Noon Discover why some leaves turn color and others stay green all year. Please call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. Central New York Rogers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1831.html) Leaf Peeping at Farm Tower Saturday, October 11 from 10:00 AM to Noon One of the most wonderful things about fall is being able to enjoy the array of colors all around us. Join us as we walk the Farm Tower Trail, soaking up the beauty that is fall. Animals of Halloween Friday, October 17 at 6:30 PM Tricks, treats, and?animals? See some incredible costumed animals along the trails at Rogers! Meet at the amphitheater right outside the Visitor Center. Please call to register: 607-674-4017. More events at Rogers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/2006.html#October) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. Field Guide for Kids Saturday, October 11 at 10:30 AM Make a simple field guide of common plants and animals to take on the trail. For kids ages 6 to 10; cost: $1.00/child. Full Hunter's Moon Walk Tuesday, October 14 at 6:00 PM Come out and enjoy the brightness and folklore of the full moon. Owl Prowl Friday, October 17 at 7:00 PM Learn about our local owls, and listen for them on a walk in the woods. For adults and children ages six and older only. Cold-blooded Catnap Saturday, October 18 at 10:30 AM Learn how local frogs, turtles and snakes survive our harsh winters on this guided walk. Habitat Hunt Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 PM Who are the critters in our "neighborhood"? Learn about our resident wildlife--what they eat and where they live. For children under age 12. More events at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#october) Events at other nature centers throughout the state Visit DEC's website for more information and programs Subscribe to Conservationist magazine?New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Back to top This email was sent by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233 We respect your right to privacy - view our policy (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/27720.html). Having problems viewing this newsletter? View it on the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/43355.html). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 61277 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 7824 bytes Desc: not available URL: From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Oct 22 10:11:20 2008 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us) Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:11:20 -0400 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] October 22 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <48FEFC48.D567.00BD.0@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery October 22, 2008 The Moon Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Hudson Valley - Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center Central New York - Rogers Environmental Education Center Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center Subscribe to Outdoor Discovery or change your subscription options (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) The Moon The moon is the earth's only natural satellite. It is nearly 239,000 miles from earth, and makes one full orbit around the earth every 29.5 days. As the moon travels around the earth, it enters a series of phases, which change the amount of light reflected off its surface and how it looks from earth. It can be seen on clear days or nights from anywhere on earth during all its phases, except the "new" moon. (See below to find out why!) During autumn, there are two special moons that are legendary. Usually, the moon rises 50 minutes later each night during its full cycle. But the harvest moon and the hunter's moon both rise approximately 30 minutes later from one night to the next. The harvest moon is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox (when the day and night are of equal length), and it appears much brighter and bigger than other moons because of the seasonal tilt of the earth. Years ago, farmers depended on the harvest moon for the extra light it provided as they tried to harvest their crops before winter. The hunter's moon is the first full moon after the harvest moon, and usually occurs in October. Legend has it that hunters could continue to track their prey well into the night because of the perceived brightness of the hunter's moon. Send us an e-mail and tell us what you think about Outdoor Discovery. Let your friends know about Outdoor Discovery - forward this e-mail! Back to top Family Fun Going through a Phase There are eight different moon phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. The shape of the moon during these phases appears to change because the sun is illuminating different parts of the moon that are facing us. As the moon revolves around the earth, we see different parts of the side of the moon that is facing the sun. Try this demonstration with two friends or family members, a softball and a flashlight to learn about the phases of the moon. On a dark night have one person hold the flashlight and stand near a garage or wall or your house. This person is the sun. The second person will stand a few feet away and be the earth. The third person is the moon and carries the softball. Have the moon stand directly between the earth and the sun. Turn on the flashlight so that the light shines directly on the softball. The earth will be looking at the unlit side of the moon (new moon). Now the moon moves to the left side of the earth. See how the first quarter or half moon is now visible. Next, the moon stands in back of the earth, representing a full moon. Lastly, the moon moves to the right of the earth to show the last quarter of the moon. Make sure that the sun and the earth remain stationary while the moon is rotating around the earth. Telling Times Many years ago, people didn't have watches or clocks to help them tell time. They created a sundial that used the sun as a clock. Using a 6" x 12" piece of plywood, draw or trace a perfect semicircle from one corner to the other along the long side. Next, draw a straight vertical line through the center of the semicircle. To make the sundial's hand (called the gnomon), cut a triangle out of a piece of thin cardboard by marking 6" along the bottom and 6" up the side. Cut diagonally between the two marks to make the triangle. Fold one side of the triangle a half-inch to make a flap, and glue the flap onto your base, so that the crease of the fold sits on the center line. Place the sundial in a spot that gets sunshine most of the day. The gnomon must point north in order to tell time correctly. On a clear night, you can find north by pointing the tip of the triangle toward the North Star (the star that is "pouring" out of the Big Dipper). To make the dial, go outside every hour during daylight and make a mark where the gnomon's shadow falls on the base, until all the hours between sunrise and sunset are marked. Make sure you leave your sundial in the same place, and use it when you are outside to tell what time it is. Travel to the Moon Even though the moon is thousands of miles away, you can actually explore the moon pretty easily. On a clear night with a full moon, take some binoculars and find a comfortable place to sit. Use the binoculars to look closely at the moon. Do you see craters, lines and flat plains? These features were all caused by the impact of meteorites striking the moon. Check out Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Hudson Valley Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1833.html) Make Your Own Mask! Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 PM Masks, especially those inspired by animals, have been used by people all over the world in ceremonies to conjure or ward off spirits, or insure success in hunting or warfare. Make your own mask out of simple or recycled materials, just in time for Halloween! Please call to register: 845-831-8780 ext 304. More events at Stony Kill (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/2001.html#november) Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Halloween Open House Saturday, October 25 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM Bats and spiders and bugs! A family-oriented exploration of the nature of Halloween. Come see and touch (if you dare) skeletons and skulls; meet live reptiles and amphibians. Galls Saturday, November 1 at 2:00 PM Join us on a walk to learn about the fascinating, weirdly shaped insect houses called galls. More events at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#November) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/discovery_center/directions_hours_admission.htm) Halloween Howl Prowl Friday, October 24 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Come join us for a howling good time and start Halloween early. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. Call to register: 518-456-0655. Legends and Lore of the Albany Pine Bush Saturday, October 25 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Fraught with tales of burglary, ghosts, fire, and more the human history of the Pine Bush weaves between fact and fiction, imagination and reality. This program is recommended for ages 10 and over. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. Call to register: 518-456-0655. More events at the Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/events/events.cfm?eventTypeID=2) Central New York Rogers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1831.html) Leaf Art Saturday, October 25 at 11:00 AM Join us at Rogers and make all sorts of creatures out of the colorful leaves you see on the ground while we learn a little bit about fall trees. Please call to register: 607-674-4017. Fall Constellations Saturday, October 25 at 7:00 PM Join guest speaker David Terrazas as he takes us on a journey far, far away to the awesome constellations of our galaxy while staying right here at Rogers. Fall Fruits Saturday, November 1 at 11:00 AM Take a look around for nature's autumn bounty during this walk. You might be able to spot the wild foods that will help all kinds of animals survive the winter, and maybe you'll even catch a glimpse of the animals themselves! More events at Rogers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/2006.html#November) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Movie Matinee ? Fly Away Home Saturday, November 1 at 3:00 PM Join us for an afternoon viewing of the Oscar nominated movie "Fly Away Home" (Rated PG). A thirteen-year-old girl finds renewed happiness when she adopts an orphaned flock of baby geese and, later, teaches them to migrate using an ultralight aircraft. Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. More events at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#november) Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State Visit DEC's website for more information and programs Subscribe to the Conservationist magazine? New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Back to top This email was sent by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233 We respect your right to privacy - view our policy (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/27720.html). Having problems viewing this newsletter? View it on the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/43355.html). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 61277 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 4939 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 4430 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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