new primate species discovered in Germany!

Paleontology is a very interesting area of natural science. As a naturalist, I love to think about the plants and animals that were alive on the planet thousands and millions of years ago, and it's interesting to me to think about how different (or similar!) our current natural world is.

I thought I'd point to this article about a very cool new discovery in Germany: a new genus of [extinct but fossilized] primate believed to be at some point in the evolutionary scale between early primates and early humans. It's named after Darwin (her species name is Darwinius masillae) and the discovery is published in what is known as an "open access" scientific journal -- that is, it's free to anyone who wants to read it and learn about this very cool discovery. I haven't linked directly to the article, but you can find it from the page I've linked to. It's pretty long and very dense, so I kind of like the condensed version myself!

I like this story in particular because it's both about a nifty new paleontological discovery as well as being from a group of scientists who want to share their discoveries freely with the world. Awesome.

sightings April 2009

Lots happening this month! I had a very exciting morning: I've heard my first warbler of the year! It was a black-throated green warbler. I didn't see him, but his distinctive zee zee zee zoo zee! was loud and clear.

I'm posting our sightings from the April meeting, but shortly I'll be sending directions to our May meeting to emails. If you don't get the direction in your inbox by May 10, please let me know and I'll send them again. Sometimes mass emails get caught by spam filters, and I'd like to make sure everyone knows how to get to the bird banding station.

Now on to more exciting things! During the month of April, Young Naturalists saw:

• ruby crowned kinglet
• moles (hairy-tailed?)
• fox sparrow
• rabbit
• white moth
• muskrat
• deer
• cardinal
• kingfisher
• Blanding's turtle
• red-tailed hawk
• squirrel
• mourning cloak butterfly
• comma butterfly
• Milbert's tortoiseshell butterfly
• red-winged blackbird
• robin
• turkey vulture
• bloodroot
• trout lily
• wild leek
• mallard duck
• osprey
• white-throated sparrow
• field sparrow
• fairy shrimp
• wood frog

Excellent list, everyone! See you in May.

Nature Contest for youth

Hi Young Naturalists

I received an email about an art contest that might interest some of you.


Find the beauty of nature in your own backyard!
Youth are invited to submit original artwork, writing or photography in the Robert Bateman Get To Know Contest. This year’s theme is biodiversity, celebrating the connections between all living things and their environment. Contest deadline is May 27, so enter today!

The contest runs until May 27, 2009. Visit http://www.gettoknow.ca/en/kids/contest/ for more information and to submit your entry.

Save the Frogs Day

Guys! Save the frogs! This is a really interesting website that may interest you. There are a couple of contests coming up that you can enter, such as a frog art contest and a frog poetry contest. But most of all, the idea is to spread the word about how the world's frogs are struggling. Raising awareness is the first step to getting people to protect our frogs -- by protecting habitat, limiting pollution, and other important steps.

April program

All right! On Saturday we'll be having our next-to-last meeting for the year. And I won't be there! But you guys will get to have lots of fun with Marg, Heather, Pat, and Tigan and Kristina.

April's a great month to play catch up on some of the things we've been wanting to do -- like owl pellets, and visiting the pond. I believe that you guys will also get to be the second group ever to attempt the brand-new Treesure Hunt. Should be fun!

Remember to bring your sightings -- we should be getting some pretty spectacular creatures now that spring migration is going full steam ahead. I've seen bluebirds and kingfishers, great blue herons, turtles, garter snakes, and lots more this month.

So remember: 10am at the nature centre. Dress for the weather, although it is supposed to be sunny and very warm so you should be good! I am still working out details for May's outing -- our final outing of the year -- which if all goes well will be for us to get a private bird-banding demonstration at rare Charitable Research Reserve on May 30. Will let everyone know as soon as I've got details confirmed.

March program

Spring is definitely springing. I have crocuses flowering in my garden, and robins singing in my backyard. Not that long ago I saw my first great blue heron of the season, and yesterday I saw a number of turkey vultures!

All of this means, of course, that it's time for our annual Maple Syrup program at the sugar bush. I've sent out an email: remember, we're not at the nature centre this month! Also, I hope you guys bring along your appetites, because we're supplying hot dogs and buns for roasting over a maple-scented fire at the end of the program.

If you're coming, please let us know so that we can make sure to have enough food! Also, the sugar bush is really muddy at this time of year, so everyone should make sure to wear good footwear.

See you there!

sightings from January and February 2009

I have two months' worth of sightings to report here, thanks to the fact that I forgot the book at the Nature Centre last month.

January 2009

• snowy owl
• shrike
• fox
• northern harrier (marsh hawk)
• raccoon
• hawk (peregrine falcon?)
• 4 bald eagles
• cooper's hawk
• bay-breasted warbler??
• crows
• chickadee
• junco
• woodpecker
• nuthatches
• mourning doves
• white-winged crossbills
• pine siskins
• common redpoll

Not a bad list for what is generally regarded as a slow time of year! Same for the next one:

February 2009
From Cuba:

• palm warblers
• iguana
• very small boa constrictor

From Wings of Paradise:

• rice paper butterflies

From Canada:

• common redpoll
• pine siskins
• red-tailed hawk
• cardinal
• downey woodpecker
• red-bellied woodpecker
• ravens
• killdeer
• kestrels
• northern harrier
• skunk
• red-shouldered hawk
• raccoon (drunk on fermented plums!)
• mallard ducks

If you look at February's list, it's clear that our spring animals are starting to show up: killdeer, kestrels, and skunks are all either migrants or hibernators, and some of the very earliest signs of spring.

Good work Young Naturalists!

I'll be posting more information about our next program in a week or two.