Information Back From Ask an Expert

This is a screen save I did from the askanexpert.com site. I asked the expert about the benefits of planting only native plants, in our case I wanted to know specifically about plants from Indiana, anyway, what are the benefits from having native plants in your landscape?
The site is a pretty neat site and I encourage everybody to use it, although it is sort of a novelty for me and probably for most people.

Thanks,
Steve

Writing Congressman Buyer about WNS

Hello everyone- I wanted to write today to inform you of a terrible disease which is the number one killer of the North American bat population. The disease is called White Nose Syndrome and scientists have yet to determine the cause of the disease, or have yet to develop a cure.
Bats are very important to the ecosystem as they help keep insect populations in check, especially mosquitoes, and bats also pollinate flowers and plants, and the disseminate seeds. Without a healthy bat population farmers would suffer; and in turn, so would all of us.
I decided to write my U.S. congressional representative, Steve Buyer, and ask that he keep this important issue on the 'table'. Below is the letter I wrote to him and his immediate response- he cannot send an e-mail due to security reasons, but as his letter says he will get back to me in writing, which I prefer anyway.
Thanks,
Steve

P.S.
Please take action and write to your representative and ask that they act on this important issue.







Steve Skirvin
175 Maple Lane
Franklin, Indiana 46131-1305
September 20, 2009


To the Honorable Steve Buyer:
Hello Rep. Buyer,
My name is Steve Skirvin and I live in Franklin, Indiana. I am writing you to ask you to support more funding and research towards finding the cause and cure of the mysterious disease killing the bat population in Indiana and elsewhere. The disease, White Nose Syndrome, is the number one killer of the bat population in North America. Bats are an indispensable part of the ecosystem as the help to pollinate flowers and keep other species' population in control, such as certain insects.
Please ensure that this important issue does not get lost amongst the various priorities and issues. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Steve Skirvin
Go back to the beginning of Write Your Representative and start over.

The U.S. House Of Representatives





Thank you for contacting my office. As the representative for the Fourth District of Indiana, I appreciate you sharing your concerns and opinions.

Due to security issues, I am unable to respond to you directly via email. In the meantime, I will respond to you via postal mail. Once these issues are resolved, we will revisit this medium of exchange.

Once again, thank you for contacting my office.

Best Regards,



Steve Buyer

Member of Congress

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Go back to the beginning of Write Your Representative and start over.
Go to the Home Page.

Prepared by House Information Resources on August 18, 2000.

Native Plants

You always hear the benefits of planting native flowers and grasses in your yard. I want to know why? Some benefits are obvious such as the native insects will be more attracted to them, but what else? I asked this question on www.expertcentral.com I posed the question to an expert in botany and landscaping. I am hoping to get a whole list of facts concerning the topic. I will post the answer- but you can go to expert central and find the plant/landscaping tag to see the answer. Thanks, Steve

Hello- Helpful Websites

I have created a social bookmark using www.delicious.com . I will put in ten bookmars, or websites with very helpful information concerning the natural world of Indiana. I am trying to make this so anyone can access it, but right now I am having trouble doing so, but if you want the information about the sites just let me know.

Thank you,
Steve Skirvin

We Got Him!

Sparky had not made his presence known for the last several nights until last night. My neighbor and I set a live trap to capture the rascal, and we used corn cobs for bait, which proved to be too much of a temptation for the interloper. I found our amiable little friend in a rather foul mood this morning as he was caged next to our little garden. I would be mad too if I had to spend the night in jail. It was really neat for my family and I to have such a close up look at a wild animal, although the opossum did not appreciate it much. He would sort of hiss and show his teeth when we got close to the cage. And just as everything I have read about native opossums said- he had short black ears, very long whiskers, and dark black forelegs. His tail was bald and grey; and he had long, yellow claws. He put off quite a stench as well. "He is stinky," said my daughter. Since my neighbor and I planned to let him go later that night into the woods I wanted to make him as comfortable as possible during the day. My daughter and I cut several small branches from the Red bud tree in our yard and draped them over the cage; and as a parent I felt good knowing the memories this experience was creating. We then collected pine cones and walnuts from a neighbors yard down the street and placed them around his cage so it would smell like the forest. I checked on him throughout the day and found him curled up sleeping most of the time, which made me feel good since he is a nocturnal animal and would naturally sleep during the day. I wanted the least amount of stress on him as possible. I am going to upload a short video I made with my camera which shows Sparky in his cage. What a neat day and great learning experience!



-Stay Wild!

Abe and Indiana

Most people are fascinated with Abraham Lincoln- I know I am. Honest Abe spent his formative childhood years living in the woods of Southern Indiana; he grew up in what is now Spencer County. The land was a rugged, untamed wilderness where Indians and wild animals roamed the woods. He had an exciting childhood and was familiar with the ways and dangers of the wild.
There is a wonderful memorial and state park dedicated to Lincoln and his time spent in Indiana. I wanted to know more about this place, so I did a little research. The memorial, located in Spencer County and near the small town of Gentryville, is operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Congress established the park as a national park in 1962, although the memorial itself was built in the 1940's. The park contains a working historical, period farm where re-en actors live out the life of early pioneers. There are also trails to explore and a section of an actual cabin where Abe and family lived many years ago. The highlight, however is the memorial visitor center that contains historical artifacts and lots of good information about Abe's early life and what Indiana was like in the late 18th century.
I have been top the park several years ago, and I plan to go back there very soon. I hope you do too! Check out the following web-site to learn more about the park: www.nps.gov/libo

Opossum Update

Well, "Sparky", as he has been named by my daughter has disappeared, or at least he has not bothered the scraps we set out for him. My neighbor and I are still planning on setting a live trap and I hope to make a small video of this for everybody. I hope that wherever the opossum is he is safe and sound.

I consulted the National Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Mammals and found some interesting information about opossums in general. What we call the opossum is actually called the Virginia Opossum, or Didelphis virginiana. They are in the family of animals called marsupials, which means they carry their young in a pouch on their belly. They are a nocturnal animal, which means they come out mostly at night, and are very good climbers. Their diet is composed mainly of carrion, which is dead animals- this explains why they are hit so often by cars as they eat roadkill at night.

The field guide also lists the following as part of their diet:

• Insects


• Frogs


• Birds


• Snakes


• Earthworms


• Berries


• Apples


• Persimmons


• Corn

Because their ears and tail are not really covered with hair they are susceptible to frostbite during the colder months, and they do not hibernate. They will play dead, or "play opossum" as a form of defense.

When you see an animal up-close and take the time to observe its actions, behavior, and looks, you gain a new appreciation for it and for all of the natural world. I looked at that opossum and I know understand its place in the created order and I see the value in this, otherwise, strange looking creature. Well, I, for one, now consider myself a friend of all opossums and I will keep a look-out for "Sparky"

Stay Wild!

Steve

Blue Jay Follow-Up

I turned to a must have resource for Indiana birders concerning the Blue Jays I saw this afternoon. I sought information from a book entitled Enjoying Indiana Birds by master birdwatcher, Bud Starling. The book was published in 1978 by Indiana University press, and while it is now out of print, I do not think a better book about Indiana birds exists. Bud Starling had a weekly column for years in the Indianapolis Star about all things bird watching. What made his column so interesting, besides the elegant and creative prose, was his advocacy on behalf of birds and their habitat. I really miss, as I am sure many others do to, reading his beautiful writings. On the Indianapolis Star web-site his writings are still available, but for a price, which I really don't like. I was able to find my own copy of his book at a used book sale in mint condition. Yes, I was very happy that day as I think I only gave one dollar for it! Inside of my copy I placed his obituary from the Star as Bud passed away in 2007. From all I have heard he was a kind and gentle man. If any of you ever met him I would love to have you post your recollections.
About the Blue Jays themselves, Mr. Starling had many things to say and I thought I would list some of the more interesting.
Blue Jays produce 4-5 offspring every Spring, they line their nests with pine needles, they can mimic a red-shouldered hawk perfectly, they are a year-round resident in Indiana, but they will migrate to the South at times, and they are known by their aggressive behavior and distinctive call of "jay,jay" and "thief, thief thief."
A beautiful bird that always adds a splash of color and a bit of happiness to otherwise long Winters here in Indiana. I know I sure appreciate them.

Stay Wild!
Steve

Curious Site

This afternoon, while checking the Opossum bait, I hear a noisy commotion high in my neighbors tree. There were several birds, which I thought were Blue Jays, and another bird making quite a noise. The gang of birds were Blue Jays and they soon flushed from the top of the tree followed by a small hawk. I imagine that the Jays had a nest in the tree and the hawk was an unwelcome visitor. Now, I do not know what kind of hawk it was, but I am going to consult some books and I will post later. I would like to comment however that to be a birdwatcher one simply needs to watch and take in birds whenever and wherever you see them. I love birdwatching, in fact I am working on getting a new set of binoculars right now. I would like to write about the different types and styles of binoculars in a future post. Other future posts will be on slugs, opossum update, Goldenrod, Obedient Plant, crickets and a very large snake.

Stay Wild!

Steve

Opossum Antics

The opossum was not seen in my backyard last night. Perhaps Clyde, my neighbors cat, finally scared him off, but anyway, I wanted to post a picture of the pile of scraps that my daughter, Abby, and I placed out for him. I will check again tomorrow to see if he has been around. I wanted to also share a picture of Clyde!
I am hoping to post my research done on opossums soon along with other topics. I want to do posts on the following: native plants, crickets, and Red Fox squirrels. For now enjoy the pictures!

A Opossum Raids My Garden!

I love animals. When I began this blog I had hoped to learn about the native animals of Indiana and I hoped to take some pictures of my experiences with native animals; well, now I have a chance to do just that. For the past several nights a opossum has been getting into my raised bed garden. I have been finding tomatoes that were half eaten, and since I knew it wasn't my neighbor's cat, Clyde, it had to be something else. I thought maybe a raccoon, but two nights ago I saw the opossum! I ran out with my camera, but was unable to capture the critter on film. Undaunted, I took a bunch of corn cobs and set them back by the fence, and again, last night, the little guy, or gal, was spotted slinking across the yard. Yesterday morning the corn cobs were turned into a fine powder. Still, no pictures though. Okay- I have to get pictures of this guy! The plan tonight is to take the vegetable scraps from the soup my wife and daughter made today and set a sort of trap for him; not a real trap as I only want some pictures!
Next week my neighbor is going to bring his live trap over so we can peacefully relocate the animal to the woods. I am going to photograph this whole adventure and will post the pictures later. But for now I have some questions that need answering about this fascinating little animal, which is native to Indiana and can be seen most everywhere across the state. For now I am off to the library to get some books. I want to know what opossums consider a proper diet. I also want to know more about their general behavior. Do they sleep mostly during the day? When is their breeding season? Where do they live?
I will post the answers to these questions soon and I will note the resources I used to answer said questions.

Stay Wild,
Steve Skirvin

Master Naturalist Program

I want to highlight a wonderful educational opportunity for those interested in learning more about Indiana's natural places and critters! You can become certified as an Indiana Master Naturalist by taking classes endorsed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and taught by wildlife biologist and Purdue University professors. The program operates much the way the Indiana Master Gardening class does, with participants taking the class and performing hands-on-activities. This is a great way to begin learning more about Indiana's wildlife. The program doesn't cost much, classes are taught at several different locations, and the class sessions are generally short. Find more about the program at the following link: www.in.gov/dnr/masternaturalist/.

Stay Wild!

Steve Skirvin

Getting Started

Hello everyone- I am creating this blog to, hopefully, highlight, discuss, and seek information about the natural beauty of Indiana. Most people, including native Hoosiers, do not realize just how wonderful and beautiful of a state Indiana really is- I know that I did not until I began to visit and hike around in the state parks, and really begin to take an interest in the wildlife, including wildflowers, native grasses, birds, and animals that were living and growing all around me.

I know that there is so much to learn about the natural heritage of Indiana; and I want to learn and share as much of the Indiana's beauty as I can. So, this blog, is in a sense, a tool for doing just that. I also hope to use this blog as a way to advocate for the wildlife and wild lands of Indiana. There is much an educated, informed, concerned person could and can do to protect Indiana's resources- I will highlight ways to explore and get involved as I go along.

Please post any questions you might have about Indiana, or please share ideas, and experiences you have had in Indiana's natural areas.

Take care and I'll see you in the Wild!

Steve Skirvin