[LIVING LAB] Carnivorous + Poisonous + Nymphs

Here's what's happening in our Living Lab to date:

TADPOLES These gorgeous little critters have been happily swimming around in their new habitat on our deck. We re-housed them to a large glass jar with live pond plants that have been keeping the water super clean and clear. The plants and tadpoles are thriving in their new environment with bi-weekly top ups of pond water and fresh plants. The plants have been doing such a great job cleaning the water, that I have not had to do any water changes. We love looking out our window and watching them swim around.

CARNIVOROUS INSECTS Upon closer inspection of our new tadpole habitat, we found two unwelcomed guests: a Damselfy Larvae and a Common Backswimmer. Both of these critters were happily munching on our poor little tadpoles...so we separated them into mason jars and have been studying them a bit closer. They have been re-released into the creek.

ROUGH SKINNED NEWT Last week while out on a walk with my lovely friend, we stumbled upon the sweetest little rough skinned newt crossing the path. I gently carried him in my shirt around the trail, while stopping periodically to dip him in a puddle to keep his skin wet. It wasn't until I got home, and researched him a little more, that we discovered our new little friend is....poisonous!! So off to the washroom we went to VERY thoroughly wash our hands. Oops.

Speaking of salamanders, our mystery eggs have hatched and...drum role please...WE HAVE SALAMANDER NYMPHS! Salamanders go through a complex life cycle. Most salamanders lay their eggs in water. When the eggs hatch, the baby salamanders look more like tadpoles than salamanders, and are called "salamander nymphs." The nymphs have feathery gills that extend from the sides of their necks and help the young salamanders absorb oxygen from the water. While they continue to grow, over a period of usually about 1-3 months, the nymphs feed on small animals and organisms that live in the water.

I need to get a larger container for them, but in the meantime, I have moved the larvae and remaining eggs to a large, glass salad bowl. We added pond plants to help keep water clean and will continue to freshen water while they grow to ensure they are receiving the proper amount of organisms and oxygen they need to survive. What a wonderful experience this will be!

We are also introducing a new little project this year - a Nature Journal. Any fun nature projects on your plate?