Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023, issue 107 i Eco Kids Planet Magazine

Twit-twooo… Hellooooo, Eco Kids! Can you guess twit-t-whoo I am? Look at my moon-white plumage… I am a magnificent nocturnal predator. A stealth hunter, swooping and scooping under cover of the colourless night… I’m a beautiful white barn owl! White colouring is rare in creatures that hunt at night. After all, it’s a bit of a giveaway when you’re trying to creep up on your prey unnoticed. It’s true, barn owl colouring ranges from milky-white through to dark-red-chested. Likewise, the light of the night itself varies with the lunar cycle. Sometimes the night is pitch-black – perfect for a silent surprise attack! Sometimes there’s a huge full moon, so light that the creatures of the night are no longer invisible. What happens to us paler and ghostly barn owls then?…

Charlie: I’m in the scrubby part of a forest in Kentucky, USA. It’s dusk, but there’s a bright full moon. I heard that male American woodcocks dance all night under moons like this. I want to find out if it’s true. Woodcock: Peet peet! Charlie: Who’s calling? My name’s not Pete. Woodcock: Peet peet! Charlie: No, wait – it sounds like the squeaky beep of a woodcock. There must be one nearby – YIKES! Woodcock: Watch out! Charlie: One exploded off the ground right in front of me! Woodcock: Watch where you’re putting your big feet. Charlie: I didn’t see you. You’re so small and the same grey and yellowy-brown as the forest floor. Woodcock: If I land again, do you promise not to stomp on me? Charlie: Of course.…

And don’t forget about me – Rusty! Rhona’s helper: JD Savage HEDGEHOG HIGHWAYS! Hedgehogs really get around – if they can! A single one can roam up to about 2km in just one night, seeking food, shelter or a mate – unless our fences and walls slow them down. A new scheme aims to help solve this prickly problem. Thirteen-centimetre square gaps in fences, known as hedgehog highways, help them to get around. Imagine if all future fencing came with these highways built in! Well, that’s the aim of the campaign. It’s called Hedgehog Street, and two charities are behind it. People’s Trust For Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society want people to write to local and national fencing companies asking for hedgehog-friendly fencing products. After all, hedgehogs…

The Moon is far away from Earth. But its gravitational force is so strong that it pulls the oceans towards it! This creates a bulge or high tide on the side of the Earth closest to the Moon. The Sun also has its own gravity. During the full or new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in line with the Earth, their combined gravity causes very high tides, known as spring tides. At the same time each year, some sea creatures crawl to the water’s edge or drag themselves on to the sandy beach to spawn, driven by the phases of the Moon. HORSESHOE CRABS – lunar mating rituals Near the full and new moons of May and early June, horseshoe crabs journey from the depths of the ocean to…

MONTHLY COMPETITION For this month’s competition, we’d like you to create your own moon myth. Follow Simon’s instructions from page 29: “To create your own moon myth, look at the Moon and see what image your brain forms from its markings. It might be human, creature or object. Then create your own unique story explaining why it’s there!” Your writing should be 150 words or fewer. We look forward to reading your myths! FOUR lucky winners will win this fantastic new book from Magic Cat Publishing. 4 TO WIN! GLOW A child’s guide to the night sky Written by Noelia Gonzalez Illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows Discover 15 stars, planets and other celestial bodies, and learn how to spot them in the night sky! Understand the phases of the Moon,…

It’s the brightest object in our sky after the Sun. Sometimes it hangs there like a sideways smile. Sometimes it looks like a shiny disc. But what actually is the Moon? Well, it’s small and orbits a planet (our planet) rather than a star (like the Sun). That makes it a satellite, not a planet. As the Moon moves around Earth, the Sun shines on different parts of it. This makes different parts of it visible down here. That’s why it seems to keep changing shape. (Wouldn’t it be cool if it really did?) How did it get there? Many scientists think that in our solar system’s early days, another planet slammed into Earth – maybe twice. Parts of its remains formed the Moon. Yes, the early solar system was…

Congratulations to our four winners “My artwork is called Toby the tortoise and I love the Eco Kids magazines.” “My idea is a turtle shell that filters micro-plastics out of the ocean. It has a hole in the top, which allows the water and plastics to go into the shell; it gets filtered and the water comes out underneath. The plastic is compressed, then it floats to the surface of the water to be recycled properly.” To see more of your amazing entries, go to www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk/turtle-shell-competition…

Nightjar: We come out at night and fly silently – so you don’t hear us, either. Charlie: You do sing, though, when you arrive in the UK for summer. Nightjar: ♫ Churr, churr! ♫ Charlie: It sounds spooky. Simon tells me people used to think it was the sound of witches hiding in bushes. Nightjar: Silly humans! Charlie: I hear you make good use of the Moon. Nightjar: I’ll say! We do about twice as much food-hunting during bright moonlit nights. We snap insects out of the air – yum! Charlie: I guess they’re easier to see. And we recently discovered one of your secrets: you use the Moon to time your migrations! Nightjar: Yes, many of us take off on our long night-time flights shortly after a full moon. Charlie:…

LUNAR WORDSEARCH All these animals are affected by the Moon’s phases. Can you find them? ZOOPLANKTON GRUNIONS TURTLES PUFFERFISH CORAL OYSTERS BADGER NIGHTJAR WOODCOCK CRABS EEL CHEETAH BATS GROUPERS SNAPPERS MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUIZ 1. The Moon is a… a. Satellite  b. Planet c. Star 2. Nightjars start their autumn migration… a. During the full moon b. Shortly after the full moon c. During a lunar eclipse 3. Which moon is the brightest? a. New moon b. Full moon c. First quarter 4. Which animals use moonlight to find their way? a. Sharks b. European eels  c. Turtle hatchlings MOON MAZE Chart the course to the Moon. FIND THE CORRECT SHADOW SPOT 10 DIFFERENCES JOKE CORNER Find the answers on page 33. Answers Lunar Wordsearch Spot 10 Differences Moon Maze Multiple-Choice Quiz…

You will need: • Scrap paper • Scissors • A pencil • A ruler Step-by-step instructions 1. Cut some strips of paper measuring about 1cm x 30cm. 2. Take a strip and make a loop at one end. 3. Fold the end through to make a knot. 4. Pull the ends gently so that the knot tightens. 5. Press the knot flat to make neat creases. Tuck the short end in. 6. Now you need to wrap the star. Fold the long end of the paper strip over and under the pentagon until you have just a short piece left. 7. Tuck the end in. 8. Gently pinch the edges of the shape to make a 3D star. 9. Repeat the steps with more coloured strips until you have lots of stars.…