Nature Dave here…and I’ve got an exciting new program to tell you about!  Riverbend is offering a special, four-session program for 2011 that we’ve affectionately called our “Science Nerd Series,”  and it’s bound to be a big hit with kids ages 8-14 who LOVE science.

For one day each season, Riverbend is offering a cool science program, led by an expert on the topic of the day.  Our first session is coming up on February 27th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, and the topic is “Geology: From Dinosaurs to Volcanoes to Outer Space.” Scientists from the Hutton Institute will be present to help students explore rock samples, fossils, and meteorites.  After the program, students can stick around for a look at a special Hutton Institute exhibit called Down to Earth: A Practical Guide to the Planet.

The additional dates and topics are:

Sunday, May 22nd:  9:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Part II:  Hydrology:  Water, Water Everywhere

Sunday, September 25th:   9:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Part III:  Herpetology:  Rare and Endangered

Sunday, November 20th:   9:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Part IV:  Ornithology:  Our Fine Feathered Friends

Each session is $50/student, but if you sign up for all four, the cost is $150.  For more information about the series, you can visit our website.  If you’d like to sign up, just give Stacy at Riverbend a call — 610.527.5234 x108.

Well, that’s all for today.  I hope you’ll consider the Science Nerd Series, and until next time, I’ll see you ’round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Hello, Riverbend friends!  And Happy New Year!  It’s been awhile since I’ve last written, and I hope you all had a great holiday season.

My holidays were great, as I was able to spend some of them with those of you who attended Year-Round Camp days.  We had a great time here at the barn.  

Even though it’s been cold and there is snow on the ground, I’m dreaming of warmer days and the start of Summer Camp!  We’ve just sent out our 2011 Summer Camp brochure, but if you haven’t received one, you can find out all about what’s new and exciting for this year by visiting our website.   Camp registrations are already starting to come in…so register early to reserve the week(s) you’d like to attend!

I hope that 2011 has started off well for each of you, and I can’t wait to see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Good day, Riverbend friends.  The sun is shining, and winter doesn’t officially arrive until six days from now, but it sure feels like Mother Nature is speeding up the calendar a bit.

December 21st is the official first day of winter, also known as winter solstice.  It’s the shortest day of the year (if you live in the northern hemisphere) because the sun is farther away from the Earth’s tilt on this day than any other in the year.  Hundreds of years ago, people celebrated the solstice with festivals or big meals because it was not guaranteed that they would survive the winter months.

On Friday, December 17th, we’ll celebrate the coming of winter with a night of storytelling by the campfire, night hikes, crafts, stargazing, and refreshments at Rolling Hill Park in Gladwyne.  Riverbend is partnering with Lower Merion Conservancy to host the celebration, which is free to the public.  Come join us for a night of fun.

This is my last blog entry for 2010…so I wish you all the warmest of holidays and the best in 2011!  Until next year…I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Happy first day of December, friends.  It’s a dreary, rainy one here at Riverbend, and the gray skies and rain tapping on my window made it really hard for me to get out of bed this morning.  It’s days like this that I feel like I could just sleep all day…and we’re getting to the time of year when that’s what some animals do.

Hibernation is when some animals become inactive.  Their body temperature drops, their breathing slows down, and their metabolism slows down as well, which means that they process energy at a much more gradual pace.  Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food is short, and they tap into their supply of fat to get through the cold months.

Hibernation may last several days or weeks depending on the species, outside

European Hedgehog

temperature, time of year, and fur on the animal’s body.  Here are a few animals that go into hibernation:

• Bats
• Some squirrels
• European Hedgehog
• Marsupials
• Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (during the summer)
• Other rodents.

You may be wondering why “bears” were missing from the list, as we often think of bears as hibernators.  However, while they do go into a winter sleep, their metabolic rate does not drop to the level of smaller mammals, and their body temperature stays between 99 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bears can also wake up from their slumber relatively easily.

So that’s a little bit on hibernation.  Stay dry, and until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Good day, Riverbend friends!  Can you believe that it’s the day before Thanksgiving?  I love Thanksgiving…I enjoy taking a few moments to think about the things that I’m thankful for.  And this year, I thought I’d share a few of them with you.  Just to make it a little fun, I’m calling it Nature Dave’s ABCs of Thanksgiving.  So here are just a few—26, to be exact—things that I’m glad to have in my life.

A – Autumn…the leaves, the cool air…what could be better?
B – Bats…they eat all those pesky mosquitoes.
C – Campers…they fill my summer up with fun.
D – Decorations…putting them up at my mom’s.
E – Eagles…both the football team and the kind that fly.
F – Family…they make my world a better place.
G – Get-togethers with friends
H – Holidays…just like this one!
I – Ice Cream…my favorite is Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.
J – Jell-O…The lime-green kind.
K – Kids…they bring a lot of joy.
L – Lizards…I love reptiles.
M – Mammals…The two-legged kind and the four-legged kind.
N – Nature Clubs…some of my favorite times are during nature clubs at Riverbend.
O – Ornaments…can’t wait to hang them.
P – Phillies…yep, I’m a phanatic.
Q – Quiet…time to reflect.
R – Rest and Relaxation…everyone needs a recharge from time to time.
S – Snow…Hoping for a white Christmas.
T – Turtles…because they are reptiles.
U – Uncles…I am one.
V – Vase…full of fall flowers.
W – Wally…our guinea pig at Riverbend.
X – Xerox…they make printing camp brochures SO much easier!
Y – Yams…my favorite side dish.
Z – Zebras…because they are so cool.

There you have it…Nature Dave’s ABCs of Thanksgiving!  I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.  Until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Greetings…Nature Dave here.  Many of the leaves on the property have now fallen to the ground, and you can really hear the squirrels and chipmunks rustling around as they prepare for winter.

This morning, I saw two squirrels on my way in to the barn.  One was frantically shoving dead leaves in its mouth, and the second had a large nut between his teeth.  They scurried up the fence post, jumped to the nearby tree, and headed to their home to store up their treasures for the winter months.

Squirrels are not the only animals to begin preparing for the cold weather ahead.  Chipmunks and other rodents also collect food while it’s still easy to find.  Groundhogs are also gearing up…but they go about it a different way.  Instead of hoarding a stockpile of food, groundhogs simply eat more in the fall, causing them to virtually double in size!

Thanks for reading along today…until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

Hello, friends.  There’s been some frost on the pumpkins the last few mornings here at Riverbend…I’m guessing you’ve been experiencing a similar chill in the air.  While it’s a bit colder and crisper, I love this time of year.  It makes me want to take deep breaths and soak in these days before winter arrives.

If you’re a fall lover like me, you might want to take advantage of some programs that Riverbend is offering in the next few weeks.

We’ll be having a Fall Foliage Hike on this Sunday, November 7th from 10:30 a.m. – noon at Saunders Woods Preserve in Gladwyne.  We’ll have a Riverbend naturalist guide us on a hike through the woods where we’ll learn why trees loose their leaves and which ones keep their color the longest.

On Saturday, November 13, Riverbend will present a program on the Lenape from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.  You’ll learn how the Lenape would prepare for winter, and you can even make a pot for storing nuts.

The third program for November is our Family Fun Night on Saturday, November 20.  Come out from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to learn about the wonders of owls!  We’ll take a walk on the grounds to listen for these amazing creatures.  An owl craft will also be part of the evening.

There are small family charges for each event, so be sure to sign up with Stacy Carr-Poole at scar@riverbendeec.org or call her at 610.527.5234 x108.

I hope you and your family can join us for one or more of our November events. Until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend.

–Nature Dave

Nature Dave is back, and I had a GREAT time on Saturday at Shiverfest!  For those of you who came out, I’m guessing you had just as much fun as I did.  And for those who couldn’t make it, I’ll do a little recap for you.

The crowds came out for Shiverfest
To put Halloween fun to the test.
There were pumpkins, games and food galore
Crafts, painting, parading and more.

Little ones made it to the straw bale pit
Where jumping and playing were a super-big hit.
They headed up the trail to trick-or-treat
For pencil cases, yo-yos, and assorted sweets.

We saw gators, turtles, and snakes—Oh my!
At a great show by Jesse the reptile guy.
For those who dared, we braved the haunted hike
With ghouls, goblins, monsters, and the like.

When the sun went down and it got dark,
Peter told stories as the campfire sparked.
As the night went on and the fire would crackle,
I was sure I could hear a distant witch cackle.

Thanks to all who came out to take part
We hope you had fun and took to heart
That we at Riverbend loved having you here
And hope you’ll come back year after year!

Until next time, I’ll see you ’round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave

My favorite holiday is just around the corner, and we’re getting into the spirit here at Riverbend…and we want you to join us!  Come on out to Riverbend this Saturday between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m. for our Shiverfest event.  It’s a Halloween-themed day of fun activities for the family to enjoy.

At the start of the event, we’ll have plenty of field games and haystack jumping for kids to enjoy.  Children can grab a bag and head up Betty’s Trail for some trick-or-treating fun.  There will also be pumpkin decorating and Halloween magnet-making, as well as a Spooky Science lesson on bones.  Forgotten Friends Reptile Sanctuary will be putting on an exotic reptile show in the barn at 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30, and I’m pretty sure that’s one you won’t want to miss!  An artist from Stacey’s Face Painting will be in the Outdoor Classroom from 5:30 – 7:30 to create little masterpieces on happy faces.  For any little ones who want to come in costume, we’ll be having a parade beginning at 5:45.  Everyone will show off their Halloween best on a little hike to our Bird Observation Area, where they can dance around to some spooky and spunky tunes before the judging takes place.  (I happen to know that we have some super-cool prizes for our winners…but you didn’t hear that from me!)

As the sun goes down, Peter Grove will captivate us with his storytelling by the campfire in the Upper Field.  For all those who dare, we will guide you on a Haunted Hike up Sassafras Trail.  And you never know what might be around the next bend in the trail.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.  Children 2 and under are free.  To purchase tickets prior to the event, call Angie at 610.527.5234 x104 or visit our website.

So come on out for a ghoulishly good time this Saturday night.  I hope to see you ‘round the ‘Bend for Shiverfest!

–Nature Dave

Foliage Fun

Greetings, friends!  We’re getting to that amazing time of year when the leaves are starting to change from green to yellow, orange, red, and purple.  Almost everyone loves the colorful displays of autumn, but not everyone knows why it happens.

Water plays the biggest part in leaves changing color during the fall.  It’s not that the roots of the tree are lacking water, but that the individual leaves are getting less water.  When the amount of water lessens, the process of photosynthesis stops.  Photosynthesis is when sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide combine to produce food for plants and trees.  The stuff that makes leaves green is called chlorophyll, and because it relies on photosynthesis to keep leaves green, chlorophyll also disappears from the leaves.

When the chlorophyll is gone, the “true” leaf colors tend to come out.  Trees like maples, birches, and poplars turn yellow because of a pigment called carotene.  This is the same thing that gives carrots and corn their color.  When you see red and orange and purple leaves, that means that anthocyanins are present.  Many oak tree leaves will turn brown before turning crisp and crackly because of tannins.

Not all trees lose their leaves, however.  Those that retain their leaves are called evergreens; those that drop them are called deciduous.  Where we live in the Northeast, the most common evergreens include pine, fir, and spruce, and their leaves come in the form of needles.  Other evergreens include magnolias and some oaks.

Eventually, leaves will drop to the ground to become part of the forest floor.  What causes leaves to drop is not due to dryness but rather the shorter days and lack of sunlight.

So there you have it…autumn will soon produce a stunning range of color, and now you know why.  Until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend.

– Nature Dave