Lichen and Moss Diversity

On Wednesday July 24, 2013 my family and I spent the evening doing activities with the Young Naturalist Club. We went on a nature walk. While we were on our walk we looked at fungi and lichens. Lichens are a combination of fungi and alga.  They help each other live.  Fungi gives protection, and alga gives food.  They are pals together like peanut butter and jelly.  We got to look and see what some types of moss and lichens looked like, we found wild raspberries and there were lots of thistles and stinging nettle.

We played a migration game. We had to run from summer to winter and back again. I'm glad I'm not a caribou.

We did a craft with moss. We had to trace an animal or bug, colour it in and it's environment, then glue on moss. Mine was a lady bug, I made it for dad.

Last of all we went and talked about moss and lichens. We each got to keep a piece of it. We learned a lot and had a great night.



Laura,
An Alberta Rambler.






Last night me and my family went to a family nature night. We went for a walk in a forest, the theme was about moss. There were stations, one of the stations was a craft. The craft was moss pictures. One of the stations was a walk, on the walk we looked at moss and lichens. The last was a migrating game. You were a Caribou that had to migrate. Did you know Caribou eat lichen and moss.

The last station was learning about moss and lichens habitat. At the end there was a draw I did not win.  The Young Naturalists have asked me to write a story about what I am doing.  Look for an article in the next newsletter. I had a great night!



Grace,
An Alberta Rambler

We really have great times with the young naturalists club. The activities are great, the staff young, enthusiastic, and well informed. They bring experts in to talk with the kids and share their knowledge. The girls are working through their silver level activity book with the young naturalist club and enjoying it very much. The are to very interested and active young ladies who are applying what they have learned to their Scouting and family lives. On behalf of all the Alberta Ramblers we thank Candace and all the organizers of the Young Naturalist club. Please keep up the great work and fun family times.


Yours in Scouting,
The Alberta Ramblers

Birding with the Young Naturlist Club

Wednesday July 10, 2013

The girls participated in birding with the young naturalists at Hawrelak Park.

 

Grace: "One fun game was to learn how birds use thief beaks. I had a for so lots of things were easy to get, but the tiny beads were very hard"

 

Laura: "tonight I learned other animal will use bird houses and feeding platforms to build their own homes. Like the squirrel home in this picture."

 

Mallards, Golden eye, and American widgeon were some of the birds we saw tonight, and a pretty rainbow.

What's new

Please be sure to check out our flora, fauna and other ID pages on our Blog to see all the fun things we do.

She blinded me with science.

The first attempt at a science video by the girls. Please keep in mind as you watch that this is 100% their own from, design, and style. The experiment is part of their silver level young naturalist club book.

Summer fun

Our week camping trip June 2013.

Hi my name is Grace. For ten days my family went camping. Me and my sister Laura slept in a tent. It is a campground. There is also a lake. In the lake there was swimmers itch. Swimmers itch is a bug, if the bug gets you it will make you itch. 

We identified birds, trees, and flowers. One tree is a trembling Aspen. It makes its own sunscreen. One bird is a Red Winged black bird. It is mostly black but it has red on the wings. One flower is a wild rose. It is Alberta's Provincial flower.

I love camping.

 Alberta's Light House. Near Clyde Alberta.

Eastern Phoebe found at Half Moon Lake.

The highlight! Watching a family of 4 Downy Woodpeckers learning to live.