Are You a “Mudologist”? MARVELOUS, MUSHY

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Are You a “Mudologist”? MARVELOUS, MUSHY

MARVELOUS, MUSHY MUD It’s early spring, and as the ground thaws and the MUD IS A WINTER HOME rain falls, there’s bound to be LOTS of MUD! Some freshwater turtles burrow into mud at the bottom of the pond each fall and stay mostly A scientist might describe mud as a mixture of water inactive until spring. and any combination of different types of soil. Different types of soil? You bet! Soil can be sandy or more like clay, and depending on your soil, the mud MUD IS A PLACE TO HIDE it makes can be gooey, sticky, or smoosh-y. Dragonfly nymphs camouflage themselves on or in the mud at the bottom of the pond as they wait for Mud is cool and fun, and it’s also very useful. prey to swim or crawl by. DID YOU KNOW? MUD IS A PLACE TO EAT MUD IS A BUILDING MATERIAL “Mud-puddling” is a common behavior in which Beavers move logs and sticks into the mud to form butterflies seek out mud (and other gooey, brown a strong base for their dam. Then, they carry even things found on the ground) and suck up the liquid more mud with their front paws to build up and and salts. make the dam even stronger. American robins build their nest with twigs, dry MUD IS A SAFE WAY TO TRAVEL grass, mud, and more. The mud helps give the nest If you’re a worm, a wet, muddy surface its round shape, keeping the eggs and hatchlings gives you a chance to move above safe and warm for several weeks. ground without drying out. Are Yo “ u a Mudologist”? Some activities for “mudologists” like you! Wear washable clothes and go have some mushy muddy fun! Make your own mud mixing water and soil. How much water can the soil absorb before it becomes mud? How quickly does the mud form and how long does it last before it dries up? Create a tiny-sized village out of mud using little sticks, acorn Send photos of your mud nest, sculpture, or caps, stones, and sprigs of vegetation. Sculpt mud into all sorts village to us at [email protected]. of fun shapes and structures using your hands, clay molds, or We’d love to feature it on our Young Explorers cookie cutters. web page! massaudubon.org/youngexplorers.

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