Outdoor Elements


SEASON 4

	Episode 413 Hands-On Nature Topic: Homemade Rootbeer and Other Natural Beverages Homemade Root Beer and Other Natural Beverages Guest: Andy Landgon Interpretive naturalist Elkhart County Parks Email: andy@elkhartcountyparks.org Nature Nuggets: A wash made from sarsaparilla, a native woodland plant, was used historically to treat wounds, ulcers and shingles. Creatures and Features Topic: Animal Signs in Winter Guest: Amal Farrough Park Interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: You can tell the difference when a deer or rabbit has chewed twigs on your shrubs. Rabbits leave a clean 45degree-- cut when they browse; whereas deer leave a rough, torn twig when they eat. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Electronics Recycling Guest: Rob Howe President Chesapeake Electronics Recycling (Winamac) Email: rhowe@chesapeakerecycling.com Nature Nuggets: According to studies by environmental research groups, people living in the United States will soon get rid of about 130 million mobile phones every year. Field Guide: Fox Squirrel back to top Episode 412 Hands-On Nature Topic:Snowsnakes Snow Snakes Guest: Maria Peacock St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: In the woodland Indian native sport of Snow Snakes, a "stick doctor" applied medicine, natural waxes or oils, to snow snakes to reduce friction. Creatures and Features Topic: Asian Ladybugs Guest: Phil Sutton Cooperative Extension Service St. Joseph County Email: suttonpl@purdue.edu Nature Nuggets: A single ladybug (or ladybird beetle) may consume 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Indiana Heritage Trust License Plates Guest: Eric Myers Indiana DNR Email: emyers@dnr.state.in.us Nature Nuggets: Michigan drivers can show their support for Michigan’s endangered, threatened and non-game wildlife by purchasing the loon license plate. Since the inception of this plate, the Non-game Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund has raised more than $9.5 million in support of non-game species. Field Guide: Beech Trees back to top Episode 411 Hands-On Nature Topic: Edible Bird Nests Edible Bird Nests Guest: Bob Bulger LaPorte County Parks Email: rangerbob@csinet.net Nature Nuggets: Birds’ nest soup is a traditional Chinese dish made from the nests of swiftlets. These tiny birds build their nests in caves out of their own saliva. Creatures and Features Topic: Maple Syrup Make Maple Syrup Guest: Leslie Witkowski St Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: Try substituting pure maple syrup in recipes calling for sugar. Use 3\4 cup of pure maple syrup in place of each cup of sugar and reduce the liquids in the recipe by three tablespoons. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Low Impact Seed Starting Guest: Janice Spiek Solid Waste Management district Website: Swmd.org Nature Nuggets: If you are using a toilet paper or paper towel core as a plant starter, use single-ply, recycled cores because they don't contain dyes or bleaches Field Guide: Animal Tracks back to top Episode 410 Hands-On Nature Topic: Plant Parts Salad Guest: Michaele Klingerman St. Joseph County Parks Email: spicerlk@michiana.org Nature Nuggets: Although the vast majority of people depend on wheat, corn and rice for food, the non-grain potato (a type of tuber) ranks fourth as a major food source. Creatures and Features Topic: Prarie Habitats Prairie Habitats Guest: Wendy Jones Fernwood Nature Center & Botanical Gardens Nature Nuggets: Michigan lies on the far eastern edge of an area called the "prairie peninsula," an eastward extension of prairies that borders deciduous forests to the north, east, and south. This is part of the tallgrass prairie region. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Audubon Certified Golf Courses Guests: Heather Downey South Bend Elkhart Audubon Society John Quickstad, Blackthorn Golf Course Email: Hdowney364@sbcglobal.net Nature Nuggets: There are 15,899 golf courses in the United States. 2,109 of those golf courses are registered in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Field Guide: Sumac back to top Episode 409 Hands-On Nature Topic:Nature Journals and Backyard Species Nature Journals and Backyard Species Lists Guest: Amal Farrough Park Interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Email: amal_farrough@hotmail.com Nature Nuggets: Henry David Thoreau recorded detailed observations of nature in his journal from 1837 until 1862. His journal now fills 14 printed volumes Creatures and Features Topic: Osprey Guest: Tim Cordell Park interpreter Potato Creek State Park Nature Nuggets: Ospreys build large nests of sticks lined with grass or seaweed. These nests have also been known to contain fishing line, plastic bags, rag dolls, toy boats and hula hoops. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Responsible Backpacking Guest: John Joosens from Outpost Sports Email: info@outpostsports.com Nature Nuggets: In 2000, all fifty states were rated as to how severely their state parks were threatened by human impact. Georgia was first, with the most threatened state parks. Indiana came in eighth. Field Guide: Paw Paws back to top Episode 408 Hands-On Nature Topic: Native American Games Native American Games Guest: Jan McGowan Park interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Email: audubonleaves@aol.com Nature Nuggets: Early traders had difficulty buying game pieces from Native Americans, because the Native Americans believed that selling the game also meant selling the right to play the game again, unless the buyer gave them permission. Creatures and Features Topic: Beech Trees Guest: Leslie Witkowski Park interpreter St. Joseph County Parks Nature Nuggets: Pioneers collected beech leaves in autumn to fill their mattresses. "The smell is grateful and wholesome, they do not harbor vermin, are very elastic and may be replenished annually without cost," a settler wrote in 1862. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Shade Grown Coffee Guest: Marjorie Riemenschneider South Bend Elkhart Audubon Society Email: mriem@earthlink.net Nature Nuggets: Shaded coffee plantations aren’t just for the birds. Studies of insects, orchids, and amphibians show that shaded coffee plantations are critical refuges for forest-dwelling wildlife where no other natural forests remain. Field Guide: Red Wing Blackbird back to top Episode 407 Hands-On Nature Topic: Maps and Compasses Guest: Scott Beam Interpreter LaGrange County Parks Email: maplwood@ligtel.com Nature Nuggets: The first compasses were made out of lodestone, a magnetic rock. When floated in a bowl of water, the lodestone would work like a magnetized needle, pointing north and south. Creatures and Features Topic: Beaks & bills Guest: Garry Harrington Asst. Director Rum Village Nature Center Email: rumvillagewoods@hotmail.com Nature Nuggets: The word beak and bill are interchangeable words used to mean the same thing, however scientists often refer to a bird’s mouthpart as a bill. An important function of a bird bill is feeding, and it is shaped according to what a bird eats. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Growing Flowers for Butterflies Growing flowers for butterflies Guest: Heidi Grey Interpreter Fernwood Botanical Gardens & Nature Center Email: voluntr@remc11.k12.mi.us Nature Nuggets: Butterflies taste with their feet, which means they are looking for some "sweet" flowers to walk on! Try flowers with lots of nectar, such as Impatiens, Cosmos, Purple Coneflower, Milkweed and Black-eyed Susans, to name just a few. Field Guide: Skunk Holes in Turf back to top Episode 406 Hands-On Nature Topic: Kids Activities on the Trail Kids Activities on the Trail Guest: Wendy Jones Interpreter Fernwood Botanical Garden & Nature Center Nature Nuggets: Help children learn that parks and nature areas are places where plants and animals live and are protected. Express to them the importance of not picking things to take home (plants, insects, etc) while hiking. Remember to tell children to place things back in their place after they look at it. Creatures and Features Topic: Pan fish Guest: Joe Foy Aquatic Biologist City of Elkhart Email: joe.foy@coelkhartindiana.org Nature Nuggets: A fish by many different names? Blue gills have many different nicknames: Sun perch, blue sunfish, copperbelly, copperhead, coppernose bream, redbreasted sunfish, yellowbelly, blue mouth sunfish, boldface, plumb granny, pumpkinseed, and pond perch. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Managing Storm Runoff Guest: Rick Glassman Environmental Education Coordinator St. Joseph County Soil and Water Conservation District Email: richard-glassman@iaswcd.org Nature Nuggets: Sweep up dirt and debris from your driveway and sidewalk instead of using the hose. Hosing off pavement washes pollutants into storm drains, which lead directly to local creeks, rivers, and lakes. Field Guide: Bull Thistle back to top Episode 405 Hands-On Nature Topic: Sassafras Sassafras beads Guest:Caroline Jones Interpretive naturalist Indiana Dunes State Park Email: cjones@dnr.state.in.us Nature Nuggets: In the early 1600s, ships were sent from England with the sole purpose of collecting sassafras, which was converted into a tonic that people of the era believed to be a fountain of youth, as well as having healing properties. Creatures and Features Topic: Eurasian Milfoil Guest: Gwen White Communications specialist DJ Case and Assoc 3924 N. New Jersey Indianapolis, IN 46205 Email: gwen@djcase.com Nature Nuggets: Eurasian watermilfoil is a submersed aquatic plant that has become a major aquatic nuisance throughout much of North America. Plants are rooted at the lake bottom and grow rapidly creating dense canopies. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Keeping Herps Wild Guest: John Gallagher Elkhart Environmental Center Nature Nuggets: Reptiles and amphibians generally have very specialized feeding, temperature, and light requirements. If any of these are not met, the animal will get sick. Field Guide: Canada Geese/Muskrat Lodge back to top Episode 404 Hands-On Nature Topic:Simple Knots Knot Tying Guest: Wilbur Peak Knot enthusiast Email: Wilbur.peak@coei.org Nature Nuggets: The square knot, or reef knot, was known as the knot of Hercules by ancient Greeks and it was considered to be particularly useful in healing. If a wound was bandaged and tied with this knot, it was thought to heal faster. Creatures and Features Topic: Bat Research Guest: Heather Brookhart Researcher Indiana State University Nature Nuggets: Natural roosting sites for bats are becoming scarce. Research has shown that bat houses can provide roosting sites for bats. If you would like to put up your own bat house, contact your local nature center to acquire plans to build your own bat house. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Yard Waste Composting Guest: Ronda DeCaire Municipal Composting Nature Nuggets: For fastest results, turn your backyard compost pile every two weeks. Finished compost should look and smell like dark, rich soil. Field Guide: Bedstraw back to top Episode 403 Hands-On Nature Topic: Rock Collecting Rock collections Guest: Cindy Baecher Director/Naturalist Woodlawn Nature Center 604 Woodlawn Av Elkhart IN 46514 Phone: 264-0525 Nature Nuggets: Did you know some cosmetics have geological origins? Face packs – are made from clay Pumice Stone – is volcanic pumice blown out of volcanoes Talcum powder – is ground up talc, the softest mineral in the world Creatures and Features Topic: Black rat snake Guest: Rick Glassman Email: richard-glassman@iaswcd.org Nature Nuggets: Snakes have no moveable eyelids, and therefore can never blink or close their eyes. A single transparent scale covers the eye. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Woodland Wildflowers Guest: Mark O'Brien from JF New Nature Nuggets: Transplanting woodland wildflowers from the wild is often not successful. They may bring in diseases, fungi and other pathogens that potentially could harm other plants in your yard. Field Guide: Toads back to top Episode 402 Hands-On Nature Topic: Silverware Wind Chimes Silverware Wind Chimes Guest: Joemy Busher Envirocorps Nature Nuggets: Around 1000 B.C. Chinese people began hanging iron wind chimes, often decorated with images of dragons, from the eaves of temples. Wind chimes were adopted by Europeans during the 1800s. Creatures and Features Topic: Daylilies Daylilies Recipes Guest: Amal Farrough Park Interpreter St. Joseph County Parks 50651 Laurel Road South Bend IN 46637 Email: amal_farrough@hotmail.com Nature Nuggets: In traditional Asian recipes dried Day-Lily blossoms are referred to as "golden needles". Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Just Goods: apparel made from organic cottons, etc. Guest: Becky Reimbold Email: justgoods@sbcglobal.net Nature Nuggets: Farm workers have the highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group in the United States. Field Guide: Skunk Cabbage back to top Episode 401 Hands-On Nature Topic: Recycled flying crafts Egg Carton Glider Plate Glider Instructions Guest: Bob Bulger Interpretive naturalist LaPorte County Parks Luhr Park, LaPorte IN Nature Nuggets: German engineer, Otto Lilienthal, studied aerodynamics and designed the first glider that could fly a person. He wrote a book on flight that was published in 1889 used by the Wright Brothers as the basis for their designs. Creatures and Features Topic: Cicadas Guest: Phil Sutton Extension educator St. Joseph County Cooperative Extension South Bend, IN 46601 Nature Nuggets: When cicadas first emerge they are white, or very pale, in color. Gradually, their bodies become black. Some take longer than others to change. Begin in Your Backyard Topic: Wetland Restoration Guest: Tim Cordell Potato Creek State Park Nature Nuggets: Many people value wetlands for their open space and aesthetic qualities. They are also important for educational research and for protecting against floodwaters. Some are historic and archaeological sites as well. Field Guide: Dryads Saddle back to top

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