Pete's Blog

Hi everybody, Pelican Pete here with some new news and notes!!!

It's been awhile since I blogged so I'm going to talk about a few things today.

One thing I wanted to tell you about is  a really cool place in Florida where a lot of my relatives live and it is called Pelican Island.   I love that there is actually an island named for me. The full name is Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. It is quite historic, actually. All the way back in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt designated it as the Nation's first National Wildlife Refuge to protect brown pelicans and other native birds nesting on the island. No one in the federal government had ever set aside land for the sake of wildlife before. Check out this website!  I think it's really exciting!

(picture is courtesy of USFWS)

Also, remember I told you about the Great Backyard Bird Count a few months ago.Well, the results are in and I'm happy to say that a huge!!! number of my feathered friends were spotted and recorded. Here are the statistics: 

You can check out all the details at this website.

You can get the details of your own state and city there. It lists all the different kinds of birds and how many were spotted. I don't even recognize the names of some of the birds. See which ones you know.

Now for a really special news story that is good for all kids, especially here in Florida. Governor Charlie Crist signed the "Get Outdoors Florida!"  resolution -

...that also includes the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights which says that every child has the right to...

    Swim in a healthy lake
    Build a sandcastle or outdoor fort
    Camp out under the stars
    Climb a tree
    Catch a fish
    Hike a path
    Watch a bird
    Listen to a cricket, bird or frog
    Smell a wildflower
    Explore nature
    Volunteer to help wildlife
    Celebrate Florida’s heritage

These are the kinds of things that Fran and Hugh encourage all the time. This would be a good opportunity to start a journal or log where you keep track of the fun things you do outside every day. If you want, send me some emails telling me what you like best about being outdoors and we will post them on our website.Send your art and stories about your outdoor adventures too – share those experiences with the rest of us.

So until the next time, Get Outdoors! and explore the nature in your own backyard and neighborhood.

Your Pal,

Great Backyard Bird Count

You know that I always encourage you to go outside and explore and discover nature.  Now here’s a way for you to join others from around the country and Canada, count your discoveries, and make them count for science.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is going to happen from February 13–16. That’s just a short time away. 
 
To get all the details, you can go to the main page or go directly to the special kids page where they have games, bird id lists, posters, certificates and  all kinds of good stuff.

This count is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Here is what they say about the project:

"The Great Backyard Bird Count (or GBBC) is an event that takes place over four days in February each year. It's very easy! All you have to do is watch birds in your yard, a nearby park, or maybe at your school. Then you tell us what you saw by entering your bird list online. We collect that information from people all over the United States and Canada so scientists can learn what kind of birds are being seen in the winter and whether there are more or fewer of them than before."

Here are the numbers from last year:

Total Checklists Submitted: 85,725
Total Species Observed: 635
Total Individual Birds Counted: 9,805,216

That’s a lot of birds!  I wonder how many of them were Pelicans?

I also see a couple of words in this story that some of you may not know: "Ornithology" and "Audubon". Why don’t you look them up and let me know what you find out about them. You can always send me an e-mail at Pelican Perch in care of Pete's Mail Bag.

Until next time, keep exploring and discovering.

Pelicans are in trouble in California

A special note to my friends, especially anyone living on the West Coast. Some of my Pelican cousins out there are in trouble. If you want to read about the problem, you can click here for a story from the L.A. Times.

If you see any pelicans looking disoriented, please call your local wildlife rescue.  You can find a list of numbers to call anywhere in California here: WildRescue

Fran included more information about saving wildlife in the back of Book 4 of the Pelican Pete series, Annie The River Otter. 

"A wildlife rehabilitation facility may be close to you no matter where you are in the world. In an emergency, local veterinary hospitals, zoos, aquariums, or law enforcement agencies should be able to tell you where the closest facility is. Visit your local library or bookstore for books on wildlife rehabilitation. If you have access to the Internet, you can learn more and search for rehabilitators at the sites of Wildlife International, The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory, National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Association of Fish and  Wildlife Agencies, and the wildlife service in your country, state, or province."

You’ll find links to these and more sites at my website. 

Until next time, remember it's always good to go outside to explore and discover.

Check out my book on another blog

Wildlife Institute,Pelican Pete,Habitats,Naturalists,Books

Fran got an email from Tom Patrick, of the Windstar Wildlife Institute.  He wanted her to know that he posted a new feature on his blog. It's about my book series and entitled, "Kids Will Love the Pelican Pete Books." He even included a picture of one of the books.  (Here's a link to a page on my website that shows all my books.) I was happy to see that. If you want to see it as well, you can click on this link to the Windstar Blog. You can also check out his main site Windstar Wildlife Institute. He has some great information about birds, animals, habitats and native plants.  He also helps people to become master naturalists and to turn their yards into wildlife habitats.  That way, more animals will live there and visit them.

It's so much fun to see who's visiting.

I'll be back soon with another visitor to Pelican Perch that I want to tell you about.

Keep enjoying the outdoors!