Tanglewood's Top Ten

Top 10 Reasons We Need Nature Centers

Nature Centers like Tanglewood are somewhat unappreciated. This might be because not everyone knows what to do at one or what purpose they serve. There are several great nature centers within driving distance of the Elmira/Corning area (see links at the bottom).

SO, why visit a nature center? I have at least 10 reasons to visit Tanglewood and other nature centers in the area in 2008.

They are:

10. A place to learn about how not-for-profit organizations work. We run on donations, membership, fundraising and grant-help, but no money goes to any owner or corporate head.
9. A place to exercise! Tanglewood has over 9 miles of hiking trails. We also offer snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and have a trail run every year on Father’s Day.
8. A place to see wild animals up close! We have 43 species of animals, most of which are non-releasable and wouldn’t survive without us.
7. A place to volunteer! We have over 100 active volunteers, including 20 Board members.
6. A place to do scout projects! Scouts have made new trails, gardens, a pond deck, bridges, kiosks, signage and more.
5. A place that educates! We see over 14,000 children/year and more than 10,000 adults and families.
4. A place that is a preserve! We have almost 350 acres of land and are adjacent to 300 more Nature Conservancy acres that cannot be developed.
3. A place to work! Tanglewood has 6 employees, many with degrees in science.
2. A place to be artistic! We have glass fusing, watercolor, photography, oil painting and jewelry workshops.
1. A place to connect! With nature, other like-minded people, and your roots as part of the Global ecosystem.

Visit your local nature center today!

www.tanglewoodnaturecenter.com

www.spencercrest.org

www.cayuganaturecenter.org

www.waterman.org

Fellow Nature Lovers

Hello Fellow Nature Lovers! Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Make sure you get out and enjoy nature sometime this Christmas. Take a walk or a hike, stop for a minute and just look out the window and watch the birds and squirrels, rent/buy snowshoes, go ice skating, sledding with the kids, take the dog for a walk, even just look up at the sky for a minute as you get into or out of your car. And don't forget to look at the hills- we are so lucky to live where we do. Get outside and breathe and appreciate! See you after Christmas.

A Shrike

Looking out my window at work is cathartic. Today it was surely cathartic; the hills, the snow, but also exciting- A SHRIKE! Shrikes are, in one word, COOL. They are predatory songbirds with hooked bills and they impale their prey (small mammals, large insects, birds, reptiles and amphibians) on barbed wire or thorny trees to save it for later. COOL. Northern Shrikes are actually birds of the tundra that come down "South" to southern Canada and the Northern US for the winter. Loggerhead Shrikes are found here in certain areas, and other parts of the N. US all year. I don't know which Shrike I saw; their ranges overlap in winter in this part of the US. But for me, either way, it is a rare sighting. I know I saw a Shrike here once last year, but before that, I had only seen one other Shrike in my life. Big deal you might say, but to a birder, it is. Most of our local songbirds/Passerines are seed-eaters, berry-eaters, insect-eaters, some combination of, but Shrikes are songbirdsofprey- COOL! And apparently, if you are a male Shrike and trying to attract a female, the more variation you have in your larder of impaled prey, the more chance you have to get a mate. Girl Shrikes look for good hunters. Makes sense. This Shrike landed on our birdfeeder. Not to eat the seed, to eat the birds eating the seed, no doubt. COOL! Come to Tanglewood and look for the Shrike, I know I am going to keep looking.

Winter Bird Feeding

We just moved to a new house up in the hills of Corning. Living in a more rural setting is something I have always wanted to do since I am obviously a lover of nature. We have a few acres and I finally get to experience wildlife at home now, not just at work. We have only been there a week and the weather hasn't been that great, but we have seen deer, bunnies and a few birds. Not enough birds for my liking though, and it is my fault. We moved all of our stuff from the old house down in the city except for the bird feeders. I feel shame. I plan on getting them up to our new place still, but I haven't gotten to it yet- there was so much other "stuff" to move from the inside of the house. I miss having feeders up. Winter bird feeding is especially good because even when the days are dreary like today, if you feed the birds, you still can look out the window and see a splash of color to brighten your day.

Most anyone can attract colorful winter birds like Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Juncos, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice and Woodpeckers. People often ask me what the best bird seed is for attracting birds. Different birds prefer different kinds of seed, but my personal favorite for attracting a good variety of birds is black oil sunflower. If money is no option, hulled sunflower is even better because it leaves less mess. Groundfeeders like Doves, Sparrows and Juncos like millet and cracked corn, but so do invasives like Starlings. Squirrels can be a "problem" since they like all kinds of seed and can navigate almost any feeder and baffle, but I don't mind squirrels, so I don't worry too much about them. I also like to put suet up because the Woodpeckers (and others) find it hard to resist. It is a good source of fat and calories to fuel those little metabolic wonders through the cold winter.

Birds are warm-blooded like we are, but because of their small size and the huge energy needed for flight, their metabolisms are higher than ours. They need to be almost constantly eating (therefore the old "she/he eats like a bird" comparison isn't accurate). Birds have to maintain a body heat of about 104 degrees, no matter what the temperature. When it gets really cold they can do things like huddle together in a cavity, or go into a metabolic slowdown called torpor.

If you do feed the birds, especially in winter, try to keep it consistent as some may come to depend on it. And don't forget to put your old Christmas tree outside near your feeders (see picture of Tanglewood's tree last year near our feeders). This gives the birds a good place to hide and keep warm. You might note that Tanglewood's feeders are on a giant flagpole. Thanks to black bears, our old feeder system didn't work out. I am hoping that the black bear don't foil my winter bird feeding in our new home, we will see...

Glaciation

If you are looking for a evening to spend a few hours watching something beautiful and helping a good cause, check out the film "Glaciation", which will be presented on December 13th from 7-9pm at the Corning Museum of Glass. The film, by the talented local photographer/videographer Arthur Smith III, was created with footage shot in the Arctic over the past four years. It is an intimate look into the life of polar bears and proves to be breathtaking, exciting, and likely disheartening, but, according to Mr. Smith, hopeful. Patrick O'Hearn composed the original soundtrack (which is available on iTunes).

Admission is free, but donations are accepted and proceeds will benefit Tanglewood.