October 2011

NATURE THINGS TO OBSERVE:  1. Monarch butterflies are migrating: watch for them in coastal areas and over open fields. 2. Harvest moon of song and verse. 3. Goldenrod and asters in full bloom. 4. First hard frost. 5. Height of fall color  6. Robins and sparrows migrate about this time. Juncos arrive from the north. 7. Watch the night sky for autumnal constellations. 8. Nut crops ripen . Watch for foraging squirrels. 9. Look for bright bittersweet berries at forest edges. 10. See daddy longlegs in hayfields. Spiderlings disperse on warm days about this date. 11. Bears are fattening up for winter sleep. 12. Oaks change color. Look for the lingering yellowed leaves of beech.
13. Dragonflies can still be seen in warm meadows. 14. Watch for woolly bear caterpillars on sun-warmed roads.

JOIN OUR ONGOING PROJECTS: Uncovering the Native American hunting paths through our woodland;  Figuring out how to make maple syrup from the Solair maple trees; Designing nature interpretation displays at Bird Spot One and Two;  Building owl and bat houses on Thursdays this winter; Planning next summer’s nature group meet and greet; Planning astronomy night; Adding observations to our journal; Writing newsletter articles; Nature email chat; Adding nature library research books;  Discovering natural plants for the Solair Plant Atlas; Improving the camp GPS map; Maintaining and marking our trails.