Starry Nights and Meteor Showers

 

Every year around December 13th and 14th, one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year reigns over the night skies. First noted in 1860, the Geminids are named such because they appear to be emanating from the constellation Gemini. Every decade since 1860, when they made their sudden appearance, the intensity of the Geminids has been increasing. Starting as early as December 6th, Geminid meteors can be seen at a rate of about 1 per hour. On the peak nights of the 13th and 14th, they rain in at around 50-80 per hour.

Learn more about the event here. 

 

When looking east in the night sky, meteors will be radiating out from Gemini:

 

Source: http://meteorshowersonline.com/geminids.html



 

The Museum of Natural Science will be taking a trip to see the Geminids. For more information and to sign up, click here.

If you want to go it on your own, check out this guide.

 

In other starry news, Moorehead Planetarium's Holiday Concert Series starts tonight. Check out the series of events in Chapel Hill's Fulldome theater. Starts, constellations, and other celestial objects are projected onto the dome during the musical performances. They also have sky watching events at Jordan Lake and education series on the winter skies. See the holiday concert series here and other events here.

N.C. Receives "A" for Children's Environmental Health:

What Does this Mean?

Source: http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/asthma/child-asthma-pumps-questioned/5007101.article

 

 

Not to downplay improvements and positive news, but before we put any concerns to rest on children's environmental health, it is important to dig a little deeper and understand the full scope of this report.

 

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine and Action for Children released their annual Child Health Report Card on Monday. The report shows improvement in some areas for North Carolina's 2.3  million children and a downward trend in others. It analyzes 15 areas of child health including heath insurance coverage, children in poverty, childhood mortality, tobacco and substance abuse and others. The lowest ratings were in percentage of children in poverty, childhood obesity, and alcohol and substance abuse that all received D's. In better news, North Carolina received an A rating for environmental health of children and the trend is shown to be improving in that area. After seeing this report in the news, it warranted further inspection as to what exactly is environmental health.

 

The report measured environmental health on two fronts, lead levels in blood testing and percent of children diagnosed with asthma. While it is worth celebrating that less than 0.4% of children have elevated levels of lead in their blood, this is the national trend given that it has been phased out of gasoline since 1995 and banned in household paint since 1978. On the asthma front, the report shows that 17.5% of children have ever been diagnosed and the number of hospitalizations due to asthma is on the decline. Asthma has been very directly linked to air pollution, especially particulates due to the burning of fossil fuels and household mold due to poor air circulation. This makes asthma a good indicator of environmental health. The report does not describe how the grade marking is determined for each category of health. It is worth noting that 17% is nearly one in every five children and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as well as a study issued by the National Institute of Health state that North Carolina is in the midst of an asthma epidemic.

 

While the North Carolina report used two indicators, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designates four areas for environmental health measures in children. The four areas are asthma, lead, childhood cancer, and developmental disabilities, many of which are linked to environmental health. In the case of cancer, it is hard to measure in children because many of the effects of exposure to hazardous substances don't show up until later in life. The EPA identifies the following environmental hazards to children's health: arsenic, asbestos, asthma triggers, benzine, carbon monoxide, diesel, dioxins, drinking water contaminants, endocrine disruptors, formaldehyde, household chemicals, lead, mercury, molds, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter, pesticides, plastics, PBDEs, PCBs, radon, second hand smoke, sulfur dioxide, UV radiation and volatile organic compounds. Out of this long list of hazards, only a few of them are linked to the two environmental health indicators that were measured in the N.C. Child Health Report Card. Information on all of these hazards and measures you can take to protect your children can be found here.

 

Developmental disabilities are also hard to directly link to environmental health, but there is a growing body of research. For instance, a report that just came out from researchers at the University of Southern California showed that children living in homes with high levels of air pollution from car exhaust fumes were three times more likely to develop autism. Socioeconomic factors and other variables were taken into account in the analysis of data. This study and others like it suggest the need to develop a fuller understanding of how pollution affects the developing fetus. Source:  http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-autism-traffic-pollution-20121126,0,970458.story

 

The issue of environmental health and developmental disabilities is further highlighted in pregnancy guidelines from the Mayo Clinic, National Institute of Health, and others, that recommend limits on seafood consumption due to mercury exposure and the danger to fetuses.

 

While it is great that we received an A on environmental health for children and improvements are being made, it is important to realize that this doesn't necessarily tell the full story. For more information on children's environmental health and a more comprehensive look at environmental hazards, visit the EPA's web page http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/homepage.htm

 

The full Child Health Report Card can be found here: http://riversdeveloper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2012_CHRC-112812.pdf

 

 

Are you stuffed out? EcoSmart Holiday Ideas

 

Source: http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/1688784/

 

It may be hard to resist the latest and greatest toys on the market, especially when it has been advertised for the last couple months and your child is chomping at the bit to get one. Some of these toys have been engineered according to the latest research on childhood development and others have just been cleverly advertised. Not that it is wrong to participate in the market of goods, as this helps drive our economy, but we do have to ask ourselves, are our kids really better off with more stuff? The most fun I have ever seen a group of 5 year olds have was when their teacher gave them a bunch of cardboard boxes and set them loose on the playground. Within a matter of seconds they were organizing themselves into playgroups; one group played house, another morphed their boxes into a train while others declared theirs a car. The second most fun I have ever seen a 5 year old have is playing with shaving cream spread out on a table. Unfortunately I only have anecdotal evidence to back this up at the time, but I have just seen so many toy graveyards in homes with young children.

 

In case you are looking for a change, running out of room in your house, or just don't have the money to spend this holiday, here are some alternative ideas to buying more stuff. They also happen to be more ecofriendly because buying new manufactured goods uses more resources in the making and delivery and chances are, will end up in a landfill. Many of these ideas are adapted from http://voices.yahoo.com/top-eco-friendly-christmas-presents-kids-4832026.html?cat=57.

 

1. Instead of goods, give services. You can sign your kids up for classes or lessons that they would be interested in or make a coupon book of fun activities. For example, you could give them a coupon for a movie they have been begging to see, a trip to the zoo, a stay up late night, a have a sleepover night, chocolate chip pancakes for dinner, etc!

 

Source: http://www.resumebucketblog.com/humor/top-5-gift-ideas-for-the-unemployed/

2. Rummage through your toy graveyard and host a holiday toy exchange. This is a good way to build community with your neighbors, friends, or even your office place. Unless something is broken, chances are it won't make any difference to your child, especially if they are under 5.

 

Source: http://bmeadow4p.wordpress.com/category/rainforest-topic/

3. Give the gift of giving. Find an organization in which you can adopt an animal or part of a rainforest, or provide for a family and set up a pen pal relationship for your child. Search for something that you can actively involve your child in so they can take ownership and get excited about it. Also,consider buying gifts from companies that give proceeds to charities.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Buy goods from eco friendly stores that offer recycled products and less resource intensive products.

 

 5. Wrap your gifts in recycled wrap. Use newspaper, brown paper bags, used computer paper, old pillow cases etc. and spruce it up with magazine photo cut outs or old photos from around the house. It can be just as beautiful and more meaningful! 

 

 

Gift wrap photo sources: http://www.enviromom.com/2008/12/alternative-gift-wrap.html

 

 



Free Winter Preschool Nature Series in Fayetteville

 

Tuesday, December 4 1-2pm "Insects"

Wednesday, January 23 1-2pm "Mammals"

Wednesday, February 6 1-2pm "Plants"

 

Source: http://www.skinnymoose.com/moosedroppings/category/archives/small-game/page/2/

 

If you live in the Fayetteville area, check out these free nature series for preschool aged children. These programs are specially geared for younger audiences and will feature hands-on, kid-friendly activities that teach about wintertime nature. Classes will be held at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center next door to Lake Rim Park. Space is limited. Call to register by day before the program. Ages 3-6 with an adult; 1-2 pm; Free. Event Phone (910) 424-6134 or (910) 433-1018

 

The John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center is the only education center of it's kind in North Carolina. Center instructors teach a variety of aquatic programs to learners of all ages and also offer fishing clinics. 

 

For more events check out our calendar.

For Environmental Education Centers near you, check out our directory.



Craft Smart

 

With your kids out of school, hopefully you find yourself with some extra family time this week. Earlier posts have given some ideas of things to do outside, but in case the weather doesn't cooperate, here are some ideas for indoor fun. I complied some of my favorite ideas for crafting with recycled materials from other parent blogs.  Click on the links below the photos for detailed instructions.

 

1. This is for ages 2-6+ and includes all sorts of learning opportunities such as hand eye coordination, gravity, angles, problem solving, etc. 

http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2012/09/cardboard-tube-marble-run.html

 

 

 

 

2. Fun with leaves! Ages 2+ What a great way to include a nature walk and a craft experience. The author talks about collecting the leaves and having the child describe what they look like, i.e. an umbrella, a heart, etc., what they feel like, what they smell like, etc. This is a great way to evoke the senses, develop vocabulary, and make connections. 

 

http://www.mylittlebookcase.com.au/activities/activity-fun-with-leaves/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Invitation to paint, using recycled materials! Ages 2-6+ Instead of giving your kids direction on how to paint, give them materials to work with, a surface they can get paint all over, and let them go to town.

 

 

http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2012/10/invitation-to-paint-with-recycled.html


 

 

 

 

4. Make your own game out of recycled milk bottles. Ages 5+ and you may want to wield the scissors. This will keep the kids entertained for hours while improving hand-eye coordination.

 

 

http://laughingkidslearn.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/milk-bottle-rackets.html

 



 

 

 

5. Get started on those handmade presents! Use recycled glass jars and turn them into beautiful vases with swirled paint! Ages 3+

 

 

http://www.mylittlebookcase.com.au/activities/handmade-gifts-swirled-glass-vases/

 

 6. Recycled shoebox diorama! Have kids talk about their favorite places or a scene that sticks out in their mind; it may even be your own backyard! Challenge them to make a diorama out of recycled materials to represent their world.

http://www.planetpals.com/craft_recycle_shoebox.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Outdoor Happenings over the Holiday

Source: http://niagarastreet.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/bday-1024x532.jpg

Here are some ideas for getting outdoors over the Thanksgiving holiday and working off some of that stuffing!

 

1. Visit a state park. North Carolina State Parks are open all week, including Thursday!  Lake James State Park, near Morganton, has family events on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday at 10am, join ranger Nora Coffey for crafts and story time all about the Wild Turkey.  On Thursday, at 9am join ranger Jaime Cameron for a nature hike on the Fox Den Loop Trail.  Take a look at plants, animals, and other natural features along the hike. Complete Details and Registration

 

For more state park events and to find a state park near you, visit: http://ncparks.gov/Education/events.php

 

2. Nature photography.  On Saturday, the 24th, the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education is having a nature photography course for kids from 3pm-4pm.  Complete Details and Registration.

 

Source: http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/PhotoZone/

If you don't live near the Outer Banks, you can still explore the outdoors with your kids through the lens of a camera.  Early morning and late afternoon before sunset, are the best times to capture good outdoor photos.  When the sun is low on the horizon, your pictures will pop! But if it is a cloudy day, these are the best days for taking photos and you can go out anytime. National Geographic has some nature photo tips for kids here.

 

3. Create a backyard habitat. As the temperature drops and many plants go dormant, wildlife has less options for food, especially in areas where much of the natural habitat has been replaced by houses and manicured lawns. Reduce your home's footprint by providing acceptable habitat for wildlife in your own yard! On Sunday the 25th, from 3pm-4pm, Lake James State Park is having a class on Landscaping for Wildlife. Emphasis will be on planting native vegetation that provides habitat for wildlife to rest, refuel, and raise their young.

 

If you can't make it to the class or want to start earlier in the week, the National Wildlife Federation has great tips on their website for how to create a wildlife friendly garden here.

 

4. Visit an EE Center near you. The North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, keeps a directory of Environmental Education Centers across the state.  They are searchable by map, zip code, and alphabetically.  Find a center near you and then visit their website to learn about their hours and what they have to offer. Visit the directory here.

 

Eco-Smart Thanksgiving: It's not gobbledygook!

 

The Thanksgiving Skinny!
This is not going to be a history lesson.  In short, Thanksgiving emerged out of a celebration of fall harvest.  It nicely lends itself to a more eco-friendly meal because the common foods associated with it, also happen to be appropriately seasonal.  Meaning many of them can be bought locally, especially in North Carolina.  Here are some tips for a more eco-friendly Thanksgiving:

Source: http://www.thedailygreen.com/

1. Try and buy as many of your ingredients at a local farmer's market.  Common this time of year are, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie pumpkins, garlic, green beans, collards, chicken or turkey, homemade jams and relishes, etc.

2. Don't use disposable dinnerware.  I know it's tempting, but instead think about delegating the clean up work.  Make a game out of it with your kids.  You could have a chain of duites, with one person clearing, another washing, one drying, and a fourth putting them up.

3. Don't overeat, and don't throw away your leftovers!  It's a common trait among mothers in my family to try and push leftovers.  "Someone's got to finish this last bite of mashed potatoes so it doesn't go to waste!" Eating more food than your body needs is just as wasteful as throwing it away, and it's unhealthy!  Save your leftovers and compost the scraps.



Source: http://www.treehugger.com/
 

4. Use your leftover turkey or chicken bones to make a delicious soup stock for a winter's day or nourishment if one of your children gets a cold.

5.  Spend the extra time with your kids taking a nature walk or going to visit a local nature center.  Collect interesting things along the way and then have a show and tell when you return home. What did your children find?  Why was it interesting to them? What did they notice about it? What is its place in the ecosystem?  Is it habitat, food, nutrients for soil, etc.? 

6. And finally...

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, right? Thank you microbes!
It is easy to get wrapped up in our lives going from home to car to work to grocery store and back to home again, and forget that we are all so intimately tied to the earth. In my family, before we dive in to our feast on Thanksgiving day, we go around the table and each name one thing that we are thankful for. This year I might say "microbes!" Without beneficial microbes in soil, and this includes fungi, protazoa, and yes, the ever feared bacteria, we literally would not be enjoying a Thanksgiving meal, or any meal for that matter. In one teaspoon of healthy soil, there are more microbes than there are people on earth! Simply put, without microorganisms in soil, plants would not have sufficient nutrients to grow. Microbes take decaying organic matter and recycle it into nutrients that can be used by new plants. Specialized microbes fix nitrogen gas from the atmosphere, a form that is useless to plants, and convert it into a form that can be absorbed by root tissues of plants. And this all feeds into the web of life. Most of us will have a form of meat on our table, one that says "gobble, gobble" perhaps. Being omnivores, not only do fowl rely on plants for their nutrients, but they also eat critters that reside in the soil. Have you ever seen a chicken on the hunt and peck? Chickens and wild turkeys will eat insects such as fire ants, ticks, grasshoppers, fleas, and more, making them great for pest control. Another reason to be thankful! So consider taking some time this Thanksgiving to discuss the web of life with your family and appreciate all the creatures that have made it possible for your meal.



Source: http://enviroinnovators.com/html/soil_microbes.html