Category: nature

Week 2 Chicks & Camouflage Moths www.naturesociety.net #kidsraisingchickens #chickenhusbandry #camouflageinnature #creation

Week 2 Chicks & Camouflage Moths

by Jennifer Love, posted in camoflauge, chickens, interesting animals, nature, pets

So the chicks are now one week old and noticeably bigger!

In this one week:

  • Their average weight is up from 1.39 ounces to 1.55 ounces
  • They are trying to flap around and fly more
  • They definitely poop more and we have to clean out their box like 3 times a day!
  • Their bony shaft is now turning to full feathers on their wings
  • The Black (Australorp) seem more friendly and let us hold them more. They also sleep more.
  • The Yellow (Buff Orpington) are more nervous for us to pick them up and try to fly around more.
Can you see how their fuzz is turning into wing feathers?
If you want to know what it sounds like around here all day!

What is our most often asked question?

HOW can you tell them apart?

Well, meet Laura! She is yellow with a tiny red dot on her beak.

Leia is black with a mostly white beak.

Mary is yellow but slightly darker and has no mark on her beak.

And Hazel is black with a black beak and also the largest right now.

(and, Yes, some of these are named after some of our favorite characters.)

This is what their home looks like under the red warming lamp. Baby chicks must be kept warm for the first month.
The chicks get lots of attention and we think they like to listen to stories too.

CAMOUFLAGE MOTHS

You can often find camouflage animals living all around us.

One day, while I was outside, I spotted a moth on the big White Oak tree in our yard. It used camouflage to disguise itself as the lichen-covered bark on the tree. This helps protect it from its predators such as bird or lizards.

Can you spot it? Can you find one this week outside? Keep an eye out for camouflage! Let us know what you find and submit your own picture and explanation of clever camouflage in nature.

Week 2 Chicks & Camouflage Moths www.naturesociety.net #kidsraisingchickens #chickenhusbandry #camouflageinnature #creation

By Judah Love

Disgusting nature #1 Hoatzin bird and Rafflesia flower #nature #naturefacts #kidnaturesociety www.naturesociety.net

Disgusting Nature #1

by Jennifer Love, posted in interesting animals, interesting plants, nature

The Hoatzin Bird

Animals and plants can be amazing, but some can also be disgusting.

The Hoatzin bird builds its nest above the water of the river. This enables the chicks to simply hop into the water and swim to safety if the nest is attacked. The chicks also have small claws on its wings to help it grip and climb trees.

But here is the gross part: the leaves that the Hoatzin eats are fermented in its throat. This gives the bird awful breath! This is why the people in northern South America call it the Stink bird and no one hunts this animal. The same thing happens in a cow’s stomach. This is why the Hoatzin smells like cow manure.

naturesociety.net Rafflesia Flower and Hoatzin Bird #kidsblog #naturesociety #creation #disgustingnature
Hoatzin Bird & Rafflesia Flower

The Rafflesia Flower

Some plants are revolting too.

The Rafflesia flower, or corpse flower, literally smells like rotting meat. It is often larger than 3 feet wide and can weigh more than 200 pounds! The awful smell it puts off helps attract flies and beetles which will help pollinate the flower. Also this plant has no stem, leaves or even roots!

It is named after Sir Stamford Raffles the leader of the expedition on which it was first recorded and grows naturally in Indonesia.

by Judah L.

Sources I used:

  • Amazing Birds: Fact Files by Miles Kelly
  • How Does a Seed Sprout? by Stewart & Schwartz
  • Boys’ Life Magazine, October 2018
  • Wikipedia: Rafflesia flower

Animal Camoflauge

by Jennifer Love, posted in camoflauge, nature


While on a camping trip to Uwharrie national Forest in NC, I noticed a small piece of lichen that appeared to be moving.

When I looked closer I found that it was actually a small pill bug covered in the lichen! I found it fascinating that bugs could disguise themselves in such ways. Can you spot it among the rust and dirt on an outdoor grill?

Animal Camoflauge www.naturesociety.net #godscreation #lichen #pillbug #naturesociety

Lichen is actually a type of fungus and algae that grows on rocks and trees. One cool fact about lichen is that they help absorb toxins in the atmosphere. You can read more from the US Department of Agriculture about Lichen here.

See if you can find any cool camoflauge in nature and send us a picture!

judah.naturesociety@gmail.com

by Judah L.

Welcome to the Nature Society!

by Jennifer Love, posted in introduction, nature, pets, turtle

Welcome to my new Nature blog – by kids and for kids!

Hello! My name is Judah and I love all things nature!

I have a pet turtle, named Snapper and enjoy watching birds from my window. I like camping, exploring and learning about animals and plants. I enjoy searching for animals and making structures with the rocks near a stream. I also like finding plants in our yard, re-potting them and watching them grow.

Soon I will be getting chicks for the first time and I’m looking forward to watching them grow too. 

Welcome Introductions www.naturesociety.net #godscreation #paintedturtle #naturesociety

This is my pet Snapper! She’s a painted turtle that has lived in a tank in my room for about 4 years now. We rescued her near the highway by a river. You may not think you can take an aquatic turtle outside but I often let Snapper walk around in the grass, while keeping an eye on her. I also made a small cage with no floor which can be placed in the grass and Snapper can walk around without escaping. 

I enjoy watching Snapper swim in the tank and get excited every time someone walks in the room. She dives off her dock and splashes energetically.   

I hope that by reading this blog you and I will learn more about nature as we explore it together!

by Judah L.