Frozen

Brrrr!! It is cold out there today! We all feel a little bit frozen after our commute to school and work. Even after we get indoors we still feel  cold inside our bodies. Some people describe the feeling as being chilled to the bones or for this man, chilled to the beard!! The tiny water droplets that are in our breath freeze as they hit the cold air and get caught in facial hair  giving this man a frosty mustache.

 

Our bodies do change when it is cold outside. Our body functions differently. Human beings are essentially tropical animals. We adapt to cold weather by turning on the furnace in our homes and wearing winter jackets, hats and mittens. We can't  adapt our bodies to withstand the harsh winter weather but changes do happen. These changes warn us that we need to go inside or put on warmer clothing.

The first change you may notice on a cold day is in your fingers. At temperatures below 12c our fingers lose function. Ever tried to do up buttons with cold hands? It isn't always easy. At temperatures below 8c you begin to lose your sense of touch. 
That is one reason that we put ice on injuries. The ice cools the pain receptors and we can't feel the injury as much.

When you get cold your body makes a few changes to conserve heat. One thing it does constrict our blood vessels which reduces the volume of blood circulating in our body. Less blood means less fluid volume. Where does this extra fluid go? Our body gets rid of it in the form of urine. When you are cold you pee more often.
Being cold  can also give you goose bumps. Goose bumps happen when the muscles at the base of your hair follicles flex. The  scientific name for this is horripilation.    This isn't very effective for humans but on animals that have more hair than us it helps to keep them warmer.
 Another thing our body does to try and keep warm is shiver. Shivering is your bodies way of trying to increase heat by involuntarily moving our muscles.

While our bodies have a few tricks to try and keep warm they are not very effective in the harsh Canadian winter climate. We are very susceptible to damage such as   frost bite and hypothermia caused by low temperature. This video shows us some good tips for preventing and detecting both hypothermia and frostbite.

Other animals are much better at adapting to cold than humans are. A favorite of ours is the Wood Frog. Many wood frogs live at Bear Creek Eco Park. They can live in very cold conditions and are able to live much further north than any other frog.
They have the amazing ability to freeze completely and then thaw and reanimate in spring.

 

 

How do they do this amazing adaptation?!This cool video helps to explain.

 

 

 

 

So Eco Rangers please keep warm and cover your skin when you play outdoors this winter. There is so much fun to be had in the snow if we stay safe.

 

The Scoop on Poop.

Your dogs can't clean up after themselves!!

We have all seen it or worse STEPPED in it. Dog poop in the  park! It doesn't make sense, everyone will tell you it is gross and lazy to leave your dogs poop behind so just who is doing this nasty no no? Its not just gross it is dangerous and damaging to our waterways.

Dog waste is responsible for  20 -30% of waterway pollution. The waste contains harmful bacteria like ecoli and the nitrogen and phosphorus content contributes to nutrient loss.
If the disgusting idea of poop going into our water supply does not deter people maybe the fines will. I spoke with a Barrie By Law officer today and was told the fine here in Barrie for not immediately picking up dog waste is $300.00 plus the Ontario victim surcharge of $65.00.
So with big fines and polluted water why would anyone leave dog poop in the park?


That's not even the biggest mystery in this stinky caper. Who are these odd folks who are willing to bag the poop but can't manage to make it to the garbage bin?   When we did our last park clean up we found dozens of bags of poop. Some stinky packages were even hanging in the trees.  Maybe we will never know what theses poop packers are up to. Just in case they think there is a mythical creature assigned to this job lets clear one thing up. There is no poop fairy.

 

 During next years Spring clean up we will be separating the bagged dog poop from the rest of the garbage so that we can see just how big this issue is. How many people will leave bagged poop in our wetland park this winter? Lets hope that the Bear Creek Eco Rangers can spread the word and clarify the poop fairy myth so that we won't have as many stinky packages to clean up.

 

Learn it, Love it but don't Leave the Poo!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYbppp2PHuE

 

 

 

 

A Treat for Winter Birds.

Winter has arrived in Bear Creek. Most of our wildlife friends have settled in for their long winter nap or have flown off to their winter homes but some have adapted to the changing environment. It is nice to know that we still share our community with some wild creatures. There are birds still active in the park and in our neighborhood. There are ways we can help them survive the long cold winter.

You can put out bird seed for the birds who stay during winter. A fun activity is to make bird feeders from pinecones. It is easy, you just need to cover a pinecone in peanut butter and then roll it in bird seed.

 Stores sell special winter seed mixes. You can even find special packages from Scotts brand that have been formulated by the Toronto Zoo to meet the nutrition requirements of birds in Ontario.

Why not add the birds of Bear Creek to your holiday gift list. They do stick around all winter and bring a bit of color and life to the otherwise quiet and sleepy Eco park and our backyards. This is a nice way to say thanks :)

What a great way to end our second season. An award from the local conservation authority! Kristina and I could not be prouder!

We have had many opportunities to educate the local children in environmental stewardship and we hope this recognition broadens our reach and encourages more families and schools in Barrie to get connected with local conservation projects.

Our time outside with the kids and the turtles is on hold until the spring but over the winter we will be creating other ways to reach out to the students and  families in our community. This blog is part of that initiative. It is because of the continued encouragement and support of our community that we maintain our enthusiasm.  Eco Rangers would be nothing without the great families that continue to come out to events and clean ups.

While our main focus is the preservation of wetlands we encourage our young friends to find a project they feel passionate about.  Civil responsibility through environmental stewardship is a great way to encourage children to develop a sense of global citizenship.
Our children can make a difference in their communities and through projects like ours we can foster a sense of power and responsibility.

Teaching the basic principals of science through hands on activities and real life demonstrations gives children the basis for understanding how and why our planets resources need to be protected.

It should not surprise anyone that the children of today need to be more environmentally responsible than we have been.
 Our government and our personal choices do not always  reflect what we know about our diminishing resources.
Encouraging children to be environmentally responsible and involved in the civil process is in an effort to help them develop into adults who  build a more sustainable planet for everyone.

So with this blog we will share with you all that we are working on this winter. If you would like to contact us directly you can email Kristina and Robin at bearcreekecorangers@yahoo.ca or message us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bearcreekecokidz