Mountain Caribou

There are three main types of caribou in Canada. They are called “woodland caribou” if they live in the forest, “barren-ground caribou” if they live in the arctic tundra, and “mountain caribou” if they live in mountainous regions. Caribou have large hooves, which are about as wide as they are long and the dew claws (the back part of the hooves) touch the ground when walking. These large round hooves allow the caribou to distribute their weight more evenly and walk on packed snow. Caribou are the only member of the deer family in which both sexes have antlers, Males shed their antlers following the fall breeding season (young males retain their antlers longer than mature males). Pregnant females shed their antlers soon after the calves are born in the spring. Non-pregnant females shed their antlers during the winter. They are considered one of the most endangered mammals in North America.

Life Cycle
Baby mountain caribou are born in May, and stay with their mom for at least one year. They can run faster than a adult human when they are only one day old. Male caribou live about 7 to 8 years. Females live slightly longer, to 10 or more years. These are very general numbers. Every animal faces its own set of situations that lead to a shorter or longer life. If a caribou lives in a herd that is in decline (getting smaller over the years), it probably will have a shorter life than a caribou in a healthy, or expanding herd. Also, many caribou die within the first year after they are born, and never reach adult age.

Diet
During approximately 6 months of the year, mostly during the winter months, caribou subsist only on a diet of arboreal (i.e. growing on tree branches) lichens. This is unique within the deer family. During the non-winter months, caribou also forage on shrubs, grasses and sedges.

Threats
Logging causes problems not only because it destroys their habitat, but also because moose and deer move into logged areas to eat grass and brush that grows in clear cuts. Wolves and cougars then move in to hunt the moose and deer. The wolves and cougars find the mountain caribou and chase them into the clear cuts. Caribou can’t move around very well in clear cuts so they make an easy catch. Snowmobiles and skiers also present challenges with the noise and
increased activity. It can kill caribou by forcing them to abandon their habitat. It is believed that increased human access into caribou habitat, changes in the balance of predators, poaching, and early logging in sensitive habitat may have contributed to their decline.

Facing Extinction
Scientists believe that at least 10,000 mountain caribou existed historically in BC, but the exact number may have been even larger. Today only 1,670 mountain caribou remain. The number of mountain caribou is decreasing because both their low-elevation (summer) and high-elevation (winter) forest homes are being logged. After decades of logging, the low-elevation old growth forests are almost gone.

Vancouver Island Marmot

The Vancouver Island Marmot is a small, burrow-dwelling mammal. It is herbivorous and hibernates during the winter. The fur is chocolate brown with a white patch on the muzzle, a black patch on the rump, and white spots on the abdomen. They weigh 6.6-14.3 pounds. The highest count in 1998 was 71 individuals, compared to 102 in 1997 and 235 in 1984.

At least five of the larger colonies have suffered extinction in the last few years, and the number of individuals has declined at several other colonies. In 1999, crews counted 57 animals in the wild. The year 2000 population estimated 36 marmots in the wild and 40 in captivity. They only occur on Vancouver Island and they are one of the worlds most endangered mammal.

Life Cycle
The Vancouver Island Marmot is a small, burrow-dwelling mammal. It is herbivorous and hibernates during the winter. The fur is chocolate brown with a white patch on the muzzle, a black patch on the rump, and white spots on the abdomen. They weigh 6.6-14.3 pounds. The highest count in 1998 was 71 individuals, compared to 102 in 1997 and 235 in 1984. At least five of the larger colonies have suffered extinction in the last few years, and the number of
individuals has declined at several other colonies. In 1999, crews counted 57 animals in the wild. The year 2000 population estimated 36 marmots in the wild and 40 in captivity. They only occur on Vancouver Island and they are one of the worlds most endangered mammal.

Habitat
The marmots inhabit alpine and sub-alpine areas characterized by steep slopes,
meadows, and rocky debris at bases of cliffs. The natural habitat provides grasses and forbs to eat, colluvial soil for constructing burrows, and microclimatic conditions suitable for foraging, and successful hibernation. Steep slopes are preferred because avalanches clear them of snow in spring, thereby permitting early foraging. Avalanches also inhibit tree growth, allowing food plants favored by marmots to flourish. Juvenile survival in clear cuts is evidently lower than at natural sites. Lifetime reproductive rates are lower in logged areas.

Diet
The marmots inhabit alpine and sub-alpine areas characterized by steep slopes,
meadows, and rocky debris at bases of cliffs. The natural habitat provides grasses and forbs to eat, colluvial soil for constructing burrows, and microclimatic conditions suitable for foraging, and successful hibernation. Steep slopes are preferred because avalanches clear them of snow in spring, thereby permitting early foraging. Avalanches also inhibit tree growth, allowing food plants favored by marmots to flourish. Juvenile survival in clear cuts is evidently lower than at natural sites. Lifetime reproductive rates are lower in logged areas.

Threats
The overall effect of forestry has been to concentrate the marmot population in a small geographic area. This makes them more vulnerable to predators (golden eagles, cougars, wolves), disease, and changes in vegetation and climate (i.e., snowfall, snow pack, temperature, and rainfall). Reintroduction of captive-bred marmots to former sites could enable the species'
recovery.

Frog Fun Facts

General
*There is evidence that frogs have roamed the Earth for more than 200 million years, at least as long as the dinosaurs.
*The world’s largest frog is the goliath frog of West Africa- it can grow 15 inches and weight up to 7 pounds.
*One of the smallest is the Cuban tree toad, which grows to half an inch long.
*While the life spans of frogs in the wild are unknown, frogs in captivity have been known to live more than 20 years.
*There are over 4, 900 species of frogs worldwide. Scientists continue to search for new ones and estimate that more than 1, 000 frog species have yet to be described
*Toads are frogs- the word “toad” is usually used for frogs that have warty and dry skin, and shorter hind legs

Frog Physiology
*Frogs have excellent night vision and are very sensitive to movement. The bulging eyes of most frogs allow them to see in front, to the sides, and partially behind them. When a frog swallows food, it pulls its eyes down into the roof on its mouth, to help push the food down its throat.
*Frogs were the first land animals with vocal cords. Male frogs have vocal sacs- pouches of the skin that fill with air. These balloons resonate sounds like a megaphone, and some frog sounds can be heard from a mile away.

Locomotion
*Launched by their long legs, many frogs can leap more than 20 times their body length.
Surviving Extremes.
*Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures change with the temperature of their surroundings. When temperatures drop, some frogs dig burrows until spring, completely still and scarcely breathing.
*The wood frog can live north of the Arctic Circle, surviving for weeks with 65% of its body frozen. This frog uses glucose in its body as a kind of antifreeze that concentrates in its vital organs, protecting them from damage while the rest of the body freezes solid.

Mating and Hatching
*Almost all frogs fertilize the eggs outside of the female’s body. The male holds the female around the waist in a mating hug called the amplexus. He fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them. Amplexus can last for hours or days- one pair of Andean toads stayed in amplexus for four months.
*The marsupial frog keeps her eggs in a pouch like a kangaroo. When the eggs hatch into tadpoles, she opens the pouch with her toes and spills them into the water.
*The gastric brooding frog of Australia swallows her fertilized eggs. The tadpoles remain in her stomach for up to eight weeks, finally hopping out of her mouth as little frogs. During the brooding period, gastric secretions cease- otherwise she would digest her own offspring.

Save Energy

Energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe. We use energy to do work. Energy lights our cities. Energy powers our vehicles, trains, planes and rockets. Energy warms our homes, cooks our food, plays our music, and gives us pictures on television. Energy powers machinery in factories and tractors on a farm. Energy from the sun gives us light during the day. It dries our clothes when they're hanging outside on a clothes line. It helps plants grow. Energy stored in plants is eaten by animals, giving them energy. And predator animals eat their prey, which gives the predator animal energy. Everything we do is connected to energy in one form or another. Energy is defined as: “the ability to do work.”When we eat, our bodies transform the energy stored in the food into energy to do work. When we run or walk, we "burn" food energy in our bodies. When we think or read or write, we are also doing work. Many times it's really hard work! Cars, planes, light bulbs, boats and machinery also transform energy into work.

We really can Change the World by changing just on light bulb. If each household changed one standard bulb for one compact fluorescent bulb, we could:
· Reduce energy use by up to 616 million kilowatt hours of electricity in one year.
· Save $74.7 million a year on household electricity bills.
· Reduce garbage by keeping up to a billion (yes, a billion) bulbs out of the trash. Each fluorescent bulb can last up to 10 times longer than an ordinary bulb, so think of all those bulbs that won't be thrown away.
· Keep 974 million pounds of carbon dioxide or CO2 out of the environment. CO2 is the most common gas that contributes to global warming. That's 450 pounds of CO2 saved from the atmosphere with each fluorescent bulb. Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are produced by the power plants that light your home.
· If every household changed just one bulb, it would be about the same as:
* Removing 85,000 cars from the roads for one year.
* Filling 32.5 billion basketballs with CO2. Placed side by side, the basketballs would stretch for 4.6 million miles.

Quick Energy Saving Tips
· Set your thermostat comfortably
low in the winter and comfortably
high in the summer. Install a
programmable thermostat that is
compatible with your heating and
cooling system.
· Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
· Air dry dishes instead of using your
dishwasher’s drying cycle.
· Turn off your computer and monitor
when not in use.
· Plug home electronics, such as TVs
and DVD players, into power strips;
turn the power strips off when the
equipment is not in use (TVs and
DVDs in standby mode still use
several watts of power).
· Lower the thermostat on your
hot water heater to 120°F.
· Take short showers instead of baths.
· Wash only full loads of dishes and
clothes.
· Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving
(speeding, rapid acceleration and
braking) wastes gasoline.
· Look for the ENERGY STAR® label
on home appliances and products.
ENERGY STAR products meet strict
efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
the U.S. Department of Energy.

Frog Bread

I found this recipe on the internet one day and I've made the bread quite a few times. It is very good.

The Dough
6 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4-1/2 cup water

Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Mix in the milk and enough water to make everything form a doughy ball. Turn the ball out onto a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes.
Return it into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 90 minute until the dough has doubled in size.

Shaping the Frog
First, take a large chunk of the dough and form it into a ball. Squish one end of it to make it a bit oblong. This forms the body of the frog.
Next add the legs. Make a smaller ball of dough, cut it in half, and set each half behind the frog to form the rear legs. Make a small disc of dough and cut it in half, then cut some toe wedges to form the rear feet. The front feet are just tubes of dough that were slit to create toes.
The Eyes are just two small balls of dough. Push a couple raisins in them to make ‘googly eyes’.
A slit across the front makes a mouth.

All set. Cover the frog loosely with a towel and let it rise for an hour.

Baking
After an hour of rising, preheat the oven to 350º Celsius. Right before putting the frog in the oven, coat it with an egg wash. This is just a raw egg scrambled up and then brushed over the dough. This gives the finished bread a beautiful, shiny coating.
Bake on 350º for 45 minutes.

Note: Add green food coloring to the
water/milk before you mix it in with the dry ingredients and you’ll end up with a green frog!

The first picture is before the frog bread is put in the oven. The second is the finished product. Isn't it awesome?

Oregon Spotted Frog Details

Did you know that Seabird Island’s own Maria Slough is home to the rarest frog in Canada?
The name Rana pretiosa comes from the Latin language. Rana meaning true frog and pretiosa meaning precious. Therefore, precious true frog!

Description:
The Oregon Spotted Frog is a medium size frog, no longer than 4 inches. The adult frogs can vary in color from reddish-brown, brown to tan on top. The inside of the back legs can be reddish or golden. The juvenile’s are olive green or light brown. Tadpoles are a brownish-green. Adults have a narrow, pointed snout, upturned eyes, and a light colored stripe on the upper lip. They also have black spots with light centers. The female frog is bigger then the male frog. The male has larger thumbs, which are used to grab on and hold the female.

The Oregon Spotted frog looks a lot like the more common Red-legged frog which you will often see in Maria Slough and surrounding ponds. They both have red or golden color on the inside of the back legs and their coloration on top is similar. They are quite difficult to tell apart. The differences in their appearances are subtle. For example, when holding the Oregon Spotted frog in your hand and looking directly down at it, the eyes seem to look right up at you; whereas, the eyes of the Red-legged frog tend to look to the side. The webbing extends to the end of the longest toe of the Oregon Spotted frog while it stops about half way down the toe of a Red-legged frog.

Reproduction:
Breeding time is late February to March. The male will be 2 years old before he is ready to breed, a female will be 3 years old. The male will congregate in one area and call to the female. When a female is ready to breed, she will move towards the calling male. These frogs will go to the same spot every year to breed. The male will grab the female around the waist in a mating hug called the amplexus. He will release sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs as the female lays them directly into the water. The egg masses are laid communally in tight groups. Egg masses contain approximately 500-700 eggs. A female will lay one egg mass per year. Hatching takes 14-28 days depending on water temperatures. In three-four months, the tadpoles will metamorphose into little froglets.

Food:
Adults will eat small insects, beetles, ants, spiders, flies, and water striders. Tadpoles eat algae and decaying vegetation.
Did you know that frogs eyes help push food down their throats?

Population declines:
The Oregon Spotted Frog populations have declined all over the world. There are only three places left in Canada where these frogs occur. These three sites are Aldergrove, Agassiz and Seabird Island.
Causes of declines:
· Habitat destruction
· Introduced species that compete or eat them (e.g. Bullfrog)
· Chemical pollution
· Climate changes
· Epidemic diseases
· Invasive vegetation

What do frogs do for us?
Frogs eat untold millions of insects each year making them economically valuable to agriculture. They also provide a critical food source for birds, fish, snakes, and other wildlife. But the most important contribution frogs make may be their role as environmental indicators. When pollution or other environmental changes affect a habitat, frogs are often the first casualties. These delicate creatures provide an early warning for endangered ecosystems.

Habitat:
This species requires large warm-water marshes, with lots of vegetation. Shallow pools and small floodplain wetlands associated with permanent water bodies are important habitat features. It is unknown as to where these frogs over winter.

Keena in the Field

This is a picture of me in the field processing an amphibian that we caught using collapsable minnow traps. This was in Aldergrove in May 2007. The traps were set in hopes of catching and removing Bullfrogs from the wetland as well as to see if we can catch an Oregon Spotted frog, just to let us know they are still there. Unfortunately, we did not get lucky and catch an OSF, but we did remove alot of Bullfrogs and get to see a bunch of salamanders and newts.

2007 Outreach programs

We play games with students to teach them about species at risk in a fun way. Giving them dip nets let them explore the water and the creatures that live within. The students really enjoy this stuff, and they learn at the same time!

Outreach Program 2006

We do outreach programs often with the local school and community. We take students to the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society in Greendale or one of our Oregon Spotted frog sites. We set up different programs for them to learn wetland importance, different animals, etc.

Bullfrog Tadpoles

In June 2006, while in the Okanagan- we set traps and caught Bullfrog tadpoles and adults. We caught all different stages of tadpoles. I found these very interesting and they look cool. We try to remove as much Bullfrog tadpoles from the wetlands as possible because they are exotic and invasive- they eat all our native frogs.

OSF + Red-legged frog

In March 2006, while in the field, Dennis Knopp (field naturalist) and I found a Oregon Spotted frog and a Red-legged frog in amplexus in the mud. It was a male Oregon Spotted frog and a female Red-legged frog. Carefully, we took pictures and set them into the water.


The next day, we checked the pond where we found them, but they were not seen nor were there any new egg masses.