This summer I was fortunate enough to be given the incredible opportunity to be a part of Hog Island’s Audubon Camp for teens run by Project Puffin, on the coast of Maine, through the generous Richard Parks Young Birder’s scholarship given to me by GOS. Myself and fourteen other teens, along with several adult campers, spent five days enjoying the beautiful Maine Coast while birding, studying and learning fascinating information from some of the top Ornithologists and Conservationists in the country. These included Steve Kress, Kenn Kaufman and Scott Weidensaul. The camp was run very well and all of the camp staff was kind and helpful. I met many great people at this camp who taught me much about birding and were great to just get to know. It was really a blast. The experiences I had at this camp were truly life changing.

One awesome experience I had was a privilege that was given only to the teens at the Hog Island Camp. One morning all of the people attending the camp were taken out by boat into the Gulf of Maine to a small island called Eastern Egg Rock. This island is where the organization Project Puffin, led by Steve Kress, has worked very hard, over the course of several years, to bring back Atlantic Puffins to nest on the island. The project continues and has been a success leading to over 100 pairs of Puffins now nesting on the island along with many pairs of Arctic, Common and the endangered Roseate Terns. During breeding season, a few researchers stay on the island to study and monitor the birds there.

After circling the island a few times in the boat with the adults, the teen campers were given the opportunity to get into a smaller boat and land on the island. We were allowed to spend all day on Eastern Egg Rock with the few researchers who were studying there. While on the island, we were allowed to go into blinds set up around the island—just feet away from the burrows of nesting Puffins and Black Guillemots as well as nests of Leach’s Storm-Petrel’s and Roseate, Common and Arctic Terns. Seeing the birds this close and observing their nesting behavior was incredible. It was truly amazing how beautiful the island was and all the birds that resided on it. I learned so much fascinating information from the researchers there. They are truly dedicated to preserving these beautiful birds and this really inspired me. 

Having the opportunity to be a part of this camp was life changing and unforgettable. I have been birding for seven years, but over the course of the past year or two, I feel that my birding enthusiasm hadn’t been as high as it once was. However, getting this opportunity definitely changed that and has really inspired me to be the best birder that I can be. I realize being a part of this camp and especially getting to go to Eastern Egg Rock is something that very few people in this world get to do and I am very thankful that this was something that I was given the chance to do. I would like to again thank Dr. Sargant and all with GOS who made this possible for me to attend.

A Great Place to Find Chiggers

No one ever says, “I got bit by a chigger.”  That’s because it’s impossible to get just one chigger bite.  And there is good reason for this.  Chiggers are less than 1/150th of an inch in diameter.  More than 5000 of them could line up on a piece of copy paper and there would still be room for hundreds more.  Chiggers are invisible to the naked eye but if you lay a piece of white paper in your backyard and they begin to congregate, you could see them because of their red color.  Chiggers are most often found in areas where there are an abundance of weeds and thick vegetation and in shady, moist places.

One of the biggest myths about chiggers is that they get into your skin and die in your tissue which forms the itchy red bump.  According to Caitlin Spilinek and Barb Ogg with the UNL  Extension, ” the red dot that is in the middle of a welt from a chigger is due to the way chiggers feed.  Chiggers insert a specialized mouthpart at hair follicles or skin pores and can only insert it in thin skin or where skin folds.”  That is why we see so many chigger bites around our ankes, in the back of our knees, around clothing lines, or under armpits.

To reduce the number of chiggers on your property, take into consideration the following tips:

1.  Keep weeds cut back especially around areas that retain moisture or around lakes and ponds.

2.  Severe chigger infestations can be sprayed.  Be sure and check with your local extension service to find out the best products to use and the best time of the year to apply these insecticides.

To reduce your risk from getting bitten, take some precautions.  Before going out to areas that could be infested, apply repellent to your clothing, socks, and shoes. Wear loose fitting clothing and avoid sitting on the ground.  When returning from the outdoors, take a shower as soon as possible. Also, launder all clothing as chiggers will stay in clothing and be a menace should you decide to re-wear before washing.

And in the event, you do get “attacked” by chiggers it is advised to apply rubbing alcohol and use an over the counter anesthetic.  Baking soda pastes, calamine lotion, will also soothe the itch…..and despite what you might have heard, do not use fingernail polish as it does nothing to treat the itch and does not kill the chigger.

Every year we hear about tragic accidents on ATV’s.  Reaction is always mixed when discussing the use of these vehicles, but most will agree that with precaution, ATV’s can provide a great deal of recreational pleasure and utility.  As we begin the summer, take time to read these simple safety tips:

Mark Whitt from the University of West Virginia extension service states, “So often, ATV fatalities result from injuries that could have been prevented with proper training and gear,” Whitt said.  He believes by asking the following questions before using any ATV, you can avoid potential danger:

• Is the person the appropriate size for the machine he or she will use?
• Is the ATV working correctly?

Additionally, all riders should:

• Not operate the machine after dark or in poor weather conditions.
• Wear a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet with eye protection.
• Wear long pants and long sleeves.
• Carry a cell phone in case there is a problem.
• Be over 16 unless supervised by a parent.
• Never ride on public roads.
• Never have a passenger on a single rider vehicle.
  

Many cooperative extension services offer safety courses and information so before you ride, take advantage of the information available.  If you have problems locating one in your area, email us at info@greenwoodproject.com

Frame – a piece of equipment made of either wood or plastic designed to hold the honeycomb that the honeybees make.  Each movable frame can be removed from the hive and examined without injuring the honeybees.

Hive body – a wooden box which encloses the frames and is usually used as a brood chamber.  These large boxes containing ten frames are the heart of the Honeybee colony.

Super – Additional boxes usually smaller than hive bodies that have movable frames are set on top of the brood chamber and provide space for the Honeybees to store surplus honey which the beekeeper will harvest.

Smoker – a metal device with air pumping bellows attached that slowly burns to produce smoke (not flames). This smoke causes a temporary confusion or disorganization within the colony and is used to subdue bees, allowing the beekeeper to move around calmly and comfortable to inspect the interior of the colonies.

Hive tool – a metal device used to open hives, pry frames apart, and scrape wax and miscellaneous product collected from honeybees.  Because of the sticky nature of these substances, the hive tool is used to remove frames, supers and other items from the hives.

Bee veil – a cloth or form of hat to protect the beekeeper’s head and neck from stings.  It is usually made of wire mesh to help the veil stand away from the face.

Other terms you will hear and read about……

Apiary – colonies, hives, and other equipment assembled in one location for beekeeping operations; also known as a bee yard.

Apiculture – the science and art of raising honey bees.

Bee blower – an engine with attached blower used to dislodge bees from combs in a honey super by creating a high-velocity, high-volume wind.

Bee bread – a mixture of collected pollen and nectar or honey, deposited in the cells of a comb to be used as food by the bees.

Bee brush – a brush or whisk broom used to remove bees from combs.

Bee escape – a device used to remove bees from honey supers or buildings by allowing bees to pass one way but preventing them from coming back.

Beehive – a box or receptacle with movable frames, used for housing a colony of bees.

Bee space – 1/4 to 3/8-inch space between combs and hive parts in which bees build no comb or deposit only a small amount of propolis. Bee spaces are used as corridors to move within the hive.

Beeswax – a complex mixture of organic compounds secreted by four pairs of special glands on the worker bee’s abdomen and used for building comb. Its melting point is from 143.6 to 147.2 degrees F.

Boardman feeder – a device for feeding bees that consists of an inverted jar with an attachment allowing access to the hive entrance.

Bottom board – the floor of a beehive that all the other components build upon.

Cell – the hexagonal compartment of comb built by honeybees.

Cluster – a large group of bees hanging together, one upon another.

Colony – all the worker bees, drones, queen, and developing brood living together in one hive or other dwelling.

Comb – a mass of six-sided cells made by honey bees in which brood is reared and honey and pollen are stored; composed of two layers united at their bases.

Comb foundation – a commercially made structure consisting of thin sheets of beeswax with the cell bases of worker cells embossed on both sides in the same manner as they are produced naturally by honey bees.

Crimp-wired foundation – comb foundation which crimp wire is embedded vertically during the manufacturing of the foundation. The wire increases the strength of the foundation.

Division board feeder – a wooden or plastic compartment which is hung in a hive like a frame and contains feed for bees.

Double screen – a wooden frame with two layers of wire screen to separate two colonies within the same hive, one above the other. An entrance is cut on the upper side and placed to the rear of the hive for the upper colony.

Drawn combs – cells which have been built out by honey bees from foundation in a frame.

Fume board – a rectangular cover the size of a super which has an absorbent material on the underside. A chemical is placed on the material to drive the bees out of supers for honey removal.

Grafting tool – a needle or probe used designed for transferring larvae from worker cells to a queen cells.

Hive – the structure used by bees for a home.

Hive stand – a structure that supports the hive.

Honey house – building used for extracting honey and storing equipment.

Inner cover – a lightweight cover used under a standard telescoping cover on a beehive.

Package bees – a quantity of adult bees (2 to 5 pounds), with or without a queen, contained in a screened shipping cage with a food source.

Pollen basket – a flattened depression surrounded by curved hairs, located on the outer surface of a bee’s hind legs and adapted for carrying pollen to the hive.

Pollen trap – a device for removing pollen loads from the pollen baskets of incoming bees.

Queen cage – a small cage in which a queen and three to five worker bees are confined for shipping and introduction into a colony.

Queen cell – a special elongated cell in which the queen is reared. It is above an inch or more long and hangs down from the comb in a vertical position.

Queen excluder – metal or plastic device with spaces that permit the passage of workers but restrict the movement of drones and queens to a specific part of the hive.

Most of us think of getting stung when we think of honeybees and because of that, many people are afraid of them.  We seem to lump all  insects that buzz and sting into one group and this is wrong.  Honeybees only sting when they or their home is being threatened. The drone or male honeybee cannot sting at all and the queen bee rarely stings.  On occasion, the worker bee will sting if she feels the entrance into her hive is being threatened.

Honeybees are social insects and they band together and divide labor.  The honeybee colony is made up of three types of bees each having their own duties and functions. The population of a colony ranges from 7,000 in the winter to over 70,000 in late summer and consists of one queen who’s function is to lay thousands of eggs, hundreds of drones for mating, and thousands of workers.

As we probably remember learning in school, the worker honeybee is the laborer of the colony.  They gather all of the nectar and pollen, feed young larvae, protect the eggs, larve, and pupae, supply the water, secrete beeswax, and build comb.  What our science teacher might have not shared is that during the summer months, worker honeybees travel about 55,000 miles to gather enough nectar to produce one pound of honey.  Each individual worker bee will only produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey and 1/80 of a teaspoon of beeswax.  But an entire colony will produce up to 200 pounds of honey each year.

Most flowers produce a sweet liquid to attract insects, primarily honeybees, so that pollination can take place assuring the survival of that plant species. While some honeybees collect nectar to make honey and some collect pollen, it is those that collect pollen who are the most important to us.  According to Fred Rossman of Rossman Apiaries, if honeybees ceased to exist, about 1/3 of all foods we eat would disappear because of there would be a lack of pollination which allows all flowering crops to reproduce.  This is why many people keep bees on their farms and near gardens.  Mr Rossman says that over the last several years there has been a decline in the honeybee population and no one seems to know why.  This has caused great concern within the agricultural community.

Beekeeping is a relatively inexpensive and easy hobby to get into and according to Mr. Rossman, “whether it is in your own backyard, apartment rooftop, small town garden or farm, beekeeping can fit in anywhere.”

Part two of our Beekeeping series will highlight what supplies and equipment you will need for your apiary (your bee yard) and a glossary of terms that will help you get started in this fascinating hobby.

The alarm blared off at 4:30 am.  It was still another hour and a half before daylight but the adrenaline was already kicking in.  A windy and clear March day was forecast for the Georgia turkey woods but this day was different.  Today I would not be chasing my old feathered friend with my shotgun but rather I would have the privilege of taking a young man turkey hunting for his first time in his life.

After a quick shower and a shot of caffeine, I put on my old hunting shirt and I was ready to roll. I couldn’t help but notice my anticipation was that of a child on Christmas Eve.  Introducing anyone at any age to the outdoors can be a significant point in their life.  For many it changes them forever.  It did me.  I still can remember when a selfless man took the time to take me hunting.  It changed my life for the better and I will always remember Dick Bishop for that.  I could only hope today might have that type of positive influence on this young man’s life.

The headlights hit my driveway and in a few short moments, Steve and his 14 year old son Daniel were in my house.  I’m not sure Daniel had any idea what he was about to be a part of.  What I did know was with the brisk wind, finding a talking tom was going to be a hefty challenge on this spring morning.  The goal beyond being in the outdoors on that crisp morning was simply to have Daniel hear his first gobbling turkey.  Anything beyond that would be bonus and a blessing.

We walked about a half mile in the dark and reached our first calling point just as day broke.  After twenty minutes of observing and calling with no response, it was evident the brisk March wind had the turkeys locked down and silent.  After an hour of walking and calling we still had not seen nor heard Daniel’s gobbler.  Frustrating as it was, I realized it also showed our teenage hunter that it’s not always as easy as it looks on the Outdoor Channel.

We jumped in the truck and off to the next tract of land that a friend of ours had offered up when he learned Daniel had never been turkey hunting.  After nearly two miles of walking up and down hills, a lone hen appeared far off in a field.  Daniel got his first look at a wild turkey while on the hunt and it encouraged us to keep after it.  After another half hour of hunting, there was still no sign or sound of El’ Goblero, so breakfast plans were in order.  Some days the birds just don’t cooperate but we all had the satisfaction of just being outdoors.

On our way back to the house, Steve was giving son Daniel the “it ain’t easy” talk of encouragement.  I decided to make one final stop before we waved the official white flag.  I had planted an acre of chufa I got from the NWTF along a gas line on my property.  This gas line was visible from a county road with a good pair of binoculars.  I stopped the truck and glassed the line.  Sure enough four hundred yards away were multiple turkeys feeding in the chufa patch.  I checked my watch, ten a.m., the hunt had just begun.  At that moment, I don’t know who was more excited in that truck, the teenager or the two grown men.

The stalk was on but it wouldn’t be easy.  We belly crawled through a thicket up to the gas line.  Daniel was in stealth mode and I could tell he was really enjoying himself.  Papa Steve was coaching up Daniel for the anticipated shot. We set up hoping the turkeys would follow the gas line until they crossed within shotgun range.  They were 75 yards away.  Two large gobblers strutted in the morning sun while rest of the flock scratched in the chufa.  After a long twenty minute wait it finally became apparent the birds would not come within range, so plan B was in order.  We circled around the thicket and belly crawled again up to the gas line, but this time much closer.  We got Daniel positioned just in time as the first hen passed at 40 yards.  At that moment the flock began easing back into the wood line away from our ambush point.  I tried a few small clucks on my slate call to entice their curiosity.  It worked and as the one curious hen came searching, a nice jake followed behind her.  At that moment Daniel fired off a shot that echoed down the gas line.  His aim was true and the jake dropped in his tracks.  We all jumped up in a dead sprint of jubilation and met at the turkey.  Daniel’s eyes were as big as softballs.  There was a look of excitement in his eyes that words just can’t explain.  He just stood there grinning too young to understand the measure of what he had just accomplished on his first trip turkey hunting.  I don’t know who was happier, Steve or myself but what I do know is Daniel was hooked for life.

Turkey hunting is a great way to enjoy the outdoors.  But take a kid hunting for the first time and the experience can be one of the most satisfying experiences of your life.  It was for me.  I can only hope twenty years from now Daniel will be somewhere in the turkey woods introducing another kid to the great outdoors.  Nothing compares to the Outdoor Lifestyle……..Pass it On.

With a lot of emphasis on hunting and fishing, it is always interesting to find out what other outdoor passions people pursue.  It is even more interesting to find out what the youth of this country are doing to spend time in the outdoors.  With so much media attention given to our youth’s obsession to video games and other indoor activities, we set out to find what today’s young people and tomorrow’s leaders are doing to experience the outdoors.

Ryan Farmer, a senior in Columbus, Georgia, finds his passion for t he outdoors through photography.  I caught up with Ryan the other day and found out a little more about his interests.  Although he bought his first camera two years ago, it wasn’t until last year that he really began to pursue his interest in photography.  It all began with the decision to learn more about photography for his senior project.  The senior project at Ryan’s high school is designed to expand a student’s knowledge in an area which interests them.  Some students have decided to learn how to play a musical instrument, another learned how to fly an airplane.  Ryan chose photography, took a variety of classes, and began working with his mentor, Mr. George Batistini, on a photographic project involving rural churches in the Southwest Georgia area.  He will complete this project this Spring and will present it to his classmates and teachers as the final stage of his senior project.

Ryan told me he loves being outdoors and capturing the things he loves on film.  While photos of people are the most challenging to him, flowers and landscape shots are what he is most passionate about….and he says the Fall is his favorite time of the year!

We will be highlighting some of Ryan’s photos on the website and hope you will enjoy seeing nature through the eyes of a teenager! No matter what your age, don’t stop asking yourself what your outdoor passion is, and don’t hesitate to find a new outdoor passion to share with others.

2010….I can hardly believe it’s a new decade, my son turned 16,  and the next time we face a new decade, he will be 26…..notice I didn’t mention I would be ten years older as well.  It is moments like these that make me realize that the time we as family spend together is priceless and is always cherished.  It also makes me realize how much the great outdoors has played a part in our family time.  Each year my wife makes a scrapbook for both of our moms highlighting all of the things we did as a family and almost all of our family’s activities for this year took place oudoors.  No matter what the season or activity,  we seem to be doing it….outdoors

Just this weekend as cold as it was, we found the time to take a walk through the woods, and of course, hunt.  Yes, we froze, but it felt invigorating to be out there and more importantly, memories were made, the pictures were taken for next year’s scrapbook…. and that’s all that counts.  Hope you have a great year enjoying the outdoors too.

Personally, it’s a time in my life to reflect on the memories of seasons past.  Memories with friends and family in the field, or just those early morning breakfast gatherings and the smell of coffee and bacon in the skillet.  The older I get, the more thankful I am of each season I’m able to just be part of it.  To be able to sit in the stillness of a crisp autumn morning, one with nature and watch the orange sun peek over the horizon is nothing less than a blessing.  Squirrels cutting acorns from the tree tops to the deer below, owls hooting, blue jays singing, and turkeys flying from their morning roost are all part of another daily routine of morning activities in the autumn woods.

I’m often asked by the unfortunate people of this world, how I could rise so early in the day and search my way through the darkness of the forest to sit on stand all morning not guaranteed anything but the rising of the sun only to return home empty handed.  I just tell them I’ve never once returned home empty handed but they never understand.  Opening Day has come again, so don’t miss the opportunity of the rest of your lifetime.