Spotlight on
by David Lane
Advanced Indiana
Master Naturalist
Nature
The Nature of Winter
G
od sent a child to be born
into this world; only to set
us free. I hope your “Silent
Night,” and Christmas
settled over you with the warmth of
God’s love.
Lord, thank you for the lives of
loved ones who come into our care
and the lessons we learn. This is just a
touch of the little wonders in life that
shadows your great glory!
The calendar says that winter is
here, but not just because it says it is;
winter shows signs all around us. The
most noticeable sign is the drop in
temperatures and freezing rain which
then forms snow. Let’s examine winter
and what actually transpires in nature.
As the temperature begins to
drop and the leaves fall to the ground,
nature is preparing for winter in many
ways. Some animals are migrating
south, others are beginning to hibernate, and some are putting on extra fat
for warmth.
One way some animals deal with
winter is to leave the colder weather.
There are about 145 species of birds
in North America that breed here and
winter in Central and South America
and the West Indies.
The four main north-south migration routes or “flyaways” in North
America are the Atlantic, Mississippi,
Central, and Pacific routes. Some of
these migrants fly at night, particularly
the smaller ones.
For an animal to survive in winter,
it must be able to find food, keep its
torso above freezing, and maintain
that warmth. Some animals shiver to
produce heat. The chickadee (bird),
for example, may shiver continuously
throughout the winter. Feathers are
good insulators because they help the
birds trap warm air around their skin.
Other animals prepare for winter by getting out of the cold. Not
all animals are true hibernators, but
the groundhog, also known as the
whistlen-pig, or the woodchuck, is an
example of one. The groundhogs eat
enough all summer long to have fat
reserves for the winter. They do not
store food in their burrow so they have
to eat enough to sustain them through
the winter months.
Raccoons do not hibernate, but
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