Audubon Adventure

Looking for Beavers on Balch Creek

We went to the Audubon Society of Portland this morning. We went on a hike. We didn't actually see a real beaver, but there was a stuffed one in the store. We read a sign that said "keep out- erosion". You don't step there so plants can grow and the dirt doesn't go into the water and down to the ocean.







We saw a vulture named Ruby and there were some hawks there and a store. They were in cages because they broke one of their bones or were hit by a car. The workers were helping fix them up so they could get better and be released into the wild. We saw the hospital, and there was a window we could look in and see the veterinarians helping the birds. They put towels over the birds so they wouldn't get used to people and so they can hunt for food after they are released.

 

There was a big map at the store with white buttons you could press and it would show all the different things in the area like streams and trails. To learn more about the Audubon Society, go to /http://audubonportland.org/

Nature Preschool

Nature preschool is really fun.You learn about nature and there are some teachers named Teacher Wren and Teacher Balsam. They are my favorite teachers because they teach you really cool things about nature. One time they put up a big spiderweb that you could climb up and slide down. They gave out spider costumes so you could be a spider and get bugs. We went up to Mt. Tabor a lot and went on hikes to enjoy nature and we stopped for lunch. I like it and hope that the kids in the rest of the world would go to Nature Preschool. They took some pictures of me to put on the class schedule http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?a=227459&c=38295

Don't Poop in the Creek

Today, I helped the creek by putting poop bags by the creek by my school. I put up a sign too that said, "We Scoop". And that helps the creek because the sign reminds people that they should not let their dogs poop in the creek. It's good to scoop up your dog's poop so that it does not get into the creek. If it gets in the creek, it will wash down-stream and go into the ocean and it will be very bad for the ocean and stream animals. When I go to and from school, I will make sure that there are always bags by the sign, so that the poop will not get into the creek. To learn more and download your own poster about pet waste see www.petwaste.surfacewater.info.

The Baby Seal

In September, I was walking on a beach with my dad in Mukilteo, Washington. We saw a baby seal come up to lay on the beach. I was worried about the baby seal because I though the seal was chased by a shark. We just let it be and we told other people to keep away because it’s against the law to pet baby seals. The baby seal’s nose was kind of red because it had a little scrape on it.

We saw a scuba diver touch the baby seal. It's not good to be touching the baby seal because the baby seal is just laying on the beach and his mom is probably looking for some fish. She is probably coming back to feed the baby seal. And the baby seal was just resting there on the sandy beach.

For more information about what to do if you find a baby seal on the beach, check out the Marine Mammal Stranding Network at http://mmi.oregonstate.edu/ommsn/outreach/dos-donts