Pi Day 2019

Happy "Pi Day"!  Not pie the pastry, but pi the number.  

The number pi is symbolized by the Greek letter π . We use pi to figure the circumference and area of circles and the volume of spheres and cylinders. The circumference of any circle is its diameter times pi.  The area of any circle is its radius squared time pi.  So what does that have to do with today?

Today is the 14th of March.  Otherwise expressed as 3/14 or 3.14.   Just like the number pi!  But, pi doesn't end at 3.14.  The number is thought to be infinite and non-repeating - no one has found the last digit of pi (currently at over one trillion digits and counting) and there is no sequence of numbers that repeats itself within pi!  Written to 100 decimal points pi is...

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230
78164062862089986280348253421170679...

In celebration of Pi Day, I bought two pies (the pastry) to share at work.  One blueberry pie

and one apple pie.

We are eating pie for mathematics!  This is not just because pi(e) is delicious!

Look at all that math!

Now for a little Pie (pi) related math.  The diameter (the distance across a circle from one side to the opposite side, passing through the center of the circle) of each of these pies is 8.5 inches.  To calculate the circumference (the distance around the perimeter of a circle) we just need to multiply 8.5 inches by pi (3.14).

                  Circumference  = π x diameter

                  Circumference = 3.14 x 8.5 inches

                  Circumference =  26.69 inches

I eat this pie in the name of mathematics!

To calculate the area of the pie we need to know the radius.  Radius is the distance from the center of a circle to the edge of the circle.  This number is one half of the diameter - so if the diameter of these pies is 8.5 inches, the radius would be 8.5 inches divided by 2, which equals 4.25 inches.  The formula for calculating the area of a circle is Area = pi times the radius squared (the radius times the radius). Expressed as a mathematical formula this is A= πr².

                 Area = πr²
           
                 Area = π x (radius x radius)

                 Area = 3.14 x (4.25 inches x 4.25 inches)

                 Area = 3.14 x (18.0625 inches²)

                 Area = 56.71625 inches²

That's 56.71625 square inches of delicious per pie!

If I eat 1/6th of the blueberry pie I am eating 9.4527 square inches of pie (56.71625 x 1/6 = 9.4527 inches²)!  

Math can be delicious!

Remember!  This is for the cause of furthering mathematical knowledge!

Merry Christmas 2018!

 

Merry Christmas!

It's not a very white Christmas here in Mid-Michigan, but it is a Merry one nonetheless!

I got some warm socks, waterproof notebooks, and a new field guide (plus a bunch of other cool stuff) - I'm ready to get outdoors!

Twelve holiday gift ideas for the outdoor kid in your life

It's that time of year when people think a lot about giving or receiving gifts.  Every magazine and website seems to put out an annual list of the top ten gifts (toys/tech/games/etc.).  I have my own list, but it's a little different.  The most fun I see kids have all year is when I turn them loose to explore a woods or a pond.  My list is focused on items to help kids explore.  Without further ado, here is my top twelve list of gifts for kids for this year (or any year).

I originally came up with this list in 2013, but have added two items and updated prices and links for 2018.  This list also works great for adults, but you might want to upgrade the first four items to adult sizes!


Getting Outdoors

Despite all the talk of  the disconnect between children and nature, most kids still love to explore the outdoors.  They just need to have the tools to make it more enjoyable. 

1.  Rubber boots - Having cold wet feet is no fun.  Nothing can ruin a day in the outdoors faster.  Rubber boots also let you explore puddles and the edges of ponds.  Knee high boots are best as they let your kid explore deeper puddles.  These boots do not have to be expensive.   My advice is to skip the ones with cartoons characters and get the plain black or green ones.  Look for a pair at around $15 at Walmart or your local farm and home center. 

2.  Wool socks - Pair the rubber boots with the right socks and they are suitable for year round wear in all but the coldest weather.  Socks are one item where its best to splurge - buy the best wool socks you can find.  I like socks from Darn Tough, SmartWool, and Farm to Feet, but several other brands are just as good.  Expect to pay $10 to $15 - trust me they are worth the extra cost!

3.  Waterproof Jacket/Rain Suit -  I love being out in the rain.  Everything seems so much different when it rains.  Rain softens the ground and quiets sounds,. Animals often hold tight in the rain. Worms come up out of the ground.  Tiny streams form and cascade.  In my mind there is nothing better than exploring a woods on a rainy day, but I hate having wet clothes.  A pair of rubber boots and a good rain suit opens up new worlds for exploration.  Try this set for around $30. 


Tools for Exploring

So the kids are outside, what are they going to do now?  Getting outdoors is more fun when you have the tools to explore!

4.  Headlamp - Don't limit your kids' explorations to daytime hours.  Nighttime is exciting because it holds mysteries.  Most kids love exploring the dark because its just a little scary- you want them to be safe.  A good headlamp helps.  Try this one designed for kids.  It's about $15, but can often be found cheaper.

5.  Aquatic Dip Net - One of my favorite things to do is to look for aquatic invertebrates.  What kid doesn't want to see what is swimming around in the water?  The tool needed for that is a good net.  This is not a place to skimp on price - that cheap butterfly net from the local big box store will not last long.  I like these adjustable nets from Acorn Naturalists. At $27.95 this is one of the most expensive things on my list.

6.  Insect Net - Sometimes I would rather look toward the sky than the mud.  I have yet to meet a kid that was not interested in catching butterflies, dragonflies, or other flying insects.  You need a large net with a long handle.  Again I like a net from Acorn Naturalists - another big purchase item at $24.95.  A nice thing about these nets is that parts can be replaced if they are ever damaged.

Once the kids have caught something they will need a place to put it so it can be observed.  There is no need to get fancy here.  A cleaned out clear plastic or glass jar (peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, etc.) will work just fine for any invertebrate (or even frogs, snakes, and salamanders for a short time).  A five gallon bucket is great for dumping your dip net into.  Ice cube trays and wash basins are prefect for observing aquatic creatures.  Sometimes, a closer view is desired.

7.  Magnifying Glass - Any magnifying glass will do.  They can be found at any drug store, big box store, or even many dollar stores. 


Identifying and Recording 

The kids are outside and exploring.  They have TONS of questions! They want to show you everything! 

8.  Guide Books - There are dozens of great guide books on every nature subject.  Peterson First Guides are great options for kids.  The Peterson Guides are such a bargain at under $8.00 each that you can afford to buy more than one.

9.  Note Book/Sketch Book - Having a place to write or draw pictures of what is found is a favorite of many kids (and adults).  A simple wirebound notebook will do, or good blank books can usually be found in the bargain sections of bookstores for a few dollars.  Even a stack of printer paper and a clipboard will work for this.

10.  Colored Pencils - Splurge on the Crayolas.  They are really that much better than the other cheap brands and at under $6.00 for a 50-pack, they might be the best deal on this list.

11.  Pencil Sharpener - A good colored pencil deserves to be sharpened with a good portable sharpener.  I purchased several of this style from Staedtler for students to use.  They are worth the $6.29 price tag. 

10. A cheap Digital Camera - This is the only thing on my list that requires batteries.  It will also require some sort of memory card to store pictures.  Good used cameras can often be found on craigslist.  (Right now Target has this model on sale for under $20!)  A digital camera is a great tool for the budding naturalist it is a great complement to (not a replacement for) the sketch book.  One advantage of the digital camera is that it reproduces a true to life image of those things that cannot be identified in the field so they can be looked up later. There is the additional cost of a memory card, but those can be found for under $10 and often go on sale.

There is my list of twelve things that every kid should have on their Christmas list.  Even if you bought everything on that list, total cost should still come in at under $200 (before any shipping costs).  Leave off any two of the four most expensive items (camera & memory card, nets, and rain suit) and cost comes in under $100.  Twenty-five dollars (or less) will buy a field guide, sketch book, colored pencils, and pencil sharpener - this will make a great start toward a lifetime of studying nature. 

Happy Veterans Day 2018

Dan Wixson (left), Stan Lilley (center), and me (right) atop Bundy Hill - photo by Stan Lilley

Happy Veterans Day! 

Veterans Day is a celebration of all former members off the United States military.  Originally the holiday was known as Armistice Day and was used to commemorate those who served in World War One.  The name of the holiday was officially changed in 1954 to commemorate all living veterans.  With the exception of seven years ( 1971 - 1977), Veterans Day has always been celebrated on November 11th. 

This year's Veterans Day marks a particularly important event, the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War One.  After four years of warfare, combat officially ceased on the Western Front on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (11:00AM local time on November 11th, 1918).  The event is being commemorated with ceremonies throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

I celebrated today with a sunrise hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve.  I was joined on the hike by two fellow veterans.  Dan Wixson is a US Navy veteran (1982 - 1988).  Stan Lilley served in the US Army (1968 - 1994).  I served on active duty in the US Army from 1997 to 2001 and then in the National Guard for a further three years.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

From the National Archives

Summer Solstice 2018

The sun rises through the trees about twenty minutes past official sunrise.

If you were to arise at dawn every day of the year and record the point on the horizon where the sun rises you would be able to track the progression from the Summer Solstice (in which the sun rises furthest North) to the Winter Solstice (in which the sun rises furthest South) and back again.  Tracking the position of the rising sun was one of the earliest astronomical observations.  Many ancient monuments were constructed to act as solar observatories, recording the longest and shortest days of the year.  These observations were used to plan planting dates for various agricultural crops.
Today the sun reached its northernmost point on the horizon.  Officially, at 6:07 AM EST Spring ended and Summer began in the Northern Hemisphere.  This moment of change is known as the Summer Solstice.  At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere was experiencing its Winter Solstice as their Fall ended and Winter began. The word solstice comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).  On the days surrounding the solstice, the sun appears to "stand still" for several days as it progresses neither north nor south along the horizon. 

Dawn atop Bundy Hill

Today on the Summer Solstice, with the sun at its highest position in the northern sky, we celebrate our longest day of the year.  With the sunrise at 5:58 AM and sunset at 9:24 PM, mid-Michigan will experience approximately 15 hours 26 minutes of daylight today.  By comparison, Christchurch, New Zealand (which is approximately the same latitude south of the equator as Mid-Michigan is north of the equator), will have only 8 hours 56 minutes of sunlight today.

Why does the length of daylight vary at different locations on the globe? 

It has to do with three factors:  rotation, revolution, and a tilt of 23.5 degrees.  The Earth rotates around its axis approximately once every 24 hours.  However this axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees from the vertical.  The points on the globe that the axis rotates around are referred to as the North and South Poles.  The axis is always pointed toward the same location in the sky.  The North Pole points toward the "North Star" - Polaris.

At any given time, fifty percent of the earth is in sunlight (Day) and the other fifty percent is in darkness (Night).  However, as previously mentioned, the Earth is tilted on its axis.  Because of this tilt, sunlight does not always strike the Earth at the same angle.  This means that during different seasons different parts of the Earth will receive varying amounts of sunlight and darkness.
As the earth revolves around the sun, sometimes the North Pole is closer to the sun, sometimes the South Pole is closer to the sun. 

A golden glow...

When the North Pole is at its closest, the sun lights a larger portion of the Northern Hemisphere than it does the Southern Hemisphere.  When this happens, we experience Summer in Mid-Michigan and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Winter.  During our Northern Summer, not only does the sun light more of the Northern Hemisphere, but the sun also lights every Northern Hemisphere location for a higher percentage of the day than a comparable Southern Hemisphere location. 

When the North Pole is at its furthest from the sun, we experience Winter and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Summer.  During our Northern Winter, the sun is striking a larger portion of the Southern Hemisphere than it is the Northern Hemisphere, and consequently the sun lights every Southern Hemisphere location for a higher percentage of the day than a comparable Northern Hemisphere location.  On two days of the year, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, the sun lights the Northern and Southern Hemispheres equally and the length of day for will be the same for both. 

Waiting for the sunrise atop Bundy Hill

So how did I celebrate the Summer Solstice?  In the oldest way possible, by greeting the rising sun!  I led a sunrise hike to the top of the tallest hill around.  At 1276 feet above sea level, Bundy Hill is the tallest point in Isabella County.  It is has been protected as a nature preserve by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy since 2016.  Unfortunately, the surrounding forest made it impossible to see the actual sunrise from atop Bundy Hill, but the trip to the top is always worth it.  When the sun finally did get above the trees I was able to capture the photos seen above.

Memorial Day 2018

Officially founded on 04 July 1776, The United States of America has existed for nearly two hundred forty-two years.  During that span of time more than one million military service members, both men and women, have died in the service of the United States.  This Memorial Day please remember the reason for the holiday is to honor and remember those who have given their life in the service of this country. 

Although the exact origin of the holiday is debated, the first national celebration of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was then known, dates to 1868.  Below are the words of the original Memorial Day proclamation issued by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5th, 1868 to commemorate and remember the fallen from the American Civil War.  (The Grand Army of the Republic was the largest veterans' organization representing soldiers who served the Union cause.)

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

1. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
   We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.
   
   If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.
   
   Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from hishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.
   
   
2. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith. 
3. Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.
   
   By order of
   
   JOHN A. LOGAN,
   Commander-in-Chief
   
   N.P. CHIPMAN,
   Adjutant General
   
   Official:
   WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

 

Upcoming Event - World Migratory Bird Day Celebration (12 May 2018)

Bineshiyag n'ganawaabmaanaanig! (We watch the Birds!)


Join the Isabella Conservation District, Ziibiwing Center of AnishinabeCulture & Lifeways, and Chippewa Valley Audubon Club on Saturday 12 MAY 2018 for our 7th annual World Migratory Bird Day Celebration.  Begin the day at 9:00AM with a Bird Walk at the Soaring Eagle RV Park (5514 E. Airport Rd, Mt. Pleasant, MI) for a bird walk hosted by the Chippewa Valley Audubon Club.  Later at 1:00PM join us at the Ziibiwing Center (6650 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant, MI) for an afternoon of educational activiites, arts and crafts, and give-aways.  Cap the day off with a live raptor presentation by Wings of Wonder from 3:30PM to 4:30PM.  This a great family friendly event!