During the month of October, you are challenged to participate a different kind of trick-or-treating. Put together a team of no more than 10 people and compete to collect the most trash by October 31! ORK will provide a prize to the team who collects the most trash (by weight).
RULES:
Make note of the location, take a photo, weigh total trash and/or recycling collected per team/individual, and send it in to info@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.
Trash collection must be conducted on public lands or have permission from private landowners/river landings.
Each team is responsible for supplying their own litter collection supplies.
Each team is responsible for discarding the trash/recycling collected. BONUS: Email a picture of any repurposed item or sustainable solution.
Teams are encouraged to include friends/family members within your “COVID bubble,” i.e. not strangers -or- use masks and/or social distancing.
Creativity is encouraged with team name and Halloween or fall costumes (must be family friendly and appropriate for outdoor activities). Team Trash Panda, anyone?
This large bird of prey can often be spotted in the Ogeechee watershed as they feed almost exclusively on live fish. They are adept hunters, diving in shallow waters and pulling up fish in their opposable talons. As a species they have adapted fairly well to living near human settlements. They often built sturdy nests on tall structures like telephone poles and channel markers, as well as trees overlooking waterways.
The nests are put together from sticks and other natural materials but can grow to be more than 10 feet wide over many years. Aside from breeding and nesting, ospreys are usually solitary birds. They hatch 1-4 fledglings each year and their numbers have stabilized since the ban on DDT which harmed their eggs.
Ospreys at Nest, by Jake Dingel, PGC
The birds seem to live about 15-20 years, and according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they have been known to log more than 150,000 migratory miles in their lifetime. One can spot the osprey with its mostly white coloring, especially on the underneath side of their nearly 6-foot wingspan. They sport the well-known hooked beak look of a bird of prey.
Artwork by Caroline Rose
You can watch local osprey nests on Skidaway Island. The live cameras are operated by Skidaway Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Watch baby ospreys grow up, leave the nest, and adults come home to roost, or choose clips of past highlights.
Pinus longifolia. Public domain. Aylmer Bourke Lambert. 1803.
Vocabulary:
Adaptation – How a species changes over time to help it survive in its environment Canopy – Tallest trees in a forest; also includes animals living in that level Decomposition – The breakdown process of organic matter through decay, rotting, animal feces Ecology – The study of relationships between organisms and their environment Habitat – The environment in which a species typically lives and eats Pioneer Species – The first species to enter a new habitat Succession – Change in different species and their community over time Symbiosis – A biological relationship between two species Understory – Trees and plants that live below the main canopy level of a forest
Bald cypress samples
Activity:
Go outside and find a tree in your backyard, school playground, community park, etc. Once you pick your tree, look at the different characteristics (leaf shape, size, color; bark; height, trunk width; etc.) and identify your tree.
Once you identify your tree, take note of its habitat. Does it like shade or sun? Does it grow near the water? Is it the tallest tree around or is it in the understory? Do you notice any animals or insects on, or around, your tree? Write down as many details about your tree’s habitat as you can. Take some photos or make a drawing / painting / collage of your tree.
Bald cypress botanical drawing. Louisiana Digital Library.
Next, do some research (computer or library) to find out more about your tree. Write a short story about your tree and include everything you saw and read about it. Include a picture of your tree or your artistic representation and send it to us: info@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org
One submission will be chosen to be featured on our social media!
If you need help with identifying your tree for this activity:
or email a photo of your tree or leaf to melanie@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org
Activity can be done in combination with Project Learning Tree activity “We All Need Trees,” which can be adapted for PreK-6 grade in Science, Visual Arts & Language Arts.
Activity is open to all ages and was adapted from Rock Eagle 4-H Center Education Program Curriculum. It meets the needs or can be combined with other activities for the following Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science.
S3L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the similarities and differences between plants, animals, and habitats found within geographic regions (Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau) of Georgia.
S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
SBO1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze the nature of the relationships between plant morphological structures and anatomical structures, functions, and processes.
SBO2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to delineate the plant divisions based on current plant phylogenetic and taxonomic principles.
The barred owl is one of the most prominent bird figures in the Southeastern United States. With a rather sedentary lifestyle, this bird hunts, fishes, and lives year-round in the Ogeechee River Basin. Often, an owl’s dwelling place can be found in a hollow tree trunk or in a previously abandoned nest but spotting the barred owl is a rarity. It boasts a brown and white speckled hide that blends perfectly into any mature forest. A birder is likely to hear its voice long before detecting its camouflage presence.
Barred owls can weigh anywhere from 1 to 2.5 pounds, carried on a wingspan of up to 4 feet wide. Like many birds of prey, the owl has a muted flight presence that allows it to catch prey off guard. Breeding pairs generally mate for life, or at least for several consecutive years. They may lay 1-5 eggs per year, though 2 or 3 is most common. Juveniles will begin exploring outside of the nest at about 4 weeks old.
Photo by Janet Strozzo Anderson
The barred owl is responsible for finding its own dinner, made feasible by its ingenious features. The owl has extremely large eyes that capture as much light as possible, making dusk and nightfall into primary hunting hours. Its nocturnal nature is combined with keen ears, and prey is often unaware it is being stalked.
Choosing small rodents like mice and rabbits to frogs, snakes, or lizards, the barred owl is an opportunistic predator. Of course, its hunting skills are rivaled closely by fishing interests. As a native of the Ogeechee River Basin, it is known for gliding over the water and hooking fish with coveted grace.
Fresh water is a finite resource. In addition to keeping our waterways clean, we also try to reduce water usage in general. Companies, businesses, and municipalities all have a responsibility to minimize their water consumption, but there are also a number of ways someone can conserve water in everyday ways.
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth.
Be sure to repair any leaks or dripping faucets.
Only water gardens or lawns during the cool morning or evening hours.
During the month of July, try out different ways to reduce your water use. By July 31st, we encourage you to submit 3 new ideas to info@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org or tag us on social media to inspire others to conserve water around their home.
Here is one of ours: “I keep an empty pitcher next to the kitchen sink and I pour any leftover water — from drinking cups, the tea kettle, boiled noodles, etc. — into it and use that to water my indoor and outdoor plants.” -Melanie, ORK Staff
