Chapters 7 - 8 Activities 

     The American black bear is medium sized. It can be found in many colors from black to chocolate brown, or from cinnamon brown to a pale blue. They have lighter fur on their chests and a brown muzzle. Black bears weigh between 130 to 660 pounds and can be 50 to 75 inches long. Their feet end with strong curved claws. The black bear has poor eyesight.

     The black bear lives in the United States, Canada, and in Northern Mexico. They would rather live in altitudes of 6500 feet or higher. They live away from grizzly bears.

     The black bear walks through the woods looking for food. Bears eat ants, insects, salmon or trout, bark, plants, roots and berries. Seventy-five percent of their diet is vegetables including berries, flowers, grass, roots, and nuts. Fifteen percent of their diet is decaying animals or fish. Another ten percent of their diet is insects an small mammals. Black bears love sweet ripe corn and honey.

     During the winter months bears heart rate slows so they can hibernate. Bears will wake up is the weather is warn or they are disturbed.

     The black bear has few enemies. They fear the grizzly bear the most.

     A porcupine is the largest rodent in Canada next to the beaver. It is a medium sized animal with long, pointed spines that grow on its back and sides and from its head and tail. Their bodies are covered with brownish hair which conceal quills that are 2 to 6 inches in length. The spines or quills are sharp and have hundreds of barbs. The porcupine looses its quills easily and can throw them like arrows or darts. Porcupines are 24 to 30 inches. They have a small head and chubby legs. Their color is from dark brown to light black.

     The porcupine is a vegetarian. It eats plants such as grasses, dandelions, twigs and water plants such as water lilies and pond weeds. In the winter it eats bark from birch, maple, pine, beech, oak, cherry, willow, and fir trees. The porcupine especially likes bark that has been touched by human hands.

     Porcupines are most active during the night. In the winter they spend most of their time in evergreen trees. In the summer they wander for food. Porcupines live in the wooded areas from Alaska to the northern part of Mexico.

     Their dens are located in a variety of places like old buildings, logs, caves, and in trees. Their homes are lined with soft materials. They are lined with dropping or scats from the porcupine. The dens may be sued for long periods of time.

     The main enemy of the porcupine is the fisher. It is also hunted by great horned owls, coyotes, and wolves.

Enjoy making something from raspberries. Here is one of our favorites.

Raspberry Cobbler

Melt 1 stick of margarine in a deep dish. Beat 1 cup sugar, 1 cup self-rising flour, and 3/4 cups of milk until smooth. Pour this batter over the melted margarine, do not stir. Wash and drain raspberries. Pour these into the batter and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Making Raspberry Hot Chocolate After Reading about Brian Finding Raspberries

Raspberry-Vanilla Cocoa Mix

6 cups instant powdered milk
2 (8 ounces) jars French vanilla flavored coffee creamer
1 (16 ounces) package powdered sugar
1 (15 ounces) package powdered chocolate milk mix
1 (0.15 ounce) envelope raspberry drink mix (like Kool-aid)
1/2 teaspoon salt

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