Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org ribbit chirp chirp Seasonal Sightings Environmental Adventures The buzzzz Whether it’s chirping chipmunks, singing , or calling katydids, Sounds of one thing is for sure—sounds will abound this summer in Conservation Summer Concert Series: District sites. It’s easy to experience the chorus. Just head to one of our Summer 32 sites and venture out onto the trails. Try the activities below, and Nature’s Symphony listen to as many nature sounds as you can this summer. by Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator Broadwinged katydid The beauty of nature is well Can you make these sounds? documented – with scenic vistas, photographs, and paintings; but Snowy tree cricket Run your finger down the teeth Clemson University–USDA Cooperative Extension have you ever really stopped Slide Series, Bugwood.org of a comb to make a sound like a chorus frog call. to listen to nature? A veritable symphony of sounds greets us every time we venture out into the great Rub two pieces of sandpaper outdoors. Summertime is an especially musical time. together to make a sound American tree sparrow like a grasshopper calling. Bob Williams Bob Birds can have harsh down or speeds up based on calls, sweet songs, and everything in between. Visit the the temperature. This means wetlands to hear the ever-present “conk-a-reeeee” call of we can try to approximate the the red-winged blackbird. You may also be rewarded with a evening temperature by listening suddenly loud and resonating cry of a nesting sandhill crane to cricket chirps! The Farmer’s Make a sound map! or the almost-maniacal whinny of the seldom seen sora rail. Almanac formula suggests to Red-winged blackbird In the woodlands, especially in the evening before sunset, listen count how many times you hear Head out to a local conservation area to do this fun activity. Test your ears by for the robin-like sound of the wood thrush or the magical the snowy tree cricket chirp within 14 seconds then add finding a spot to sit down and listen carefully for and other nature sounds. ethereal call of its cousin the veery. If you are serenaded by 40 to it to get the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit. Draw what you hear around you below. Do you recognize any sounds as being a constant and repetitive “drink-your-teeeea!” you should Test out your local crickets to see if they are made by the sample animals you see on the page below? look around for the robin-sized rufous-sided towhee. good at tracking the temperature. Fun fact In the grasslands lots of species of sparrows, are well may not be known for their vocalizations but there Blue Jays frequently mimic camouflaged in the tall grass. Listen for two musical certainly are some noisemakers among them. Coyotes have the call of hawks! Next tones followed by a high pitched buzzing call to locate the a complex system of communication that includes barks, grasshopper sparrow. The field sparrow is also fairly high- yips, and howls. Raccoons are also quite vocal, chattering to time you think you hear a pitched but its call speeds up faster and faster like a ping-pong talk amongst the family and making many loud threatening hawk, take a closer look. ball dropped onto the ground. The song sparrow doesn’t yowls and barks when they fight for their territory. The Chipmunks have two usually hide while it sings its varied and musical song—it mammals you are most likely to hear during a daytime walk will be perched in a prominent spot on a bush and you will through a conservation area are chipmunks and . different types of alarm recognize it by the dark spot on the center of its chest. If you Chipmunks are often mistaken for birds because they let out calls. One in response to should suddenly hear a loud scream, “psheeewww”, look up for a repetitive and very loud “chirp” when they are warning ground predators, like a red-tailed hawk hunting for food. If you cannot find one, it is each other of an intruder. Squirrels coyotes. The other in possible there is a blue jay nearby practicing its impressions! also warn others of danger with Listen online response to predators in Frogs too can be identified by their calls, but none of them loud “chuck, chuck” sounds. Birds: Cornell Lab of the air, like really sound like “ribbit, ribbit”. The green frog is more like This summer try a walk through a Ornithology hawks. the plucking of a single string on an out-of-tune banjo, over beautiful conservation area and www.allaboutbirds.org and over. Bullfrogs have a call that suits their large size, a very every once in a while close your eyes deep bass singing “aruuuuum, jaruuuuuum”. A slightly higher and listen. You may be astounded at Frogs: Chicago Wilderness pitched snoring sound is the call of the northern leopard frog. the beauty around you. Habitat Project Summertime is also singing time. The hot humid air www.habitatproject.org/ seems to have a constant buzz as katydids, grasshoppers, frogsurvey/chicagoland.html crickets, and all call out for mates. Katydids seem to Mammals: IDNR chant their name, the multisyllabic “kat-y-did” repeated www.dnr.state.il.us/ quickly again and again. You can hear the vibrations as cicadas education/classrm/wild_ READING CORNER transmit their loud “screee-uh, screee-uh”. Grasshoppers mammals/media/sounds.htm sound like two pieces of sandpaper scratching together and The Songs of in fact they are rubbing their rough legs along their wings to Insects: Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott & Will Hershberger www.musicofnature.org make the sound. Crickets have more of a “chirp” that slows Discovering the Sounds Bull frog of Nature by Dana Richter Bob Williams

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Summer 2012 Summer 2012 Environmental Seasonal Sightings Adventures Birds/ nests Birds make a variety of nest types in a variety of locations. Some birds, like crows, prefer to build their nest high in the tree tops. orioles attach their basket-like nest about 25–30 feet high in a tree. An American robin will nest anywhere from 3–25 feet high and the red-winged blackbird weaves its nest into grasses near wetland areas about 3 feet from the ground. There are also ground Bird Nests nesters such as the eastern meadowlark. For as many varieties of birds as they are in our area, Use the chart below while you are out hiking and looking for nests this summer. Simply make a check mark for each type and location of nest that you see. Or, you can write the name of the bird the nest belongs to if there may be almost as many varieties of nests. Going you know what it is. See the example below. out for a hike to find bird nests can be a fun, A kildeer with eggs in a gravel nest, photo by Dave Miller. Low-Branch, Tree-top High-Branch Hollow Tree Ground Cup Other educational, and rewarding experience. Nests on the ground are much more susceptible to predation, Bush and so these nests are usually well camouflaged. Wild turkeys simply make a depression in a pile of leaves at the base of a Cavity nesters are birds that nest in a hole, or tree or fallen log. Their eggs are buff-colored and speckled cavity. Woodpeckers often excavate a hole with reddish brown spots, matching the colors of the fallen in a dead or dying tree first, but then other leaves the turkey used as a nest lining. Killdeer barely make a birds may take over the nest holes later. scrape in the sand or gravel before they lay their eggs. Luckily Date A red-bellied woodpecker’s nesting hole their eggs blend in well to the surroundings, although this can May 9 Low branch robin is found anywhere on the tree trunk, or sometimes be a problem. Because of the killdeer’s preference fairly vertical branch, from 5 to 70 feet up for sandy or gravelly areas, they often make nests in dangerous a tree, with the entrance being roughly a places like parking lots, railroad beds, and gravel roads. A tree swallow on top of what was two inch circle. The hairy woodpecker will once a cavity nest, like those below. make a more elongated entrance hole, a Photos by Bob Williams. Cup nests are little taller than it is wide, while the smaller created in the downy woodpecker makes a perfectly crooks of branches circular hole 1 ¼ inches in diameter. Birds and have a well that nest in former woodpecker holes Please read “How To Look For Bird Nests Safely and Responsibly” on the previous page. formed inner cup include screech owls, bluebirds, starlings, to hold the eggs. tree swallows, and chickadees. Robins make deep Try These at Home Activities cup nests using grasses, strips Invite birds to Have fun constructing a Lucky enough to have a pair of of cloth, string, nest in your yard nest. Name five birds that birds build a nest in your yard? and other assorted by providing nest you know. Learn about This is a great opportunity to materials. The building materials. Place bits of string, their nests by finding out watch and learn who builds female adds a Eastern kingbird, photo by Dave Miller. dried grass, yarn, pieces of moss, thin strips what nesting materials are used and how the nest; male- female-or both? Who sits layer of mud to of cloth, and hair into a mesh bag or in a the nests are constructed. Pretend you on the nest? Who brings the food? Keep hold it all together that she brings little by little in her small basket. Hang the bag in your yard are an adult robin preparing to build your a pair of binoculars handy along with a bill. The outside diameter of the nest is about 6 inches. near a food source such as a bird feeder. nest. Search your yard and collect nesting pencil and some paper to get a closer look Then the female robin forms the interior cup by molding (Use hair only if it is free of hair products.) materials. Now, construct a robin’s nest and to record your findings. it with her round body. Robin nests can often be found Canada geese, photo by Kim Caldwell. low in bushes and small trees, as well as on man-made using mud or clay as your base. There are many more types of nests, made structures. Hummingbirds make a cup nest, far smaller of different kinds of materials, placed in than a robin’s. It is built with grasses and plant fibers Fun facts differing spots in different habitats. covered in lichen and then is attached to the tree branches • A hummingbird’s nest size is comparable to the size of a READING CORNER with spider silk. The whole nest is only 1 to 2 inches across! golf ball! A terrific adult resource: • Bald eagles re-use their nests and add new layers year Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American How to Look For Bird Nests Safely and Responsibly after year. Over time the nest can be as big as ten feet Birds by Paul J. Baicich and Colin J. O. Harrison across by ten feet deep! Bring binoculars. Some birds nest high in Keep your distance. If a bird dive bombs Leave them where you find them! Some Recommended children's titles: • The term “crow’s nest” used for the lookout the trees, and while others may be closer to you, or chatters at you from nearby, you are birds reuse their nests year after year and you Baby Bird’s First Nest by Frank Asch the ground, you might not be able to get too close! It takes a lot of energy for birds do not want to steal their home. In addition, platform atop a ship’s mast was inspired very close, so binoculars will help you to to raise young and you do not want them most birds’ nests are protected by federal by the location of crow’s nests high in Birds Build Nests by Yvonne Winer examine them more closely. to waste energy on you. law and it is illegal for you to take them! the tree tops. Take-Along Guide Birds, Nests, and Eggs by Mel Boring

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10 Summer 2010 Summer 2010 11 Seasonal Sightings Kevin Horner Environmental Insect Exploration Adventures Bugs that Bug Us Insects are everywhere, and summer is a great time to explore their fascinating world. Try the activities below and attend By Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator Jim Occi, BugPics, Bugwood.org one of the Conservation District’s programs about insects this summer! Bugs that buzz or bite, especially near our face or head, tend to freak us out…we swat, smash, squash, squirm, and sometimes run! At times, the outdoors in the summer can be outright annoying. But as long as we know the facts about our environment and are prepared, we can safely spend as much time outside as we like. Don’t let pesky critters keep you inside this summer! What Makes An Insect An Insect? Insects belong to a group called , but not all arthropods Find an insect along the trail or in your backyard. Mosquitoes— At one time or another we Bees and Wasps—Bees and wasps are Ticks—Ticks are actually not insects but are are insects. How can we tell insects apart from other arthropods? Look at it closely. Watch it for a few minutes. have all wished that mosquitoes would also an important part of the environment, more closely related to spiders, as they are One easy way is to count the legs! Insects will always have six. How many legs does it have? disappear from our world forever, but often pollinating the very wildflowers we in the arachnid family. There are three main Look at the pictures of arthropods below. D do keep in mind that mosquitoes are admire on our hikes. Some help to make species of ticks in our area—black-legged How many body parts? raw Circle the insects. In important food for frogs, fish, bluebirds, us more comfortable by preying on the ticks, also known as deer ticks, American How many eyes? se c swallows, bats, dragonflies, and more! smaller, annoying insects. Bald-faced or wood ticks, and lone star ticks. Does it have wings? t They are an important part of the hornets, for example, eat mosquitoes! Ticks can be active from March through H e ecosystems in which they live. November, but we really only experience r There are lots of stinging insects in our e large numbers of them in late spring to Mosquitoes can make a summer evening area but none should be considered more early summer. unbearable, but there are a few things you than a minor nuisance. Most of the time, should know about these biting insects. stings can be avoided by leaving stinging You can avoid getting ticks on you by First of all, dress appropriately. As much as insects alone. Bees are not known to be wearing long pants, socks, and shoes, by you may want to wear shorts and flip flops, particularly aggressive and they rarely staying on designated trails, and by wearing if you are going for an evening hike, you attack unprovoked. This may be partially a repellent that contains 20–30% DEET. will be more comfortable in pants, socks, due to the fact that bees die after losing While many tick species are capable of and shoes. Mosquitoes tend to prefer their stingers, having a part of their transmitting diseases, in our area the only cooler areas –in the shade during the day, abdomen torn from their bodies. Wave disease of concern is Lyme disease, which or out in the early morning or evening. So away these flying insects, but be wary of is carried by deer ticks. Deer ticks are save the shorts for the mid-day sun. Next, smashing them. not common but they are present. Lyme use mosquito repellent. Do some research What is it doing? If you do get stung by a bee, you should disease is a bacterial disease that can be and read labels — repellent with DEET Where is it? remove the stinger and wash the area. An very serious if not recognized early and (20–30%) is usually the most effective. What color is it? anti-itch or sting salve may provide relief treated properly with antibiotics. You also should be aware of West Nile virus from the pain. Wasps and hornets are If you do find a tick crawling on you, do not and how it is spread. First, don’t panic or capable of stinging multiple times and panic. In order to transmit the disease, the Fun facts let it scare you away from the conservation therefore are known to be more aggressive. tick needs to have bitten into your skin, and areas you love. The most common species Some release hormones upon death that  Ants can lift and carry more than 50 times their have been attached to your body for at least of mosquito in Illinois, the ones more alert the rest of their colony to danger. own weight! 36 hours. You can prevent contracting the commonly found in the conservation Of course those who are allergic to stings  disease by carefully checking your entire  Beetles account for one quarter of all known areas, is not known to carry West Nile virus. should consult their doctor and should also body after time spent in the woods or long species of plants and animals. There are more West Nile is carried by the Culex species make others around them aware of their grasses. Be aware that deer ticks are very kinds of beetles than all plants! of mosquito. These mosquitoes prefer to allergy, but otherwise, stings are usually small, so look carefully. Should you find any breed in stagnant ditches, old tires, buckets, fairly harmless. by Mel Boring by Mel & Butterflies Bugs, Caterpillars, Bugs in 3D in Bugs

kind of tick imbedded in your skin, pull it out READING CORNER clogged gutters and the like. Keep your with tweezers, taking care not to crush it. yard free of these popular breeding areas. (Using a match or Vaseline to get the tick to pull out its head is no longer advised.) Make Your Own Butterfly

Observation Station! Blum by Mark CAN YOU TELL IF IT IS A BOY OR A GIRL? Here's a hint… Center for Disease Control Archive, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bugwood.org 1. Cut purple, red, and yellow sponges that are brand new and unused into the shapes of flowers Children can be squeamish about lots of critters, Learn more about how bugs and place them into a shallow dish or pie tin. especially ticks. One way to teach youngsters to play an important part of 2. Pour 100% fruit juice into the dish with the sponges, almost to the top of the sponges. respect these animals without completely fearing a healthy ecosystem, check out The sponges should be wet to the touch. them is to allow them to examine them more closely. Using a small magnified bug box is a great way these programs: 3. Place the dish outside and before long you should see butterflies landing on the sponges to to look closely without having to touch. A neat trick to identify male from female wood ticks is to look sip the sugar water. Don’t be surprised if other insects find their way to the sponges to take These books can be found at the lighter colored shape on their backs. If the lighter brown shade is in a semi circle around the “Busy Bees”, “Things That Go Buzz advantage of the sweet treat. head like a necklace, you are looking at a female. If the lighter brown shade is instead in two vertical In The Night”, p. 27; “Spiders Don’t and read at the library at Scare Me”, p. 26 4. Make sure you take the station in each night to clean if you plan on using it more than one day. Lost Valley Visitor Center, lines like suspenders, you are looking at a male. Glacial Park.

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| Summer 2011 | Summer 2011 Seasonal Sightings

Painted turtle, Great Blue heron by Cindy Smith

frogs until next summer or the year after! Check shallow edges for groups of tadpoles hanging out together. Peek into a Pond Stand or sit still and scan the pond depths for fish of all kinds and by Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator sizes. Binoculars may be helpful with this activity. Like frogs, fish To see and hear the most from a pond, try sneaking up on it first. are well camouflaged, so be patient and concentrate. Many fish If you approach quietly enough, you may not send turtles slipping have what is called counter-shading. When you look down into off of logs into the water. Since turtles are , and therefore a pond, the fish are darker on top to blend into the water depths cold-blooded, they often sit on logs or rocks, soaking up the sun’s and the darker mud. But if you were to look up from the bottom warmth. If it is already very hot outside they may be cooling off in of the pond, the fish would be lighter colored underneath in the water instead. In this case, look for bubbles coming towards order to blend in with the lighter sky. This keeps fish hidden from the surface of the water or for the tip of the turtle’s nose just predators that could be hunting from all directions. poking above the surface. Turtles breathe air of course, and so Ponds are also teeming with small critters they cannot stay completely under the water forever. The most called macroinvertebrates. Using a small common turtles in our ponds are painted turtles and snapping net to scoop species out of the pond for turtles. But keep your eyes out for the endangered Blanding’s observation might be the only way for turtle with its bright yellow or gold throat. A loss of clean wetland you to see them. But please be careful, habitats is one reason for the decline of this species of turtle, but Damselfly for your sake and theirs. Remember that there are many wetlands preserved in conservation areas so we the pond is their home and place them do have the opportunity to see them in our area. back when you are done looking. Also, many Frogs are another pond inhabitant that will hide if of the macroinvertebrates breathe underwater and need to be you make too much noise. Carefully get close to kept in water during your observations. Look at the next page, the edge of the pond and search the weeds and Environmental Adventures, for more information on safely and shallow areas for the eyes of frogs just above successfully netting in a pond. the water. Frogs are very well camouflaged, so Macroinvertebrates, fish, and frogs all provide you will have to concentrate. If you stay still B food for many more animals that visit the ob W long enough, you may even begin to hear some il l pond at feeding times. Keep your eyes open i Bullfrog a m frogs calling. In the summer, listen for green frogs for great blue herons, belted kingfishers, s sounding like banjos, and bullfrogs, muskrats, ducks, raccoons, and mink. If you who have a very deep resonant call. There are take a few moments to quietly observe a likely to be tadpoles nearby as well. While pond, you will discover a habitat teeming you might expect many wildlife spring with wildlife. Muskrat babies to be all grown up by summertime, there are some, like bullfrog tadpoles, which take much longer to mature. This year’s Toad eggs bullfrog tadpoles will not metamorphose into

Bluet damselflies by Bob Williams

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Summer 2013 Environmental Adventures

Pond Peek 'n Play District Sites with Ponds: Rush Creek (Harvard) Winding Creek (Hebron) Pond Match Stickney Run (McHenry) Many types of wildlife use all levels of the pond for the protection of their young. Prairieview (Crystal Lake) Test your pond critter knowledge by matching the adult to its baby. Fel Pro RRR (Cary) The Hollows (Cary) Brookdale (Woodstock) Dufield Pond (Woodstock) Pleasant Valley (Woodstock) Mike Reichardt Mike Bob Williams Mallard duck Dragonfly Bullfrog John AavangJohn FUN FACT: The largest dragonfly lived over 250 million years ago (before the dinosaurs) and had a wingspan of over 3 feet!

How to Peek Into a Pond Materials: Spoon, old white bowl, aquarium net (if you have one) Use the materials listed above to peek into a 4: Carefully place the creatures in bowl. pond and find even the most camouflaged critters! Tip: Try to keep muck out of your bowl so you Take an adult with you, and always be safe while can see the creatures better. staying on the shoreline of the pond. 5: Observe! How many legs do they have? 1: Fill a bowl halfway with clear pond water How do they move? 2: Using a net or spoon, scoop muck 6: IMPORTANT! Return all muck and creatures from bottom of pond back to the pond. Repeat steps above in a 3: Search through muck, looking new place so you don’t mess up one for moving creatures spot too much.

Song of the Water Boatman and other READING CORNER One Small Square: Pond Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman by Donald Silver

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Summer 2013 Seasonal Sightings  Environmental Adventures

After Sunset – As the sun sets and your outdoor surroundings darken, summer nights are a great time to watch for the tiny bits of light around us. Natural lights that blink, twinkle and shine Fireflies and stars are just a few examples of natural lights we by Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator  can watch and learn from.

Nighttime is rarely pitch dark. If you are lucky enough to escape the Firefly numbers do appear to be declining across . lights of urban areas, you will find that there are natural lights that Scientists believe habitat loss and light pollution may be the main Firefly Fun blink, twinkle, and shine on you from different sources. To explore causes but want to know more. You can join a citizen science Each firefly species has a different light pattern for attracting mates. in the dark, you should leave your flashlights for emergencies only. project and report your firefly sightings and observations to Figure out how many species are in your area by doing this simple It will take awhile for your eyes to adjust to the lack of light, but the Museum of Science in Boston. Go to https://legacy.mos.org/ experiment: once they do, you will be able to see all around you, rather than just fireflywatch to learn more. Gently capture a firefly with your bug-spray-free hands, place it what is in the beam of your handheld light. In fact, your peripheral in a jar, cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. vision is actually better at night than looking straight at something, • How many flashes happen in 1 minute? How long did each so try to make use of it. The reason is that our eyes have many of Constellations Light pollution from our towns and neighborhoods prevents flash last? Record your findings. our cone cells centered in the retina. These are the cells that help us from seeing many of the amazing stars in the night sky. Since Release the firefly and repeat with 5-10 new fireflies. us to see color and are not as useful at night. The rod cells are conservation areas are farther from urban lights, they are a good more sensitive to light, and they are concentrated more on the place to go for stargazing. You don’t have to know how to identify • Are their flashes the same or different?  outer part of our eyes. In other words, to look at a dim star, try various constellations to appreciate the beauty and mystery of  Individuals of each species of firefly will have identical flashing looking sideways at it! Rod cells are not affected by the color red, the hundreds of thousands of possible lights in the sky. Draw patterns. so if you are not comfortable on a very dark night, you can use your own patterns and make up stories about the shapes and a red light without ruining your night vision. Try covering your characters you see. To learn the official constellations, try using flashlight with red cellophane and see if that helps. your smartphone. Several apps now allow you to use your gps signal to map the night sky on the screen of your phone. Just hold Constellation Art: Star Experiment Fireflies the phone up to the sky and a sky map with labels will show on Fireflies, or lightning bugs, light up the your screen! Some free apps for both iOS and Android include Create star patterns with marshmallows Trace these constellations onto a piece of paper. Carefully poke out summer evening skies as adults seek Night Sky Lite, Star Chart, and Google Sky Map. Of course you can and toothpicks! the holes with a thumb tack. While in a dark place, shine a flash light to find a mate. They produce the light also use a traditional sky chart. You just need to select the date through the holes onto a flat surface to reveal the constellation’s by combining oxygen with a chemical and direction you are facing to see what is available in the night pattern. Look for these constellations in the night sky. called luciferin that is found in the cells sky where you are. Also log onto earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns. of their light organ below the abdomen. If you catch a firefly and hold it for a moment, you will notice that there is THE BIG DIPPER no heat given off with this kind of light, making it one of the most efficient types Randall Schietzelt,Randall Harper College of light in the world. Release the firefly and watch the different patterns of blinking that you see among the different fireflies. There are many species and each may have their own pattern of light emission. In most species, both the male and female light up and typically the males fly around flashing CASSIOPEIA their species’ signal, while the female flashes from a perch such as a tree branch or blade of grass. Even firefly larvae emit light. Look for these “glow worms” under leaf litter near a wetland AQUILA or water source. The three most common firefly species in North America are Photinus, Photuris, and Pyractomena. Photinus are about a half inch long and produce a yellow green light. Photuris are almost an inch long and produce a greener light, but it is difficult to For more information on scheduled programs and events READING CORNER distinguish the difference between the Photinus and Photuris. or to register for camping at your local conservation area, In fact, even fireflies have trouble and Photuris females will go to mccdistrict.org or call the main office at (815) 338-6223. Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations sometimes mimic the flashing pattern of Photinus males in order Find some time to enjoy the night lights this summer! by C.E. Thompson to lure them in to eat them! Pyractomena produce a yellowish amber light. Fireflies in the Night: Revised Edition While most conservation areas are closed after sunset, you can experience the beauty of the night either by attending a staff by Judy Hawes CEPHEUS guided night program (starting pg. 23), or by making your camping reservations at one of five different conservation areas: The Kids Campfire Book: Beck’s Woods, Chemung; Rush Creek, Harvard; Marengo Ridge, Marengo; Hickory Grove, Cary; The Hollows, Cary Official Book of Campfire Fun by Jane Drake

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Summer 2014 Summer 2014 Environmental Adventures Monarch Mania Summer is the time to find out more about the fascinating life of the monarch butterfly in our beautiful prairies. From nectar sources to host plants for their caterpillars, prairie flowers play an integral part in the life cycle of all butterflies. Check out Kishwaukee Headwaters, North Branch, Lake in the Hills Fen, and Winding Creek conservation areas for examples of restored prairies. Keep your eyes open for the monarch’s favorite plant to lay its eggs on, Common Milkweed, or Asclepias syriaca.

Life Cycle Scramble Measure a Monarch Caterpillar! Complete the monarch’s life cycle by drawing arrows connecting each stage Monarchs spend 10-14 days as a caterpillar and go of the cycle, in order, between the pictures below: through 5 stages, or . As they grow, they shed their skin and often eat it! Figure out its “” Egg Caterpillar by measuring it with the provided ruler. If you find a caterpillar in the 5th instar, keep checking back to that plant and look under the milkweed leaves for a bright green chrysalis!

1st Instar: 2-6mm 2nd Instar: 6-9mm 3rd Instar: 10-14mm

Chrysalis 4th Instar: 13-25mm

5th Instar: 25-45mm Common Milkweed Adult

Egg: Joyce Perbix ; Caterpillar & Adult: Sturgis McKeever, Georgia Southern Univ, bugwood.org; Chrysalis: Herbert A. Joe Passe III, bug-wood.org; Common Milkweed: Steven Katovich USDA b Forest Service, bugwood.org a

To tell the difference between

by Joan Calder Take Flight Butterflies Monarch Airplanes in Garden: the FUN FACT a male monarch and a female, look for the following clues… Males have thin wing veins and black spots on lower hind wings READING CORNER a–female, b–male butterflies: Copyright 1996, Dale A. McClung by Helen Frost and Leonid Gore Frost Leonid and by Helen Milkweed and Monarch by Gail Gibbons by Gail Butterfly Monarch

For more information on monarchs and migration, check out these websites: Monarchlab.org, Journeynorth.org

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Summer 2015 Seasonal Sightings

Looking out for the little things by Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator L: Formica spp.; R: Pavement ant/Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

We see ants every day but rarely consider their Not all ants are beneficial, however. The introduced pavement importance to the world around us. Have you ever ant has been spreading across the country and can out compete noticed the mounds in the prairie along the trails of your native ants for food sources. This is also an ant that likes the local conservation area? The thousands of Formica ants disturbed land under pavement and foundations and can get that have built these mounds play an integral role in the into our houses. Some non toxic ways to battle pavement ants ecology of the prairie. In general, by digging underground in your house include using coffee grounds at the baseboards tunnels, ants help to aerate the soil, and bring water, nutrients, and spraying lemon juice wherever you have seen ants travelling and organic material to the roots of the plants. This can be good in your home. You will notice pavement ants outside in the for your lawn or garden and it is definitely good for a prairie. summertime. If you have ever wondered why ants are swarming Scientists believe that ant mounds in prairies have the ability from a crack in the sidewalk it is because pavement ants will to alter the distribution of the plants in a prairie, ultimately sometimes outgrow their burrows and you will see a swarm leading to an increase in biodiversity and greater health to following a new queen to a new burrow. the ecosystem. In addition, ants are predators of other small Next time you go for a summer hike, pay close attention to the invertebrates that may damage prairie plants and they are of ants you see. What are they carrying? Where are they going? It course prey to other animals of the prairie, thereby contributing is entirely possible they are helping to restore and maintain the to the food chain. Sometimes you will see the northern flicker conservation areas we all know and love. sitting on an ant mound in the prairie, using its long beak to grab ants from their burrows. Ants are also valuable contributors to the woodland ecosystems. Red Ant species with pupae/Randall Schietzelt, Harper College Many spring wildflowers cannot rely upon wind as a seed dispersal method when they are protected on the woodland floor but instead depend upon ants to disperse their seeds. Ants will travel quite a distance to gather food and bring it back to their underground homes. Some plants, such as dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, wild ginger, and trillium develop a protein-rich fleshy covering over their seeds called an elaiasome that attracts the ants. The ants bring the whole seed back to their home, eat the outer coating, and discard the actual seed, planting it far from the original plant.

L–R: Trillium, Dutchman's Breeches, Wild Ginger, Bloodroot

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Summer 2016 Environmental Adventures Ants Ants are insects. These insects are one of nature’s most prolific creatures. There are thousands of species that live on almost every continent. Illinois alone has almost 100 species of ants! They live in groups and build their homes in mounds, dead trees, old buildings and anywhere else they can tunnel. In the summertime you can see them actively looking for food to take back to their colony.

Activity #1 2 1

3 4

5 6 Get out some colored markers. Now cover the picture on the left. Color the thorax green, the head purple, and Ants are insects. The defining characteristics of insects the abdomen green. Now label all the legs with numbers! are that they have a head, thorax, abdomen and six legs. Now look at the picture on the left. Did you do it right?!

READING CORNER Hey Little Ant by Philip Hoose FUN FACT Ants started farming long before humans did. Some types of ants Inside an Ant Colony by Allan Fowler carry plant leaves back into their colony All about Ants by Billie Regent where they use it to grow fungus that The Life Cycle of an Ant by Hadley Dyer and Bobbie Kalman they eat.

Activity #2: Build an Ant Playground

Take some sticks, grasses, leaves and any other materials that come to mind. Now use your materials to construct something for the ants to climb on. You can build ladders, bridges, towers and whatever else you like. Now take some soda, or sugar water and pour it on your ant playground. Wait a few hours and then come back and hopefully you will see these fascinating insects crawling all over what you built for them! Can you see the thorax, abdomen, and head. Can you count six legs?

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Summer 2016 Seasonal Sightings

Relationships Between Plants & Pollinators by Kim Compton, Education Program Coordinator

he name of the game for wilderness is survival. The variety Goldenrods (above) are pollinated by a type of soldier beetle of species that survive do so because of adaptations that that walks along eating the florets and inadvertently spreading Thave helped distinguish them in some way, giving them an the pollen. People have long blamed goldenrods for hay fever, advantage while avoiding direct competition with similar species. but since they are pollinated by insects, they do not send their Summer wildflowers succeed with a vast array of different pollen airborne and therefore do not bother allergy sufferers. bloom times that attract different species of pollinators. In Animal species are not necessarily looking for these beneficial turn, a huge diversity of insects and birds have co-evolved with symbiotic relationships. They just want something to eat. specific adaptations and preferences for particular plants. Plants need to also defend themselves from harmful animals The most well-known insect-plant relationship is that of the that don’t offer an advantage to the plant.Milkweeds have milkweed plant and the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies a sticky milky sap that is toxic to almost every animal except live out their entire life cycles on milkweeds, from egg to the monarch. The sap is also sticky enough to prevent larger caterpillar to chrysalis. And while the adults travel and feed on ants and other crawling insects from trying to crawl other flowers, they still have a taste for milkweed nectar. The up the stem. Bergamots (right) have long hairs on milkweed plant then benefits from the monarch butterfly – as their stems that prevent crawling insects from the butterfly tries to land to drink the nectar, its feet fall into the climbing up and their tubular florets allow only their specifically designed stigma slits on the flower and land on the pollinators, long narrow insects and hummingbirds, pollinia – collecting pollen to be dropped at the next plant. Neither access. There are also species of wasps that are known milkweeds nor monarchs would survive without this relationship. to chew through the base of the florets on both milkweeds The trumpet-like flowers of thejewelweed (left) are and bergamots – sucking up the nectar without touching perfectly shaped for the bill of the hummingbird. the pollen. The pollen just inside the top of the petal is perfectly There are literally hundreds of plants blooming around us in placed so as to get rubbed off by the top of the summer and just as many species of pollinators visiting the flowers. hummingbird’s bill and carried to the next plant. Bumblebees try to get to the nectar but they cannot reach Enjoy a quiet hike in your nearby conservation area to observe all the way back to get to it all and rarely transfer pollen. wilderness survival in its most colorful display.

Fun Facts Honeybees have a short Hummingbirds have a poor Moths have a long tongue proboscis so they like shallow sense of smell; are attracted to that can find and drink blossoms, cannot see red, must red and can hover to drink nectar. nectar and are attracted land and crawl to get their food, They have a long beak and to flowers that are light in and are attracted to sweet smells. tongue and drink from tubular color and have a strong, shaped flowers. sweet smell.

 One out of every  Hummingbirds  Butterflies need three bites of food  80% of all flowering sometimes collect  Bees use both color a place to land  The size and shape we eat is made plants rely on pollen on their and odors to find while feeding; of a pollinator’s beak possible by a pollinators for heads! Even so, the preferred flowers. but hummingbirds and tongue partly pollinator. survival. pollen is carried to hover while they determine what the next plant as it drink nectar. flowers to go to. searches for nectar. Landscapes | 7

Summer 2017 SizingSeasonal Sightings Up the Large Birds of Summer by Education Coordinator Kim Compton Osprey with fish p/c Marty Hackl p/c Marty fish with Osprey

ave you ever looked up to see a large bird in Hthe sky and only been able to see its silhouette When it comes to turkey vultures, because the sunshine washed out all of the color? 5'8" they have broad, squared-off wings Here are some tips for identifying the large birds of and you can often see separation summer from the visual perspective of standing below. between their primary feathers, almost like fingers spread wide apart. Also, turkey vultures fly with their The first thing to keep in mind is that a bird’s size is very difficult wings at a slight upward “v” and teeter while they soar, almost as if to tell from a distance. This is especially the case when there they were on a tightrope. are no other birds in the sky to act as reference. A crow looks large compared to a robin, but quite small when compared to a vulture. Approximate wingspans are in orange on each bird for The red-tailed hawk has broad wings and reference but there are better ways to tell these large birds apart. a broad fanned out tail. On the Look for these following tips for better other hand, the Cooper’s 4' soaring bird identification: hawk has a more narrow straight tail, smaller body, and 2'6" If they are not issuing their loud, rattling bugle call, comparatively large head. Sandhill cranes are easily identified due to their outstretched long necks and long legs. 7'1" By contrast, a great blue heron will fly Two black birds that often get confused are with long trailing legs, but its neck will crows and cormorants. Cormorants are be folded in. A Canada goose is almost always flying over water 6' the opposite—flying with a long and flap their wings like ducks do. 4'4" neck but short legs. 5' They have a long tail, small heads and a crooked long neck. The crow has a thicker neck and flies with its primary Bald eagles have the largest wingspan in feathers spread like the turkey vulture our area. Besides their size, look does. However, a crow’s tail feathers are more for long, broad wings compared fanned out than both the cormorant and the 3' to the body. Of course you turkey vulture. 7'8" can identify the white head and tail feathers, but immature eagles are all brown until they are 4-5 years in age; the Head out to your favorite conservation area and test your same time their beak and eyes turn yellow. bird identification skills! Of course, binoculars and a bird Osprey are often spotted over water, just as eagles are, and they field guide will help with your identifications. You can also too have white on their heads, but osprey fly with try to snap a photograph to compare later or to be able what appear to be crooked wings. 5' to zoom in on the wing, neck, feet and tail shapes.

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Summer 2019 Big Birds of SummertimeEnvironmental Adventures There are lots of really cool large birds to see in the summertime. Learn more about where to find them as well as their size and their flight shapes with the activities and information below.

Silhouettes above us When looking up to see a bird in the sky we are often only able to make out the outline or shape of the bird. If you can see color markings and other characteristics this is great, but often times all we need to ID the bird is its general shape. Below are the shapes of several large summertime birds. Can you guess which is which?

A B C D

Sandhill Crane Red-tailed Hawk Osprey Turkey Vulture Answers: A) Red-tailed Hawk, B) Turkey Vulture, C) Osprey, D) Sandhill Crane Sandhill D) Osprey, C) Vulture, Turkey B) Hawk, Red-tailed A) Answers:

Where can I find them? Osprey— Because they’re fish eaters, they are most often seen near streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Sandhill Cranes— Look for them near wetlands or open spaces such as prairies. Red-tailed Hawk— Red-tailed hawks prefer open areas with high points for perching to look for prey. Look on the edges of where woodlands meet fields or on telephone lines. Turkey Vulture— The turkey vulture can be found in many types of habitat, but they are most often seen soaring high in the sky as they look for the carcasses of animals to scavenge.

Wingspan Challenge

Materials: measuring tape, string, tape, pen, scissors Instructions: Cut a piece of string 80 inches in length and stretch it out on a flat surface. Put a piece of tape at the each of the measurements given below (these are average wingspans for each bird.) Now compare your “wingspan” to theirs. 68" Turkey Vulture, 63” Sandhill Crane, 60” Osprey, 48” Red-tailed Hawk

icon images by iStock & Vecteezy Landscapes | 13

Summer 2019 12 … …Only male … Weird &Wonderful Wildlife Facts The females lack the resonating resonating lack the females The While out on the trails this summer, contemplate these weird and wonderful wildlife facts. Landscapes Sightings Seasonal and females have a structure in have females and astructure them. It is unharmful to human touch. the is It unharmful them. calls. to the hear them that abdomens their of front the However, noise. loud the males both are they old before food the to digest Did youDid know… have a gland, however,have gland, apoison that makes chamber in the abdomen that makes abdomen in the chamber to eat whole. it enough predators spit them out if they try to eat try they if out them spit predators functions like allows and an eardrum functions young? their for young the helps It food by Education Visitor and Center Coordinator Services Compton Kim Toads Songbird do not give you warts? They do do They give not you warts? do | parents regurgitate their their regurgitate parents

cicadas Summer 2020 Summer make noise?

p/c Marty Hackl Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org …A …The …The … This helps toarea natural upthe clean helps This vulture has no feathers on its head so so head its on feathers has no vulture and speed up decomposition. Because Because updecomposition. speed and Nebraska was determined to be 2.5 2.5 to be determined was Nebraska they don’t get dirty, and the vulture vulture the and dirty, get don’t they animals eating of dead business the one of the oldest bird species in the world. in the species bird oldest the of one of the few insects that can swivel its its that swivel can insects few the of turkey the unclean, rather be can urinates on its legs to disinfect them. to disinfect legs urinates its on million years old? This makes the crane old? makes years This million crane the right intoright your eyes. to is turn gaze This neck? can how they Turkey vultures sandhill crane sandhill Chinese preying mantis eat dead carcasses? carcasses? dead eat fossil found in fossil found is one is one

Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org p/c/ Cindy Smith … … … flies further north. It takes about three three takesIt about north. further flies fly all will of summer the generation final they feel threatened but they release a release they but threatened feel they winter then the and for waythe to Mexico migration? The atwo-way that perform the environment. is alive? not flesh! like smells It rotting convinces any that opossum the predator that so further mucous doing while green generations to Illinois. get to northern of a fungus that absorb nutrients from from nutrients that absorb afungus of up to will they Texas where Oklahoma and miles? Mycelia are the vegetative parts miles? Mycelia parts vegetative are the lay the eggs for the next generation that generation next the for lay eggs the Opossums Mushroom mycelia mycelia Mushroom Monarch butterflies Monarch not only play dead when when play dead only not can spread for for spread can are the only insects insects only are the

Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org p/c Ken Wick TheAlphaWolf Bizarre BehaviorsEnvironmental Bingo Adventures Nature is full of beautiful living things, but what about the weird stuff?

Overtime, we have been able to see unique adaptations that allow living organisms to live their best life in their ecosystem. Below is a bingo sheet with different nature-related items for you to find while outside. Each item reflects a plant or animal that has a “weird” behavior. Read about these strange or unusual adaptations on the previous Seasonal Sightings page. Go explore. How many can you find?

Find a toad or an insect that a toad would eat Find a mushroom Look for birds on the ground

Look for opossum tracks Find a monarch butterfly Find a praying mantis

Find a or cicada shell on a tree Look in the sky for turkey vultures

Listen for sandhill cranes or Look for them in the prairie or wetlands

Weird but True Animals Go for a Hike! by National Geographic Kids The best way to learn more about nature is to get out Weird and Wonderful Plants and explore! Take this bingo sheet with you to any of

by Time for Kids READING the McHenry County Conservation District corner Conservation Areas and see how many things Perfectly Peculiar Plants you can discover! by Chris Thorogood

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Summer 2020 Seasonal Sightings Relationships Between Plants and Pollinators

The name of the game for wilderness is survival. The variety of species that survive do so because of adaptations that have helped distinguish them in some way, giving them an advantage while avoiding direct competition with similar species. Summer wildflowers succeed with a vast array of different bloom times that attract different species of pollinators. In turn, a huge diversity of insects and birds have co-evolved with specific adaptations and preferences for particular plants. The benefits to humans include being able to experience a multitude of colors, flower shapes, and sweet smells all summer long.

Probably the most well-known insect-plant relationship is that of the milkweed plant and the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies live out their entire life cycles on milkweeds, from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis. And while the adults travel, they still have a taste for milkweed nectar. The milkweed plant then benefits from the monarch butterfly – as the butterfly tries to land to drink the nectar, its feet fall into the specifically designed slippery slits on the flower and land on the pollenia – collecting pollen to be dropped at the next plant. Neither milkweeds nor monarchs would survive without this relationship.

The trumpet-like flowers of thejewelweed are perfectly shaped for the bill of the hummingbird. The pollen just inside the top of the petal is perfectly placed so as to get rubbed off by the top of the hummingbird’s bill and carried to the next plant. Bumblebees try to get to the nectar but they cannot reach all the way back to get to it all and rarely transfer pollen.

Goldenrods are pollinated by a type of soldier beetle that walks along eating the florets and inadvertently spreading the pollen. People have long blamed goldenrods for hay fever, but since they are pollinated by insects, they do not send their pollen airborne and therefore do not bother allergy sufferers. Hummingbird bills are perfect for pollinating Ragweed does not have a plants with long, narrow spaces. beneficial relationship with a pollinating species, rather it sends its pollen into the wind, causing many people to wheeze and sneeze.

Even similar species can develop differing pollinating partners. The cream wild indigo blooms approximately two weeks earlier than the white wild indigo and just that short period of time makes the difference. Cream wild indigo is pollinated by the queens of bumble bee species that are just emerging from their overwintering stupors and looking for nectar. By the time the white wild indigo blooms, it is pollinated by the young bumblebee workers. Bergamot plants attract hummingbirds. Animal species are not necessarily looking for these beneficial symbiotic relationships. They just want something to eat. Plants need to also defend themselves from harmful animals that don’t offer an advantage to the plant. Milkweeds have a sticky milky sap that is toxic to almost every animal except the monarch. The sap is also sticky enough to prevent larger ants and other crawling insects from trying to crawl up the stem. Bergamots have long hairs on their stems that prevent crawling insects from climbing up and their tubular florets allow only their pollinators, long narrow insects and hummingbirds, access. And yet, sometimes conniving insects figure out some other way. There are species of wasps that are known to chew through the base of the florets on both milkweeds and bergamots – sucking up the nectar without touching the pollen.

There are literally hundreds of plants blooming around us in summer and just as many species of pollinators visiting the flowers. Enjoy a quiet hike in your nearby conservation area to observe wilderness survival in its most colorful display.  MCCDistrict.org Environmental Adventures

Insect Investigation Story Corner The Reason for a Flower Sometimes pollinator behavior and their plant preferences by Ruth Heller become apparent simply by watching them. Try this the next The Red Poppy time you are on a hike or even in your backyard garden. by Irmgard Lucht On One Flower First, take a general walk in the area and look for insects. by Anthony D. Fredericks How many did you see? What types did you see? What were they doing? Fun Facts Next, look for one bee, butterfly, or fly and watch it for 2-5 minutes. What was your insect doing? How many flowers did  One out of every it visit? Did it visit a certain type, shape, or color of flower three bites of food we more often than another? eat is made possible by a pollinator. Try this activity from another perspective and choose one plant to observe. What types of insects visit the plant? Does your plant have special characteristics that might attract the types of insects  80% of all flowering that visit it? plants rely on pollinators for survival.

Flower/Pollinator Match up Game  Hummingbirds sometimes collect pollen Read the descriptions of the plant and pollinator adaptations. Then draw lines to match them up. on their heads! Even so, the pollen is carried to the The wild columbine flower is Honeybees have a short next plant as the hummer red, has an upside-down tube proboscis so they like shallow searches for nectar. shape, has no “landing” spot blossoms, cannot see red, and has little fragrance. must land and crawl to get  Birds have a poor their food, and are attracted sense of smell, but good to sweet smells. color vision.

Hummingbirds have a  Bees use both color The marsh marigold has poor sense of smell; are and odors to find the a bright yellow flower with attracted to red and can flowers they prefer. petals spread wide open. The hover to drink nectar. They petals make a nice surface have a long beak and  Butterflies need so it is easy for a pollinator to tongue and drink from a place to land while land. tubular shaped flowers. feeding; hummingbirds can hover while they drink Moths have a long tongue nectar. The evening primrose has a that can find and drink  large, yellow flower. It is a nectar and are attracted The size and shape night blooming plant with a to flowers that are light in of a pollinator’s beak and strong scent. color and have a strong, tongue partly determine sweet smell. what flowers to go to. Preservation, Education, Recreation  Wildlife to Watch For Summer Insects Create a Symphony of Sound Periodical Cicadas

Perhaps by the time you read this, we will have been invaded by the seventeen year cicadas. While we have cicadas in our area every summer, this year we will witness the emergence of a huge population of red-eyed insects that have been living underground in the nymph stage for the past 17 years. In mid May to early June, these periodical cicadas will emerge by the thousands – as many as 20,000 to 40,000 per tree! They will climb out from their underground burrows and seek a solid support to attach to as they shed their final skins and become adults. Several days later, the males will begin singing. The male cicada’s call is the loudest of the insect world. The deafening chorus of the whole population making noise at once is a survival technique, as the noise deters and distracts predators who cannot pinpoint from where the noise is coming. However, these adults only live for a few weeks. After mating, the females will lay Periodical or 17-year cicadas only emerge once every 17 years. their eggs in the branches of trees, each female laying 300-600 eggs. Many eggs will get eaten by predators, but those that survive will hatch into nymphs within six to eight weeks. The nymphs will fall to the ground, find themselves an entrance underground, and will feed off tree roots for the next 17 years, whereupon they will emerge en masse in the year 2024. While this spectacle may appear and sound daunting, do not be afraid. Cicadas are not harmful to people nor to crops, and they are unrelated to the farm pest . Summer Symphony

From the chirping of crickets to the high-pitched humming of grasshoppers and the buzzing of bees, summertime is alive with the sounds of insects. Many sounds are made by the male of the species this time of year as they go about trying to attract a mate.

Grasshoppers and crickets do this by pulling a rear leg over one of their wings or by pulling one wing over another. Each species has a slightly different “song”. You can tell the difference between the grasshoppers and the crickets because crickets have a call with a pitch – you might even be able to hum the same note along with them. But grasshoppers sing a harsher song – much like sandpaper being rubbed together, or the buzzing of a power saw.

Katydids rub their front wings together, calling two to three chirps per second. Some may say they are calling “kay-tee-did”. Scientists believe these insects are all desperately trying to be the first male to call in each sequence, thus becoming the first male to be chosen as a mate.

Cicadas make a mechanical buzzing sound in a way much different than the insects that rub two body parts together. Cicadas actually use muscles to vibrate a system of membranes in their abdomen. One male will start and then a whole chorus of them will call from the trees, attracting numerous females. The call resonates for quite a ways but it is usually still difficult to find the cicadas on their perches.

Bees buzz not only to attract a mate or when they are eating, but all the time. Bees’ wings beat so rapidly that their buzzing sound is constant. They fly from flower to flower, eating the nectar and accidentally helping to pollinate their food source.

To hear audio recordings of these insects, visit the District’s website at www.MCCDistrict.org/ab-insect-sounds.htm. Outdoors, look for a site that has both fields and woodlands. Try the Hollows, Harrison-Benwell, or Pleasant Valley Conservation Areas and enjoy the summer symphony! Adults are also invited to attend our special cicada program on June 21! See page 28 for more information.  MCCDistrict.org Environmental Adventures

Insects make different noises and are heard from different places. Draw a line Fun Facts from the insect to the sound it makes. Then draw another line from the insect to the place it calls from. The calling sounds of insects trying to attract a mate or the sound of an insect sounding a warning is often louder than Loud buzzing Cicada the softer sounds made during courtship. “scree-uh, scree uh”

Insects’ sounds need to be heard by other insects. “Ears” or hearing organs can be located on antennae, abdomens, legs, thorax, even in the veins of wings. Musical “chirp, chirp” Cricket Some people think that insect songs are very beautiful and purchase ornate cages for crickets or cicadas to bring them into the home. Scraping “chirp, chirp” Cicada membranes vibrate in the abdomen 170-480 times per second. Grasshopper

Unscramble These Insects Try These Sound Activities Listen to recordings of insect sounds and then try to duplicate some of the sounds. ______make wax and honey and live in hives. e b s e • Rub your fingernail over the teeth of a comb to sound like the chirp of a male cricket. ______resemble a leaf and their song • Push the center of a baby food jar lid or canning jar lid slows down as the temperature gets colder. i a t k s d y d repeatedly to mimic the cicada. • Rub sandpaper to sound like some grasshoppers. ______are usually black or brown, resemble a grasshopper, and chirp. k t c e s r c i Can you really tell the temperature by how many times a cricket chirps? Go outside on a warm summer night and count how many times a cricket chirps in one minute. ______have big red eyes and call loudly from Then go outside on a cool summer night and try it again. trees. a c i d a c s What happens? Do crickets chirp more or less on warmer nights? ______have big legs, are good hoppers, and sound like sandpaper being rubbed Go to a site that has field and woodlands to hear a together. s h s o p e p r s a g r symphony of sound. Try Pleasant Valley Conservation Area

or Prairieview Education Center.

scraping chirp scraping Sign up for a program like Cicada Songs for youths 7-10 Answers to Matching activity: cricket-musical chirp, cicada-loud buzzing, grasshopper- buzzing, cicada-loud chirp, cricket-musical activity: Matching to Answers on June 21. See page 21 for details . Preservation, Education, Recreation