Kids enjoy the search for creepy crawlies and what better place than a rotten log in your yard or nearby woods.
When a plant or animal dies, the minerals and nutrients once useful to it are recycled. A host of organisms find food and shelter in the dead material. The plants and animals that consume the log, or each other, change the log. Some organic material is released as a gas, the remainder as humus - the dark-colored matter that enriches soil. Grab tweezers, a magnifying lens, a "Golden Guide to Insects," a wide-mouth jar and a sharp stick or other implement for poking and turning logs.
To look underneath a log, always roll it toward you, so that a snake or other animal can escape away from you. When you are done, carefully roll it back into place.
You may notice fungi, such as mushrooms, beetles, carpenter ants and termites. These organisms get their nourishment from the log itself, but are eaten by another set of organisms that include centipedes, daddy long-legs, wolf spiders, mites, salamanders, shrews, snakes and woodpeckers.
A third group of organisms that you will find around dead logs are the scavengers and decomposers, which live on the dead remains of the plants and animals. Members of this group include the pill bug (roly-poly), millipedes, roaches, snails and slugs.
Be cautious when handling these creatures and, remember, anything collected for examination should be promptly returned to its home unharmed.
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