09x07 - Raccoons and Ripe Corn

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Hi.

For us, the woods are
a great place to visit.

For many animals,
this is home.

This very forest
is alive with animals.

I've got a feeling that
someone or something

Is watching us.

We can't see the animals
because some hide from people,

While others only
come out at night.

Here's an adventure about
some nighttime creatures

And what they did
while no one was looking.

It's called
raccoons and ripe corn.

It is autumn.

Leaves from trees
near the farm's edge

Sail over the corn field.

The silk atop the ears of corn
is turning brown.

The corn is
plump and ripe.

At night, a mother raccoon
and her almost-grown kits

Sneak into
the corn field.

The raccoons walk
between the rows of corn.

They climb
the tall st*lks

And pull the ears
down to the ground.

They peel away the green husks
that cover the yellow kernels.

All night long,
thraccoons feast on corn.

They pull down more corn
than they can eat.

At sunrise, the raccoons
hurry back into the woods.

Wind whistling
through the trees

Sends autumn leaves sailing out
over the field of ripe corn.

Raccoons and ripe corn
is a true story,

But jim arnosky,
the author,

Never saw a single raccoon
in that corn field.

He only saw clues--

Animal tracks, fallen st*lks,
and teeth marks on the corn.

Jim turned the evidence
into a story.

We're going to spend
the day with jim.

He'll show us how to become
wildlife detectives.

Welcome to ramtails.

Jim and his family
live on this vermont farm.

Chances are
you'll find jim outside

Mending a fence or fishing
or gardening,

But whatever else he's doing,
he's also observing.

Jim is a naturalist--

A scientist
who studies nature.

His laboratory is the woods,
ponds, and streams

Around his home.

He looks at things closely,

And the closer he looks,
the more he finds.

As he hikes
in the woods,

Jim looks like
any other scientist,

But jim is also
a writer and artist.

When he looks at the world
around his farm,

He finds stories
to sketch and share with others.

When jim returns home, his notes
become children's books.

But he doesn't
stay inside very long,

For outdoors,
there are many more stories

Waiting to be discovered.

Ok, ok,
here you go.

Get in there.

There you go.

Jim.

Levar.

How are
you feeling?

Pretty good.

What are
we doing today?

I thought
we'd take a walk

To where I look
for animals.

We'll need
a few things.

Here are
binoculars for you

In case
we see something
in the distance.

Since we may want
to walk in water,

I brought a pair
of waders for you.

Don't put them on
because it's hot.

Save them
for the water.

Just throw them
over our shoulders?

Just like that.

That's it.
Are you ready?

You bet.

I'll follow you.

The first place
I'll take you

Is a little brook
behind my farm.

It's best to look for
wildlife around water.

All animals
need water.

Right. Look.
Here's an animal sign.

Wow.

A raccoon
came through here,

Probably
during the night.

How can you tell?

These are raccoon prints

Because I can identify
the front footprint here.

Here's another
front footprint,

And this is
the hind footprint.

The hind footprint
of a raccoon

Looks like a human's
footprint, almost.

That's how
I can identify that.

The raccoon
walked through

Without
stopping to drink.

Do you know
how I know that?

No.

Because the footprints
show a walking pattern.

They didn't stop.

If the raccoon
was drinking,

He would've stopped
at the water,

And his footprint
pattern

Would've been
squared off.

The signs
would be different.

Right. That's how
we read signs

When we're looking
for wildlife pictures
to create.

I like to look
for little details

I could add
to my drawings.

Like what?

Here's
a perfect example.

This colorful leaf
is bright yellow

Against
this dark mud.

Right.

And if you look
at this leaf,

It has very fine
green veining.

Right.

And there's also
some orange in there.

Right. It has
an orange stem.

That would
be something

I'd definitely
add in a picture

If I was
drawing this leaf

On this
brook's bank.

There are many
animals that live
near the water.

There could be animals
around now?

There's one there
under this moist
piece of bark.

What is this?

This is a red eft.

It's one
of my favorites

Because it's so
colorful and cute.

Look here.

He looks
like a salamander.

It is a salamander.

It's a very
dry salamander.

It lives only
in moist areas.

It doesn't live
in wet areas.

If this
was a moist-skin
salamander,

We would wet our hands
before handling him

So we don't take
any slime off its body.

When this eft
reaches a certain age,

It'll migrate
to a deep-water pond.

It'll actually change
into a different animal.

It'll be
a swimming newt.

It'll turn green,
have a flatter tail
for swimming.

Look at that.

Maybe we should
let him go.

We'll put him back.

Jim, do animals
ever come down here

While you're watching?

Well,
actually, they do.

Once I was at
a brook like this

And three deer
came down to drink.

I was very excited.

I kept
extremely quiet

So I wouldn't
scare them off.

I went home
with that experience.

It was the basis
and inspiration

For my book
deer at the brook.

The brook is
a sparkling place.

Sunlight on water.

Water on stones.

The brook is a place
deer come to.

Some come alone.

Some come together.

Mothers bring
their fawns to drink...

And to eat.

They walk in the water.

They watch the fish leap.

They play
on the sandy bank

And nap in the sun.

Sunlight on water.

Water on stones.

The brook is
a sparkling place.

Levar, we're coming
up to a beaver pond.

The beavers
may be out,

So we have to sneak.

Maybe we'll
see them.

You have to
get real low.

Pretend you're
a tree stump.

You're moving
slowly along.

They won't be
able to smell us.

We're downwind.

Look out onto the dam.
That's where they'll be.

Nobody's home.

They're probably
in their lodge.

Listen, while
we're here, though,

Why don't we walk
down onto the dam?

We can actually
walk on it?

Sure. Let's go.

Yeah.

Oh, look, it's a mink.

What's he have
in his mouth?

It's a fish.

He ran up
over the dam.

This is the beaver's dam
in the beginning stages.

First the beaver will
start damming a stream

By bringing small vegetation
that he chews off

And pushing it up against
the flow of the stream.

Then he uses mud
from the stream.

As they work,
the dam gets higher,
the water raises,

And they add
bigger clumps.

They bring things
like this over--

Huge clumps of vegetation.

They bring it over,
put it in their dam,

And pack mud on.

You can see here

Where the beaver's
front paw was
packing the mud.

That's a beaver
print right there.

Right. Here's the toes.

After the dam gets
a little higher,

The beavers bring
larger vegetation over.

Sticks and logs.

Right. This is
a branch from a tree.

You can see where
the beaver's teeth cut it.

This is a small beaver.

You can see
his teeth marks.

One neat thing
about beavers

Is that
while they're working,
they're eating.

Really?

They like to eat bark,

So before it brings it
to the dam,

It chews the bark off,
just like corn.

If you're here
in the evenings

When everything
is quiet,

You can hear
the beaver's teeth.

Ha ha ha!

Here's a big piece
the beavers put in.

You can really see
the teeth marks.

This is heavy.
We won't pick that up.

You can see the size
of these sticks

In this dam.

They brought
all of these here?

Piece by piece,

But they didn't
carry them.

They floated them.

Down the stream.

That's why beavers
make a pond.

They're more comfortable
in the water swimming

Than they are on land.

This dam isn't
complete yet.

They'll keep building it
and building it,

And the water will keep
rising and rising.

The dam's
never finished?

Not really.

As long as beavers
maintain this dam,

There will be
a pond here.

There's a beaver
out there right now.

Maybe he'll swim over.

Do you think he'll come
if we're standing here?

He may.

I don't know
if it's a he or she.

Beavers aren't
the only animals

That live here.

What else lives here?

There will be ducks
and fish-eating birds,

Like herons
and bitterns.

There will be muskrats,

Which are cousin
to the beaver.

There's a muskrat house
out there.

You can see it
with your binoculars.

When I discovered
muskrats were living here,

I came down and waited

And watched
all the things they did.

The things
I saw them do

I put in a book called
come out, muskrats.

In late afternoon,
when the cove becomes calm

And tall cattails
reflect in still water,

It's time for the muskrats
to come out of their house.

Come out, muskrats.

Come out.

Come out to swim
in the shallows

And eat green waterweeds.

Climb up on your house

And rub your fur dry.

Then dive in the water
and get wet again.

Swim between the lily pads.

Race around the cattails.

Go this way
and that way...

Through the setting sun.

When it gets dark
and the birds end their songs,

Stay out, muskrats.

Stay out
and swim until dawn.

Levar, the trail
we're following now

Wasn't made by people.

This trail was made
by porcupines

Walking over and over
the same ground

Day after day.

When I come outdoors
to look for things to sketch,

I follow trails.

They lead
to animal signs

That give me ideas
for pictures.

What do you see?

This is an aspen tree.

Porcupines have
climbed up this tree

To eat the leaves.

These are scars
from porcupines' claws.

Right. They have
great long, sharp claws.

The darker scars
are from years past

Where the tree
has healed.

Then you can see
lighter lines

Where fresh climbing marks
have been made

From the claws
of porcupines.

This really suggests
a picture to me,

So I'd like to do
a drawing.

You don't mind
if I watch?

Oh, no.

When I start drawing
an animal,

I start with the place
the animal was,

In this case--

The tree.

Right. I'll add
a few branches.

Here's a broken branch.

Start by outlining
the quilled body,

And then you imagine
the body of the porcupine

Underneath the quills.

Here's the porcupine's
tiny little eye.

I'd better hold the porcupine
on the tree.

With those claws.

Right. They could weigh
up to 3o pounds,

So you have to have strong claws
to hold that porcupine on.

Here's a tail.

I'm going to separate

The porcupine
from the tree visually

By adding some dark shading
just very lightly first.

We'll put some marks
from porcupines in the past

Climbing the tree.

Some of those scars.

That's right.

Now I should
make the quills.

The quills all
look like this.

Each one is long

And comes to a point
like that.

Starting to look
kind of real.

It looks just like
a porcupine.

It's the one
that's inside my brain.

I dug it out
and put it on paper.

Through words and pictures,

A wildlife writer
takes you on an adventure.

When you read books
about animals in nature,

It's almost like
you're seeing them

With your very own eyes.

Here are other
outdoor adventures

That you can track down,

But don't take
my word for it.

Hello.
I'm diana fleisher.

I want to introduce you
to a book

About the lives
of many different animals

Called
tree trunk traffic.

It's about
a 7o-year-old maple tree

And the animals that live there
or just come visit.

A brother and sister squirrel
live in the trunk.

Their mom lives there, too.

They take naps
piled on top of each other.

Aren't they cute?

There are
strange-looking insects

Living there, too.

One cicada crawled
out of its skin

And left it behind.

The pictures
are pretty photographs.

I used to see a tree
as a tree.

After reading
tree trunk traffic,

I see it as a home
for animals.

Add it
to your collection.

Hi. I'm gregory.

You might think nature
is far away from you,

But it doesn't have to be.

In my first nature book,

Learn about plants and animals
in your home.

This book works
like a magnifying glass.

It helps you to discover
things in nature up close.

There are lots of
great experiments to try.

I like the one
where we make the worm farm.

A farm for worms!

All you need
are some dead leaves,

Dirt,

A jar,
and of course,

The most important
ingredient,

Some worms.

I like
learning about nature.

If you like it, too,

You must read
my first nature book.

There's many
different kinds of birds

In your neighborhood.

I read a book of poems
about birds.

It's called bird watch.

There are many poems.

Some are funny,
like the one about the turkey.

He becomes
thanksgiving dinner.

Some poems are
just beautiful and sweet,

Like this one, "song/birds."

There are also poems
about swans,

Robins,

And woodpeckers.

The birds on every page
are beautiful paintings

With lots of emotion
and color.

I'm lisa lee.

Now that I've read this book,
I'm going bird-watching.

How about you?

There.

I've added
the last quill

To my porcupine.

That's it?

That's it.

I'd like to sign
this picture

And give it to you
as a memento.

This is beautiful.
I will treasure this.

I hope so.
I'll treasure today.

I have to go.

Thank you for sharing
some secrets

Of watching wildlife.

Thank you for coming.

All rightie.

No matter
where you live,

Animals live there, too.

They leave clues
about their lives you can follow

If you look closely.

Remember, when you're
watching wildlife...

There's probably
some wildlife watching you.

We'll see you
next time.

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high... ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know
and ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪♪

Today's reading rainbow
books are...

Raccoons and ripe corn,
by jim arnosky,

Published by
lothrop, lee & shepard books.

Deer at the brook,
by jim arnosky,

Published by
lothrop, lee & shepard books.

Come out, muskrats,
by jim arnosky,

Published by
lothrop, lee & shepard books.

Tree trunk traffic,

Text and photographs
by bianca lavies,

Published by
dutton children's books,

A division of penguin books
usa inc.

My first nature book,
by angela wilkes,

Published by alfred a. Knopf.

Bird watch,
by jane yolen,

Illustrated by ted lewin,

Published by
philomel books.