Earth Day Litter Project and Oil spill clean-up Simulation

Earth Day is April 22.  The Green Rangers learned that this annual day to support environmental protection was first held in 1970 in the United States.  Now it is observed in 192 countries!

We continued our Earth Day litter project.  Last week we learned about the dangers that litter poses for wildlife, and we cleaned up the litter in the Eastman Conservation Area.  (See our last posting for a list of what we found and for information about litter's dangers.) 

This week we designed and created a poster for display at Needham's Park and Recreation Office (500 Dedham Ave.).  It is there now - go check it out and register for the Needham Beautification Town Wide Spring Clean up Day on Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 8:30 to 11:00am:  You can also register online at www.needhamma.gov/parkandrecreation (choose online registration in top right corner and click on Town Wide Clean up), or you can phone Park and Rec. at 781-455-7550 Ext. 3.  Please register so that Park and Rec can plan accordingly.  Please bring work gloves and a bottle of water to the clean up. 

The Green Rangers also have a flyer about litter's dangers posted at the Needham Public Library.

Next, we learned about the major oil leak from the Exxon Mobil pipeline in Arkansas on March 29, 2013.  It was troubling to learn that leaks from pipelines (oil, diesel fuel) have happened 5 other times since 2010 from Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Enbridge Energy pipelines in Michigan, Utah and Montana. In each case, rivers and wetlands and wildlife were affected. 

We carried out a clean up simulation of oil-soaked mammals (such as beavers), birds and water in this way:

• Each student had a recycled, plastic margarine container half-filled with water.
• Cooking oil, with a few drops of food coloring whisked into it, was poured on the water (about 1-2 Tbs)
• We each dipped a feather and a small piece of fur into the oily water
• We cleaned the feather and fur by washing them in a pan of soapy water (we use Dawn dish detergent) and rinsing them well.  We had to repeat this several times to get rid of the oil.
• Then we used squares of Sorbent to soak up the oil on the water.  (The Science center acquired the oil-absorbing Sorbent after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989.)

We found the clean up to be very messy and a lot of work.  It really makes us think about the dangers of spills from ships, drilling operations and pipelines.  President Obama is expected to make a decision about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline this year.

Litter!!!!!!!!!

Last week we talked about litter and its dangers to wildlife.  This week we documented and collected litter in the Eastman Conservation Area behind the school. 

First, this is what we learned about the dangers that litter poses to wildlife:

• Litter can entangle animals:  Plastics, nets, fishing line, tangled ropes, plastic rings that hold groups of beverage cans together are big problems.  Beaks, legs, wings, flippers, tails can be so entangled that the animal cannot move or eat normally and its life is in danger.

• Litter can be ingested:  The animal's digestive tract can be blocked, leading to starvation.  Or chemicals from the litter, such as plastics, are absorbed with bad health effects.  Plastic bags and balloons are a real problem for sea turtles that mistake this floating litter for the jellyfish that they eat.  Waterbirds often ingest smaller bits of litter that block their intestines.  Shiny metal opening tabs for beverage cans, and shiny bottle tops can be eaten. More than 180 species of animals have been documented to ingest plastic litter.

• Half-open cans and broken glass can cut animals.
• Bottles with narrow necks can trap animals who climb inside for food remains and cannot climb up the slippery bottle neck.
• Plastic yogurt containers with a bottom wider than the neck can trap animals such as skunks who get their heads inside to lick the yogurt and then cannot successfully remove their heads.

Plastic litter is a huge, huge problem in our oceans.  It makes up 60-80% of marine debris.  There are floating accumulations of plastic twice the size of Texas!

What you can do:

• Reduce your use of plastics, especially single-use disposable plastics.
• Recycle and Reuse whenever you can.
• Dispose of trash carefully.  Make sure that it cannot become windblown, or carried off by animals.
• Don't release balloons, please!!!  They float away, and can (and do!) land in the ocean.
• Educate others about the dangers of litter.

So this week we put on gloves, and carried a large garbage bag, rakes and a long-handled net to clean up litter on the land and in the water at Eastman.  We carried a clipboard to make a list of what we collected just on this 1/3 mile walk:
8 beverage cans
15 beverage bottles
11 candy wrappers
10 plastic bags
9 cardboard boxes
35 "other" - included such things as a large SpongeBob balloon, beach towel, golf ball, tennis ball, cigarettes, lots of other plastics. 

Here are a few pictures...     (Sorry!  camera problem, so bad exposure, focus)

Insect Pooters and Phenology Study

Insect pooter?  What's that?  It's an easy-to-make device to collect insects using inhalation.  We're not quite ready to use them outside yet because it's still pretty cold, but we made pooters to use later.  Here's what you need: 

• Clear plastic tub with cover (the size of your average cottage cheese container, but clear)
• 2 straws of large-ish diameter (1/2" is good; we used straws that florists slip on some large plant stems)
• small, sharp scissors
• masking tape
• small piece of netting
• rubber band

Here's how to make it:

•  Place opening of straw on the container's cover and trace around (sharpie works well); then use scissors to pierce the hole and carefully cut it out.  Insert the straw.
• Place netting over the opening of the straw that is below the container's top - in other words, the opening that will be inside the container.  Use rubber band to fasten the netting to the straw.
• Place opening of the other straw on the side of the container and trace around it.  Cut the hole and insert the straw so that a couple of inches of straw are inside the container, with the rest outside.
• Snap the top (with straw) onto the container.  
• Use small pieces of masking tape to block of any small air spaces around the straws where they insert into the holes.

We then practiced "capturing" raisins and chocolate chips.  We inhaled through the top straw while holding the side straw near the raisin (or choc. chip).  It is sucked into the container, but the net keeps it from getting into the straw leading to your mouth.  Of course we opened the containers to eat our captured "bugs!"  We'll use the pooters with real insects later on.

Before we prepared to go outside for a walk around the trail, our instructor quizzed us on seasonal happenings that have been occurring from Jan. until now.  Did you know that...

• In Jan, black bear cubs are born and great horned owls start nesting?
• In Jan, raccoons, beavers and gray squirrels begin looking for mates?
• Coyotes and skunks are looking for mates in Feb?
• Ducks that migrated, red-winged blackbirds, grackles and turkey vultures are returning in mid-late Feb?
• Skunk cabbages start sprouting and blooming in late Feb/early Mar?
• In early-mid Mar barred owls and red-tailed hawks are nesting?
• Black bear, snapping turtles and chipmunks are starting to become active?
• In late Mar, the young of red foxes, gray squirrels and river otters are being born?
• In mid-Mar to early April, spotted salamanders and wood frogs are heading to vernal pools to breed?

Speaking of seasonal changes, the Green Rangers are studying these changes for 11 species of animals and plants found in the Eastman Conservation Area.  We are among the 4000 or so citizens who collect and contribute data to the American Phenology Network's database.  "Phenology" is the timing of seasonal activities of animals and plants.  These seasonal activities are a "leading indicator of changes in the earth's environment."  Scientists and organizations can use the database for their research into climate change, invasive species, wildfire prediction, etc..  These are the plants and animals that we are keeping track of:

chipmunk
white-tailed deer
red-winged hawk
chickadee
snapping turtle
painted turtle
garter snake
spotted salamander
white pine tree
witch hazel
skunk cabbage

During our trail walk, we noted that many skunk cabbage plants are up and blooming.  We heard, but did not spot, chickadees.