Howard Christiansen Nature Center! Upcoming Events..

PRESERVED HABITATS --article from www.lilysfrogpad.com ---
Habitat Protection Areas (HPA)
Are large tree protection areas in which a complete habitat of plants, soils, water regimes, animal life and nutrients work together to produce clean air, pure water, rich soils, and a population of animal life living and growing off of the biological productivity and diversity of the place.
Forest floors are among nature’s most efficient forms of storm water management methods. Rain falling on tree canopy begins to be managed as soon as raindrops fall on leaves and continues until root uptake water hours after the storm event. One of the most effective storm water best management practices that will preserve trees and manage storm water is to preserve natural habitat and remnant forest stands on development sites.
Rain that does make it to the ground is immediately absorbed into the forest duff, a thick organic four (4) to six (6) inch layer of fallen leaves, decaying leaf matter and native soil mulch. Finally, when rain actually gets to the surface soil level it too is quickly absorbed due to the natural porosity of the soil caused by root growth soil insects and ground creatures who mine the soil for food and nutrients.

Tree Protection Area

Trees may consume hundreds of gallons of water during certain weather periods and therefore become natural storm water BMP’s. Tree protection areas (TPA) protect critical root zones (CRZ) on special protected trees. Preserving complete tree biology is an important sustainability principle that all landscape codes should recognize.
Tree protection areas (TPA) are small habitat preservation areas that are set aside an area around the trunk of a tree to be preserved on a development site. The purpose of the TPA is to protect the critical root zone (CRZ) of the tree and to prevent damage or interference during construction. This area is established in several ways including tree size, diameter of the crown, diameter of the tree at DBH, and location of the feeder roots where most of the water and plant nutrients are taken up by the tree.
 

WILDLIFE: article from www.lilysfrogpad.com --

We often have no appreciation of the value of the most potentially rich habitats, instead clearing them away in the interests of tidiness. Something as apparently simple and useless as rotting wood supports up to 1700 different species of invertebrate. Rotting wood on its own provides an amazing variety of different microhabitats. These also include the fruiting bodies of fungi actively decaying the wood.
Larger animals such as Roe deer also roam through the wood. While we are unlikely to actually see them, the signs of their presence will be all around, from the territorial scratchings of the males, made on saplings, to the dung which they deposit as they go. While this dung may be undesirable waste to us, there is no such thing as waste in nature and it will be eagerly colonized as soon as it falls. The rich resource of invertebrates living in and emerging from the dung provides food for any number of predators, such as beetles, birds, small mammals and bats.

 HOWARD CHRISTIANSEN NATURE CENTER!
LOCATION : MICHIGAN,

Directions Coming From Grand Rapids:
- Take US 131 north to exit #104 (17 mile rd). The exit is designated “M-46 to Muskegon or Cedar Springs.”
- Follow 17 Mile Rd. west for approximately 6 miles to Red Pine Dr.
- Turn North (right) onto Red Pine Dr. Continue north to 18 Mile Rd.
- Turn west (left) onto 18 mile Rd. take this for less than 1/4 mile, and then turn north (right) on Red Pine Dr.
- Continue for about 1.5 miles. HCNC’s west entrance will be on the east (right) side of Red Pine Dr.

Directions From North West Kent County
- Take M-37 (Alpine Ave.) north to Sparta Ave., continuing through Sparta.
- Be sure to continue north on Sparta Ave. where Sparta Ave. splits off to the right
- Continue to 18 Mile Rd. and turn east (right)
- Travel east for one mile to Red Pine Dr.
- Turn north (left) on Red Pine Dr.
- Continue for about 1.5 miles. HCNC’s west entrance will be on the east (right) side of Red Pine Dr.

Upcoming Events

• April 24, 2013 12:30 pm - April 24, 2013 2:30 pm
  Preschoolers Mini Garden
• April 27, 2013 9:00 am - April 27, 2013 1:00 pm
  Arbor Day Volunteer Day
• April 27, 2013 12:00 pm - April 27, 2013 7:00 pm
  Court of Honor Garret Ebonah
• April 29, 2013 9:00 am - April 29, 2013 11:30 am
  Children Stories for Preschoolers
• May 1, 2013 9:00 am - May 1, 2013 3:00 pm
  Ada Vista
• May 1, 2013 12:30 pm - May 1, 2013 2:30 pm
  Preschoolers - Who lives in our Water?
• May 2, 2013 9:30 am - May 2, 2013 2:30 pm
  Godwin Schools
• May 3, 2013 10:00 am - May 3, 2013 2:00 pm
  Walker Charter Academy
• May 5, 2013 12:00 pm - May 5, 2013 7:00 pm
  Court of Honor for Jacob Sible
• May 5, 2013 6:00 pm - May 5, 2013 8:00 pm
  Jiggly Wiggly Frog Hunting

 

photos shot by Sarah Kenney (SarikaAshley) no form of copyright allowed.

Articles & Information from The Howard Christiansen Nature Center - www.lilysfrogpad.com

Little Lady

I was updating this site last night and had a little visitor sitting and watching me on the shelf next to my bed so I decided to make her my model :)
I say she did well!
Since I am from Michigan and it is an average 20 degrees here right now it is surprising to me when I spot insects in my house.

Keep watch more updates for your wondering mind soon to come! :)

Canadian Lynx and Hunting.

The Lynx has always been one of my favorite cats!
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata)
Class: Mammalia
Family: Felidae
Species: canadensis
The Lynx has a short tail and characteristics tufts of black hair on the tip of their ears. They have a ruff under the neck, which has black bars (not very visible), resembling a bow tie.
They have large padded paws for walking on snow (always havereminded me of giant rabbit paws) ; and occassionally, is marked with dark brown spots, especially on the limbs.
All species of lynx also have white fur on their chests, bellies and on the insides of their legs, qhich are extensions of the chest and belly fur.

The lynx's colouring,fur height and paw size veries by its climate range.
The smallest are the Bobcat and the Canada Lynx, with an average 10 to 13 kilograms (22 to 29lbs.)

Lynx are usually solitary, they avoid trouble as much as possible,They really are not a "social" species, so it would be rare for a traveler or someone looking to study the Canadian Lynx to find one out and about.
Lynx inhabit altitude forests with dense cover of shrubs, reeds, and tall grass. They hunt on ground but they can also climb trees and can swim quite swiftly for catching fish.
They depend solely and almost exclusively on snowshoe hare, when the hare population decreases, sadly so does the lynx population.They will change their prey base if desperate to rodents, ground birds, and small ungulates but the lynx population still is synchronized to the hare population.

The greatest threat to the Canadian Lynx is trapping, they are easily trapped, when trapping is done during low times it is extremely difficult for the lynx to repopulate which could very well lead to extinction.They suffer habitat loss because of destructive humans,as bleak as it sounds the lynx outlook is better and more promising for other feline species.
Humans kill over 11 million rabbits a year, the snowshoe hare is the prime staple of the Canadian Lynx but due to overhunting their food supply is diminished.
Hunters comprise 6% of our population, but they kill over 100 million animals each year for sport, for SPORT!

The International Species Information Services lists 70 Worldwide!

My point I think we need to think of hunting as you might be killing a rabbit which you might not see as a big deal but it is another animals life source, if you kill them your killing another species. When you cut down forests for your city, you are taking away a home. Deer hunting is one thing when you need to supply food for your family because you cannot provide, but sport is nonsense. Think of it as these animals have families, food and homes and you want to take it all away...think of the terror you would have if someone came in destroyed your family, took all of your food and your home..it is the same for these animals and they deserve respect and life as much as we humans do.

More Interactive

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in travelling to Europe and Australia to not just see other beautiful countries and hear the wonderful accents but I have wanted to travel to study wildlife..I was always inspired by Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin. Dominic Monaghan has caught my eye transforming his acting career into educating others about animals through his travel show Wild Things.
I have been mainly interested in Crocodilians, other Reptiles, and Amphibians over the years.
But I highly respect all of the "creepy crawlies" and furry critters.
Anyone who has talked to me knows I love to keep things interactive and talk with all walks of life. I would love it if we could make this site more interactive, if you would like to know about an animal, have questions on ways you could help, or about habitats Send me a tweet on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SarikaAshley
I really hope to hear from you guys!
If you have any picture that you would like cresited to you but featured on this site of an animal or habitat send me it through twitter aswell.

Thanks Loves,
Sarah Kenney
@SarikaAshley

Wildlife of Germany Link

Living in Germany: Wildlife in Germany

Your Favorite

Goto @SarikaAshley & RT my Friday post tell me what is your favorite animal and I will feature them on my site with details, follow @DomsWildThings & @iansomerhalder & I'll follow gou back! Thanks Loves
#FollowUFriday

Built of Barnwood Follow, Like,Share & Never,Never Give Up!

Hello I would like to tell you about a company named Built of Barnwood, This company makes hand-crafted, beautiful braceleta,necklaces,crosses,plaques, and furniture, Built of Barnwood is a family owned company by Robert Somerhalder,Dena,his brother Ian, and the rest of his family, they wod their hardest to deliver your order to you at a quick pace.
They are a loving and inspirational and I respect them highly...
I have tried getting more followers for them the past couple of weeks through social media, I do not have money to donate or buy but I will do what I can and it would mean so much to me if you all could go "like, them on facebook, follow @bsome on Twitter, & share,share,share! And ofcourse remember Never,Never Give Up!
you can order online at www.builtofbarnwood.com
Thank You!
Sarah Kenney
@SarikaAshley

robert somerhader (@bsome)
Ian Somerhalder (@iansomerhalder)