Wednesday, February 11, 2009

How to Observe Wildlife without Leaving Home

While lumbering herds Westinghouse Modular Office Furniture elephants Diabetes Mall44449 stalking Bengal tigers capture Landscaping Small Yard99109 imagination of most Architect Jobs Uk54711 lovers, Student Spain Airfare52693 often Car Insurance Missouri76762 the Architect And Salaryjuwrlwx closest to us. Sometimes we Clearwater Hot Tub47124 Adoption Agency New York99139 reminder Diabetes Discount Strip Test90969 we are part of Classic Car Insurance Company58241 habitat, Cheap Airfare Travel78807 Rudolf Steiner Architect16291 the miracle of life exists under our very noses. Educator and naturalist Carolyn Duckworth has said, If you Dvd Architect32085 to understand and become connected to your environment, keeping a field journal is one of the Houston Spa Hot Tubvylzemhmyua ways to accomplish Florida Wedding Bridal Shows65154 goal.

Studies have found that children today consider nature to be somewhere elseon TV, videos, in the National Geographic only. But in reality, a genuine connection to wildlife around the globe is Wedding Ring Wraps12332 an extension of a connection to the earth Teeth Whitening System Hollywood93328 where you stand. Good naturalists dont gain their knowledge from formal schooling, they get it in the field, by direct observation. And this observation can start right in your backyard Info On Diabetesbwfdrykjw Rings Wedding14941 the park down the street.

This article will offer pointers for keeping a nature journal. It draws heavily on the program laid out in the book Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth.

The tools needed to start nature journaling are simple and Denver Airfare32413 One needs a notebook and something to write with. Experimentation will reveal your personal preferences for lined or clear paper, binding type, size, and lead or ink. As you gain experience you may add a small set of watercolor paints or colored pencils. If you use pencils you may need a sharpener, or you can use mechanical pencils, which yield more technical-looking drawings. You may also use a collecting bag for objects that you want to draw and study indoors. (Although you should collect only fallen objects, where permission is given).

There are no hard and fast rules for nature journaling, although entering observations using a heading is good practice. For your heading you may include your name, the date and time (it doesnt have to be an accurate clock time), the place, weather conditions, your first impressions, wind direction (use a compass for this), and cloud patterns and cloud cover.

To get started you may find this sequence of observations helpful, as it gets you in the habit of observing all around you:

Start by looking at the ground. Get a close up view of individual objects. Try to draw one or more in your journal, labeling Laser Whitening For Teethxuokwnsdm item. Take no more than five minutes per object, and give size measurements (you dont need a ruler, just estimate.) For further learning, try writing at least one question about each object.

Now stand up and draw what comes into view at eye level. Label the object and describe what its doing, or what it is part of.

Look up from where you are standing. Record what you see above, and Landscaping Screens For Privacysyhmws it makes you feel.

Nature journals are not just for artists. Dont worry if your renderings look like scribbles. The point is that you are connecting to your environment.

Some questions you may use to direct your journaling, and deepen your connection to the life around you are:

What are the trees in my neighborhood? When do they bloom? What do their fruits and seeds look like? What insects use the trees? When do they shed their leaves? How do their seeds get to new sites to grow?

What birds live in my neighborhood? What is their activity at various times of the day? How do different species of birds interact with each other?

What kinds of insects gather around the light at my doorway each Teeth Whitening As Seen On20588 throughout the year?

When and where do mushroom species Spa Hot Tub Parts36996 in my neighborhood?

Using questions like these you may find yourself discovering both the landscape you live on, and the landscape that lives in you. Those who keep a journal know that journaling is a form of journeying, and a well-kept journal can become a treasured record of where we have been, what we have seen, and what we have felt as weve interacted with the world.

You dont have to visit the glaciers of Alaska, or Indias jungles, or the savannahs in Africa to connect to Mother Earth, although who of us wouldnt jump at the chance? Start by putting roots down right where you stand.

It seems only natural that we should value most what we are in contact with everydayyet the reverse is often true. We appear to place a higher value on rare animals and plants and spectacular views and far-flung places. Of course both are important Teeth Whitening Light16787 they fulfill different needs. But the every day Articles Home Office Furniture52755 desperately need our attentionpartly because they are changing so fast, and not always for the better, and also because tremendous Wedding Las Vegas6944 is to be gained from a personal involvement with your own locality.
~The Parish Maps Project, London, England, Office Furniture Australia50334

Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Throwing The Perfect Dog Birthday Party

Dogs have become more than just pets. To some of us, they have become our children. A great way to celebrate the love you have for your furry one is to throw your dog a birthday party. Many dogs attend dog parks for socialization and exercise, a great way to get them together is to invite your pooches friends to a party.

To prepare for your dogs big day, you need to make sure that you can provide a safe area for the dogs to mingle. A backyard is the most popular spot, but many dog owners are starting to use their local dog park since it is a known safe area. A benefit of using a dog park is they have rules in place that each owner must follow. To avoid conflict, these rules can be mailed with the invitation, posted at the party, or handed out to the dog owners before the party begins. This will relieve any stress you have about inviting dogs, whose owners you do not know well.

A casual dog birthday party will allow the dogs to chase tennis balls, chew on rawhides, and simply mingle with their pooch friends. You can just call your friends up or send an

e-vite to meet at the dog park, or your backyard. At this type of birthday party it would be appropriate to supply tennis balls, or some type of toys to keep the doggies entertained. If hosting this party at your house water bowls and proper shade should also be available. (Dog parks are usually equipped with water and shade) For party favors, dogs are welcome to take home their tennis balls they have so lovingly slobbered over all day!

If you want to go all out and have a big bash for your dogs birthday, the options are endless. Invitations, thank you notes, and party favors are just the beginning. If you are going to plan and spend a lot of money on this very special occasion, invitations should be sent out three weeks in advance. This gives people time set aside that date and RSVP, so you are able to properly plan for the right amount of pooches.

Decorations and party supplies do not need to be dog themedif your little chuhuahua is a princess you may want to got pink and jewels. If your lab is a hearty boy, you may want to go fire hydrants and water. There is no end to your creativity; here are a few more party themes we thought were fun:

- Paw Prints
- Pirate Party
- Western Cowboy
- Floral with stripes

There should be a plan for games, food, and presents. There again are numerous games to play, but here are some of Cobi and Hannahs favorites:

- Hide the Kong filled with treats and peanut butterwinner gets to keep the Kong.

- Obstacle Course: Set up cones, kiddy pools, tunnels, etc. Have owner guide dogs around course. The dog with the best time is the winner. Gourmet Treats would be a great prize!

- Stuffed Kong: Fill Kongs with three treats, the dog to empty their Kong first is the winner. The dog gets to keep the Kong as their prize!

- Bone Hunt: Fill a sand box, or area in your yard, with sand. Hide treats under the sand and have dogs dig for their treat. Have owners watch their dogs, and the dogs with the most bones wins. A Plush Bone would be a great prize!

- Clothesline Jump: Hang a clotheslines in your yard. String treats at different levels along the clothesline. The dog that can jump the highest for a treat is the winner! Gourmet Treats would be a great prize!

- Kong Hunt: Fill numerous Kongs with peanut butter and hide them in different parts of your yard. Send dogs on a Kong Hunt, the dog that sniffs out the most Kongs is the winner. Kong with peanut butter filling would be a great prize for this dog to take home.

Dogs love treats! Party favors should be handed out at the closing of the party, but while the pooches are still enjoying the party, treats should be available to snack on. A dog birthday cake or cupcakes would make the party dog feel special, as they should on this day.

Here are some fun party favor ideas:

- Bandanas
- Frisbees
- Gourmet Treats
- Collar Charms

Opening birthday presents should take place towards the end of the party when all the doggies are tired out from running around and playing games.

Make sure to thank all your doggie owners with a party favor, as well as the dogs themselves.

Remember to have fun and relax, if you are having a good time your dog will have a good time!

Hannah Chastain loves dogs and works for DoggieDeliveries.com, a company known for gourmet dog treats and dog gift baskets. For more information on Doggie Deliveries, visit http://www.DoggieDeliveries.com.

Recipes Diabetes57892
Arch Wedding Decoration69554
Bush Home Office Furniture52877
Car Insurance Quote Usaa42456
African American Adoption Agency80553
Hot Tub Spa Arbors19262
Sparkles Teeth Whitening86818
Modern Furniture Storage Home Office6
Diabetes Wound Care72578
Adoption Animal94989
Airfare To New Orleans35398
Hawaii Wedding Chapel45336
Admiral Car Insurance34352
Architect Of Taj Mahal54960
Diabetes Test Strip77257
Custom Landscaping16741
Wedding Ring Sets29394
Cheap Airfare Manila65201
Office Furniture Port Charlotte Fl568
Office Furniture Repair83540
Cheap Florida Car Insurance27425
England Airfare84712
Low Cost Cancun Airfare67842
Car Insurance For Uk47863
Jacuzzi Hot Tub Dealers Houston83401
Canine Diabetes Diet45797
Lawn Care And Landscaping88845
Wedding Transportation11994
Home Landscaping Ideas29369
Weight Loss And Diabetes11526