Dead Milksnake – June 27 2008

Some of the maintenance crew found this dead milksnake near one of the roads at camp.

Hognose snake – found by the cross #2 – August 24, 2007

Hognose snake – found by the cross #2, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Some of the bethany christian freshman class found this hognose snake when they were out for a team building day here at camp. It’s only about 4 to 5 inches long. It looks like it just ate a toad. It’s pretty plump.

Nature Adventure Camp 2007

Presentation 1, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

What a blast! The campers learned so much!

Here’s the audio(mp3) of what the kids liked best about nature camp 2007(the survival game was obviously a big hit). Kid’s Nature Camp 2007 Audio Evaluation (mp3)
Here’s a list of some of the many things that we did:

Get to know you games
Camping out
Fishing
Canoeing
Fire Kites
Bug Suckers
Bird Calls
Bird Adaptations
Water Slide
Archery
Swimming
Swamp Hike
Campfire Songs
Gift of Nature, God, Ourselves, & History

 

Snake Cover Board – June 6 2007

cover board, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Some staff from the Michigan Natural Features Inventory are here at camp to put out some snake cover boards to do some research. These boards consist of carpet padding stapled to some thick plastic. Laying these cover boards in our wetland might yield some kirtland’s snakes. These snake spend about 90% of there time underground eating worms and therefore are hard to research. After it rains the snakes come up out of crayfish burrows and station themselves under these boards.

 

It will be interesting to see if there are some kirtland’s snakes here at camp.

Hognose Snake -May 14, 2007

IMG_9377_crop, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

As I am going from the dining hall to the nature center in a golf cart I look down and see this 7 inch Hognose snake.

I love the way these snakes flatten out their head, putting out their hood to make themselves look bigger.

I didn’t frighten this one enough to make it rollover on its back to play dead, which they do just like oppossums.

Hognose snakes love toads.  Seeing this guy(or gal) makes me think that the toads must be out in full force.

Rattlesnake Massasauga

Rattlesnake Massasauga

Originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Here’s our yearly early springtime visit from one of Michigan’s species of special concern the massasauga rattlesnake. It’s good to see that a few are still surviving.

 I’ve heard it said that these pit vipers may actually be able to “see” heat footprints of animals as they pass.

Mating Garter Snakes near nature center March 22 2007

Mating Garter Snakes near nature center March 22 2007Originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Tis the season. These garter snakes are behind the nature center near the open water of the fen. It’s interesting how much bigger the female is compared with the male.

Garter Snake – Massasauga Trail – Oct 8 2006

This garter snake on Massasauga trail is also enjoying this warm sunny day.
 

Small Map Turtle & Large Northern Water Snake July 2006

Nature Photos July 2006 211Originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Canoeing in Saint Joseph County Michigan I spot these two creatures(small map turtle & northern water snake) just relaxing in the noon day sun. They are uneffected by the canoe that is only a few few from their log.

Milksnake on Canoe (Nature Camp)- June 2006

IMG_0627

Originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

When the campers return from canoeing this milk snake comes out of the bow.