Ice-Out Study Begins Today: February 7, 1997

Here's What to Do

1. Adopt a body of water near you and check to see if it's frozen. You may chose a lake, pond, river, stream, bay, estuary--or even an ocean.
2. Keep a close watch over the next weeks and......
3. Report back to us when ice-out occurs. (We define "ice-out" as the moment the body of water is 90% free of ice.)

How to Report Ice-Out
When your adopted H2O is free of ice report your sighting. Simply press the blue owl button on the left and a Field Data Form will appear. In the comments section of the form, be sure to include:

• The name of your adopted body of water.
• The name of the nearest town, so that other students can locate it on a map.
• Most importantly, tell us about your adopted place: Are there creatures living under the ice? What do they eat and how do they breathe? What happens on top of the ice? Do people play or travel there? We'd like to hear your stories.

As you follow spring's journey north over the next months, consider this:

"How might the fact that water freezes affect the migratory animal I am tracking?"

Study your animal's life cycle and everyday behavior. Carefully consider what your animal needs to stay alive--or to reproduce. Do you think this fundamental fact of life affects your animal? Write down your ideas and revisit them as you learn more.

The Next Ice-out Update Will be Posted on Friday, February 21, 1997