North Star Elementary School in Virginia
“This is Lin, Noah, Sam, Maddy, John, Connor, and Brycen reporting from North Star Elementary in Virginia, Minnesota on Nov. 27, 2024.
“Bryn noticed that the deer she skinned had a good thick layer of fat on it, which means the deer should be ready for a cold winter.
“We got our first snow of the season on Sunday, Nov. 24 - Monday, Nov. 25. Here in Virginia, we only got a few inches, but it was enough to try out our new sledding hill on the playground.
“After the snow fell, Cole noticed a doe with two fawns laying in and rolling in the snow. I wonder if they were playing. Or maybe taking a snow bath?
“This is John. I have observed that the cold temperatures have caused mushroom season to be over.
“This is Connor. On Nov. 26, Braylon noticed the first sheets of ice around the shores of Jammer Lake in Britt. He and I both noticed that ice forms first on the outside of the lake and works its way in.
“Cora has noticed that very few insects are still out. The house flies and Asian lady beetles disappeared, thankfully.
“This is Brycen. When I was hunting, a Barn Owl flew past my tree stand. The sun was still high enough in the sky for me and my dad to get a good look at it. Our hunting land is near a farm with a big barn and large field. Barn Owls like to hunt in big fields, so it was probably hunting too!
“This has been a report from North Star Elementary in Virginia. Keep exploring the great outdoors!”
Little Falls Middle School
“This is Brekken and Ezra reporting from Mr. Kaddatz’s class in Little Falls Middle School. This is our phenology report for the week of Dec. 1.
“There is a noticeable change in the sound of our footsteps as we walk in the woods, now that that the ground is starting to freeze.
“A student was digging holes in her yard and noticed the formation of frost a few feet below the surface.
“On Dec. 1, we spotted our first Pine Siskins at our feeders, along with nuthatches and House Finches.
“The ‘twin helicopter’ seeds of the box elder are easy to spot as they are still attached to the tree branches.
“There was a solo robin hanging around on Saturday, so we assume it will be staying the winter with us.
“Mr. Wenzel captured an image of some juvenile Bald Eagles feeding together in a field.
“We did find some green leaves of wild strawberry, looking as fresh as if it were May.
“Woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Red-bellied) have become a common visitor to our feeders this week, especially the suet feeder.
“You can still spot beavers swimming in open water, but the ice should start locking them into their lodges soon.
“There was a large flock of swans sitting in a cut corn field.
“That is our report for this week. Until next week, keep exploring, keep discovering, and keep connecting with the great outdoors.”
Oak Grove Elementary School in Bloomington
"Hi, this is Owen, Elliot, and Miles reporting from Oak Grove Elementary in Bloomington, Minnesota.
“This week’s weather has been cold and dry. We noticed our ground was freezing. Even though it’s sunny, it’s still cold.
“With our plant observations, we observed a tree falling in our forest last week, so this week we went to examine it. We noticed it was rotting and had grubs and insects on it. We think it was unhealthy, and the wind knocked it down.
"We noticed that animals seem to be nesting and migrating, and we are seeing so many deer around.
“We are wondering if our red oak will drop leaves this winter. It still has 80% of its leaves, but they have turned red and orange.
"That’s all for today, stay tuned for the next OGE Phenology Club nature episode! Now, don’t forget your jacket!”
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
