This Owl Prefers To Live In The Ground Rather Than Up In A Tree. So For Security Purposes, He Tricks

Good luck to everyone participating in November’s writing challenge! The SNC’s own Environmental Educator will also be participating and wanted to share some tips for this month: 

1. Don’t be afraid to jump segments. Write where you can and jump to the next scene that excites you if you feel like you’re running out of steam. It’ll be easier to go back and connect the pieces later. 

2. Pick a buddy. Have someone else holding you accountable. Send each other the updates to your WIP at the end of the day just to share with someone your word count accomplishments. 

3. Have a mini reward system. For every X amount of words you finish you can give yourself a piece of your favorite Halloween candy. Or make a cup of tea. Or give your S/O a snuggle. 

NASA Science to Host Public Town Hall Meeting

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will hold a community town hall meeting with Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen and his leadership team at 12 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 10, to discuss updates to NASA’s science program and the current status of NASA activities. from NASA Breaking News http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-science-to-host-public-town-hall-meeting

Anybody else spend like two hours a day thinking about how baby possum ears look like a half moon cookie? It can’t be just me

There is a lot of slime in nature and so many animals that use slime in different ways. One of my favorite activities to do with students when learning about these animals is to make Oobleck! It is an easy, fun craft that gets kids immersed into the experience of using slime in their own way. It gives them a hands-on example of how this sticky substance can be useful in nature.

Learn more here: https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/2021/02/16/slime/

Florida box turtles have a typical lifespan of 30-40 years, but some can live to 100 years old! Despite being called a turtle, these guys prefer to stay on land, similar to tortoises. But they can be found in damp, swampy areas. Our resident box turtle is a surrendered pet and because it is too domesticated, it wouldn't be able to survive out in the wild.

This orphaned baby raccoon was brought to the SNC after being found by a South Florida resident. Most baby raccoons do not have a fighting chance without their mom in the wild. Luckily, this little guy has grown quite a bit and will soon be ready to be prepped for release back into the wild. 

Often times, when people find abandoned babies in their neighborhoods it is because mom has died due to human activity. Wildlife rehabbers and nature centers are imperative to continuing breeding populations for wild animal species that are most impacted by human development and activity. 

Wow I found an avocado just laying on the ground!

Whoops! Never mind, looks like it was a shy little friend from the order Testudines!

Writer Beware makes posts on which publishing houses to avoid at all costs, which words to look for and which words to watch out for in contracts, and several other things that will keep you in control and knowledgeable about the publishing process.  I’d suggest reading through the website if you want to avoid getting ripped off, cheated, or scammed.

This injured Burrowing Owl was brought to the nature center by a concerned Broward County resident to be rehabilitated. We were able to successfully able to release it back into the wild as good as new! 

This Burrowing Owl had an interesting feature that made it a unique visitor at our hospital. Most Burrowing Owls have bright yellow eyes. This one in particular possessed a recessive gene that gave it brown eyes instead. 

Those of you that follow us on social media may already be familiar with Bumper and the reason he got his name. Bumper likes to bump shoes with the front of his shell. This is a territorial display that is meant to inform the keeper of the day that they are in his home and they are only welcome as long as there is food.

Bumper is with the Sawgrass Nature Center because he is considered an exotic species. That means his species is not native to Florida.

What is Bumper?

Greek Tortoise

The Greek tortoise is one of five of the Mediterranean species of tortoises. They can grow to an average size of 5-8 inches in length, making them one of the smaller species of tortoise. Even though they have an average lifespan of about 50 years, they have been recorded to live up to 125 years in captivity with proper care and treatment.

Want to see Bumper?

Even though these guys are small in size, they require a pretty big habitat space to be kept happy and healthy. This includes lots of dirt and vegetation. That’s why if you come by the SNC to visit Bumper, you may have a hard time spotting him in such a large exhibit area. The best time to see Bumper is feeding time Tuesdays-Sundays around 11am-12pm. You might even get to see him do his famous “Bumper” display.