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Puddles  Newsletters

PUDDLES Newsletter: The PUDDLES newsletter is devoted to education about providing daily fresh drinking water to animals. It is mailed free upon request to our customers.

Puddles Issue 3.1
Puddles Issue 4.2

Puddles 3.1

From the Editor:
Welcome to the fifth issue of PUDDLES, the newsletter about animals and fresh drinking water. We are pleased to note that more and more information is now available about fresh drinking water and especially with regard to supplies of water for animals. Many of the guides on attracting wild birds to the suburban backyard now give several pages to this issue and stress the importance of maintaining clean water containers.

Although some research has been done on the effects of various toxins in water supplies on different animal species, more needs to be done. We are publishing in this issue a starting bibliography which covers some of the issues in this subject area and discusses some of the research. Once again, as in previous issues of PUDDLES, we do a pocket review of the books that come to hand about what people are thinking about the environment. There are many new ideas here and these books are worthwhile reading.

New in this issue is PUDDLES watering products catalog. Here we have an initial selection of products to help you provide fresh drinking water for animals in an environmentally sound way. Please see page 3 for ordering information.

ATTENTION: Editors who receive PUDDLES: You can help by mentioning our PUDDLES in your free literature listings.

CHIRPS:
On watering wild birds, the National Bird Feeding Society (NBS) has recently published the following suggestion to consumers in its Winter 1995 quarterly edition of The Bird's Eye reView. In referring to its other publication , The Billboard, NBS wrote "NBS advised in the fall edition of The Billboard that you can pull the plug when the temperature plummets. The last thing birds need when it's unusually cold is a hot bath, but reconnect your electric warmer when the temperatures go above 15 degrees." In that same fall edition of The Billboard, NBS also advised, "A winter birdbath needs regular maintenance just like your feeders. Rinse the bath daily before you refill it, and scrub away any algae as soon as you see it developing."

Birding Tip of the Month; Pete Dunne, organizer of the World Series of Birding, in Wild Bird, 9/3, March 1995, writes "All living things need water and birds are no exception... For birders, finding birds is often a simple matter of finding water."

Your chance to give: Birder's Exchange collects donated birding equipment for Latin America. J. Sibbing, Manomet Observatory, Box 1770, Manomet, MA 02345.

From Cornell Labs, be on alert for House Finch Disease. Contact your local wildlife department if you see eye infection on house finches.

Of Earth, Sun & Water
"The 3 R's of Water Conservation," Consulting-Specifying Engineer, October 1994,18-24.

A good explanation of reclamation, recycling and reuse activities and strategies. Only 3.2% of the water on earth is fresh water and 75 percent of that is frozen in ice and glaciers. We can only manage about 1% of the water.

SOS stands for Save Our Streams, a new grade 1 to 12 curriculum "Hands on Save Our Streams" which teaches how students can work on a stream protection project. Write for information to IWLA, Isaac Walton League, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20878-2983.

Current standards for evaluation of effects of pesticides, in National Standards and Guidelines for Pesticides. Write USGS, Openfile Service Section, Earth Science Information Center, Box 25286, Mail Stop 517, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.

"Raising your store's environmental quotient," in Pet Product News, 49/4, April 1995, by Lorin Hallinan, covered how pet retailers "are putting the Earth first". She lists ten ways to "green " your store.

Solar 1996. April 13-18, Asheville, NC. Contact the American Solar Energy Society, 2400 Central Avenue, Unite G-1, Boulder, CO 80301, 303-443-3130.

The Rocky Mountain Institute lists several books on environmental housing tips. 1739 Snowmass Creek Rd., Snowmass CO 81654-9199. Internet:orders@rmi.org.

Call National Technical Information Source for a copy of their NTIS Environment Highlights catalog of government documents PR868; 703-487-4650.

New! On-Line Info
Computer bulletin board, National Birding Hotline Cooperative, Chuck Williamson, 7309 E. Princeton Drive, Tucson, AZ 85710.

The American AntiVivisection Society (aavsonline@aol.com) reports in its Activator newsletter the following animal rights internet forums. ar-talk@cygnus.com is an open forum for all aspects of animal rights; ar-news@cygnus.com is an electronic bulletin board and snare@ indiana.edu, is a forum for students who are interested in animal rights. Also mentioned are vegan@maths.bath.ac.uk and vegan1% etemplevm.bitnet@pucc.princeton.edu, which are both discussion groups about vegetarianism.

The excellent newspaper Animal People is now on line. You can contact the editor at Anmlpeople@aol.com. The December 1994 issue had a article "Who Gets the Money" which listed from IRS 1993 data what percentage of the budget of different animal organizations goes to programs.

"The Green Net," article by Mickey Mercier in E Magazine, January -February 1995, is worth ordering a back copy of the magazine to have in your library. It covers a variety of environmental Internet bulletin boards and services and explains the methods of access by your computer. Discussed are Econet, Envirolink, and The WELL as well as the commercial online services such as Prodigy and Compuserve.

Read PUDDLES and More! See Happy Bird's library in Pet Products Forum B on Compuserve. Type: GO PFVENB.

Tracks
"Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers," $4.95, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Box 42400, Washington, DC 20015.

"Traveling with Fido or Fluffy," in Best Friends Magazine, May 1995, 801-644-2001, is a good article on travel facts. The author notes that taking water from home is helpful. "Unfamiliar water supplies can sometimes create stomach upset." The article has a good bibliography with addresses for Traveling Pet Owners of America, Pets-R-Permitted Directory, Touring with Towser, Vacationing with your Pet!, and The Pets Allowed Directory.

Book Reviews
The Ecological City
Rutherford H. Platt, Rowan A. Rountree, Pamela C. Muick, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1994. This is a book about the city and the environment of the city. One of the conclusions drawn by the writers nicely sums up the book. "Finally, interaction between urbanists and natural scientists as reflected in this book, should become the norm rather than the exception as we collectively seek to respond to the challenges of living in a world whose population is more than half urban." One recommendation we really liked was the suggestion that there be connectivity between patches of natural habitat-"isolated plots of ground are insufficient for many plants and animals".

The Day Before America
William H. MacLeish, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston 1994. This volume is about the evolution of the North American continent, how it developed over 18,000 years. He writes about the changes in habitat and those changes effect on animals and on humans. On of his interesting conclusions is "At the beginning of the American civil war humans and their animals accounted for something around 5% of global terrestrial life...By the middle of the next century the alliance (humans and their animals) may account for roughly 60% of ...terrestrial animal life (excluding microorganisms) and 25 percent of all terrestrial plant life."

The Economy of Nature
William Ashworth, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1995. The book asks why the cost of living is rising while the quality of living is falling. It asks for answers from both the discipline of ecology and the discipline of economics. "The laws of ecology and the laws of economics are, at heart, the same set of laws." The author suggests ways we can assess the cost of pollution. "The only viable solution," he writes, "is a synthesis, an eco/nomics (ed. italics) that conforms human economies to the economy of the planet as a whole."

Bibliography ... toxins in drinking water that affect animals, especially wildlife.

Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition, Charles T. Robbins, Harcourt Brace Janovich, New York, 1993.

Freshwater Ecology Principles and Applications, Michael Jeffries and Derek Mills, Bellhaven Press, New York, 1990.

Ecotoxicology, The Study of Pollutants in Ecosystems, F. Moriarty, Academic Press, London, 1988.

Wildlife Toxicology, Tony J. Peterle, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1991.

Peterle's book is the most helpful as it reviews the toxins, the agencies responsible for regulations and research, and looks at the effects of toxins on organisms. Ecotoxicology is helpful with experimental design for the ecosystem. Jeffries and Mills give a good background to the issues of studying the different types of water in our environment. Robbins is helpful on how water works as a nutrient for animals. All these books have extensive bibliographies for further research.

Note: Always consult your licensed veterinarian for specific advice for your particular animal's water needs.

PUDDLES, 3/1, is published by Happy Bird Corporation, PO Box 86, Weston, MA 02493, manufacturer of Solar Sipper animal watering stations. Copyright Happy Bird Corp. 1995. Persons concerned about the availability of fresh drinking water for animals are eligible for a free subscription. PUDDLES may be read on the Internet at the Environmental Internet Connection E2B2.com. (back to top)

Puddles 4.2

From the Editor
This issue features a new bibliography we have assembled on wildlife in the backyard.  See Book Reviews.  The migration of many species into what is referred to as "the suburban food larder" is increasing as the natural habitat of this wildlife in the more remote areas is being taken away.  So we have to begin to learn how to live with our guests. Fortunately there are lots of folks interested in the issue.  Write for the results of the Tufts conference on living with wildlife-see address in Tracks. More news of a mystery nature.  Deformed wildlife is continuing to show up in lakes around the country. See Of Earth Sun and Water.  We just hope that the powers that be in our society are concerned enough to try to find out the cause of this mystery.  You may also be interested in our review of the book, Lake Smarts, which tells us about all the ways we can improve our lakes and ponds for wildlife. See Book Reviews. There's lots more so enjoy your copy of PUDDLES.

HELP!  We think the news in this PUDDLES fills a niche not being served by other newsletters. Help us spread this news to other readers so that we can help more animals.  Post this issue or put a mention of it in your resources guide in your own magazine, newsletter or WEB site. Thanks

CHIRPS
American Birding Association Regional Conference Boise, Idaho, June 9-13, 1997.  800-850-2473

Audubon Medal Award Dinner, 11/19/96, Rev. Morton, Dean of St. John's, is honored.

Export of pesticides banned in US kills migratory birds.  See Audubon, Sep;-Oct 96, 50-56, 94-95.

Wetlands International is devoted to conservation of the world's wetlands. Contact 1. Davidson, Wetlands Intl., 7 Hillton Ave., Ottawa, Ont, 613-722-2090.

Code of Birding Ethics, American Birding Association.  Copies available at 800-850-2473.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum eye infection is spreading to American Goldfinches and Downy Woodpeckers. Autumn 96 Cornell Birdscope.  607-254-BIRD.

Water for birds is discussed in article in Wild Bird, Nov. 96 page 10-11 with list of accessory suppliers.

Midway Atoll Christmas Bird Count will take place 12/29/96-1/5/97 on this new National Wildlife Refuge and World War Two historic site.

Keeping birding notes is easy when you follow the guide of John Rakestraw in Birding, Feb. 96, 53-55

"Cool, cool water my way" by Sandra Stevens in Bird Watcher's Digest, July-August 96. It is a method to save the runoff cool condensation from the house air conditioner for birds and seems to make sense.

"Build an Advanced Water Feature" by Scott Shalaway in WildBird, July 96.  Discusses the differences in prefabricated and do-it-yourself projects to construct a small pool and running stream and waterfall in your backyard.

Of Earth, Sun and Water

Solar 1997, April 25-30, 1997.  1-303-443-3130.

Mars.  For those of us who think over population is part of the ecology problem of the planet, we'll want to watch the most early stages of of Mars exploration, in hope that it may someday be part of the answer.  Good sites to check:  http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/mpf/marswatch/html. or email randerson@jpl.nasa.gov.  Sky & Telescope, 12/96.

"The Puzzle of Declining Amphibian Populations," By Andrew R. Blausetein and David B. Wake, Scientific American, April 1995, draws attention to the decline and suggests causes may be destruction of local habitat as as well as global depletion of the ozone layer.  One interesting conclusion is that if" habitat modification occurs slowly enough- as it did for 3000 years in western Europe- amphibians can adjust and even adapt to human induced alterations.  But many of the changes such as rises in ultraviolet levels and in the amounts of pollutants in the environment have occurred so rapidly that species with long generation times often cannot adapt quickly enough." Deformed frogs being described in newspaper articles seems to be a follow on to the above item.  Here's what we know so far.  Frogs with birth defects have been found in Vermont, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Quebec.  Frogs are bioindicators meaning that their exposure to the environment can give warning of toxic problems, especially since they live in water.  Scientists don't know why this is happening. Theories include the idea that farm pesticides are getting into the water as well as the idea that there are significant changes in solar radiation.

We found that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN  55155-4194  602-297-3363, attn:  Mark Gernes, is a good source of information on this matter.  They are doing a study of the frogs paid for by the State of Minnesota and should have some results in the future. There are some WEB pages with data. The school kids in Minnesota who first found deformed frogs out there keep a page:  mncs.k12.,mn.us/frog/frog.html.  Another site is the Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University, ST. Paul, MN:  www.hamline.edu/depts/gradprog/ cgee.progs/cgee.frogs/Frog.main.html. By far the most complete report this subject is Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly by e-mail at Internet: erf@rachel.clark.net. which gives references to recent pesticide studies.

Extensive ecosystem study shows overall risks by each state. See article by R. Peters and R. Noss, Defenders, Fall 1995, 16-27.

"What Good is a Wetland" by Ted Williams in the Audubon Nov-Dec. 96, 43-53. Much about the need to have wetlands so we can purify drinking water.

Every kilowatt hour not used prevents air emissions of 5.8 grams of sulfur dioxide which turns into sulfuric acid rain, 2.5 grams of nitrogen oxide which turns into nitric acid rain and 1.5 pounds of carbon dioxide which is greenhouse gas and smog. from Current Waves, the Water Foundation, Summer 86 VII,II.

American Wetlands Conference, VA May 7-9, 96.  Call Terrene, 703-548-5473, terrene@gnn.com

Ecological pest management.  from National Research Council. 317-494-9555, kyw@ctic.purdue.edu.

Ground Water Disinfection Rule announced by EPA.  A variety of contaminants and disinfectants will be regulated for the first time.  See Water Update at http://www/epa.gov/ow.

"Pesticides in Ground Water Current Understanding of Distribution and Major Influences," is available from US Geological Survey, US Government Printing Office.  For summary see Aquifer, The Groundwater Foundation, Sep. 96, 402-434-2740.

Note:  Always consult your licenses veterinarian for specific advise for your particular animal's water needs.

Web Notes

http://petsforum.com Petsforum is a CompuServe sponsored WEB site for pet owners.  It has good libraries of research material, and an electronic marketplace.

http://www.emagazine.com  E OnLine is an environmental site by E. Magazine. See Green Living Section and Marketplace.

http://petstation.com  Petstation is an internet home base for animal people. It has Bird Barn, Cat Cabana, Dog Domain, Fish Fair, Herp Hacienda, Horse Heaven and Small Animal Medley.  Well thought out Teen Talk, Seniors Only and Funny Bones are new.  Marketplace includes some classifieds with hot buttons direct to manufacturer home pages.  Very well done pages.

http://netvet.wustl.edu  Dr. Ken Boschert developed this page.  Electronic Zoo is part of the Netvet Veterinary Resources.  We worked through a list to research what was there on cats.  Came up with direct links to magazines such as CATS.

http://www.acmepet.com  Acmepet is a guide to pets on the internet. Has Pet Time News, Marketplace, Welcome Wagon, Multimedia Gallery, What's New, Club Acme-that's where you can do real time talking. We tried it for a while. Delightful.

http://www.petgold.com This is Petgold and we entered the standard version. It is primarily sales items, listed under General Store, K9 Center, Feline Paradise, Equestrian Center, The Aviary, Aqualand, Exotics Unlimited, Vet Gold.  Shelters and Humane Societies we were pleased to see listed.

http://www.yardcare.com "What's your yard care problem?"  Produced by the Toro Company this has answers on grass, weeds, leaves, pests, gardening and new lawns.  We received a good description of evapotranspiration, how much water grass will keep.  Good site.

http://wildbird.com site of John Gardner, founder of Wild Bird Marketplace. Much good wild bird information.  Emphasis is on bird information.

http://www.econet.apc.org/econet/  econet has given a decade of support to ecological sustainability and environmental justice. Very research oriented.  Covers all kinds of subjects including habitats and species, seas and water, toxics and water. Links to other sites.

Tracks

"Living with Wildlife,"Tufts Center for Animals.  An important seminar.  Nov. 15, 96. 508-839-7991. email dpease@opal.tufts.edu.

Providing for Your Pets:  In the Event of your Death or Hospitalization, a booklet for $2. Alley Cat Allies. Email alleycat@igc.apc.org.

Flea products:  how dangerous are they?  See CATsumer Report, May-June 1996.  800-968-1738.

Symposium on Strategy for Oral Rabies Vaccination of Wildlife, 12/96 Univ. of Georgia, Athens, 706-542-6645.  This is on oral rabies vaccination for wildlife. Should the vaccine by used provincially (local non-organized use) or strategically (an organized control program)?  Those of us who love raccoons and wildlife will be listening to see if we can get safely packed supplies of the vaccine for our own yards.

Flying Circus, article by Jeanette Bogren on use of collies as humane way to deter wild geese from nesting, ASPCA Animal Watch, Fall 96.

Disaster preparedness for animals has been developed by The California Veterinary Medical Assoc. See Veterinary Product news, Feb. 1996.

Book Reviews

Lake Smarts, The First Lake Maintenance Handbook, Steve McComas, Terrene Institute, 1717 K. Street, Washington, DC  20006. Covers aquatic weed control, algae control, fish and sediment topics, on site wastewater and a variety of projects that interested people can do to help lakes.  A hands-on book for improving lakes and ponds for wildlife and people.  Throughout there are lists of suppliers for the hard-to-find weed rakes and tools.  Good lists are available for finding beneficial plants.  Aquascaping to control algae and criteria for erosion control are covered in an  easy to read manner. Projects of great interest are building nesting habitats for wildlife.  Practical and very useful.

Stokes Field Guide to Birds,  Donald and Lillian Stokes, Little Brown, Boston, 1996. Look up your bird sighting in this easy to carry guide and you'll find a full color picture, voice, type of seed preferred, size and identification marks, habitat, and whether an endangered species.  There's also a quick guide to get you started in finding the type of bird. Lives up to its billing as a bird guide for the 21st Century.

Special bibliography on living with wildlife:

Care of the Wild, Feathered and Furred, Mae Hickman, Maxine Guy, Kesend, New York, 1973.

Pocket Guide to The Humane Control of Wildlife in Cities and Towns, Hodge, HSUSA, Helena, MT, 1991.

Living with Wildlife, Diana Landau, Shelley Stump, California Center for Wildlife, San Rafael, CA, 1994.

Attracting Backyard Wildlife, Bill Merilees, Voyageur Press, Stillwater, MN, 1989.

Noah's Garden, Stein, Boston, Houghton, 1993.  "Winter's Wild Interlopers," article in Country Living Magazine, by Cathy Johnson, November 1994.

List of wildlife zoological veterinarian associations, Veterinary Product News, 4,11/96, 800-667-2679.

Chickadees, Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers, Harrup and Quinn, Princeton, 1995.  We could not resist this book because we love chickadees.  You'll find out here how our black capped friends' vocalizations approach human language. The detail and artwork on these Sittidae, Certhiidae, Paridae, and Aegithalidae families is rewarding for the researcher.

PUDDLES is published by Happy Bird Corporation, PO Box 86, Weston, MA 02493, manufacturer of Solar Sipper animal watering stations. Copyright Happy Bird Corp. 2005. Persons concerned about the availability of fresh drinking water for animals are eligible for a free subscription.
 

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