Nature Notebook

The Nature Notebook is a guide to the animals, plants and other natural phenomena that you will find in Southwestern Indiana.

Kids Share Their Experience!

Sometimes kids share the experience they had in our programs through thank you letters and artwork. Here are some that we have received in the past.

Ever wonder what kind of frogs are
hopping around southern Indiana?

Click on the links below to see and
hear these frogs!

Bird-voice Treefrog (Hyla avivoca) (play video)

Bullfrog (Rana catesbiana) (play video)

Eastern Narrow-mouthed frog (play video)

Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri) (play video)

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) (play video)

Green Frog (Rana clamitans) (play video)

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinera) (play video)

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) (play video)

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) (play video)

Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis) (play video)

S. Leopard Frog (R. sphenocephala) (play video)

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) (play video)

Toad (Bufo americanus) (play video)

Western Chorus Frog (Pseud. triseriata) (play video)

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) (play video)

Why did the turtle

cross the road?

To get to the other side.

When you see a turtle on the road, please ask your parents to help it get safely to the other side so it won't be hit by a car.

You might wonder if you should take it to a "safe place" like a nature preserve or your backyard. Actually, moving wildlife to an unfamiliar place puts them in terrible danger.

Imagine if you were moved from your home and dropped off in a strange place. Where would you find food, water, and shelter? How would you find your family?

When you relocate turtles and other animals, you are taking them away from their food source and their home. Even if the area you are moving them to seems like a safer place, it may not provide the kind of habitat that is needed for survival. There may even be predators in this new area that were not around before.

You can help turtles and other wildlife best by leaving them where you find them. Chances are, they are very happy about where they are already living!