Posts by George Sly
Critter Corner No. 25 – The Spiny Softshell Turtle by George Sly
Previous Critter Corner episodes have discussed the common snapping turtle and red-eared slider. Another interesting turtle species documented during the 2010 Biodiversity Survey at Goose Pond FWA is the eastern spiny softshell turtle. Softshell turtles are so-named because their carapace is covered by a thick, leathery skin rather than the large, keratinized scutes (scales) of…
Read MoreAnnual Big Sit at GPFWA – Oct. 09, 2022
Enjoy the spectacular fall bird migration in the company of fellow bird and nature enthusiasts at the Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area. Join DNR during The Big Sit! an international event focused on recording all bird observations at one location over the course of a day. The Big Sit! is a stationary birding opportunity;…
Read More2023 Calendar Contest
It’s time to enter photos for the 2023 calendar contest. Time is short, please enter today! Friends of Goose Pond 2023 Calendar Photo Contest Highlighting Goose Pond FWA A challenge to creativity and photo skill for photographers of all ages. An opportunity for recognition in a calendar that will broaden awareness of the natural beauty…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 24: The American Carrion Beetle
A recent encounter with the carcass of a white-tailed deer (dead of unknown cause), has left me to ponder the world of the scavenging insects. Necrophila americana (shown above) is a good example. This particular beetle is 0.5 to 0.75 inches in size. It has a yellowish thorax with a dark center. The wings are…
Read More23. The Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
If I were to ask you to guess what the most abundant mammal inhabiting GPFWA is, you might first think of white-tailed deer. They seem to be abundant almost everywhere in Indiana. Perhaps the muskrat or the mink, a common predator-prey duo of the wetlands, would come to mind. All would be good conjectures. But,…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 22 – The Giant Water Bug
With several thousand acres of shallow water, it should come as no surprise that Goose Pond FWA is home to an abundant, varied, and highly interesting assemblage of aquatic macroinvertebrates. The prefix macro- means big enough to see without a microscope and the suffix invertebrate refers to their lack of a backbone. Hidden from…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 21 – The Red Bat
Critter Corner No. 21 – The Red Bat by George Sly (photo courtesy So. Conn. St. Univ.) A recent presentation on bats to a group of Sullivan Elementary School second graders reminded me that this was a group which has, up until now, been totally neglected in my Critter Corner blogs. Time to remedy that…
Read MoreCritter Corner No 20 – The Fowler's Toad by George Sly
In previous blogs I have discussed some of the frogs to be found at Goose Pond FWA. During the 2010Biodiversity Survey conducted at GPFWA, eight species of anurans (frogs & toads) were found. In this edition of Critter Corner let’s learn a bit more about the only toad species found during the survey Bufo fowleri.…
Read MoreLesson 1 Nutrient Recycling Within Ecosystems
Lesson No. 1 Nutrient Recycling within Ecosystems (Odyssey) Target Audiences – Environmental Science, Biology, and Ecology Objectives: The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand how nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen, are recycled in nature. Exchanges between and within the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems allow elements of the earth to…
Read MoreLesson 2 The Importance of Wetlands to Migratory Birds
Lesson No. 2 The Importance of Wetlands to Migratory Birds (Back from the Argentine) Target Audience: Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology students Objectives: This lesson addresses several objectives. 1) Students will be made aware of the importance of the Goose Pond FWA (Greene Co., Indiana) as a resting/feeding/staging area for migratory birds. 2) Students will come…
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