Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
“Painted Lady Butterfly Farmer” can be my new title after receiving a butterfly kit for Christmas! Let me explain… For Christmas I received a butterfly kit from my Grandma and was so excited because I have been eyeing up one of these pop-up butterfly habitats ever since I had worked at Itasca and became the “Monarch Butterfly Caretaker” for the summer. This kit came with a coupon to purchase five Painted Lady Butterfly caterpillars to raise into adult butterflies. Not only was I excited to try raising the caterpillars into butterflies, but I thought this would be a fun thing to do with my niece and nephew who are six and four. I went on the Carolina Biological Supply website and used the coupon to order a cup of five larva (caterpillars) with food that arrived at my doorstep via USPS. I got lucky and a bonus caterpillar was included so I had six to raise! When the cup arrived, the caterpillars were very active and crawling all around their cup. They even arrived with a small care pamphlet (which was handy since my parents had to care for them when I was away during the week). The caterpillars were fairly small when they arrived but went to town eating their food and letting out silk that soon covered the walls of their cup. After six days of having the caterpillars, they had more than doubled in size and the first one crawled to the top of the cup and hung in a J formation; signaling that it was preparing to turn into a chrysalis soon. I saw it in a J in the morning and shortly after lunch it had already changed into a chrysalis! The other five followed suit and were in the J formation by the evening and chrysalises by the next morning. Once they were all chrysalises, it was the waiting game. Following the directions, three days after the last chrysalis is formed, we moved the cloth from the top of the cup to the netted butterfly habitat. The cloth was secured to the top of the habitat with sewing pins. After about a week, the butterflies emerged from their chrysalises! I was gone for the weekend, so my parents were the butterfly caretakers in my absence. My dad mixed up a sugar water concoction to tide them over until I was home for the release. Now comes the most fun part, the release! It was a family affair as we all gathered in the back yard. My nephew was all for holding and releasing them, whereas my niece was content with watching and helping take pictures. It was fun to see their faces as we watched the butterflies fly off. I think it was a great experience for all involved! A hands-on learning experience for the kids, as well as the adults involved! Whenever my niece and nephew came over, they had to ask how the caterpillars/butterflies were doing and check on them. And once they had all emerged as butterflies they couldn’t wait to tell me the good news! I’m not sure if raising the butterflies was more fun for me or them, but definitely a memory we will all share! I’ve got some budding naturalists on my hands J A special thank you to my parents for taking on the role of Butterfly Farmer when I was away, even if they weren’t quite sure about my butterfly endeavors! And to my sister-in-law Vanessa for taking some great pictures!
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Product: Original Buff Adult Neckwear Description: From buffwear.com: “The Original and still the best – so uniquely versatile it can be worn in up to 13 different ways for protection, comfort and FUN! Now available in solid, patterned, yarn dyed stripes and Chic designs. Original Buff® is available in adult, children and baby sizes.” Megan’s: Tube of stretchy, moisture wicking, no odor, quick drying fabric with no seams. Is very versatile and useful as neck gator, facemask, headband, hairband, and eye mask. Can be used in warm and cold conditions, keeps you warm and blocks cold, wind, and sun. Technical Features:
Uses: I bought my Buff over a year ago so I have been able to use it in all seasons, seeing how versatile it is. Originally, I bought it to use in the winter as a neck gator/face cover since with my job at that time I was outside a majority of the day and didn’t want to deal with a scarf that always gets loose and falls down, or to have to worry about the tails of the scarf getting caught in things. I've also had a chance to use it in the warmer months and it has held up to my expectations. Neck Gator & Face Cover I really like my Buff as a neck gator and face cover. Since it is stretchy, it stays put and keeps me covered in cold weather, I don’t have to keep adjusting it like I usually do a scarf. It also fits right next to your skin so the cold air can’t find its way in. The moisture wicking material is very nice to keep you dry and comfortable. When it’s very cold (negative temperatures) or windy, I like to use my Buff as a base layer and then use a scarf over it to help keep more warmth in. When it’s that cold, the Buff doesn’t quite cut it when you’re outside for extended amounts of time. By using the Buff as a base later, I still can utilize the moisture wicking qualities, and it stays up and close to my skin to keep out the cold, even when the scarf starts getting loose. They do also sell lined Buffs where you wouldn’t need to add a scarf, even in colder weather. Even when I don’t need the Buff up over my face, I usually still have it around my neck in winter to keep the cool air off my neck, and then it’s handy to pull up and use as a face cover if the wind picks up. Headband When it’s warm enough to not need a hat, but your ears still get cold, I use my Buff as a headband. It’s also stretchy enough that I can wear it over a baseball cap so you have protection from the sun or rain, but can also keep your ears warm. Hairband Even when my hair is up in a pony or in a braid, I still have those little fly-away hairs on the loose. They usually don’t bother me unless it is windy and they’re in my face. That is when the Buff comes in handy. I fold it in half, slide it on my head, and bunch it up – wah-la, no more hair in my face. Bandana I like to bike, but once the weather gets cooler, my ears get achy from the cool air, (a lovely hereditary thing). To remedy this, I wear my Buff like the hairband but instead of bunching it up, I pull the loose end so it is covering my head like a bandana. This way I can wear it under my helmet since it is thin, and then pull it down over my ears and it works perfectly to block the wind. Eye Mask Usually I don’t need an eye mask for sleeping, but sometimes when you’re camping you have to get to bed early for something the next morning and it can be hard to sleep when it’s still so light out. Surprisingly the Buff works quite well to block the light and is comfortable enough to sleep in. Testimonial: As you can see, the Buff is very versatile and useful in many ways. You can probably tell that I love my Buff and use it anytime I can – which is just about daily in cooler weather. If you’re a person that spends time outdoors, you’ll be sure to find a way (or multiple ways) to use your Buff and you’ll wonder what you did before you had one. Buffs come in many different colors and designs along with different styles and features (UV protection, insect shield). You’ll be sure to find one to fit your needs. They’re small and light weight – easy to stuff in your pocket or backpack so you’ll always have one with, if you aren’t already wearing it! Where to Get One: There are many retailers that carry Buffs. I have seen them at various outdoors stores, including big box stores like Cabela’s and Scheels. You can purchase them online from www.buffwear.com, www.buffusa.com, Amazon, and other various sites. Price: Original Buff $18.00-22.00 Fireflies: A magical scene that brings you back to childhood. Whether you grew up calling them Fireflies or Lightning Bugs, whenever you think of them, they evoke a wonderful memory. There is just something about them that makes them so magical and intriguing. There are 2,205 species of fireflies worldwide, 150 of those in North America, and we are lucky enough to have 12 different species in Minnesota. Although they have “fly” (firefly) or “bug” (lighting bug) in their name, they are actually a type of beetle. They are usually black with some yellow or orange on the body. There are many things that make these bioluminescent insects so intriguing; the first is that they light up! Fireflies glow because of a chemical reaction between luciferase (an enzyme), luciferin, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and oxygen. The firefly brings in oxygen, ATP converts energy and initiates the glow, Luciferase triggers the light emission, and Luciferin is heat resistant – letting a majority of the energy released show as light instead of being released as heat and burning the firefly. The light produced can be yellow, green, or even blue. That is the short and sweet version of the fairly complicated process that these fireflies make look so easy! Adult fireflies mainly use their light to attract mates, but it may also be used to defend their territory, or as a danger signal to those wanting to eat them. (Although, there are some frogs and toads that don’t care about the bad taste and will eat enough fireflies to make themselves glow!) Each species has their own unique blinking pattern to attract others of their kind, it is almost like Morse Code for insects. If you watch their blinks closely you may be able to identify different species. For most species of fireflies, only the males will light up to attract females. However, some females will blink back to show their interest in a mate. There is one species of fireflies where the female will mimic the blinks of other species and lure in the males to eat them! (Check out the infographic at the end of this post to help you identify fireflies by their blinking patterns.) Once the fireflies have mated, the female will lay eggs that hatch into larva in about a month. The larva glow and can be found in bark or burrowed underground where they will stay until turning into adults the following year. In the larva stage, fireflies will eat smaller insects, snails, slugs, and worms; injecting them with a numbing fluid before they eat them. Adult fireflies eat insects, pollen, and plants. The average lifespan of an adult is two months, but some may live for just a few days. Those that have a shorter lifespan may not even have mouthparts and therefore won’t eat during their adult stage. Fireflies prefer warm, humid environments - making our muggy June and early July days in Minnesota a great time to see them! Look for them near tall grass or bushes where they can find cover. They like areas near open water, and spots where forests or grassy fields meet water. Watch in your backyard, you may be surprised to see some around! Look high and low, too – I have been seeing them in the short grass, a few feet off the ground, and even way up in the tree tops. Wait until dusk to see their glowing and blinking, or look in the grass and vegetation during the day to spot them. Over the years, firefly populations have been declining for a number of reasons. A few of the main reasons for the decline are habitat loss, increase of pesticide and fertilizer use, and light pollution from urban sprawl. There are a few things you can do in your own yard to help the fireflies. Make your yard into ideal firefly habitat by having trees, bushes, and areas with long grass. Don’t use pesticides or fertilizers that can kill the eggs, larva, or adults, and turn off any exterior lights. Light from street lights, garages, sheds, outbuildings, and homes can make it too light outside and cause the fireflies to not see each other’s blinking, resulting in them not being able to find a mate. If you decide to catch any fireflies, place them in a glass jar with holes in the lid. Place a damp paper towel, grass, leaves, and twigs in the jar. Admire your fireflies and release them after a short time back into the wild so they have time to find a mate before their short lives are up. In Minnesota, peak firefly viewing is around the 4th of July. Before bed, head outside or to the window from inside a dark room and watch for the blinking of fireflies. Enjoy the magical scene that we get for only a short time each summer.
What is the number one Firefly pick-up line? You sure are flashy tonight! Visit www.Firefly.org for more information about these interesting creatures. Check out the infographic below to help you identify fireflies by their blinking patterns. |
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