Virtual Learning Center

The Whitewash on these leaves suggests that a bird is likely perching somewhere above.

Activity

This is the third walk that Ranger Russ has recorded on the Cedar Island Trail over the past few months. He mentioned a few changes he has seen, such as the increased density of the tree canopy and the Asian Honeysuckle going from flower to seed (berries). Watch all three videos and see how many other changes you can detect.

Vocabulary

  • Browser – a herbivore that eats a variety of leaves, shoots, or fruits of high-growing woody plants. White-tailed deer are an example.
  • Grazer – a herbivore that eats grass or other low vegetation. Sheep are an example.
  • Whitewash – a term used for the white bird poop that can sometimes stain where a bird is roosting or perched. The reason for the white color is that their excrement contains uric acid, and this uric acid is not very soluble in water, which is why it tends to stick around.

Fun Facts

  • Browsers, such as deer, will often gnaw on bones as a way to get calcium in their diet.
  • A tree can continue to grow, even if the inner layer is dead, as long as enough of the outer part of the tree is alive and can provide structural support.

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