Subject: kids, books, benchmark birds
Date: Apr 1 00:19:59 2000
From: SCN User - kittyroo at scn.org



Somewhere on one of my family's many long distance, pre-freeway car trips,
I asked my dad what the difference was between mallards and ducks. I can't
remember what his answer was, but shortly afterwards he gave me my first
bird book. This was followed by guidebooks to flowers, stars, trees,
animals, bugs.... I think I asked a lot of questions. He liked to answer,
"look it up and tell me the answer". He gave me a whole lifetime of
fascination with the natural world, an interest in research, and the
message that it was perfectly OK for a girl to like science.

So, my benchmark bird has to be the Mallard, a member of the family
Anatidae, i.e. web-footed waterfowl, which includes Swans, Geese and
Ducks.

Catherine Alexander
LAkewood Neighborhood, Seattle

Tony & Catherine
kittyroo at scn.org