Tag: wildlife education

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Posted on February 6, 2023 by The Art of Ecology

Public Perception & Attitudes Towards Bird Feeding

attitudes towards bird feeding_hummingbird feeder

As part of my spring 2023 “Wildlife Education” course (Masters of Environmental Science through Slippery Rock University), I conducted a survey/questionnaire that was designed to examine the public’s perceptions and attitudes towards a bird feeding; a sometimes-controversial wildlife topic. Many feel strongly about why they should or should not feed wild birds. Below are the …

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Marissa Jacobs | NatGeo Certified Educator | Photographer
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The amount of mushrooms I am seeing right now after the rains we've had has been astounding. I am constantly reminded of the incredible biodiversity of these organisms. From the crazy colors, to the intricate shapes, fungus is wild! Some species are saprobes, meaning they feed on already decaying matter. Others are parasitic, meaning that they are what causes the rot in organic matter! Some blend with plants, like algae, to create lichen. Some are wiggly little blobs, others are dense and solid brackets. Some are cup shaped and have their spores bounce out when water droplets splash inside. Others yet have caps that "melt" or deliquesce, to disperse spores. All are amazing!
There are many cool identification tools for figuring out what a mushroom species is. You can look at the shape, the gill or pore structure, the color, the texture, and even the smell to help you narrow down an identification! Did you also know that you can break, or bruise, the fungus to also see if it changes colors?
There are many yummy and nutritious foods growing right outside your door, if you knew where and what to look for! Foraging is a fun, rewarding experience that also teaches one more about their local ecosystem and community. This month, my Patre0n benefits focus on summer foraging, the food we can find, how to harvest sustainably and ethically, as well as how to prepare these foods, plus some foraging art goodies. Link in bio to join the fun!
Insects can be pretty rad! The cicada goes through incomplete metamorphosis, meaning that they have fewer than 4 life stages (think butterfly with its complete metamorphosis of egg, larvae, pupa, adult). The cicada egg hatches into a nymph (instead of larvae), which then leaves behind that exoskeleton that we know and love. The flying adult then tries to get to the highest point that it can, usually tree tops where they scream (aka making music with their tymbals, in search of mates).
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