tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696062481618399012024-03-13T11:51:24.356+11:00Puggles ClubA cool gang of kids learning about running streams and all the amazing creatures that play in them.Wal Pilzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329146145229174234noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-18254827618759217952013-01-16T12:38:00.003+11:002013-01-16T12:38:43.623+11:00NATURE'S WATER CYCLE
Ever wondered where water comes from? This diagram shows you how the water cycle works.
*The Sun's energy makes water evaporate from rivers, dams and the sea.
*Water also passes into the air when people and animals breathe.
*Water moves through plants, going in through their roots and passes out through their leaves into the air.
*Water molecules rise through the air and join together to formnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-86364632219705421082012-07-04T14:34:00.000+10:002012-07-04T14:34:16.997+10:00WATERCRESS
Some running streams have watercress growing along their banks and while this is not a native plant, it is edible and very good for you too. It's full of iron and calcium and even helps in the prevention of cancer.
We gathered a big bunch and had it in a salad with beetroot and fetta cheese - yum! Perfect with yabbies too.
What other things can you eat in a running stream?
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-80899440711588268082012-04-19T20:01:00.001+10:002012-04-19T20:01:36.553+10:00YABBIES FOR THE FUTURE !Ilford dams are full of yabbies ! This easter saw a bumper crop caught across 2 dams from Mt. Misery to Mt. Vincent during the easter weekend . A wonderful sign that our water is fresh and fabulous. Of course we checked them for eggs and threw back the females carrying eggs under their tails.
Emma Schofieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02957164593274891806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-32159247590971642642012-02-15T10:59:00.000+11:002012-02-15T10:59:00.773+11:00WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!It's been a long time since we've had this much rain! All the creeks are flowing and the dams are full.
This is a photo of Windemere Dam which provides water to Mudgee so that the town can irrigate all those vineyards. They dammed up the Cudgegong River back in 1984 to make the dam and somewhere down there under all that water is the old town of Cudgegong which was flooded in the process.
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-69868563917833025502011-12-21T09:29:00.000+11:002011-12-21T09:29:06.059+11:00EEK!
Some of the living things that you find in running streams aren't all that cute.
We found this leech in a spring just near Running Stream.
Leeches love nothing better than to suck your blood. They don't hurt you because they use a natural anesthetic which means that you can't feel them when they latch on to you. They simply fall off when they've had their fill but you can just pull them nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-6215599618092927772011-12-16T13:58:00.000+11:002011-12-16T13:58:29.200+11:00I SPY
I spy with my little eye something beginning with 's'.
Can you guess what it is??? Every day it brings us one step closer to Christmas which is now only nine sleeps away!!
We've had so much rain lately that all the streams are running fast and filling up all the dams. At night you can really hear the chorus of frogs singing their hearts out with joy.
But I wonder if those storm nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-81497027214550807122011-10-18T16:02:00.000+11:002011-10-18T16:02:28.639+11:00DISCOVERING, DIVINING AND DEFENDING
Puggles Club members were out in force last Sunday to mark the start of National Water Week. http://www.nationalwaterweek.org.au/index.php
Gathering at the Running Stream, these cool kids inspected the water way and were delighted to discover a freshwater spring nearby, bubbling up from underground. Hudson had stumbled upon the spring two years ago and after a short trek upstream, nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-25225125661958765142011-10-15T16:21:00.000+11:002011-10-15T16:21:37.880+11:00CHANGE OF VENUEHI PUGGLES!
We've had to make a last minute change to our meeting place tomorrow. Don't worry, it's not too far away. Just down Cherry Tree Hill at the Running Stream Hall.
From there we will go to the junction of the two tributaries of the Running Stream for a picnic and some platypus spotting.
Same time: 12 noon
Different place: Running Stream Hall
See you there!nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-50692510559376149152011-09-23T15:57:00.007+10:002011-09-26T14:25:02.423+10:00RSWUA LAUNCHES ‘PUGGLES CLUB’!The Running Stream Water Users Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and we’re kicking off the festivities with the launch of the Puggles Club, a special sub-branch of the Association for kids!
The Puggles Club is a cool gang of kids learning about running streams and all the amazing creatures that play in them.
We all know how important running streams are, not just forWal Pilzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329146145229174234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-68246211014548828842011-09-12T11:55:00.000+10:002011-09-12T11:55:33.468+10:00WATER FACTS
1. WATER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON EARTH
2. WATER COVERS 3/4 OF THE PLANET
3. ONLY 1% IS DRINKABLE
4. WE NEED CLEAN FRESH WATER TO LIVE BECAUSE OUR BODIES ARE LARGELY MAKE UP OF WATER:
- Babies are 77% water
- Grown men are 65% water
- grown women are 58% water
- old people are 50% water
5. WATER IS MADE UP OF 2 HYDROGEN MOLECULES AND 1 OXYGEN MOLECULE = H2O
6. IT CAN BE LIQUID, SOLID (ICE)nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-85940568109780424862011-09-08T11:38:00.001+10:002011-09-08T11:38:58.674+10:00Science Day at Ilford Public School
Puggles Club members recently joined students from Ilford, Glen Alice and Sofala for Science Day activities at Ilford School. In small groups we thought about how we are all water users and discussed where our water comes from and the importance of water in relation to ourselves and the local ecology. We looked at topographical maps to see how our communities are linked by water and the Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09270329288431100782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-35153093261263926312011-08-28T08:29:00.001+10:002011-08-28T08:31:14.051+10:00CARING FOR CREEKSThere are lots of kids caring for creeks all over Australia. This is a drawing from some kids at Camp Kedron who are looking after Werreandra Creek in the Kuringai National Park.
What sorts of things are they doing to look after their creek?
Can you spot the platypus?
There's another group of people caring for all the creeks of Ingleside which is also on the edge of Kuringai National Park.
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-1705679956098097392011-08-23T18:42:00.001+10:002011-08-23T18:44:55.096+10:00Carwell CreekThis is Carwell Creek after rain.
*what can you hear?
*What flowers are blooming now?
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-22236493922150556442011-07-05T09:10:00.000+10:002011-07-05T09:10:11.890+10:00CAPS, ANYONE?Gina and her dad Gav are modeling our excellent Running Stream Water Users Association caps which feature a cute platypus on the logo. They only cost $15.00 each ($20.00 if you want to buy a membership as well), and all proceeds go towards funding the work of the Association. So if you'd like to place an order for one, email nell@themovies.com.au and we'll get one out to you asap.
Keep nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-50665210981075885932011-06-13T13:55:00.000+10:002011-06-13T13:55:27.860+10:00THE FIRST PUGGLES EXCURSIONA bunch of cool kids and their extended families went on an expedition to see if they could spot some platypuses. First stop was Running Stream, just behind Foxwood Farm Cafe at Running Stream.
Savvy was leading and she wrote this story:
The baby red kangaroo belonged to Glenys who runs the Foxwood Farm Cafe. It's name is Boomer.
After our exploration of Running Stream we went to nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-62731742809205611992011-06-06T10:25:00.001+10:002011-06-06T13:10:31.401+10:00A PLATYPUS IS A PARADOXThis is a drawing of a platypus by an artist called Eugene von Guerard. It was done way back in 1854 (that's 157 years ago kids!) and the title of the work is 'Billed Animal - Ornithorhynchus paradoxus'. This was the first scientific name given to this strange creature that has a bill like a duck and a tail like a beaver. "Ornithorhynchus" means "bird snout" in Greek and "Paradoxus" nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-72082393966415948252011-04-26T13:30:00.005+10:002011-04-26T13:54:18.491+10:00HANGING OUT WITH THE FRUIT BATS@font-face { font-family: "Geneva"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Thousands of fruit bats (Little Red Flying Foxes) came to visit Coco Creek in February 2008. They stayed for a month. In the daytime they would hang upside down in the tall river oaks, squealing and Vicki Powyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17044819683262616494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-91965689813869460982011-04-21T11:26:00.000+10:002011-04-21T11:26:48.709+10:00EASTER BUNNIES!It's Easter and that mean lots of hot cross buns and chocolate! And sometimes you'll even find chocolate shaped in the form of a rabbit. Why? Because Easter is a celebration of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when plants bloom and baby animals are born. Rabbits have lots and lots of babies so they are a symbol of spring and fertility and Easter time.
Rabbits are an introduced species nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-44562348623038394142011-04-06T18:06:00.004+10:002011-04-06T19:24:42.163+10:00YABBY-DABBY-DOOWhen you go yabbying you should always throw back yabbies with eggs or small yabbies. It helps preserve the species as they can breed or grow up to be caught again or feed a platypus. A yabbie's eggs are small black spheres underneath the tail. The yabbies will be trying to curl up their tail to protect their eggs. 1. What is the minimum size you should catch a yabby at?2. Where do yabbies Hunter Forbeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445028905854721138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-63161683671894098602011-03-30T14:33:00.000+11:002011-03-30T14:33:22.766+11:00ELVERS IS IN THE HOUSE!This crazy creature is a baby eel, otherwise known as an elver. He and his buddies swim up running streams all along the east coast of Australia. But they never make it across the Great Dividing Range. It's too steep. And besides, they have to swim all the way back out to sea when they grow up into big eels.
So this means that there are elvers and eels in Running Stream, which flows east, but nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-19093157537115917642011-03-07T14:30:00.004+11:002011-03-07T19:15:50.604+11:00COCO CREEK IN FLOODLast December Coco Creek in Capertee Valley came down in flood. Here is a picture of the raging torrent of water.Sometimes in drought the creek is completely dry. Wombats have their burrows along the banks. Small fish and frogs live in the water and I once saw an eel. There are a few snakes, tortoises and echidnas around. Wallabies come to drink here.Did you know that eels only live in Vicki Powyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17044819683262616494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-54862047472141231452011-03-03T14:07:00.000+11:002011-03-03T14:07:32.003+11:00HUNTER'S PUGGLE FACT FILE
Thanks to Hunter Forbes for this fantastic fact file!
It really is amazing to discover that the platypus lays eggs AND suckles its baby's with breast milk. No wonder the scientists refused to believe it at first.
And it's also incredible to think that they are venemous!
Does anyone know which ones are?
What part of this unique animal is venemous?nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-54857196527563831582011-03-03T12:22:00.002+11:002011-03-03T12:22:48.886+11:00PIPPINELLAWe are getting lots of visits from a female king parrot who likes to drink from the nearby stream. We can tell she is a girl because of the lovely green feathers on her head (the male king parrot has a striking red head with green wings).
We have decided to name her Pippinella.
This was the name of the main character in the book 'Doctor Doolittle and the Green Canary' written by Hugh nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-67357603755921875842011-03-02T15:16:00.000+11:002011-03-02T15:16:11.906+11:00WHAT IS A PUGGLE?A puggle is the affectionate name given to a baby platypus.
It is also the name of a cross between a pug dog and a beagle.
These adorable puggles are twins.
What do you think their names should be?nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869606248161839901.post-8131771057835808832011-03-02T11:10:00.002+11:002011-03-02T11:19:21.642+11:00WISHING YOU WELL
Did you know that there is a wishing well on Cherry Tree Hill? It is tucked in under the Castlereagh Highway and fresh water trickles into it from a nearby spring that seeps through the rocks.
Back in 1848 it was just a small hole dug out of the earth to provide water for thirsty people crossing this part of the Great Dividing Range by horse and cart. In 1879 the well was enlarged to provide nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746192815362870786noreply@blogger.com1