The Winter Slow Down
#The cold weather outdoors tends to drive humans indoors, and we are super thankful for heaters, blankets, and warm bowls of soup! This time of year, we tend to eat a lot and move less. Data tells us that the average American will gain between 1 - 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
#That is not a lot for one year, but over time, if those pounds are not lost, they can add up, so be aware. This ‘natural weight gain’ is a great excuse to get outside for a brisk walk or family hike.
#Nevada Outdoor School is outside, even in the winter, so check out our website at nevadaoutdoorschool.org for our latest events.
#While humans are snuggling inside, what are creatures in nature doing during winter?
#Many animals that live in cold environments, where food is scarce, hibernate. This behavior helps animals conserve energy, which helps them to survive the winter with little or no food. However, like humans who practice the first principle of Leave No Trace, Plan Ahead and Prepare, animals also must prepare for hibernation.
#Before bedding down for the long winter, animals undergo a feeding frenzy called “hyperphagia”. This is when animals eat a lot of calories to build up energy reserves in the form of fat.
#For example, a black bear in Alaska will feed at a frenzied rate from midsummer through the end of autumn, consuming 20,000 or more calories in a day.
#We did the math, that is like eating 31 McDonalds Big Macs a day. This allows the bear to add 4 - 5 inches of body fat, which nearly doubles the insulation capacity of their pelt.
#During hibernation, the metabolic slowdown is significant. Heart rates plummet.
#For example, a hibernating woodchuck’s heart rate will decrease from 80 beats per minute, to as slow as 4 beats per minute. This causes the ‘true hibernators’ to appear dead.
#True hibernators include the jumping mouse, the little brown bat, the eastern chipmunk, and some ground squirrels. There is even a bird that hibernates. The Poorwill, which is Hopi for, “the sleeping one”, is a nocturnal (night) bird found throughout the southwest which enters into this slower state for days or weeks at a time.
#Hibernation is not the only way animals survive the harsh environmental conditions of winter. Animals also migrate, moving themselves to a place where food can be found.
#This is a common tactic for birds, bats, caribou, elk, and whales. Fish also tend to migrate in their own right, heading into deeper water. Insects, like butterflies and moths, also migrate.
#Like fish, earthworms also seek deeper depths to avoid the frigid surface temperatures.
#Adaptation is another way animals survive winter. Much like us putting on an extra layer of clothes, one-way animals adapt to the cold is by increasing their fur capacity.
#Another winter adaptation is changing their eating habits during winter. For example, rabbits and deer may eat bark, moss and twigs instead of the grass that is available in the spring and summer.
#Preparation and survival for winter by non-human animals is a fascinating topic that science continues to investigate. It is nothing short of miraculous how the animals know what to do for survival, and when to do it.
#As a human, however, during these cold months when the couch is calling and pie is readily available, we do not need to store up our energy reserves, so get outside, it is good for humans everywhere.