NKOA's Online Fundraiser

Our club has started an Online Fundraiser (see the icon on the right sidebar). We are selling magazine subscriptions and renewals. It is our goal to raise $500. This money would be used for:

Club t-shirts/patches
Field Days/Outings
Craft and other supplies
attending Bryant Pond Camp

Please help us reach our goal and do some Holiday shopping at the same time!

Wanted: Empty Laundry Detergent Bottles

NKOA will be building a "Bug" for Earth Day out of recycled laundry detergent bottles. We will needs lots of bottles! Please save your bottles for us!

NKOA's 2009-2010 Recap

Wow, NKOA was busy in 2009-2010! Take a look at all we did in our first year as a club!

9/9 First Meeting, Lisbon Ext

9/16 Thorncraig Hike, Lewiston

9/23 Nature Craft, Lisbon Ext

9/30 Lots to Gardens, Lewiston

10/7 Playing with the Harvest, Lisbon Ext

10/14 Pettengill Woods Hike, Auburn

10/21 Earth Science Day, Maine State Museum, Augusta

10/28 Mt Apatite, Auburn

11/4 Rock Crafts/Lip Balm, Lisbon Ext

11/11 Barker Mill Trail Cleanup, Auburn

11/18 Rockin' T Equine Rescue, Lisbon Falls

11/20 4-H Achievement Night

11/28 Bake Sale @ Tractor Supply, Lewiston

12/2 Paper Making, Lisbon Ext

12/16 Holiday Party

1/6/10 Insect & Butterfly Museum Visit, Lisbon

1/13 Winter Fun Day, Sabattus

1/20 Outdoor Safety Skills

1/27 Thorncrag, Lewiston

2/3 Animals in Winter, Lisbon Ext

2/10 Beaver Park, Lisbon

2/17 Valentine's Party, Lisbon EXT

3/3 Cold Frames/Starting Seeds

3/10 Signs of Spring, Lake Auburn

3/24 Greater Androscoggin Human Society, Lewiston

3/31: Project Discussion, Seedlings

4/7 Thorncrag, Lewiston

4/14 Thorncrag-Hiked to Whale Rock

4/21 Casella Recycling, Scarborough

4/28 Recycled Creations, Lisbon Ext

5/5 Barker Mill Trail Cleanup, Auburn

5/12 Letterboxing/Hike, Pettengill Woods, Auburn

5/26 Lots To Garden's Wood St Garden, Lewiston

6/2 Fitness Day, Beaver Park, Lisbon

6/9 Club Garden, Sabattus

6/16 Club Garden, Sabattus

6/30 Club Garden, Sabattus

7/7 Club Garden, Sabattus

7/21 Club Garden, Sabattus

7/28 Club Garden, Sabattus

8/4 Meeting to Prepare for the Fair, Extension Office, Lisbon

8/5 Decorated Club Booth at Topsham Fair

8/10 NKOA Ran Kid's Games at the Topsham Fair

8/10-8/14 NKOA's Members Demonstrations at the Topsham Fair

8/15 Topsham Fair Cleanup Day/Cleaned up our Club Booth

8/18 Club Garden, Sabattus--Planning meeting for Nature Day

9/18 1st Annual Family Nature Day-Sabattus

1st Annual Family Nature Day

NKOA is hosting the 1st Annual Family Nature Day this Saturday, September 18th! Check out the details:

http://nkoa4-h.blogspot.com/p/family-nature-day-2010.html

Topsham Fair 2010

NKOA won a Blue Ribbon for our Nature Booth!! Not shabby for our first time. Several of our members also won Blue Ribbons for their individual entries that were placed in our booth! Way to go NKOA!

NKOA at the Topsham Fair

Today from 12:30-2pm NKOA 4-H is running Kid's Games at the Topsham Fair! Bring your children to come and play and earn prizes. Also be sure to check out NKOA's Club booth in the Exhibit Hall! See you there!

Car Wash Update

Unfortunately NKOA's 7/24 Car Wash at Tractor Supply has been cancelled. We will hopefully reschedule the car wash in August. Thank you!

Full Buck Moon--July 25th

Full Buck Moon—July 25
Sunday is the full Moon. Some Native American tribes referred to July’s full Moon as the Full Buck Moon, indicating the time when the bucks began growing new antlers.

This full Moon was also known as the Full Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

Credit: Farmersalmanac.com

Summer Jr Engineering & Mathematics Program

Be sure to check out the Summer Jr Engineering and Mathematics Program for kids in Grades 3-9. A week of Lego Robotics, mathematical puzzles and problems, circuit design and modular origami + more!! Relaxed setting and camping!!

FMI: www.mmsets.org

NKOA's Club Garden

This summer NKOA is gardening on a beautiful space on Sabattus Pond courtesy of Mr & Mrs Hartley (Tamra's parents)! It is an amazing space that offers lots of fun for the whole family. Our members and their families have been having a fun time gardening, swimming, and socializing!

Over the last three work sessions we have made raised beds and planted: potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, watermelon, radishes, lettuce, nasturtiums, marigolds, popping corn, pole beans and various herbs. We've also transplanted a grape vine, blueberry bushes and raspberries. Next week we hope to transplant strawberries as well. It is all coming together and looks wonderful! Thank you to everyone who has helped transform the space!

How to Remove Attached Ticks

It is summer time and also tick season in Maine. Ticks can be tricky and embed in your skin before you know it. When they do embed in your skin you will be prepared after reading this easy to follow tutorial on how to remove attached ticks!

Maine 4-H Days Rock!!

Here is a letter from, Tamra (Co-leader of NKOA) after attending Maine 4-H Days with her daughters:

"Arrive home a few hours ago from an amazing weekend at Maine 4H days. Arrived early Friday morning and stayed to the very end today!

I am very impressed! The entire event was so organized, the workshops for youth were amazing! It was a very relaxed and enjoyable environment! We loved the workshops, the planned activities in the evening, the animals, the families....made loads of new friends and reconnected with old ones! We were very comfortable at our site, you pick where you want to camp. I had 4 little ladies with me, I set up our camp REALLY close to the bathroom and main intersection to all the goings on! We had full use and access to the kitchen and the bathrooms had showers! Here is a list of the workshops we attended collectively:

Playoga
Sensory Discovery Games
My Dirt is Alive
Water Rocketry
Ember Bowl Making
Shelter Building
Everyone Lives Downstream
Wild & Wonderful
New Sewers Wanted!
Wet Felting
Green & Growing Earth Buddies
Archery
Land Navigation
Modular Origami
Natural Skin Care & Spa

Besides all of the above (over 2 1/2 days) there was a Creativity Center set up for kids to visit if they needed a break or had some free time. The center was LOADED with art and crafts supplies that were there for full (no restrictive) use! Plus, kids were riding their bikes everywhere, hanging out and making new friends. There was an ice cream social (Gifford's Ice Cream with ALL the fix-ins,) a parade, silent auction and scavenger hunt!

I am very excited about next years event already and am hoping that more families will join in!

It was also incredibly cool to be camping out under that huge, bright, full moon last night!"

Some Pictures from Maine 4-H Days

Goats!!

Water Rockets!!

Spending time with friends!!

Cooking!

Our Goals & Wishes

1. A Nature Playground planned, created and maintained by NKOA

2. Ruck Sucks for each 4-H Member

3. NKOA T-Shirts/Patches

4. NKOA Letterboxes and Geocaches all around the state

5. NKOA created curriculum

6. NKOA stamp

7. More raised beds for club garden

8. An adopt-a-spot maintained by NKOA

9. Bring club to Bryant Pond 4-H Camp

10. Once a month county wide hikes with other 4-H families

11. Camp at Swan Island

12. GPS for club/compasses for each member

13. Critters of Maine guides for each member

14. Trees of Maine guides for each member

15. A lending library with books, guides, thematic tote bags

16. NKOA Nature calendars

17. Annual Family Nature Day

18. Annual Nature Camp

The Reason for the Seasons

The Old Farmer's Almanac has a great explanation for The Reason for the Seasons! Happy Summer!

Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice on June 21 heralds the beginning of summer!

The solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This year, it occurs on Monday, the 21st, at 7:28 A.M. EDT.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin sol (Sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).

Here is a short video about the sun:



For Summer craft ideas please check out the links on the right-hand side of our blog! Have a great summer!

Nature's Blemishes?

These were discovered while walking at the Papermill Trail in Lisbon. What causes this?

NKOA's 1st Car Wash Fundraiser 7/24!

Mark your calendars...

NKOA's 1st Car Wash Fundraiser
at Tractor Supply on Lisbon Street in Lewiston
on Saturday, July 24th from 11am-3pm!!

Please bring your vehicles by!! Also don't forget to stop into Tractor Supply who are graciously letting us use their water and space!

June: Full Strawberry Moon

On June 26th look for the Full Strawberry Moon because it is a wonderful time of year to gather ripened strawberries!

To find a Pick-Your-Own farm in Maine check out this link!

Here is a video on how to grow your own strawberries!

How to grow strawberry plants

Help Maine 4-H Power of the Wind Win $50,000!

Please Vote everyday in June to help our local 4-H Power of the Wind program win a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant!! Vote for Engage Maine Youth in Science and Engineering with 4-H Power of the Wind ! Don't forget to vote each day in June!

Here is a video to learn more about 4-H Power of the Wind!

May: Full Flower Moon

The May Full Moon (happening on May 27th) is often called the Full Flower Moon due to the abundance of flowers typically visible this time of year. Other variations also include the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

Letterboxing Fun

On May 12th, NKOA had fun searching for a Letterbox filled with trinkets that their leaders placed in Pettengill Woods in Auburn. Each child brought along a trinket to exchange. Our members and their parents had to find our treasure by using a clue filled poem (Thank you Tamra for your creative use of words!).

After our first Letterboxing experience we have since learned from more experienced Letterboxers that we made a few gaffes. First, we used a coffee can instead of a waterproof container. So we will need to exchange that metal can for a tight-sealing Tupperwear. Second, we did not leave a stamp in our Letterbox. A Letterbox should contain a stamp that represents us. Since we are a nature-based group we should have a stamp that reflects that. I believe that someone took pity on us and left a stamp for people to use. But we need to get to work either designing our own or will need to purchase one that reflects what we are about. We should also have a stamp pad in our Letterbox too. But since it was our first time we didn't do too bad if more experienced Letterboxers found it, right?

After scouring online to find a tutorial to show the process here is the best one that YouTube has about Letterboxing:



Also, if you want to design your own stamp here is a tutorial about that:


If you are looking for something fun to do this summer, please check out NKOA's Letterbox!

Barker Mill Trail Cleanup

On May 5th several of our families got together to clean up the Barker Mill Trail in Auburn. The children and their parents clipped prickly bramble, picked up trash, raked, and had fun discovering the bulky waste on the hill beside the trail. Two unusual finds were a reclining chair and a boxing bag!

This was NKOA's second time cleaning up this very underused and undermaintained trail. We were able to get a little further down the trail this time, however we did discover it gets pretty murky in some areas. Eventually we hope to discover where this ellusive trail leads to, as we have yet been able to get very far down due to the overgrowth. But for now we are pretty proud of our efforts!

Despite the trash and brambles we all enjoyed the way the sun sparkled on the Little Androscoggin and the sounds of both the birds and the falls. It was a good day!

If you are looking for a community service project contact the L/A Trails System and tell them you would like to help clean up the Barker Mill Trail.

Coming in the Fall a Science and Technology 4-H Club

In the fall look for a new Science and Technology 4-H Club. This club will include Legos, Lego Robotics, 4-H's Power of the Wind Curriculum, and many other science topics. This will be a collaborative effort, and will be a seperate club from NKOA 4-H. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas! Thank you, Valerie and Tamra

Joining NKOA

If you have a child 5+ years and are interested in joining NKOA 4-H we will be accepting new members in the Fall. As of right now we are full to capacity. If you would like your name included on a waiting list or for more information please contact Valerie vkettelhut@aol.com or Tamra tamra_hartley@yahoo.com . Thank you for your support!

1st Annual Family Nature Day 2010

Mark your calendars...

1st Annual Nature Day 2010

September 11th, 2010 (raindate September 18th)

at Beaver Park in Lisbon

Come enjoy nature with your other 4-Hers in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc county!

This will be a family-friendly event!

If you have any suggestions please let us know?

Visions for the Future: A Nature Playground

Imagine a forested spot in Androscoggin County where children and their parents could go to play. Imagine if you will a playground in a natural setting, but not a playground you would typically see at a school or inner city playground. Picture a ropes course, shelters made out of pine boughs and limbs, climbing structures made out of wood, rope swings, maybe a sandbox, trees to climb and areas to explore nature. Maybe there would be benches to sit on and some picnic tables to lunch at. A place where parent's could take their children to be in nature. This is a dream that I would like to see NKOA make a reality! So I just entered us into the Clifford BE Big in Your Community Contest for a chance to win a $25,000 grant. Let's keep our fingers crossed that come August 16, 2010 we will be a potential winner!

If we would like to send in any supplementary material to accompany our submission we can send in drawings, pictures and other items. If would be great to get some pictures from the kids with their ideas.

NKOA would also love to hear your ideas for this project!

Beaver Park Fishing Derby

Does your child love to fish? Here is a great local event that your child will love!

24th Annual Beaver Park Fishing Derby

May 2, 2010

8:30am-11am

Middle Pond at Beaver Park, Lisbon (Park is located at Cotton Rd and Pinewoods Rd)

All participants must be 15 years old or younger and parents must accompany the children.

Parents who will be helping small children fish do need a valid fishing license.

Registration for the derby will be the morning of May 2nd between 8:30-9:30am and the event is free of charge.

Prizes will be awarded.

FMI: Verla Brooks, Park Ranger

353-9075

What Is This?

Full Worm Moon & Earthworms

Full Worm Moon

According to the Farmer's Almanac March's Full Moon is the Full Worm Moon:

"As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter."

Did You Know...Earthworms

Credit: Earthworms (2003). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

• Earthworms live everywhere in the world where there is soil
• Earthworms eat as they burrow through the soil
• Earthworms do not have teeth
• Earthworms help make the soil healthy
• Earthworms lay eggs



• Worms are food for animals and birds such as this kingfisher

Species
There are about 2 700 species (different kinds) of earthworms around the world.

Earthworm bodies
Earthworms are invertebrates, which means they don't have backbones. Their soft bodies can be brown, pink or even red.


Did you know?
In the Philippines there are blue earthworms and one kind in the United Kingdom is green!

Earthworms have a brain, 5 hearts and parts inside their bodies which help them to breathe. The earthworm's body is covered with chemoreceptors (say kee-mow-ree-sep-tuz) which is how the worm tastes things. Chemoreceptors are tiny sense organs which detect chemicals in the soil.

Earthworm sizes
The smallest earthworms are about 1 centimetre long and the largest can be 4 metres long. One of the largest earthworms is the Giant Gippsland Earthworm, found in one part of Australia. There are large earthworms in South Africa too.

Earthworm Life Cycle Earthworms are hermaphrodites (say her-maff-row-die-ts). This means that each earthworm has male parts that produce sperm and female parts that produce eggs. All earthworms lay eggs.
When two earthworms mate, they lie together, and cover themselves in sticky mucus, and pass sperm into each other's body. The sperm makes the eggs inside each earthworm's body grow.
A thick ring of slime forms around each worm's body and as the earthworm wriggles forward, the ring with eggs inside it slips off and is left on the ground. The ring closes at both ends and becomes a hard cocoon that protects the eggs.

The eggs hatch after two weeks if the weather is warm, but they can take up to three months to hatch when it is cold. Usually one or two earthworms hatch out of each egg. The young worms are about 12 millimetres long and light pink in colour. Earthworms are able to mate when they are twelve months old.

How earthworms help soil and plants Earthworms dig large burrows which let water and air into the soil. This helps stop erosion and lets the water and air get down to the roots of plants. The burrows also helps plant roots to move more easily through the soil and into new spaces. Worms drag leaves and plant bits down into the earth. As they burrow, the worms swallow soil and eat the plant matter that is in it. The soil they swallow passes though the worm's body and is left in little piles on top of the ground. This is called castings and is excellent fertiliser (food for plants). People who farm worms do it to collect the castings to sell to gardeners.

NKOA's 2nd Bake Sale Saturday, April 3rd

NKOA is having a bake sale on Saturday, April 3rd from 11am-3pm at Tractor Supply on Lisbon Street in Lewiston! Please stop by to purchase goodies for your Easter celebrations!

Our visit to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society

Today NKOA visited the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston. We had a great time exploring the animal shelter, and of course petting the animals that we could. The children had a ball holding the two white rabbits, a ratty, various cats, and petting a lovable dog named, Tracker. Lizzy the kitty made her self center stage by climbing her cage and lovingly cleaning her siblings fur. Our members also had fun petting the gerbil, Boojangles and Capsar the rabbit. We saw so many wonderful animals that could be adopted. Many of us wanted to take some home with us! To see some of their animals click here.

Thank you goes out to our members for donating so graciously many of the items from Greater Androcoggin Humane Society's Wish List. NKOA members saw first hand today that it takes lots of resources such as food and blankets, etc to keep an animal shelter running. If anyone would love to contribute to the shelter please check out their wish list. Another item that the shelter could greatly use is clay kitty litter.

Click here to see pictures from our visit to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston. We sure had a fun day with our furry friends!

2nd Annual Potluck Meet & Greet

Everyone is Invited to the Annual 4-H Potluck!
Tuesday, March 2nd, 6:00 p.m.-8:30pm
And/Sag Extension Office
Bring a favorite dish to share with your fellow 4-H’ers and families.
We will be brainstorming ideas for the upcoming year. Parents please bring your calendars ☺
We hope to see YOU there!

Beaver Park and Milk Jug Bird Feeders

On Wednesday, February 10th we visited Beaver Park in Lisbon. We discovered what a hidden gem this park is in our part of the state. Most of our families had never been there before and were pleasently surprised to learn that you can go there to walk, picnic, fish or swim. One really neat thing about Beaver Park is that it has a fitness trail. The children had a fun time trying out the exercises they saw on the signs. When we asked the children if they wanted to visit the park's playground we got a unanimous 'Yes' vote. The playground didn't disappoint. The kids had fun climbing on the log cabin climbing structure, on the stacked tires and through the tunnels. Some of our members and parents took the opportunity to look for signs of wildlife. They even discovered a tree that was severly pecked by a woodpecker.

After our cold-weather walk we ventured to the park's garage where the kids enjoyed making their own trail mix while we warmed up by the fire. After snacking we got busy making milk jug bird feeders. The children were very creative with their feeders and were eager to have embellishments hot glued to their feeders.

Here is a tutorial of how to make a milk jug bird feeder.



Click here to see pictures from our visit to Beaver Park.

Kid's Ice Fishing Derby

Come to Range Pond on Friday, February 19th for a 4-H Kid's Ice Fishing Derby.

**All 4-H kids who show up wearing a clover will receive a brand new ice fishing trap!**

There will be a fishing competition, fun games for the kids to play while their traps are working, and fabulous baked treats baked by club leaders!

Parents do not need to have a fishing license, but if you do not another licensed adult on site can handle the fish for you.

If you are interested in registering please let Tamra know so she can get a registration form for you. tamra_hartley@yahoo.com

Honorary Pages Needed for UMaine Day at the Legislature

UMaine Day at the Legislature - 4-H Honorary Page Program

UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 11th, is quickly approaching. Since legislators like to see 4-H members from their districts, 4-Hers (recommended age 13 or older) are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has reserved [25] spots for Honorary Pages.

What does a Page do?
Pages hand out information to Representatives or Senators or place the paper information on their desks. They also hand phone and other messages to Representatives and Senators on the floor.

To learn more about what Honorary Pages do, visit the website listed at the end of this article. If you are interested in serving as a page on [March 11th], please contact Kristy Ouellete in Androscoggin & Sagadahoc Counties at 353-5550 or 1-800-287-1458, or kmeisner@umext.maine.edu. She will be serving as the coordinator of the 2010 program.

We will attempt to have pages from different parts of the state. Slots, representing different state senators and representatives, will be filled in the order they are received. If the slot for your legislative district has been filled, your name will be added to a wait list in the order it is received. If you are leaving a message, please be sure to say “I am interested in serving as a 4-H Page at the Legislature on [March 11th]”.

Your slot will be reserved if you leave this complete information:
- full name
- age
- mailing address
- county
- phone number
- email address
- name of your school
- grade in school
- name of your 4-H Club
- name of your Maine State Representative
- name of your Maine State Senator

4-H Honorary Pages will be in the Capitol from 8:30am – 3:00pm. A parent or 4-H volunteer provides transportation and chaperoning. For a complete list of expectations and duties, visit the 4-H Honorary Page Program webpage at www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/4H/Pages.

Mark Your Calendars: 2010 Maine 4-H Days

Maine 4-H Days

2010 Maine 4-H Days will take place June 25, 26, 27, 2010!

Maine 4-H Day is an annual event sponsored by the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation, with animal and enrichment tracks for all age groups. It takes place every summer at the Windsor Fairgrounds.

Just a few of the enrichment activities that have been offered in the past:
Physics Roadshow
Zumba Dancing
Rocketry
Lego Robots
Digital Photography
Working with GPS
And much, much more!

If you're interested in volunteering, or have any track suggestions - please contact the State 4-H Office - at 207-581-3877, or jbrainerd@umext.maine.edu
We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Winter Outdoor Survival Weekend

Winter Outdoor Survival
Operation Military Kids/4-H Weekend

Sponsored by Operation Military Kids and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Learn the survival skills everyone who lives in Maine should know! Have fun and meet new friends!

Open to youth ages 13-18
Cost $30

Saturday, February 13th to Monday, February 15th

Program will begin at 10:00 AM on Saturday and end on Monday at 2:00 PM

(Maine 4-H is working on transportation options)

Teachers: Bryant Pond University of Maine Educators and Staff

The program will be held at the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond

Come and experience the beauty and thrill of the Maine woods in winter. Learn valuable winter survival skills like how to build fire without matches, build a snow shelter and sleep in it, cook over an open fire, understand what to do if you fall through the ice, animal tracking, water purification, survival kits, ice fishing and much more!

Registration:
Please mail the registration/health form and payment to the Kennebec County Extension Office, 125 State Street, 3rd Floor, Augusta, Maine 04330-5692
Questions?? Call Karen 1-800-287-1481 or Susan 1-800-287-1482, 665-2068
Registration/Health Form (PDF - for printing)
Photo Release Form (PDF - for printing)

For more information on educational programs in your area, contact your county Extension office.

Winter Fun Day!

Lots of fun was had at our Winter Fun Day in Sabattus!  After a little bit of muscle and sweat we cleared a nice ice skating area which did get plenty of use!  The sledding was excellent & there certainly was plenty of snow for the kids to romp around in! 

We had a firepit safely tended by Mr. Hartley, many roasted marshmellows were enjoyed!  A warm house tended by Mrs. Hartley, although not many took advantage of the warm indoors, it was a welcoming spot to be!

Thanks to everyone for bringing delicious treats & for making the day a memorable one!

Bugs!

After a long holiday break, we began our new year of awesome adventures with Jim Nutting, owner of the Maine Art Glass Studio in Lisbon.  Jim is an artist but also houses the Butterfly and Insect Museum at his Lisbon location. 

We spent time learning about bugs from around the world, observing artwork created with bugs, and handling live bugs!  It was an lots of fun and excellent education!

Compared to the bugs Jim showed us, the ones that live around us seem kind of small and not so dangerous!  :)

Above is a picture of NKOA member Lily!  Lily does not like bugs, she is being VERY brave having this Tarantula so close to her! 

There are lots of great pictures of other members with bugs in the picture section!

Photos ~ Bugs!

Click here to see photos from our bug adventure at the Butterfly and Insect Museum in Lisbon!


Reminder; when you are finished viewing the pictures and would like to return to the blog, click - LINKS - in the left hand side bar & choose RETURN TO BLOG.

Did You Know...

Q:  If you see a moose kneeling, what's he doing?

A:  Eating.  He can't graze like a cow - his neck is too short and his legs are too long - so he has to kneel to eat.

Q:  If it has one horn, it's from Africa;  if it has two horns, it's from India.  What is it?

A:  A rhino.

Q:  Dogs are color-blind when it comes to seeing green and red, so how do seeing-eye does tell the difference between a red traffic light and a green one?

A:  They don't.  Instead, they watch the flow of traffic to see when it's safe to cross.

Q:  Are zebra's white with black stripes or vica versa?

A:  Scientists are still arguing about it.

~  When cheetahas run, they appear to be flying because most of the time all four feet are off the ground.

~  Snow leopards who live in the Himalayan mountains have such long tails that they can wrap themselves in them for warmth.

~  A black panther isn't a separate species:  It's simply a jaguar, leopard, or puma that's black.