By: Patrick Troyer, Paulding SWCD
Residents in Paulding County nursing homes have been learning why we need to give a “hoot” about owls and about the amazing world of geology. During recent programs, residents had the opportunity to enjoy hands on learning by dissecting owl pellets and seeing some amazing rock samples.
Owls formed the first discussion topic. Residents learned everything there is to know about owls and the species of owl that we find in Ohio. Ohio provides the perfect environment for owls to live as our state has the climate they enjoy in addition to the grassland and woodland habitat they have come to enjoy. The barn owl is designated as a threatened species by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a threatened species is one that is likely to become an endangered species within the near future is all or a large portion of its range of habitat. With a threatened species, we need to put conservation efforts into practice to ensure the owl does not upgrade to the endangered designation.
As part of this program, residents had the opportunity to dissect owl pellets to learn some more about their owl and what it ate. The owl primarily likes mice, rats, rabbits, small birds, insects, and rarely frogs/fish as their prey. Through their investigations, everyone was able to find at least one of those animals. They used a bone sorting guide to help them identify which animal the skull, hip, shoulder, vertebrate, or other bones belonged to. Rodents were at the top of their discoveries as rodents are the owl’s favorite meal and it will eat a rodent such as a mouse, rat, or mole about 85% of the time. Everyone had fun taking time to see what part of the owl’s diet was!
The second topic involved learning about the various types of rocks that are found outdoors in addition to the many ways that we put rocks to use. Rocks have unique characteristics that allow them to be sorted as well as classified and they form in different ways. Residents were able to gain a basic understanding of how rocks are identified based on properties such as texture and hardness, but also based on the minerals found within them. We first covered the study of rocks and who conducts that study. According to Geology.com, Geology is all about studying the earth, the materials that make up its surface, and the forces that are continually working on these materials to change them in some way. Geologists are looking to gain a life history of the earth as it is recorded in rocks to gain an understanding of how the earth has changed over time in addition to understanding why things such as landslides, earthquakes, and floods occur.
Residents learned about the materials that make rocks up, minerals. Minerals are substances that are made up of only one chemical, which give them one unique color all throughout them, and form the building blocks of rocks. Minerals are usually very appealing to the eye as they are quite smooth and have a lot of luster (shine) to them. During rock formation, several different processes are taking place which bring together a variety of minerals together to form rocks which explains why rocks have a variety of colors found within them. There are three types of rock found on Earth which are igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock.
Igneous rocks originate from magma that crystalizes as it cools. Magma is simply a hot liquid of melted minerals. Some examples of igneous rocks are granite which is commonly used in countertops and basalt. Sedimentary rocks are formed as sediment and other organic materials such as sand and decaying plants/animals are transferred to a new location. This sediment is deposited in distinct layers, pressed down together as more material is gathered. Eventually the deposited sediment is hardened into the sedimentary rocks that are formed. Common examples of sedimentary rock include rock salt, chalk, shale, and flint.
Metamorphic rocks were the third type of rock discussed. Heat and pressure can then be applied to either igneous or sedimentary rock which will cause the rocks to metamorphize or change form into metamorphic rocks. Heat is provided by volcanoes under the surface while rock layers pressing upon one another are supplying the pressure. Examples of metamorphic rocks include limestone, sandstone, and marble. With each type of rock that was discussed, everyone was able to view samples of each rock and see the differences in color and texture that existed between each rock sample.
Would your group like to learn about owls or explore the world of geology? Contact the Paulding SWCD office today and see what we can do for you!
