Take Our Groundhog Quiz

How much do you really know about the wild creature we celebrate today? Take our quiz and find out!

There's a printable pdf version of our Groundhog Quiz posted in our online Kids Corner. You can also find a Groundhog Fact Sheet with all the information you need to verify or correct your answers!



1. In addition to groundhog, I’m also known as a_____________.

a. Giant Squirrel
b. Woodchuck
c. Beaver
d. Prairie Dog

2. One of my nicknames is _______________.
a. The Whistle Pig
b. The Digger Hog
c. The Weather Watcher
d. The Wonder Rat

3. I’m related to________________.
a. Squirrels
b. Mice
c. Beavers
d. Porcupines
e. All of the above
f. None of the above

4. Based on what I eat, I am a_______________.
a. an herbivore
b. a carnivore
c. an omnivore

5. I fall fast asleep all winter, which means I go into________________.
a. extinction
b. insomnia
c. hibernation
d. hypnosis

6. True or False: I like to climb trees!

7. True or False: I can predict the weather.

8. True or False: I live in a nest.

9. True or False: My home has many rooms.

10. True or False: I have my own holiday.

Happy Groundhog Day! (OK, that last question is a gimme.)

T-shirt Art Finalists Announced

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is proud to announce 14 finalists in our 2009 Limited Edition T-shirt Art Design Contest. We received more than 65 wonderful and creative entries from children as young as 5 all the way up to adults. Our finalists were chosen to represent various ages, artistic experience and styles.
Now it's time for YOU to weigh with your favorites. Start by viewing the finalists in our online Kids Corner Nature Art Gallery. Then, you can vote for you favorite by leaving a comment here, using the contact form on our homepage, or by stopping by to drop a ballot in the box at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center starting Monday, March 16.
Each of our finalists will receive a pair of Walter R Schuele Planetarium passes good for any one star show, laser lights or film fest admission. The winner, who will be announced after voting ends on March 31st, will recieve $100 and a copy of the t-shirt featuring their winning design.
Thanks to everyone who entered! Good luck to all our finalists.

After School Adventures Beach Sweep

“I was surprised by all the trash we found!” “Why would someone just leave it(aluminum can)?” “This(cigarette butt) is gross!” “People swim here!” “Why is this(battery) here?” "Where does all of this(beach litter) come from?" Those were just some of the heart-felt questions and comments made by my students during a non-typical "day-at-the-beach." Non-typical in that we were there not to play or relax but to investigate and “take action.” On October 7th, nine of my students from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s After School Adventures Club (Grades 3 & 4) enthusiastically spent part of their class cleaning-up(as part of their Beach Sweep Inquiry Action Project) a section of our beautiful, neighboring Huntington Beach.
During our classes prior to the Beach Sweep, we discussed the importance of keeping Lake Erie and its beaches litter-free, how litter negatively effects not only the environment and wildlife but also humans, communities, and the economy, and what we both as a class and as individuals can do to reduce beach litter and stop our trash from becoming litter in the first place. We referred to Miami University’s Project Dragonfly’s Dragonfly Quest program for guidance during our investigation.
Question and observe
Uncover comparative questions
Explore predictions
Start action plan and gather data
Think hard about finding and share discoveries

After we swept the beach, we then counted, tallied, and recorded the items with the aid of The Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-a-Beach Litter Monitoring Form. In only 30 minutes, and along only 235 yards of Huntington Beach, we collected over 600 pieces of trash that weighed-in at almost 4 pounds!
Some of the items we picked up:
270 Cigarettes
118 Plastic Cigarette Filters
60 Plastic Caps
20 Straws
20 Food Wrappers
9 Firework Debris
8 Balloons on Strings
4 Aluminum Cans
3 Plastic Spoons
2 Batteries
1 Pill Bottle

These and the other items we collected from Huntington Beach are now part of our class’s Beach Sweep Project Display, which is located in Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's Teacher Resource Center for the remainder of the year.

During your next visit to the Center, please stop by our Display to see and learn more about what we did and discovered, in addition to, what we would like for YOU to do to help us keep our Great Lake GREAT!

For additional information on:

our After School Adventures Club program, please visit http://www.lensc.org/education/UpcomingEvents.aspx?id=27

future Adopt-a-Beach events at Huntington Beach, visit:
http://www.lensc.org/education/child-family/Family.aspx
or contact Carla Roth at Carlar@Lensc.org or (440) 871-2900 Ext. 221.
The Alliance For The Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach program

visit http://www.greatlakes.org/

Sixteen Autumn (or Anytime) Hikes

Is there any better time of year to take a hike than Autumn? With all the turmoil in the world right now, why not take a break and immerse yourself in the colors, patterns, smells and textures of nature's changing seasons and restore a little perspective to your life.

Even on a rainy day like today, you can enjoy a walk in the woods as a solitary activity or a group adventure. Consider these soggy hike suggestions:

Drippy Walk:Take a walk during a rain and explore different smells, colors, and tastes. Look for animals that like the rain and places where soil is eroding. Catch a"drop" of rainwater in your hands and taste it. Walk along with your tongue stuck out to get a taste.


The Drippy Walk is Hike #4 on the list of Sixteen Great Nature Hikes for Families on the Games & Activities Page of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's online Kids Corner.

The Great Outdoors Calls Even In Winter

It's easy to use the cold weather as an excuse to hibernate this time of year... and there are definitely days that are meant to be spent exclusively in front of the fireplace with a good book. Winter also offers seasonal magic beyond your doorstep, if you bundle up and venture out. For a fun way to get your kids off the couch this winter, try printing the Winter Nature Detective Challenge posted in the Games and Activities on our Kids Corner page or head over to the Planetarium main page to download January's Scoping Out the Night Sky guide, that includes starry trail maps of the current Northeast Ohio night sky. Even on a wintry day, you can help yourself to a dose of the great outdoors and a heapin' helpin' of the wonder that nature always inspires!