From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Mar 9 09:38:39 2011 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (DEC Outdoor Discovery Bi-weekly Newsletter) Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2011 09:38:39 -0500 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] March 9 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <4D774A9F.D567.00BD.1@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery March 9, 2011 Nature Photography Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery 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) Nature Photography Winter provides plenty of opportunities for us to look at nature differently than we do in other seasons. Capture unique winter landscapes and wildlife activity with a camera. Here are some tips for photographing nature. Landscape Photographs ?Be sure to include objects in the foreground as well as the middle and background. For example, if photographing a bridge, include some of the shoreline and nearby trees. ?Avoid centering the subject. Instead, use the rule of thirds, and imagine your picture as a grid. The main focus of the picture should be slightly off to the side of the grid, top or bottom. ?Photograph in all weather conditions, even when it is snowing. ?Remember to look up; take a picture from the bottom of a tree looking up through its branches. ?Try photographing reflections, which can result in a calming/relaxing image. Wildlife Photographs ?Get down on the level of your subject, and shoot the picture from the side, not from the front. ?Be patient, still and quiet. Wait for the right moment. ?Put up bird feeders near your home to photograph birds and even squirrels. ?Look for wildlife in parks and at public wild centers. ?Consider even the smallest subjects, such as a tree bud or a single snowflake. General Tips ?Take pictures from different angles. For example, try lying on the ground. ?Keep it simple. Don't clutter the image. ?Always note where the light is coming from, and avoid shooting directly into the sun. ?Use the flash to get rid of shadows. ?Take both horizontal and vertical images of the same shot. More wildlife photography tips and examples can be found on the DEC TV(http://www.dec.ny.gov/dectv/dectv132.html) and Watchable Wildlife(http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/59438.html) pages on DEC's website. 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! Subscribe to Conservationist magazine (http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/65514.html)?New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Learn the best places to view wildlife at DEC's Watchable Wildlife (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/55423.html) pages. Back to top Family Fun Picture Scavenger Hunt Take your camera outside on a picture scavenger hunt to shoot photos of things that you wouldn't normally photograph: ?Birds at a birdfeeder ?Squirrels in the snow ?Animal tracks (see the activity below) ?Sunrise or sunset ?A frozen waterfall or lake or an ice-covered stream ?A bud starting to swell on a bush or tree branch ?An icicle hanging from a roof ?An ordinary object covered with snow In addition, take some pictures around your yard, and have another person guess where they were taken. E-mail your best photo to Conservationist for Kids. Winter Tracks Photography Taking pictures of animal tracks in the snow is a popular winter activity. You can tell what an animal was doing by looking closely at its tracks. Walk - When an animal walks, it leaves alternating, evenly spaced prints in parallel rows, often putting its hind foot in the same spot where its front foot stepped. Trot - When an animal trots, the feet diagonal to each other move simultaneously; for example, the left front and the right rear. Gallop - When an animal gallops, all four feet leave the ground at the same time as it moves forward. Jump - When an animal jumps or hops, all four feet leave the ground at the same time as it moves forward and upward. Take the following posters on your next photography hike to help you do your own animal tracking: Tracks poster - Part 1 PDF (477 KB) Tracks poster - Part 2 PDF (1.25 MB) Read Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Family Fun: Who Lives In a Tree? Saturday, March 12 at 2:00 PM Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. Space is limited. Please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 to register by Wednesday, March 9. Family Fun: Maple Sugar Open House Saturday, March 19 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM Come any time to visit the round-robin education stations. Organized groups are welcome but are asked to call 518-475-0291 to register. Event Descriptions at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#March) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.org/discovery_center/directions_hours_admission.htm) The (Almost!) Vernal Equinox Hike Saturday, March 19 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $3.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/events/events.cfm?da=1&mo=3&ye=2011&eventTypeID=2) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. Frogwatch USA Volunteer Training Wednesday, March 9 at 6:00 PM After-School Escape Thursdays, March 10 and 17 at 4:30 PM For children in grades K-5. No registration required. Snowy with a Chance of Salamanders Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 AM Spring Equinox Night Walk Monday, March 21 at 7:00 PM Event Descriptions at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#March) Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1826.html) Visit DEC's website for more information and programs (http://www.dec.ny.gov) 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). To unsubscribe (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 6645 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 45616 bytes Desc: not available URL: From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Mar 23 09:07:13 2011 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (DEC Outdoor Discovery Bi-weekly Newsletter) Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:07:13 -0400 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] March 23 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <4D89B841.D567.00BD.1@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery March 23, 2011 Biomimicry Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery 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) Biomimicry What is Biomimicry? Biomimicry is copying nature's design and processes to use for human purposes. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. How did the Wright brothers come up with the idea of building an airplane? They (and others before them) spent a lot of time studying birds in flight. They noticed that birds soared into the wind and that the air flowing over the curved surface of their wings lifted them higher into the air. They also watched the birds change the shape of their wings to turn and maneuver. Biomimicry is a way of learning from nature. Engineers use the features and qualities that they observe in nature to develop new products or better ways to do things. It wasn't just the Wright brothers who used biomimicry either. Check out these other well-known copycat inventions: ?Light stick - Firefly ?Sonar - Bat ?Suction cups - Octopus ?Swim fins and paddles - Duck ?Snowshoes - Snowshoe hare, ptarmigan ?Velcro? - Burdock seed ?Robots - Ant and other insects Into the Future New ideas for inventions based on nature are being developed all the time. The fastest train in the world travels more than 200 miles per hour, but it is very noisy when it comes out of a tunnel. Scientists looked at nature to find something that travels quickly and smoothly between two different types of environments. They found that the kingfisher?a bird with a very long, pointed beak?dives into the water with very little splash. They redesigned the front of the train after the beak of the kingfisher, making it quieter and more energy efficient. Have you ever been on a whale watch and seen a humpback whale dive into the water? Despite their size, humpback whales produce nets of bubbles only five feet across as they dive deep into the ocean by using their flippers to swim in tiny circles. Engineers are applying the lessons they learned from humpback whales to design more efficient wind turbines. 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! Subscribe to Conservationist magazine (http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/65514.html)?New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Learn the best places to view wildlife at DEC's Watchable Wildlife (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/55423.html) pages. Back to top Family Fun It's a Stick Up! The seeds of the burdock plant stick to anything hairy or fuzzy. They attach themselves to passing animals and eventually fall off and begin to grow in a different location. Scientists used this process to develop Velcro? as a way to attach things quickly. Get some friends together to test why Velcro? is such a great invention. Gather several similar items of clothing with the following different types of closures: buttons, zipper, snaps and Velcro?. Have each person choose an article of clothing and race to put it on and fasten it completely. Have somebody else keep track of the time it takes for each person to finish fastening their clothing. How much faster was the person who chose the item with Velcro?? Seeing Nature in a Different Way See whether you can think of some new ideas based on nature with this experiment. While outside, have a friend collect some natural objects without letting you see what they are. Put on a blindfold, and have your friend gently place the objects in your hands, one at a time. Describe each object's features: soft, sticky, prickly, warm, etc. Use your senses (except sight and taste) to examine each object closely. Can you think of any ways that you could use the objects? Switch roles with your friend, and have them examine some different objects while blindfolded. Read Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Youth Conservation Program (Peconic River Sportsman's Club in Manorville) Saturday, April 9 and Sunday April 10 This two-day program teaches young students between the ages of 12 to 15 the important aspects of Sportsmen Education. Call 631-444-0255 for further information and to register. Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Is It Spring? Friday, March 25 at 7:00 PM Family Fun: Maple Sugar Open House Saturday, March 26 and April 2 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM Come at any time to visit the round-robin education stations. Organized groups are welcome but are asked to call 518-475-0291 to register. Event Descriptions at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#March) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.org/discovery_center/directions_hours_admission.htm) Wild, Wacky Woodcock Watch Thursday, March 24 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $3.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/events/events.cfm?da=1&mo=3&ye=2011&eventTypeID=2) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. After-School Escape Thursday, March 24 and 31 at 4:30 PM For children in grades K-5. No registration required. March Migrations Saturday, March 26 at 10:00 AM Garlic Mustard Challenge Kickoff Saturday, April 2 at 11:00 AM Gather your scout troop, science club or other organization, and compete with other groups to see who can remove the most garlic mustard from The Woods. Event Descriptions at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#March) Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1826.html) Visit DEC's website for more information and programs (http://www.dec.ny.gov) 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). 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