Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026, issue 135 i Eco Kids Planet Magazine

Rusty: Hi, Rusty fans! Rhona: Kindly focus, Rusty. Look where the leaf litter led us. Rusty: Under this loose piece of bark? Rhona: Yes, where I’ve found these three pseudoscorpions. Rusty: Where? Rhona: They’re snuggled up for winter, resting with their pincers folded, inside those silken ‘igloo’ cocoons. Rusty: No wonder they’re called snoozy-scorpions. Rhona: Pseudoscorpions, Rusty. Soo-doh scorpions! Rusty: But, wait – scorpions aren’t native to the UK! Rhona: They’re not really scorpions – they just look like them. ‘Pseudo’ means fake. They’re related to spiders. Rusty: Did they shoot that silk out of their bums, then? Rhona: No, from their jaws. The UK has about 27 species, but hardly anyone knows about them. They’re only about 3mm long – like we are right now. Rusty: Do they have tail stingers…

Winter doesn’t feel the same to everyone. Some people love racing through frosty mornings, while others prefer watching the season quietly from a warm, cosy spot. And just like people, winter animals all have different ways of coping with the cold. Read the descriptions on these pages and decide which one sounds most like you on a cold winter day. If two feel right, don’t worry – pick the one you’re most like when it’s chilly, quiet or dark outside. There’s no right or wrong answer. Every winter explorer has their own style. Choose the box that mostly (or totally!) feels like you in winter, then turn the page to discover your winter animal. But no peeking ahead – or you’ll spoil the surprise! A I like winter when it’s…

I’m Moksha! I’m 10 years old, and this winter I’ve been saving energy to protect the planet. When winter arrives, most homes start using more energy. Heaters stay on for longer, lights are switched on earlier, and we use more hot water. All of this adds up. More energy use usually means more fossil fuel being burned, which creates pollution that warms our planet. It can also mean higher bills for our families. I believe we children can help our families cut waste and make a real difference just by changing a few everyday habits. Heating and lighting • Wearing warmer clothes indoors means we don’t need to turn the heating up so high. • Turning off lights when leaving a room really helps during darker winter days. • Using…

Midwinter has arrived – or, to put it another way: brrr! Do you like long nights and dark mornings? Wrapping up like a walking duvet? The ground crunching under your shoes? Your breath puffing out like a dragon’s? There’s plenty to enjoy but, at its coldest, the season can be tough for everyone – including plants and animals. Many creatures scarper abroad to warmer places (fair enough) or snuggle down and snooze until it’s all over (also tempting!). So, is it a case of “Nothing to see here – let’s come back in spring”? No! It’s still busy out there. As Eco Kids, you want to stay connected to nature, even at its darkest and coldest – and you can! Nature’s new year Keep your eyes open and your ears…

Charlie: Tawny owls’ hoots get loud in midwinter – and I’ve heard some coming from this woodland behind my garden. Tu-whit, tu-woo, that’s their famous call. The owls usually only come out at night, but it’s a dull, overcast afternoon, so I’m hoping one is out for an early hunt. Hey, there’s a pointy owl pellet at the base of that tree. They’re grey, furry balls they cough up, made up of prey parts they couldn’t digest. They’re full of bones, fur, feathers, teeth and hard insect parts – so I’m not picking it up! Oh, an owl’s perched right above it. Female tawny owl: I spotted you long before you spotted me. Charlie: Well, you’re better camouflaged than me. Female tawny owl: And this is my tree, not yours.…

RHONA REPORTS! N0. 71 And don’t forget about me – Rusty! COMEDY WILDLIFE AWARDS WINNERS I can finally reveal the winner of the 2025 Comedy Wildlife Awards photography competition! ‘HIGH FIVE!’ The overall winner is one I showed you last time. It’s the dancing young gorilla, photographed by Mark Meth-Cohn in Rwanda. Mark, from the UK, wins a safari trip in Kenya, so he’ll be heading back to East Africa. But that’s not the only finalist photo that made me smile… ‘HIT THE DANCE FLOOR’ Foxes in a breakdance battle?! Paula Rustemeier from Germany won the Nikon Young Photographer (25 and Under) category with this photo. She took it in a nature reserve, and says, “The best way I’ve found to photograph foxes, especially young ones, is just being present.…

By Wentworth Puzzles Time to get cosy! This sweet wooden puzzle shows a peaceful winter scene by wildlife artist Abraham Hunter. It has 40 pieces, making it great for younger puzzlers or anyone who enjoys a calm, feel-good challenge. Inside, you’ll find Wentworth’s famous ‘whimsy’ pieces – special shapes inspired by the picture – mixed in with wiggly wooden pieces that make the puzzle more fun to solve. Wentworth puzzles are made in Britain from thick 4mm wood, with recycled packaging and no plastic. They’re designed to last for years, so you can enjoy them again and again. RRP: £10.50 How to enter the competition: Email your entry to win@ecokidsplanet.co.uk by 10 February 2026. Please include your name, age and address, so we know where to send your prize if…

If you don’t already, midwinter’s a great time to start. Jot down any unusual birds you see. Draw animal prints you find in frost and snow. Note where berries and seeds grow – then record when birds have gobbled them up. (Again: look, but never taste!) Look out for midwinter wildflowers, including carpets of snowdrops as early as January. And spy signs of spring sneaking up. By February, colourful wildflowers like crocuses and primroses may appear, providing nectar for early-waking pollinators. Scribble down the date and time you spot your year’s very first bee and butterfly. And note when birdsong picks up!…

If you saw a saiga for the first time, you might think it looked a bit, well, odd. This antelope has spindly legs, pale sandy fur and a large, drooping nose that looks almost like a vacuum cleaner. But that strange snout is one of the saiga’s greatest survival tools. For thousands of years, it has helped this animal survive on some of the harshest grasslands on Earth. Built for the extremes Saiga antelopes roam the wide, open steppes of Central Asia, in places like Kazakhstan, Mongolia and parts of Russia. These landscapes are extreme. Summers can be scorching and dry. Winters bring bitter cold, deep snow and icy winds. The saiga’s unusual nose is perfectly suited to these conditions. It warms freezing winter air before it reaches the lungs…

These beautiful crystals look like snowflakes, but they are actually made from salt. Not ordinary table salt, but Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate). People often add Epsom salts to bath water to ease sore muscles and help them relax. In this experiment, you use Epsom salts to grow icy-looking crystals in a jar. You will need · Epsom salts · Clean jam jar · Spoon · Hot water · Refrigerator Use a thick glass jam jar, not a drinking glass, which may crack if you pour in hot water. Step-by-step instructions 1. Pour Epsom salts into the jar until it is threequarters full. 2. Carefully add hot water until the salts are just covered. 3. Stir well for at least one minute. To make crystals, you need a saturated solution – the…