Teenagers Say
Every child and teenager should learn how to clean up after themselves to save our shared planet.
What do you say teenagers?
Dear Parents, Teachers and Teenagers
I know teenagers have lots to think and say about our natural environments and I want to offer you the opportunity, on this website, to show how you can make a difference and are making a difference.
So, Teenagers . . . . send me one picture of a small habitat or something you have done to clean up after yourself. You can write up to 50 words as a caption to your picture.
- Field Maple – at [email protected]
- Habitats picture – either one you have created or noticed which you know will help give living creatures some shelter or a home.
- Cleaning Up picture – your caption must describe what you did to make it cleaner.
To protect you, please give yourself a website name – a unique name (one word please), which always will be used when contributing to this site. Also, your age too.
This website is not about ‘having followers.’ It is not about trying to be an important person or influencing anyone else. This website humbly asks for us all to give thought and protection to nature. Its mission is about as big as you can get and that is why teenagers must ‘Have Your Say’.
As time goes by, I am hoping for teenagers to become regular contributors so that we can see the difference you can make. All of you will become ambassadors for this site and its mission.
Field Maple
PS Habitats are everywhere! Look at the crevices in pavements! Go to the corners of a local piece of open ground and find them. Search in a park for how creatures live in it. If you have an outside area where you live, look again at how you might be able to provide, a small habitat for creatures. Don’t forget to look up as well as down!!
Under-world re-discovered
Field Maple, I zoomed in to the last picture and these two are stuck together?
Good for you Mothy to see them clasped together. Snails are hermaphrodite which means they can reproduce both as female and male. Who knows what these two are doing, but they certainly look like good pals! You still haven’t told me what you’ll do with them all?
Field Maple
Whatta lotta escargot?
Then I found these secret-agents under another piece of plastic. What to do with them?
Okay Mothy, yes, indeed what to do with them? But they’re clever little creatures aren’t they and they certainly like to be together. You will notice how important the wood is to them and how they've simply put a shelter over themselves using plastic (like us). You’ve disturbed their living quarters, so over to you. If you can carefully put the plastic back and let them live out the winter, they’ll be around to do they’re snacking tricks on all the local vegetation. Watch out and observe? Escargot – French for snail but don’t eat these!
Field Maple
Snails Alive?
Field Maple, I found these under-cover agents hustled up together when I lifted a piece of plastic keeping wood dry under it. What a bunch of secrets they must hold?
What a discovery in the middle of winter! They have been well-covered Mothy. What will you do with them?
Field Maple
Proportionately Balanced!
Hi Field Maple. I went to visit my auntie and was looking around her garden. It was really early and really misty. One of her bushes had so many spider webs!! I couldn’t see any spiders but I guess it was too cold for them. Look how wonderful the web is. So neat. It got me thinking, how long does it take a spider to weave their web? It must take a very long time. And how long do they last? I went out the next day and it had gone. So, I think, not long.
Always good Felix to take time to stand and stare at what is incredibly artistic in its evident symmetry as well as its individuality. How about studying the methods that spiders use to build their cobwebs? The best way would be to see one actually making their web? Where do they put their anchor points?
Field Maple
Look at Me!
Hi Field Maple, look at this huge frog. I think it’s a frog anyway. Do you think it could be a toad? It was really big and very fat! My auntie said it is definitely a frog as it doesn’t have any bumpy bits. What do you think?
It is big isn’t it, Felix? We might think it to be a toad but you know what? Toads only go to water to mate and spawn! Toads seem much bigger than frogs because they are quite flabby and don’t jump about like frogs do. Perhaps this frog needs to go to the gym? The real issue is that this lovely frog is shining whereas a toad is usually dull and camouflaged which is why we don’t often see them. For your interest Felix, I found a toad in a hollow log, in the garden, which I happened to pick up to move it and yes – there was a toad in the hole looking at me with a very wide grin because it knew I couldn’t (and didn’t want) to get it!
Field Maple
A Very Ducky Little Pond
Hi, Field Maple. The pond is a little overgrown and I haven’t seen any frogs this year. Do you think my auntie should cut it back so the frogs can get to it? She says no as the frogs and other animals will still find it.
Thanks for sending the picture of your auntie’s pond Felix. Always difficult to know what to do about duck weed – if only a duck would come to eat it? Unlikely in your aunt’s urban garden though! I’d say your aunt is right to let the vegetation continue to grow. The difficulty we have as humans is though, we can’t see what is going on in the water. Just as well because wild life needs places to hide, yes, away from us! Good for your aunt to put an old washing up bowl into the ground t o provide water for passing creatures and also, maybe, a home to a frog?
Field Maple
What’s Going on Here?
Hi Field Maple. There are aphids all over this plant. I think it is a burdock. The ants are busy tending to the aphids and there’s a ladybird too. I think ladybirds eat aphids so there’s food for all of the litter creatures on this plant.
Well Felix, this is interesting, what is doing what? And if this is Burdock it can get very tall and is seen as an invasive plant by farmers. It’s not native to the UK. The roots of the Burdock are edible and the plant itself can be used for medicine. I’m not sure about the ‘black blobs’, they could be ladybird larvae hatching. I don’t actually see any aphids? Burdock is a tough old plant and is not attractive to insects. The ant is definitely after something and the ladybird is beautiful!! Send another picture as it grows – we may be able to work out a lot more by then? It’s another super picture with such a lot going on. You’re the one to work it out!!
Field Maple
Posing Robin!
The robin waits
Watches world’s go by
It stands above all
Yet bows to enthral
It feasts from the ground
And the ground feasts upon it.
It is the watching robin
So it waits, till late
You’ve really captured the spirit and the character of our most beloved garden bird, Mothy. The robin’s profile on the fence is adorable and so familiar to anyone who looks up to see who it is making all that noise above them! Wonderful picture.
Field Maple
What a Treasure!
Hi Field Maple,
I was walking with my Auntie today and we noticed all the frozen spider webs. There were loads. They were all over the fences and bushes. There must be millions of spiders that live there. But what happens when their webs get frozen? I asked my Auntie and we looked at what happens to spiders in winter. We learnt that they find somewhere dry to hibernate. Some come inside houses. I don’t mind sharing my house with a few spiders.
I think I will study the gardens and fences I pass on the way to school to see what happens during the year and to see how big the spiders are. My Auntie says I should take pictures of the spiders and see if I can find out more about them. What do you think?
What a beautiful photo Felix! You have ‘caught’ a most wonderful ice sculpture just sitting there waiting for you to notice it. I’m so pleased that now you are a teenager you and your aunt are very curious still about how nature works and your research is exactly the right thing to do. I think the spiders have become confused to still be making webs in December and you are right, they should be hibernating somewhere dry. I’m looking forward to seeing what you discover as the seasons change!
Field Maple
Decadorfs?
Rummaging in Field Maple’s organic garden I found the DecaDorfs true and magical identity
Mothy! DecaDorfs are woodlice? Are you sure? Do you think they have come to my garden because of all those old chimneys I've got about the place? Why don't the DecaDorfs talk to me Mothy? Or maybe you and they have some sort of extraordinary language only best understood between you all? But thank you Mothy for discovering this amazing activity going on right here, under my feet. Incredible!
Field Maple
Three Admirals Basking
Three admirals basking in the glory of the September sun. The trust these three had for me to gleefully be able to take a beautiful photo before they retreat to a roost, a truly heartfelt gift.
Hey Mothy - a wonderful moment in time before winter arrives!
Field Maple
Will it Plop?!
Hi Field Maple, I’m a teenager now! I was visiting my Aunty and she said to send you my picture. I found this green frog in her pond. Do you think I should leave it or should I move the frog? It looks happy but it’s sitting on a bit of old rubbish!
It’s also sitting on its tadpole spawn as well Felix! It’s a great picture but sad that nature has to deal with all our plastic rubbish, even a plant has taken advantage of a hole in the black plastic. I think it is probably best to leave it all alone and tell your Aunt that she should feel privileged to have all those tadpoles in her pond! Please also ask her to make sure there is always enough water for the tadpoles to thrive and grow into little froglets? Let’s hope you’ll see them at your next visit?
Field Maple
Chimneys Under the Cherry Tree
I was out in Field Maple’s Organic Garden, wandering and enjoying the wind in the trees and clouds scudding by. Suddenly I thought it was very peculiar to see chimneys under the cherry tree. What is all that about? I am Mothy
I think we may be onto a big discovery of some sort Mothy!
Field Maple
