Right now, one of my big projects is to ready the raised gardens for spring planting. The lad is helping me. As we work, we learn. I LOVE this type of homeschooling though it requires advance reading for me so that I have ready answers at my finger tips.
Discovering Nature
Right in our own backyard. The lad was absolutely delighted. MOM! LOOK!!!! Our first toad of spring! I Dug him up!!! LOOK MOM!!!
and so we have our first toad of spring. He was dug up accidentally, we made sure he was okay by letting him hop around for a while, and then the lad covered him up with dirt again to help keep his body temp stabilized for the night.
The lad has also been discovering worms. Last night while I was working he was right in there with me, and he found some just born worms. They are very light at birth and he was just in wonder. He even found some of the eggs/cocoons that they hatch from. Good eyes on the lad as I never would have seen them. Seeing the wonder on his face and hearing the delight in his voice...it just makes the hard work of spring gardening well worth it. He's learned a lot about camoflage ....how God naturally makes animals darker on the top and lighter underneath as it helps them to hide (even worms have this). How God helps to protect baby things before they are born (worms in cocoons). He's discovered insect cocoon and has learned to properly bury them again so we can see what might come out of them.
and so we have our first toad of spring. He was dug up accidentally, we made sure he was okay by letting him hop around for a while, and then the lad covered him up with dirt again to help keep his body temp stabilized for the night.
The lad has also been discovering worms. Last night while I was working he was right in there with me, and he found some just born worms. They are very light at birth and he was just in wonder. He even found some of the eggs/cocoons that they hatch from. Good eyes on the lad as I never would have seen them. Seeing the wonder on his face and hearing the delight in his voice...it just makes the hard work of spring gardening well worth it. He's learned a lot about camoflage ....how God naturally makes animals darker on the top and lighter underneath as it helps them to hide (even worms have this). How God helps to protect baby things before they are born (worms in cocoons). He's discovered insect cocoon and has learned to properly bury them again so we can see what might come out of them.
Links to our increased understanding
Baby worms are not born.
They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice.
Types of worms in Ontario
This page was helpful in being able to ask the lad leading questions.
Earthworm biology.
This page was helpful in being able to ask the lad leading questions.
Earthworm biology.
1. Earthworms respire ("breathe") by absorbing oxygen through their body surface into the body and sending carbon dioxide out. The oxygen dissolves in the mucous on the body surface and then passes into the highly branched capillary blood vessels in the body wall where it is picked up by the respiratory pigment and transported to the internal organs.
2. Earthworms may survive for considerable lengths of time in water if the dissolved oxygen level is high enough.
3. Earthworms cannot maintain a steady body temperature like humans or dogs or cattle.This means their respiration rate rises with increasing temperature. Increasing respiration rates mean increased metabolic rates which means increased energy requirements which means increased feeding rates by worms or food must be "stolen" from reserves in the worms' own body tissues. The reverse is true for decreasing temperatures.
4. Earthworms derive their nutrition from organic matter in a wide variety of forms. So far plant matter (various forms, fresh‑decayed), protozoans, rotifers, nematodes, bacteria, fungi and decomposing remains of other animals are known to be worm food.
All about worms
This site has information about all different types of worms and what their distribution is. I do wish it had some better pictures though. it's an interesting site though and uses proper earthworm terminology.
From this Canadian Geographic Article we learned the following:
This site has information about all different types of worms and what their distribution is. I do wish it had some better pictures though. it's an interesting site though and uses proper earthworm terminology.
From this Canadian Geographic Article we learned the following:
Number of worm species identified in Canada: 25
Number of segments in a full grown dew-worm: approximately 150, all of them capable of sensing light and touch
Average length of a dew-worm: about 25 centimetres, roughly the height of this page
Life expectancy: approximately seven to nine years
Number of worms that can fit in a regulation worm-picking coffee can: 400 to 600
Number of offspring a dew-worm produces each year: 10 to 12
I also learned that earthworms are very dependent on having enough moisture in the ground and decent temperatures. They are most prevalent in Canada naturally in Vancouver and Southern Ontario. They are found in the cultivated areas on the prairies (but generally not in the drier grasslands) and they were introduced into the the eastern provinces. (this from reading general site captions). Never knew earthworms could be so interesting.
All this from doing some gardening with a seven year old boy. :)
All this from doing some gardening with a seven year old boy. :)
The question I get over and over again is MOM, why are there so many worms here? Why do they like this area?
We find that most of the earthworms are congregating where either there is lots of hay (the pale dew worm types) or where there is lots of poop/hay mixed (the red wiggler types). I just find it interesting how they distribute themselves and I like breaking up the rabbit compost to spread them out a bit. Worms are good for the soil you know. :) The lad, he just carefully collects them and puts them in a big bucket with soil.
We find that most of the earthworms are congregating where either there is lots of hay (the pale dew worm types) or where there is lots of poop/hay mixed (the red wiggler types). I just find it interesting how they distribute themselves and I like breaking up the rabbit compost to spread them out a bit. Worms are good for the soil you know. :) The lad, he just carefully collects them and puts them in a big bucket with soil.
I'll close off with a picture of his ever present helpers. The pigs. They LOVE exploring in the backyard with the lad and just add a fun element to his adventures. :) They do get right into it don't they? :)
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