Explore the Outdoors!
If you are looking for a new jacket, blanket/duvet or sleeping bag, there are essentially two filling options to choose from: Down and polyester. Alternatively, cotton or other natural fibers such as wool may be used for filling in clothing, sleeping bags and blankets. However, down is still the golden standard for lightweight insulation, so…
I admit it. I am a light sleeper and I hate when people are snoring or otherwise making noises during the night. I enjoy the soft sounds of the outdoors, but I hate synthetic man-made noises and especially when caused by my own gear! Therefore I set out on a journey to find the absolute…
Wood can be used for a variety of purposes in terrariums. It can be used as a frame for the glass walls, providing stability and structure. It can also be used to create shelves or other features inside the terrarium. Birch wood is a good neutral wood type that, in its dry chemical free form,…
There are many well known birds that start with the letter K. Some of these birds include the kakapo, kiwi, kingfisher, and kookaburra. But have you ever heard of the Karoo Scrub-Robin, the Kirk’s Francolin or the Knysna turaco? In fact, there are more than a hundred birds starting with a K and you can…
Crayfish (also sometimes called crawfish and crawdads) are freshwater crustaceans that live in lakes, ponds and rivers all over the world. Crayfish have many enemies and the most abundant predators of crayfish are larger freshwater fish! Many different fish feed on crayfish and/or their spawn in natural freshwater environments. Studies on the stomach contents of…
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that live in streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. They are related to shrimp, crabs and lobsters and are an important part of the food web in their ecosystem. Crayfish are mostly herbivorous animals and eat a variety of plant matter like algae, aquatic plants, seeds and roots but they do actually…
Millipedes are omnivores that consume both plants and animals. In the wild, they play an important role in the food web as detritivores, breaking down dead plant and animal matter into smaller pieces that can be used by other organisms. While millipedes are not true decomposers, they do play a key role in the decomposition…
Dyneema is an artificial polymer just like nylon, but it has several fundamental differences. Both are plastics, but the manufacturing process is radically different. Nylon, as I have already written several posts about, is an amide polymer, which means it’s a long chain of monomers that can be formed into countless unique chemical structures. The…
Producers are organisms that get their energy from their environment, for example, from the sun or from breaking down chemical compounds. Decomposers are a type of consumer that break down organic matter into simple chemical nutrients essential for producers. Even though different bird species have different diets, they are all consumers. In ecology, consumers are…
Magpies are omnivorous birds that are native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are easily recognizable by their black and white plumage, and their long tail. Magpies eat a wide variety of food items, including seeds, nuts, worms, small animals and carrion. If available, they actually prefer to eat animals due to their higher…