Monarchs are migrating right over the house! More to come ...

Making Mushroom Prints

Mushrooms are arguably one of nature's most curious and fascinating life forms. Even my one-year-old takes notice, pointing them out as we walk through the woods. Existing in many different forms, some are bright and colorful, others are strange and stinky. Add to that the fact they can appear almost overnight, one can begin to appreciate these unworldly organisms.

Belonging to the Kingdom Fungi, they contain no chlorophyl and most are saprophytes, obtaining nutrition from non-living organic matter. Basically, they "eat" dead plants by breaking them down much like a compost pile. A mushroom is actually the reproductive structure of a much larger organism (technically called a basidiocarp) that grows in the soil, in wood, or another food source . It's purpose is to produce and release spores.

The spores are released from the gill or tube surface and float down from the cap. The number of spores produced by a single mushroom is incredible (we're talking trillions)! The slightest breeze can carry them far and away where a small fraction will find a suitable location for growth and germination. In this activity, we relied on gravity to help transfer spores from mushrooms to construction paper resulting in a one-of-a-kind art project. This simple craft is a great way to incorporate art and nature and is sure to evoke wonder and amazement!

Mushroom Spore Prints

Materials:

• Construction paper (dark colors work the best)
• Scissors
• Bowls
• Hairspray or spray fixative (optional)

Making Mushroom Prints

• Head outside (ideally a few hours after a rain shower).
• Collect mushrooms - try and find a "traditional" cap mushroom with gills underneath.
• Cut the mushroom stem at the base.
• Carefully place the mushroom, gill side down on a piece of construction paper.
• Cover the mushroom with a bowl and let it sit overnight.
• Remove the bowl and lift up the cap.
• Marvel at the beauty of your spore art!
• Let the paper dry, then seal it with hairspray or spray fixative. Spray far above the print so spores are not blown off the paper.

Max collecting the perfect specimens

Show me your gills

Simple enough for a five-year-old!

Common Sense Note: Wash hands after handling mushrooms and never eat any mushrooms in the wild unless they are identified by a professional.

Mushroom Gallery

The boys and I have been enjoying mushroom walks as of late. Daily afternoon thunderstorms have made conditions prime for our fungus friends. Here's a photo gallery of some of our finds ...

Perseids Meteor Shower TONIGHT!

Get ready for a dazzling show of natural fireworks. Tonight marks the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, and scientists are gearing up for what is expected to be the most magnificent show of the year, peaking at possibly 50 or more meteors per hour! Tonight is an especially good night for viewing due to the waxing cresent moon setting early in the evening, leaving a dark sky for the show.

What is a shooting star? Although they look like stars falling from the sky, a shooting star is actually a small piece of debris from the solar system that enters Earth’s atmosphere. The result is an intense momentary light display as it evaporates in a flash of heat created by the friction of its passage through the air. The streak of light that is seen is called a meteor. The piece of solid material that causes a meteor is called a meteoroid. Most are surprisingly small, about the size of a grain of dust!

During meteor showers, like the one happening this evening, the meteors appear to originate from a single point in the sky called the radiant. This occurs because the showers are associated with disintegrated comets or comets still orbiting the Sun, leaving behind clumps of gravel and dust that spreads out along the original orbit of the comet. When one of these streams of particles enters the Earth’s atmosphere, the meteors appear to originate from a single point.

Tonight’s meteor shower is called Perseids, so named because meteors will radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus, the Hero. The Perseid meteor shower happens every August when Earth passes through a stream of particles left behind from Comet Swift-Tuttle. If you have no idea where Perseus is in the night sky, don’t worry! The meteors will appear in all parts of the sky.

Meteor Shower Viewing Tips

The best time for viewing is between midnight and dawn tonight (the morning of August 13^th)

Find a dark sky (if it’s not dark where you are, come on out to our place!)

Set up your camping chair or blanket and enjoy the spectacular show with family and friends!

Morning Scenes

Max's Insect Collection

Max has been a collector for as long as I can remember. Sticks, rocks, shells, pine cones, you name it, we probably have a collection of it somewhere. I'm pretty sure he inherited this passion from his dad. One look in his workshop and you'll understand what I mean.

Most recently, Max's collection is of the six-legged variety. It began with a designated spot in the garage where he placed an expired beetle, cricket, and stick insect all in a neat little row. As the bugs began to accumulate, however, I decided to take action. It was time to display these little specimens properly. We headed out to the nearest nature store in Asheville and stocked up on some basic entomology supplies. Max has been a busy bee (pun intended) ever since.

PINNING

The best way to display insects is to pin them in a display box using insect pins. Pinning actually takes some practice to do it right. There are some basic rules to follow (which I am not concerning Max with at this point in his career).

It's important to use pins specifically designed for insect pinning because they are treated to resist rusting. The pins vary in size. We chose number 4 pins as they are not too flimsy for little fingers and they work well for the amateur collector.

LABELING SPECIMENS

This is a great learning opportunity for the kiddos! We use the Golden Guide for Insects to look up the insect names. Pin labels (made from card stock paper) underneath the specimen. Information can include the insect's common name, scientific name, date found and locality.

Max labels his katydid ...

Wyatt gets involved ...

A Great Beginning

Holy Bullfrog!

Look what was hiding under the deck!