Ranger Marcy’s Southbridge Scavenger Hunt at McKinstry Brook-North!
BEAVER:
*Eat leaves, shoots, twigs, roots and outer bark of trees and shrubs, plus aquatic plants,
like water lilies and pond weeds in the summer.
*30-65 pounds and measure from 24-36”, plus a tail of 12-18”!
*They build dams and live in lodges.
BEE:
*The only insect that produces food eaten byMan (Honey!)
*Wings beat 200 beat per second – try that!
*They are pollinators = fertilization = Fruit/nuts/seeds = FOOD!
BRIDGE OVER McKINSTRYBROOK :
*Why is it here?
*Do you notice anything different about it?
BUGS, INSECTS & MORE:
*Look for ants, worms, butterflies, spiders, mosquitos!
*What do you recognize? What do you need to look up?
FISH:
*Can you name some of the fist that live in The Last Green Valley?
*Trout, bass, sunfish, pike, pickerel and ??
FISHERMAN:
*Have you been fishing?
*What kind of fish might be here?
*Did you go to the May Acorn Adventure
at the Quinebaug Valley State Trout Hatchery?
*We will be sure to go there again next year!
FROG:
*They are amphibians.
*Most are born in water as tadpoles and developinto frogs.
*They eat mostly insects, like worms & spiders!
HIKER:
*Have you hiked in Walktober or on Acorn Adventures?
*Have you hiked any other time of year?
*Do you know how to follow a trail by looking for markings on the trees?
*Where is your favorite place to hike in The Last Green Valley?
OWL:
*Owls can turn their heads almost all the way around.
*Have you ever seen or heard an owl in The Last Green Valley?
*Why might we not be able to find one today?
PAIR OF GLASSES:
*Southbridge is known for the American Optical Company (AO).
*They made & sold “spectacles” all over the world, so they didn’t have to be
shippedhere from England/Europe!
*How many pair of glasses can you find today?
RABBIT:
*Live in fields, meadows, grassy areas & thickets.
*They have 2 – 4 litters of babies per year.
*They have 3 – 8 babies per litter.
*That could be up to 32 baby bunnies a year!
SNAKE:
*Snakes are good to have in your yard and garden.
*Garter snakes are common in The Last Green Valley.
*Baby garter snakes are born in late summer.
*Some favorite snakes snacks are slugs, frogs, toads, salamanders, worms, tadpoles and bird eggs!
TURKEY:
*Adult males weigh anywhere between 15-25 pounds, and are 48”.
*Adult females are smaller, weighing between 8-12 pounds and are 36 inches”.
*The eat acorns and other mast (hard fruit), fleshy fruits, corn, a variety of seeds,
and invertebrates.
*Young turkeys are called poults feed heavily on insects.
TREES:
*Deciduous trees have leaves that fall off.
*Coniferous trees are evergreens with needles that stay on and green year-round.
*An easy way to remember the difference is to think of the word cone –
as in pine cones. Those are the coniferous (cones) evergreens!
P 860-774-3300 E thelastgreenvalley.org
203B Main Street (2nd floor),P.O. Box 29, Danielson, CT 06239-0029 P.O. Box 186, Southbridge, MA 01550