![]() | Junior ExplorersRaptor Quest Activity Book |
Raptor Quest Activity Book of Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) in Idaho. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) works hard to make sure that the nation’s public lands are healthy
for everyone to enjoy! The BLM and the World Center for Birds of Prey are informal partners, who share
the goal of helping people appreciate raptors and understand their needs.
Public lands are special! They offer great places to play and explore. They provide a home for many
animal and plant species, as well as grazing for cattle, sheep, and horses. And they contain minerals for
construction, energy, and other uses. Public lands fill many needs!
This publication was produced by the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area,
with assistance from The Peregrine Fund.
Additional copies may be obtained through the Bureau of Land Management, Boise District Office, by calling 208-384-3300 or
writing the office at 3948 Development Avenue, Boise, ID, 83705.
Publishing services by the BLM National Operations Center.
2014
BLM/ID-GI-14/007+1110
Hello, Junior Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Welcome to the World Center for Birds of Prey! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Discovery Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Conservation Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Bird Viewing Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Silhouette Hallway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Biology and Ecology Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Get Ready To Explore Raptor Habitat! Morley Nelson Snake River
Birds of Prey National Conservation Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Idaho Raptor Safari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Raptor Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Idaho Raptor Safari Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Junior Explorer Guided Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Initial Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Meridians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Put on Your Habitat Hat! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Dedication Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Living Is Not Easy for Desert Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
It’s Not Easy Being a Desert Plant Either . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Come Meet the Natives! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
You’re Stepping on Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Put Your Habitat Hat Back On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Don’t Overlook the Overlook! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
A Beecham Lullaby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Summary Activities Thinking about Birds of Prey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Junior Explorer Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Volunteer To Help Raptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
i
ii
Junior Explorer,
Get ready to have some fun—and to see live raptors! This booklet takes you first on a self-guided
tour of the World Center for Birds of Prey. Here you can explore the exhibits and see these exciting
birds up close. You can also learn what they need and what people are doing to protect them. Then you’re
off on a field trip into the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA). There
you will hike to the top of an old volcano and walk to the rim of the Snake River Canyon. The NCA is a
wonderful place to see birds of prey in the special raptor habitat that exists right here in Southwest Idaho.
To become a Junior Explorer, visit the places in this book. While you are there, complete the activities for
that location. Every activity marked by a D counts as one activity. Do as many of the 23 activities as you
wish, but at least:
Third Grade:
World Center – 4 activities
NCA – 4 activities
1 summary activity
Fourth–Sixth Grade:
World Center – 6 activities
NCA – 6 activities
2 summary activities
Junior Explorers and
one accompanying adult each
receive $1 off the regular
entry fee at the World Center!
We hope you’ll learn some new words, too!
Look for the definitions of many words at the
bottom of the page on which the word appears.
Visiting the NCA is free!
Once you have completed all the required activities, read and sign the pledge on page 31 and mail or bring it to:
BLM Birds of Prey
3948 Development Avenue OR
Boise, ID 83705
World Center for Birds of Prey
5668 West Flying Hawk Lane
Boise, ID 83709
A raptor education specialist is standing by at both locations to check your work and to swear you in as an
official Junior Explorer. You will then receive your Junior Explorer certificate and badge. If you mail in your
booklet, we will check your work and return the booklet to you with your certificate and badge.
If you visit both places in one day, remember
to bring a lunch and plenty of water!
Enjoy your exploration, and see you soon!
HABITAT: A place that provides the food, water, and shelter that an animal needs to
survive and safely raise its young.
PREY: Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish that are eaten by other
animals for food. Raptors eat a variety of all prey.
RAPTOR: A bird of prey with strong, powerful feet and sharp talons, a sharp-hooked beak,
and excellent eyesight.
1
to the World Center for
Birds of Prey!
The World Center for Birds of Prey is also the headquarters of The
Peregrine Fund, an organization created to make sure that peregrine
falcons, as a species, continue to exist for many years. These magnificent
birds were once in danger of dying off completely and becoming extinct.
Such species are called “endangered species.” The Peregrine Fund’s
special breeding program helped restore the peregrine falcon, and in
1999 it was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List!
Now, The Peregrine Fund helps other birds of prey, in this country and
around the world. One endangered species—the California condor—is
breeding new generations of birds here at the World Center. Once the
young birds are ready to make it on their own, they will be released into
the wild.
Things To Do Here
Velma Morrison Interpretive
Center – take the Junior Explorer
self-guided tour.
Outside – walk a short trail for a
fantastic view of the Boise Valley,
where you might just spot raptors
soaring along the ridgeline!
Archives of Falconry – discover
what it takes to be a “falconer”
and to help conserve falcons
around the globe.
For more information, visit
www.peregrinefund.org/vmic, call 208-362-8687,
or email tfp@peregrinefund.org.
2
Discovery Room
D
Around the room there are three things that make a bird of prey different from other birds.
Find them, try them on for yourself, and then write what those features are below:
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
You can also try on a pairs of wings!
D
In the feather collection, find an owl feather and a falcon feather.
Notice the differences between the feathers, and draw each one below.
Owl feathers are soft with fringy edges. A few feathers at the tip of the wing even have a
notched edge, something like a comb. Owls’ wings are designed to muffle the sound of air
flowing over them. An owl’s flight is almost silent—making it easier for this raptor to hear its
prey and sneak up on it at night!
Owl Feather
Falcon Feather
Mini-Scavenger Hunt: Look at the habitat wall
in the back, and check off each of your discoveries.
___ a screech owl cavity nest inside a tree
___ burrowing owl eggs
___ a northern harrier nesting on
the ground
___ a peregrine falcon nesting on a ledge
___ a bald eagle nest in a tree
___ a killdeer with eggs
D
3
Conservation Room
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Another big
problem fo
r raptors
is loss of h
abitat. As w
e humans
change the
land to me
et OUR
needs—bu
ilding hous
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The Peregrine Fund is helping conserve the California
condor through a special breeding
program. Enjoy coloring the picture
of this beautiful condor, as shown
in the photo.
3
A third threat to raptors in the wild is
power lines and towers. Raptors like to
perch on the towers and sometimes even
build their nests on them. If a bird touches
two wires at the same time, and one
wire is carrying electricity, the bird will be
electrocuted and die.
CODE ANSWERS: to look for prey to eat; to protect nests from predators
Many existing power lines and towers are
being modified, and new lines and towers
are being built, to “raptor standards.” This
means that the birds will no longer be
able to touch two wires at the same time.
Some organizations even build safe nesting
platforms on or near utility poles for osprey
and other raptors.
D
Why do raptors seek out high places, such as utility poles? Use the code below to discover why.
1
A
2
B
3
C
4
D
5
E
6
F
7
G
8
H
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
20 15 / 12 15 15 11 / 6 15 18 / 16 18 5 25 / 20 15 / 5 1 20
__ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __
20 15 / 16 18 15 20 5 3 20 / 14 5 19 20 19 / 6 18 15 13 / 16 18 5 4 1 20 15 18 19
__ __ / __ __ __ __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
4
Bird Viewing Hall
D
What’s your favorite bird in the hall? __________________
On the pie chart, circle what types of animals your bird eats.
Circle the word below that describes how your bird is doing.
Endangered
Threatened
Neither
Silhouette Hallway
D
What bird am I?
HINT: Use the key to the silhouettes in the hallway (outside the movie theater)
to help you name the bird described.
A bird that has a wingspan the same size as you: _____________________
A bird that can fly super-fast (look up!): _____________________________
The BIGGEST wingspan here belongs to: ____________________________
A bird that hunts at night: ________________________________________
CARRION: A dead animal.
5
ANSWERS: varies, based on how big YOU are; peregrine falcon; California condor; owl
On the world map, mark an “X” where your bird normally lives.
Biology and Ecology Room
D
Go to the big, electronic Migration Interactive Display and MATCH each of the birds to a description of
their migration or locations by drawing a line:
Bird
Description
Barn Owl
You can find these birds in Greenland
in the summer.
Peregrine Falcon
You probably cannot find many of these birds
in Canada.
Barn Swallow
Look for these birds in Alaska in the
summer, but not the winter.
Turkey Vulture
This bird seems to disappear from
North America in the winter.
Osprey
This bird doesn’t really
migrate at all.
MIGRATION: The seasonal movement of animals, including birds,
from one place to another.
6
D
Go to the Glass Case Display of birds. Can you find the
answers to complete this puzzle?
Glass Case
Crossword
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Fill out the puzzle
while looking at the glass case of birds.
Use the clues.
1
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5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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7
ANSWERS: (Across) 5. sharp-shinned hawk; 7. barn owl; 8. American kestrel; 10. osprey; 11. flammulated owl (Down) 1. harpy eagle; 2. Swainson’s hawk; 3. peregrine falcon; 4. female; 6. raptor; 9. male
Biology and Ecology Room (continued)
Get Ready To Explore Raptor Habitat!
Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
Now that you have learned what makes a bird a raptor, it’s time to go out into the—(take a deep breath for
all these words!)—Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Whew! You can just
call it the NCA, too. Congress made this a protected area in 1993 because its special ecosystem supports the
highest number of birds of prey nesting in one location in the whole country!
The activities in this section of the booklet show
what it’s like to live as a raptor. If you’re
Exploring the Outdoors Safely
lucky, you’ll see different raptors
living here in
Before setting off on the two short hikes, take a full
the wild!
water bottle with you. Your adventure may be hot and
dry, and no water is available. Watch your footing. The
trail up to Initial Point is rocky. At Dedication Point,
do not climb on the low barrier wall. It’s a long way
to the bottom! If you see a rattlesnake while you are
exploring, just observe it from a safe distance.
D
Listed below are the raptors you’re most
likely to see. Find the birds first in the Raptor Guide on page 10, so you know what to look for!
As you see each raptor in the wild, come back to this page and check it off the list.
Year-round Birds:
Migrating Birds:
__Red-tailed Hawk
__Northern Harrier
__American Kestrel
__Great Horned Owl
__Golden Eagle
__Prairie Falcon (present during Feb–Jul)
__Turkey Vulture (present during Mar–Aug)
__Burrowing Owl (present during Mar–Aug)
__Osprey (present during Mar–Aug)
__Ferruginous Hawk (present during Apr–Jul)
__Swainson’s Hawk (present during Apr–Sep)
Some raptors live in the NCA all year.
Others are here only part of the year.
It gets either too hot or too cold for
them, or their food disappears! So when
the Piute [pie-yoot] ground squirrel—favorite food of the prairie falcon—goes
underground in early summer, the falcons migrate to other places where
they can find other types of ground squirrels.
ECOSYSTEM: An area where all the living organisms—animals, plants, and others—exist
together because of how they relate to one another and their environment.
8
Idaho Raptor Safari!
On this safari, you’ll take an inventory of raptors much
as a biologist does—searching the landscape, ready to
observe and record the wildlife you find. Tip: Look for raptors
sitting on fenceposts, telephone poles/wires, power poles, and
rock outcrops—anything that gives them a higher vantage point for
hunting! But don’t forget to look on the ground, too.
Use the journal provided on pages 12–13 to record what you see.
There’s a sample page to guide you on page 11. Completing the Safari
Journal counts as one activity in the NCA.
Your safari will take you to Initial Point and Dedication
Point. The latter is an especially good place to view raptors!
At these locations, you can continue your safari on foot.
Take some time to explore. Then do activities for that
location while you are onsite.
What You’ll Need
The Map + binoculars +
Raptor Guide +
Safari Journal and pencil
(colored pencils, optional)
So W
here
Are T
Best v
hey?
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g time
and e
s for r
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aptor
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May,
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or lea
heat.
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Let’s Go!
1
Ask your driver to set the odometer to zero.
2
Follow along on the Junior Explorer Guided Viewing pages (pages 17–19).
3
Use the Raptor Guide to help you identify the birds you see (page 10).
4
Record the birds you see in your Safari Journal (pages 12–13).
INCUBATING: Sitting on eggs to hatch them by keeping them warm.
INVENTORY: A detailed list.
9
!
D
I’m kin
g
of t
he
wo
rld
Raptor Guide
Raptors you may see.
10
Idaho Raptor Safari Journal
Record the birds you observe by describing:
Colors – on the body, wings, or tail, plus any markings on the head
Shapes – long or short tail; broad or narrow wings; rounded or pointed wingtips
Behavior – how the bird flies, where it is perching, whether it is eating anything
Example:
May 22nd
Hot
No
1:30pm
about 85 degrees
No
Yes, slight breeze
15%
Dedication Point
It appeared grey brown on top, but creamy
underneath except where the wing and body met. There it was
darker brown. I noticed two stripes on its face. Its wings were
long and pointy. Its tail was short.
It was soaring back and forth in front of the
cliffs. Then it soared over us and out over the desert.
I looked at the photos on the Raptor Guide, and
the bird was a prairie falcon!
11
12
13
14
Hello, Drivers! You should know –
There are NO SERVICES in the NCA, so you should:
•
•
•
•
Be sure you have a full tank of gas.
Bring emergency supplies—mobile phone service is limited,
and you must be prepared to handle situations on your own.
Bring plenty of drinking water for everyone—especially in late
spring through early fall, when it can be quite hot.
Remind everyone before leaving the World Center that the
next available restroom is a LONG way down the road
(Dedication Point, Swan Falls Dam, and Celebration Park).
If desired, cut out this page with
The Route and, on the back, The Map.
The Route
All roads are paved except for a 2-mile (round trip) gravel section
at the base of Initial Point.
TO BEGIN: Set the odometer to zero!
Start
Right
Right
Right
Left
Right
Left
Right
Left
Left
World Center for Birds of Prey
Hollilynn Drive
Pleasant Valley Road
Ten Mile Creek Road
South Cole Road
Kuna Mora Road
Cloverdale Road
Poen Road
Swan Falls Road
Initial Point Road
Left
Swan Falls Road
Odometer Miles
0.0
1.2
3.3
5.9
8.1
10.5
13.5
16.5
20.5
23.5
24.5
25.5
33.0
15
Additional sights/information
Begin driving
Gravel road to Initial Point
Arrive at base of Initial Point;
and return
Arrive at Dedication Point
The Map
16
Junior Explorer Guided Viewing
D
Follow along, and discover what there is to find along the journey!
When you finish reading this Guided Viewing section,
check (√) the box on the last page.
MILE 0.0
As you leave the World Center, watch for raptors riding
the uplift of air along the ridgeline. American kestrels—
about the size of a robin—are quite common.
MILE 1.2 Notice the stands of sagebrush to your left.
Right Turn These native shrubs provide small animals and birds
with food and places to hide. These animals in turn
become prey for red-tailed hawks and
northern harriers.
Sagebrush has many chemical defenses in its leaves.
You can smell this if you pick some leaves and roll
them in your fingers. That’s nature’s hand sanitizer
you’re smelling!
MILE 3.3
Right Turn
MILE 5.6 Consider taking a short side trip to the Wild Horse Corrals,
Optional where you can see the BLM caring for the wild horses and burros
Right Turn that symbolize the American West.
Did you know?
People can adopt wild horses and burros
from the BLM. During the past 40 years, more than
190,000 horses and 36,000 burros have gone to good homes!
17
?
?
Junior Explorer Guided Viewing continued
MILE 5.9 Look for raptors hunting the fields to your left, sitting on the
Right Turn irrigation equipment, or even sitting on the ground.
Look for northern harriers and red-tailed hawks.
In spring, you might even see great horned owls
nesting in one of the trees.
Northern harriers
have a long tail and hold their
wings in a “V” when flying. Males
are grey and white. Females are
brown. Both have a white
rump patch.
At
MILE 9.6
Red-tailed hawks have a red tail and are
the most common raptors you’ll see here.
Start looking for burrowing owls on fenceposts and
on the ground (March–August). Small mounds of dirt
may be the entrance to their burrows—or they can
mark the homes of the Piute ground squirrel.
MILE 10.5 Black plastic tubes served as the entrance to
Right Turn human-made burrows for the owls in a 2002 study.
(NW corner of the intersection, in the field behind
the house.)
MILE 13.5
Left Turn
MILE 16.5
Right Turn
18
t
In
ee
d
a
a
t
MILE 8.1
Left Turn
a
le
h
st
o
edr
b
e
re
om .
Junior Explorer Guided Viewing
continued
At
Look for the lone tree to the north of the road.
MILE 19.8 Red-tailed hawks often use this tree as a nesting site.
dators—
s are pre
r
o
t
ting
p
a
r
, and ea
g
n
Because
li
il
k
,
those
catching
elp keep
hunting,
h
y
e
h
t
ce.
imals—
hy balan
other an
lt
a
e
h
a
ons in
populati
MILE 20.5 Left Turn
MILE 23.5 One mile down this gravel road is Initial Point. There’s an observation deck on top, about a
Left Turn 1/4 mile up the trail. Remember to complete some Junior Explorer activities from the Initial
Point section of this booklet!
MILE 25.5 Head back down the gravel road and turn left, in search of Dedication Point.
Left Turn
The Great Kern county Mouse War
g
A True Story
In 1926 the farmers of Kern County, California, had a great harvest—the best in years! Left on the
ground was stubble and scattered seed. By October, people began to notice mice—everywhere! The
mice had bred in the stubble and fed on the scattered seeds. Soon there were even more mice, and
they went looking for food in barns and houses. The people tried to poison the mice, but they kept
coming. By early January the mice were pouring over the earth in ankle-deep waves, and the roads
were carpeted with mice. A teacher opened her desk to have a dozen mice leap out.
Mice occupied the principal’s office. Mice darted from classroom to classroom.
What went wrong? For 20 years the people of Kern County had been killing predators—skunks, fox,
badgers, weasels, snakes, owls, and hawks. For 20 years the mice had multiplied freely. With the bumper
crop of food in 1926, the mouse population exploded until the food ran out. Then TENS OF MILLIONS
OF MICE found they had to migrate or starve. By mid-January they covered an area of 96 square miles!
After 4 months this “war” was finally won but
at a cost in crop and property damage of about
$1 million—all because of the lack of predators.
MILE 33.0 You’ve arrived at Dedication Point! Walk the short trail to the overlook, and
Right Turn keep an eye out for prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures.
Bring your Junior Explorer book, and have fun completing some of the activities!
____ Check (√) here to show that you read the Guided Viewing section.
19
Initial Point
Initial Point looms out of the desert and offers
panoramic views of the Owyhee [O-WHY-hee]
Mountains and the Boise Front. In 1867 the U.S.
Geological Survey established a brass marker on
top of this prominent but small volcano. Early
surveyors stood right here and mapped EVERY
PIECE OF LAND in the state from this marker!
D
Walk to the top of Initial Point and find
the marker. Sketch it here.
Meridians
Long ago, people found places that they
wanted to visit by using the stars and
specialized tools. Today, it’s popular to use
GPS (Global Positioning System) units to find
where you’re going. GPS can tell anyone in the
world the exact location of a place by using
longitude and latitude lines—imaginary lines
that circle the Earth. Meridians circle the Earth
vertically and show longitude. The horizontal
lines show latitude and are called “baselines.”
The meridians that you see marked on globes
are called “principal meridians.” One, the
Boise Meridian, runs right through Initial
Point! Meridian Road and Meridian (the town)
also lie on the Boise Meridian. Look toward
Kuna, and you can see Meridian Road coming
straight at you!
SURVEYOR: Someone whose job is to determine boundaries and elevations of land areas
and structures.
20
Put on Your Habitat Hat!
Look at the desert around you. It may seem empty, but it is FULL of
something that is absolutely essential to birds of prey. You see, if they
are to eat, their prey have to eat, too. And the plants that grow here
supply both food and shelter for large populations of ground squirrels and
jackrabbits—the main food sources of raptors here in the NCA.
This area of Idaho lies in a vast, grass-covered plain called a steppe [step].
Sagebrush-steppe, to be specific. Here you’ll find:
•
•
•
Low-growing shrubs (mostly sagebrush)
Bunchgrasses (grasses that grow in clumps)
Forbs (flowering plants with soft stems)
The pie chart shows how much of
each plant group is normal for healthy
sagebrush-steppe habitat. Is this what you
see?
D
Sagebrush – Steppe Plants
15% Forbs
35%
Shrubs
Fill in the blank pie chart with your
estimates of the different plant types
you see. Forbs are hard to see from
this distance, so look for cheatgrass
instead. Cheatgrass is a nonnative
grass that grows in a continuous mat,
much like a lawn.
50%
Bunchgrasses
Why the big difference between the two
charts? Most of the area around Initial
Point has burned in wildfires since the late
1980s. Many shrubs and bunchgrasses
did not grow back after the fires. Instead,
nonnative invasive grasses, such as
cheatgrass, moved in, crowding out the
native plants.
What I see.
Cheatgrass
Forbs
Bunchgrasses
Shrubs
Cheatgrass
When you get to Dedication Point, you will
see an area that looks more like a healthy
sagebrush-steppe habitat should look.
21
Dedication Point
Welcome to Dedication Point, the overlook of the magnificent Snake River Canyon! Look as far and as wide
as you can see, and imagine thousands of creatures living here. They’re out there! Some you may see; others
may be harder to find.
D
Unscramble the letters below to discover who calls the NCA home.
Hint: Look at pictures on this page and the next for clues.
Z
D
A
L
I
R
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
B
J
I
B
A
R
C
A
T
K
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
ANSWERS: (top to bottom) lizard; jackrabbit; coyote; badger; ground squirrel
C
T
Y
O
E
O
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
D A
G
B
R
E
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
N
U
D
R
O
G
L
E
S
R
I
U
Q
R
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
22
Desert animals have developed adaptations to live in this hot, dry environment, through things they do
or through their body features.
D
Write the number of the adaptation in the circle beside the animal that it describes.
1.
Seeks shelter in burrows during the heat of
the day. Hint: This animal is the favorite food of prairie
falcons.
2.
Has big ears that release body heat when
resting in a cool, shady location. Hint: This animal
Snake
is the favorite food of golden eagles.
3.
Raven
They straighten out their legs to move their
hard, dark bodies away from the hot ground.
Hint: They are very small.
4.
Has thick, scaly skin to reduce water loss.
Hint: This animal has no arms or legs.
5.
Antelope
Piute Ground
Squirrel
Gets most of the water it needs from the
animals it eats. Hint: This animal catches prey with
its talons.
6.
Is active at night, when it’s cooler.
Hint: This animal is known for being fierce.
Insects
7.
Coyote
Has no sweat glands, and so does not lose
water by sweating when flying or moving
around. Hint: Though it is a predator, this animal is
not a raptor.
8.
Eats plants that contain water.
Hint: There are “two animals” in its name.
Badger
9.
Has a light-colored coat that reflects the light
instead of a dark coat that would absorb the
sun’s heat. Hint: This animal is a type of wild dog.
10. Travels great distances on its strong legs to find
water in rivers and streams.
Raptor
Kangaroo
Rat
Hint: This is the fastest animal in North America.
ADAPTATION: A characteristic or behavior that a species has acquired over a long
period of time that makes it suited to the habitat in which it lives.
BURROW: A hole or tunnel that a small animal digs in the ground so it can live or hide there.
23
Jackrabbit
ANSWERS: (left side, top to bottom) 7; 10; 3; 6; 5 (right side, top to bottom) 4; 1; 9; 8; 2
The Living Is Not Easy for Desert Animals
It’s Not Easy Being a Desert Plant Either
Walk to the first bench past the gazebo.
Hey, are you thirsty? The plants here get very thirsty, too!
But they have tricks—adaptations—for holding onto the water that comes their way.
Some have a thick, waxy covering to make it harder for water to escape.
Most desert plants have very small leaves, which lose less water than larger leaves would.
Some grow tiny leaf hairs that reflect the sun and keep them cooler.
Some multitaskers use a tap root to pull moisture from deep in the soil and use shallow roots to
absorb rainfall or snowmelt.
At midday—the hottest time of day—many plants “roll up” their leaves to reduce water loss from
exposure to sun and wind.
We all know that plants don’t just sit there, right? They have work to do. It’s called photosynthesis [foto-SIN-the-sis]:
They transform light energy from the sun into chemical energy to feed themselves and grow bigger and stronger.
So if you were a thirsty desert plan, and could work the day shift or the night shift, which would you pick?
Many plants choose to work at night when it’s cooler, photosynthesizing the sunlight they stored during the
heat of the day.
24
Come Meet the Natives!
D
Walk the trail through the shrubs and try to find four different types of shrubs and one grass. Match each
plant you see to one of the Clue Sets shown on this page. Then use the number key to fill in the letters
that will reveal the name of the shrub.
Number Key
2–a
4–b
6–c
8–e
10 – f
12 – g
14 – h
16 – i
18 – m
20 – n
22 – o
24 – p
26 – r
28 – s
30 – t
32 – u
34 – w
36 – y
Clue Set 1
My leaves are small and covered with tiny