Interested in helping the Aldo Leopold Nature Center reach more children with our innovative and hands-on educational programs? Become a member today and your gift will make a difference in the lives of children in the community and beyond.
Even though our building is closed*, our trails are free and open to the public daily from dawn until dusk.
We invite you to come out and enjoy the Wonders of Nature…it’s good for the mind, body and soul.
We have recently updated our mask policy to help keep our visitors, students, their families and our staff safe.
Please stay tuned for more information and do not hesitate to contact us with questions at alnc@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org.
*Please note our facility’s date of reopen to the public is based on public health recommendations and other factors.
Interested in helping the Aldo Leopold Nature Center reach more children with our innovative and hands-on educational programs? Become a member today and your gift will make a difference in the lives of children in the community and beyond.
Aldo Leopold Nature Center is at Tenney Park Lagoon.
1 day ago
Mighty mallards! 🦆
This raft of ducks is enjoying the open water in Tenney Park lagoon.
But how is it these birds can stay in icy water all day and not develop frostbite or hypothermia?
The answer lies in the way ducks circulate blood through their feet. To prevent frostbite, one must continue to supply healthy tissue with nutrients, such as oxygen, and also keep that tissue from freezing. To prevent hypothermia, humans must keep their core body temperature above 35 degrees F. Ducks, and other animals equipped for cold temperatures, have veins and arteries that lie close to one another, creating a ‘countercurrent’ heat exchange.
But, how does it work? Basically, arteries carrying warm, oxygenated blood away from the heart warm up the cold blood that is moving through the veins towards the heart and away from the extremities. By the time the oxygenated blood reaches the extremities, it is much cooler, preventing much, if any, heat loss by the duck’s feet in cold water. Conversely, by the time the blood from the veins reaches the duck’s heart, it is much warmer, preventing a drop in the animal’s core body temperature.
Countercurrent heat exchange is a physiological process that has been perfected by nature and is so successful that it has been mimicked by industry and engineering.
By the way, in addition to a ‘raft’, a group of ducks can also be referred to as a ‘team’ or ‘paddling’ as well.
#PhenologyFriday #Mallards #Ducks #OpenWater #CounterCurrent #HeatExchange #CounterCurrentHeatExchange #PerfectedByNature #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside ...