The following is a new (free) newsletter exploring nature in our back yard. I believe this is the first issue and they will cover a different topic each week. jeff _______________________ BACKYARD NATURE NOTES! by Carolyn Allen Published every Friday. _______________________ Hello, ************ TODAY'S NATURE BREAK: What is the value of "Life Sciences" in education? Frogs and Toads in Your Backyard Amphibians in your Global Backyard ************ ---------------------------------------------------------- What is the benefit of "Life Sciences" in education? ---------------------------------------------------------- Ecology is a growing interest area in education, from schoolyard habitat, to international programs such as Earth Day, and significant curriculum changes. "Practical Biology Education" in Japan is one example. This forward-thinking view of education can inspire new learning projects...in your own backyard, as well as the schoolyard. The following overviews of innovative learning methods by Japanese educators illustrates creative approaches to practical study of biology in schools and the community. ***ByeBye to the Rabbit Hutch*** "Rabbit hutch" is not used here to mean a typical tiny Japanese home. It is a cage for raising small animals such as rabbit or chicken in a schoolyard. Almost every elementary or secondary school and some high schools have such a place for the culture of aesthetic sentiments in children. However, I believe that raising pets in a habitat far different from their original environment only requires students to experience a routine feeding and cleaning task, and cannot have any educational priority. On the contrary, the "biotop", which is a small, artificially designed nature garden where a microcosm consisting of various natural organisms and their ecological harmony can be observed, may provide students with wider environmental scope and better sense of humanity. With a biotop as the basis for environmental, biological, and even ethical education, biology teachers can play an active and effective role in establishing sentiments good for nature as well as for human beings. Harufumi Nishida Laboratory of Geoscience & Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Chuo University *** Today's Environmental Education Is Reaching a New Phase *** Important issues of education in Japan are to help children develop their ability to think skillfully using perceptual and cognitive skills -- the ability to analyze, categorize and synthesize. Children regain lost creativity through nurturing their natural sense of sympathy, establish a sense of self and develop the ability to find ways of overcoming difficulties. These thinking skills can be summarized as a 'zest for living'. Environmental education is vital in order to tackle the problem of lost creativity of children. Kimiko Kozawa Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan Abstract More information can be found at the following Web site: http://www2.justnet.ne.jp/~msaitoh/ejissen27.htm#seibutsushi For information about creating or certifying a Schoolyard Habitats program, visit http://www.nwf.org/habitats ---------------------------------------------------------- Frogs and Toads in Your Backyard ---------------------------------------------------------- I bet you have seen a frog or toad in your backyard or neighborhood. Right? We don't normally think of amphibians as "wildlife" to nurture and provide habitat for -- but it can be fun, rewarding and essential for a balanced ecosystem. Learn more about the frogs and toads in your area by checking the habitat available, and making sure it is inviting to these valued members of a healthy environment for all of us. * You can build a backyard pond for frog that includes plants, a log or two and lots of hiding and feeding cover for the frogs. Some leaves and branches in the pond will do the job. They provide cover as well as added nutrients and structure for small tadpole and frog foods to grow. * Build a permanent rock pile, log pile, and/or brush pile in the shade. * Leave fallen logs on the ground, letting them decay naturally. * Leave some leaf litter on the ground or in your planting beds. * Create a "toad abode" with a shallow dish of clean water next to an overturned clay pot. * Do not use fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides in your landscape. * Keep your cat indoors. Visit the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center web site: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam/idguide/specieid.htm Subscribe to National Wildlife Federation's "Habitats" newsletter of their Backyard Wildlife Habitat (TM) Program. Their Winter 1999 issue covered a wide array of information about Amphibians. http://www.nwf.org/habitats National Wildlife Federation 8925 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22184 ---------------------------------------------------------- Amphibians in Your Global Backyard ---------------------------------------------------------- Scientists around the world are concerned about a substantial decline in amphibians. Localized declines vary, but even pristine areas are experiencing noticeable declines. There is a global effort to study amphibians because they constitute a large portion of the biomass of natural communities (biomass is the amount of living matter in a given area). Amphibians are the dominant group in some habitats like wetlands, and in many cases they are the top predator, consuming large numbers of insects and other invertebrates. Amphibians are also good indicators of environmental quality. They have a moist, permeable skin which allows water and other molecules in the air and water to pass through into their bodies. Their skin is sensitive to chemical changes in the air and water and to pollution. In addition, amphibians live both in the water as tadpoles, and on land as adults, making them more vulnerable to environmental stress. Their eggs, too, are sensitive to the environment because they are not protected by a shell. Although all causes for the population declines are not known, several human activities and products play a role. These include pollution, habitat modification, over-collection, climatic fluctuation and the introduction of non-native species. While it is easy to think in terms of the impact our own personal and family activities have in our immediate backyards, it is also important to understand the role our communities play through business, industry and general lifestyles that we take for granted. Here are some of the major causes being identified in recent research: * Habitat acidification from acid rain, mine drainage and industrial fallout alter the chemical makeup of aquatic habitats. * Contamination by pesticides can cause developmental mutations or instant death. * Habitat loss through cattle grazing near ponds and streams if they are not fenced off. The lack of vegetation along waterways leads to increased runoff and sedimentation. * Road building may destroy habitat, fragment populations or increase toxic runoff (road salts, etc.). * Over-collection by the pet trade and other purposes has severely decreased populations. * Introduced "exotic" species have no natural predators, making them difficult to keep in check. These come from human releases of exotic pets to the wild, accidental stowaways on cargo (with shipments of plants or fruit), as well as intentional introduction. These unchecked populations compete for available resources. To learn more, check the following websites National Wildlife Federation, Keep the Wild Alive campaign http://www.nwf.org Virginia Wildlife magazine: http://www.dgif.state.va.us Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education http://cgee.hamline.edu/frog/index.htm North American Amphibian Monitoring Program Volunteer projects include frog call surveys and the terrestrial salamander monitoring project http://www.im.nbs.gov/amphibs.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remember to take a "nature break" and develop a better understanding with Mother Nature! ;-) Editor's note: If you have any questions about me or backyard nature resources feel free to send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] You can visit my Web site at http://www.backyardnature.com If you know someone who would be interested in my newsletter, please forward this entire message to them....and I appreciate your interest! __________________________________________________ If you would like to receive Backyard Nature Notes for free, just send an e-mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ COPYRIGHT 1999 Carolyn Allen and SodaMail LLC. 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