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Signs
of Spring:
Observations for
February 2010
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This
Month
Are YOU ready to track spring's journey north? Thousands of students
are watching and waiting for the migrations to begin. Send us your
sightings. Keep your eyes and ears open and follow along on spring's
adventures with Journey North!
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How
the Season is Changing |
Bluebird
pairs are checking out nesting boxes in Bangor, Pennsylvania. Pond
turtles (red-ear sliders) observed sunning on bank of pond, out
of hibernation in Montgomery, Louisiana. And, large swings in temperatures
across the east are sending tulips and daffodils up out of the soil.
All signs that spring is arriving!
Keep
your eyes and ears open and report your first earthworm, frog, robin,
hummingbird, monarch, and all other animals and events found on
the Journey North Spring
Checklist! |
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What's
Happening to the Sunlight? |
Are
you tracking sunrise and sunset times, daylength, or shadows in
your hometown? What have you noticed? Some important things have
changed since the last update. In Minnesota we have gained 62 minutes
of sunlight since the shortest day of the year on December 21 (winter
solstice).
Imagine you're in space looking at Earth on the morning of February
1. Here's what you'd see!
- Follow
the angle of the sun across the Earth each month since last fall.
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Bear
Cubs Born in the Winter |
Bear
cubs are born in January and February—in the deepest wintertime.
Hibernating momma bears only briefly wake up to give birth, and
then resume their deep sleep. The bear cubs do not hibernate. When
they are born they weigh under a pound and are about 9 inches long.
The cubs spend the next 2 months eating and growing inside the den!
Learn more
about bears.
- Watch
Live Video: New born cub through a web camera at the
North
American Bear Center. Follow along with biologists Lynn Rogers
and Sue Mansfield as spring progresses!
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Photo:
Wayne Kryduba
The
entrance to this bear's den is covered with snow but for a small
hole. |
Outdoor
Observations for February: Draw What You See |
When you make
your February observations, try adding a new twist. As you look
carefully at how living things change, choose at least one thing
to draw (an adopted tree or crawling insect, for instance). Here
are some tips:
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Photo: Jon Sullivan |
- Try to draw
what you see rather how you think something
should look.
- Look
at colors, shapes, behaviors, numbers, and the surrounding habitat.
- After
drawing an object, move closer so you look at just a small area
up close. How do you "see" differently when you do this?
What new questions or discoveries do you have?
- Will
what I'm drawing change as seasons change? How do I think it will
it change?
Add
your observations to your
Signs of Spring journal, handout, or checklist (see Resources,
below). |
Resources
to Explore |
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Signs
of Spring for March
A reminder will be posted on March 1, 2010 |
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