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Falcon Facts
 How
big is a peregrine falcon?
The peregrine falcon is a crow-sized bird, weighing just
over two pounds and with a wingspan of approximately three
feet.
Where do peregrine
falcons build their nests?
Peregrine falcons nest on high cliffs overlooking river
systems, and bridges and tall buildings in cities. They
lay their eggs in “scrapes,” which are shallow indentations
they scratch out with their talons in the soft earth on
the floor of the nest ledge.
How
fast can a peregrine falcon fly?
Peregrine falcons are the fastest flying birds in the
world. In level flight, the normal speed for peregrines
is about 40 to 55 miles per hour. In a stoop (dive), peregrine
falcons can reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour
as they attack their prey.
What
do peregrine falcons eat?
They feed primarily on birds, including pigeons, and sometimes
bats.
How many young does a peregrine falcon have?
A mating pair of peregrine falcons usually lays a clutch
of four eggs per year.
Where
in Pennsylvania do the peregrine falcons live?
Pennsylvania’s largest nesting concentrations are on the
bridges spanning the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers in
Bucks County and Philadelphia. A pair of falcons also
nested on the Rachel Carson State Office Building in downtown
Harrisburg.
What caused
the peregrine falcon populations to decline?
Egg collecting, shooting and pesticide use during the
1940s to 1960s led to the decline of peregrine falcon
populations in Pennsylvania and around the country.
Learn More: To
track the migration of peregrine falcons in Pennsylvania,
visit
DEP’s falcon telemetry website at www.GreenWorks.tv (GreenWords
“Falcon”). |
"Green"
Ideas for Science Projects |
Your teacher asked you to come up with an
idea for a science project. Now what? You’re in luck —
you just happen to live in a state that offers tons of
ideas for designing projects related to the environment,
wildlife, natural resources or watersheds.
Here are some tips to help you get started.
Research. Hit the
books, magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, library and
the web for ideas and information.
Explore your
yard, neighborhood or community with a notebook. Take
some notes on what you see. Notice the plants, insects,
animals, rocks, soils, streams and ponds. Begin asking
yourself questions based on your observations. What determines
where the plants and animals live? How clean is the water
in the stream? How have the homes and |
buildings in your neighborhood affected
the ability of rainwater to enter into the ground?
Think about current events. Watch the news and read
through the newspapers for local, state, national or
world news related to the environment. Consider a project
that addresses a current environmental issue like flooding,
droughts, earthquakes, air pollution, smog, the ozone
layer, oil spills, abandoned mines, renewable energy,
energy efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles, recycling,
biodiversity or urban sprawl.
Just put on your thinking cap and let your imagination
run free! Learn More:
Get environmental science project
ideas at www.state.pa.us,
PA Keyword: “Earth Day Central.”
|
 The
Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania (EFP) is a nonprofit
organization connecting people with ways to improve
the environment. EFP produces the “GreenWorks” family
of educational programs — including the Emmy Award-winning
GreenWorks television series, the www.GreenWorks.tv
website and more!
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Real
Kids Ask Questions: Paul Boeckel
“How do you turn plastic soda bottles into DEP
tote bags?”
That’s what nine-year-old, Paul Boeckel, asked his teacher
after he received one of DEP’s tote bags made from recycled
soda bottles. Paul’s inquiring mind led him to submit
his question to DEP and GreenWorks for an explanation.
When DEP Secretary David E. Hess read the letter, he was
inspired. “We thought it was a great idea for an educational
video since a lot of other people would like to see the
process, too.”
That was all it took to get the ball rolling — a few months
later, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, DEP premiered a
five-minute GreenWorks television video, “From Bottles
to Bags.” The video shows the entire process of how a
tote bag is made — from collecting the bottles at the
curb to creating the fabric, and sewing and silk-screening
the bags.
To Paul, now a fourth-grader at East Pennsboro Elementary
School in Enola, Cumberland County, it was most interesting
to see “how they turned the bottles from small flakes
to fibers, rope and then to sheets of fabric.”
Both Paul and his mom use their DEP tote bags regularly.
“I use it to carry books and toys when we go somewhere,”
Paul said. “And on school field trips, I carry my snacks
and water bottle in it.” Learn
More: Watch
the video at www.GreenWorks.tv (GreenWords “Tote Bags”). |
Know
Your Endangered Species
Some of Pennsylvania’s plants and animals are in danger
of becoming extinct because of human activities. That
means they could be gone forever — like the dinosaurs.
See if you can find the names of six endangered species
in the word search below. Learn
More: To find out what you
can do to protect these and other endangered species,
visit www.GreenWorks.tv (GreenWords “Biodiversity”).
| Bog
Turtle |
Indiana
Bat |
Least
Shrew |
| Northern Riffleshells |
Short-Eared Owl |
Spreading Globeflowers |
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Click here
for a printable version of this word search puzzle.
Click here
for the solution.
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| Environmental learning doesn’t have to stop
at the classroom door. There are hundreds of public Environmental
Education Centers throughout Pennsylvania where you can
enjoy nature and learn how to protect it. These centers
offer great field trips with your classmates or family,
and will leave you all with a greater appreciation of
the world around you. The Pennsylvania Center for Environmental
Education (PCEE) maintains a complete list of Environmental
Education Centers across the Commonwealth. Learn
More: To find a center near
you, call PCEE at (724) 738-4555, visit
www.GreenWorks.tv (GreenWords “EE Centers”) or check
#8 on your Free Stuff Card. |
|
Write Us!
Tell us what you think of the Gazette. Send us your story
ideas and win a free GreenWorks t-shirt if we use your
story. Call toll-free: (877) PA-GREEN. Write: GreenWorks
Gazette c/o Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania, 1420
Walnut St., Suite 1304, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Email:
talktous@greenworks.tv.
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