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Puddles' Craft Corner

Learn about nature while making a nature craft with Puddles!

Much more than detailed craft instructions, these activities include information about the creature being made, supply lists and pictures of every step! 

By Cindy Steele  (Bio)

Nothing compares to the quality time experienced while completing a nature craft with a child.

Animals…Masters of Disguise!


Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner! Have you ever been exploring in the woods or walking around your backyard and reached down to pick up a leaf and realize that it’s not a leaf at all…it’s alive!? Animals have amazing ways of making themselves almost invisible. This ability is one of their best ways to protect themselves from predators and danger. Let’s learn all the fantastic ways animals truly are the “Masters of Disguise!”

In nature, every advantage increases an animal's chances of survival, and therefore its chances of having babies. Because of this, animal species have developed a number of special adaptations that help them find food and keep them from becoming food. One of the most common adaptations is natural camouflage, an animal's ability to hide itself from predator and prey.

In this article, we'll see how animals blend in with their environment so that others might overlook them. We'll look at a few clever hiders who can change their camouflage with a change in their surroundings. In addition to these expert hiders, we'll look at some animals who don't hide at all but throw predators off by disguising themselves as something dangerous or uninteresting. What Exactly Is Animal Camouflage?

There are four basic types of camouflage: concealing coloration, disruptive coloration...

Continue the Lesson With Full Craft Instructions and other Nature Crafts with Puddles


We’re Going Batty!


Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. Are you afraid of bats? Well, did you know that bats are afraid of you? These amazing mammals have long been misunderstood! In fact, bats actually help the environment and people by eating tons of flying insects that destroy crops and spread diseases. Bats also pollinate night flowers, such as cactus, and help spread seeds to create new fruit trees. They’re mysterious, nocturnal hunters who have captured our imaginations for centuries. Imagine you're outside when it's getting dark, and a shadowy creature flies past you. At first, you might think it's a bird, but then you realize it's actually a bat! You don't have to be afraid, though. That bat is likely trying to find insects to eat. It doesn't want to hurt you. In this lesson we'll uncover interesting facts and features about these unique animals.

What is a Bat?

Did you know that a bat is a mammal? A mammal is a type of animal that has fur or hair on its body and feeds its babies milk when born. Bats are special because they are the only mammals that can truly fly. A bat's body is covered head to toe in fur. Many bats look like mice with wings! Bats are able to fly because their front limbs are actually webbed. The webbing is a layer of skin that creates a wing that is very thin but strong. No other mammals have this unusual feature. Bats have sharp teeth, but hardly ever use them for biting people or attacking animals. Out of over a thousand varied species of bats, only three types are truly vampire...

Continue the Lesson With Full Instructions and other Nature Crafts with Puddles


Let’s Rock and Roll!

Kids naturally love rocks. Large, small, shiny, or rough, they are fascinating to young minds eager to absorb as much of the world as possible. Scientists have some of the coolest jobs on earth. They spend all their days studying and researching many subjects, helping us better understand the planet we live on. Some scientists study space, while others learn all they can about old artifacts to display in museums. Other scientists do research outside, exploring the earth to learn more about the field they specialize in. One of these scientific fields is geology.

What Is Geology?

Geology is the study of the earth, ground, and rocks. The word geology comes from two smaller root words: geo meaning “earth” and –ology meaning “the study of.” Geology is about more than just rocks. Geology is the study of our planet, precious gemstones like diamonds and rubies, and the layers of the earth that we live on.

What Is a Geologist?

A geologist is a scientist that studies geology. What do you think a geologist looks like? Do you imagine an old scientist with huge glasses and crazy hair locked up in a lab? Does he/she spend his days dusting off rocks and looking at them under a microscope? If this is what you pictured, you’re not totally wrong—but you’re also not completely correct. Some geologists do spend their time in a lab, but this isn’t always the case. Many geologists go out on...

Lesson and Full Instructions 

What is a Butterfly Puddler?


We know butterflies need nectar to survive and hosts plants to lay their egg on, but did you know that a butterfly puddler is something that can help them stay healthy, too? And…it’s something that you can easily make for them.

Butterflies are some of the most beautiful pollinators in the world. Even though they appear to be extremely delicate, in reality, they are very tough. Besides gracing us with their beauty, they also provide a very important job in the world of pollinators.

A female butterfly will release pheromones into the air to attract a male to her. They mate and then she will lay eggs on a host plant. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars (larvae) eat the host plant voraciously until they go through five instars to become a chrysalis. Out of the chrysalis in about ten days, the adult butterfly emerges. It has six legs and two antennae which are used in finding flowers to drink nectar from or laying eggs on host plants for next year’s larvae.

The butterfly body consists of three body parts with many subparts attached. The three parts are the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Found at the top of the head are the antennae. These are sensory organs which detect chemicals in the air - to help the butterfly find food, or a mate. Just like other insects, butterflies have compound eyes which are made up of lots of tiny lenses. They can detect light and dark and color, and they are able to detect movement in many directions at once. The mouth parts of the butterfly enable them to feed. They feed on nectar using a long, drinking straw like... 

Lesson and Full Instructions  

Sunflowers…Summer’s Sunny Stars!

When we think about sunflowers, we think about warm and sunny summer days.

The sunflower is a bright, beautiful, and bold flower which has inspired some amazing pieces of art, poems, and stories through the years. Those beautiful bright yellow flowers are enough to brighten your day. They bring up thoughts of long lazy summer days that stretch out from early dawn to late dusk, swimming, fireflies, and the sounds of the ever- present summer cicadas. Sunflowers are the unofficial symbol of summer!

History of Sunflowers

Sunflowers aren’t just beautiful flowers, they’re useful plants that have been used for healing, food, and oil for thousands of years.

Sunflowers are believed to have been grown by American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. They were used in many ways – the seed was ground or pounded into flour for cakes and bread or cracked and eaten for a snack, the meal was mixed with other vegetables such as beans, squash and corn and the oil was squeezed from the seed and used in bread making too. Non-food uses include dye for textiles and body painting. Some parts of the plant were used for medicinal purposes including treating snakebite, the oil of the seed was used on the skin and hair and the dried stalk was used as a building material.

Sunflowers were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers around 1500 and the plant became widespread throughout Western Europe, for ornamental and medicinal purposes. In the 18th century sunflowers became popular in Russia too. This is mostly credited to Peter the Great, but the Russian Orthodox Church also played a part by forbidding most oil foods from being consumed during Lent. As sunflowers were not on the prohibited list, they became popular as a food. red and almost black being called the Russian Giant.

By the early 19th century, Russian farmers were growing over two million acres of sunflowers and by the late 19th century, Russian sunflower seed found its way to the USA. Today...

Lesson and Full Instructions

Ladybugs!


Legend has it that seeing or catching a ladybug is a sign of good luck! If you ever come across this peaceful insect, you can gently catch it but then make a wish and let it go. But, even if you do believe in this tale, you don’t want to bring this insect inside your home or any building, as they can multiply or reproduce and overtake structures. It’s fun to go on a flower safari…looking and taking pictures of beautiful flowers and hunting for bugs like ladybugs but be aware of private land. Don’t walk on private property and don’t pick flowers on private land.

Ladybugs are not just delightful and charming garden residents! They are also nature's tiny guardians, silently working to protect your plants from harmful pests. Also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, ladybugs are predators with a mighty appetite for plant-eating insects. Their favorite snacks are aphids, mealybugs, mites, and scale insects - all common pests that can wreak havoc in your garden!

There are about 5,000 different species of ladybugs in the world. They come in many different colors and patterns, but the most familiar in the US is the seven-spot ladybird, which has a shiny, red-and-black body. Most people like ladybugs because they are pretty, graceful, and harmless to humans. But farmers love them because they eat aphids and other plant...

Lesson and Full Instructions

Earth Day 2024


It’s that time of year to celebrate our home – the Earth! We live on this great big, wonderful planet, so it’s time to celebrate our home and think about ways to keep the Earth healthy and happy! Earth Day is celebrated each year in April. This year’s Earth Day celebration will be on Monday, April 22, 2024.

Our planet is a wonderful place to live, but it needs our help to thrive! That’s why each year on April 22, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. By taking part in activities like picking up litter and planting trees, we’re making our world a happier, healthier place to live.

Earth Day is a great time to think about all the ways the Earth takes care of us and think of ways that we can take care of it! From the soil that helps to grow the food we eat to the water and air that give us life, we have so much to thank Mother Earth for. Earth Day is a good opportunity to get back in touch with nature and give back in ways that make the Earth a better place for all of us to live.

Celebrating Earth Day With Kids

Getting kids involved in taking care of the planet when they’re young encourages them to continue these habits as they grow older. It’s important to teach kids to be good stewards of the Earth and encourages them to love and respect their planet and nature. There are so many fun and engaging ways you can celebrate Earth Day with kids and family while being conscious of taking care of it and making it a safe and wonderful place to live! Here are some great ideas to do with kids and the family!

1. Go On A Nature Scavenger Hunt

It’s always fun to go on a nature hike and it’s even more fun to make the hike a scavenger hunt! Make a list of natural things that you want to hunt for while going on your hike. You can find lots of nature scavenger hunt ideas and forms online. There are also...

Lesson and Full Instructions

Search for any word--do not use quotes for phrases

Events and activities hosted by the Friends of Hagerman are funded by donations and powered solely by volunteers.  There are no fees for admission to the refuge or parking; the refuge is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, drive on any road unless gated.

6465 Refuge Road

Sherman, TX 75092

             

Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.

Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer

Special thanks to Nancy Miller for the amazing photo of the Visitor Center 

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