The House is Not a Home

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
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Suggested Resources

The following are some suggested resources to assist you in completing the "Where You At?" bioregional quiz. Of course, you are not limited to using these sources.

Pennsylvania Map with Counties
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/pennsylvania_90.jpg

Trace the water you drink from precipitation to tap.

Martin, J. (1997). Pennsylvania almanac. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8 M381p (LEVEL A)

Lehigh Valley Water Suppliers: City of Allentown
http://www.lvwater.org/index.cfm?pag=110

How many days until the moon is full?

Phases of the Moon (Astronomical Applications Department of the US Naval Observatory)
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.php

What soil series are you standing on?

Agronomy Guide 2009-2010: Soils of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania State University)
http://agguide.agronomy.psu.edu/cm/sec1/sec11a.cfm

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

What was the total rainfall in your area last year (July-June)?

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (National Weather Service)
http://water.weather.gov/
HINT: Use the month/year archive to view maps of observed precipitation. Estimate total rainfall for each month in the range and add.

When was the last time a fire burned in your area?

Morning Call
A full-text database of Morning Call articles (an Allentown based newspaper) from 1984 to the present. Search for articles on wildfires/fires.

Forest Fire Protection (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/ffp/index.aspx

State Forest Index: District Listings (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Forestry/stateforests/index.aspx

What were the primary subsistence techniques of the culture that lived in your area before you?

Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania (3rd ed.). (1999). St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, Inc.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8003 E56o (LEVEL A)

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Roberts, C. R. (1914). History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and a genealogical and biographical record of its families. Allentown, PA: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.827 R643h (LEVEL A)

Name five edible plants in your region and their season(s) of availability.

Edible Fruits and Plants in Pennsylvania (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Austin)
http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=2312

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

From what direction do winter storms generally come in your region?

Bair, F. E. (1992). The weather almanac (6th ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 551.5 R924w (LEVEL A)

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Where does your garbage go?

Raritan Valley Disposal
http://www.raritandisposal.com/index.php

Landfills, Allentown, PA (Google Maps)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=landfills,+allentown,+pa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.349227,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=landfills,&hnear=Allentown,+PA&z=10

How long is the growing season where you live?

HINT: Look for average spring/fall frost dates.

Bair, F. E. (1992). The weather almanac (6th ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 551.5 R924w (LEVEL A)

Frost Date Selector (Victory Seed Company)
http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/

Freeze/Frost Data (National Climatic Data Center)
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/freezefrost.pdf

Farmers' Almanac
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/

On what day of the year are the shadows the shortest where you live?

The Sky Above Us (Space Research Institute, Russian Academcy of Sciences)
http://www.iki.rssi.ru/mirrors/stern/stargaze/Ssky.htm

When do the deer rut in your region, and when are the young born?

Pennsylvania Game Commission
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/site/default.asp
HINT: Search Deer Rut

Name five grasses in your area. Are any of them native?

Agronomy Fact Sheets (Pennsylvania State University)
http://cropsoil.psu.edu/Extension/Facts/AgFacts.htm

Landscaping with Native Plants (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/wildplant/native.aspx

Name five resident and five migratory birds in your area.

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Luttringer, L. A. (1970). Pennsylvania birdlife (6th ed.). Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 598.09748 L974p (LEVEL B)

McWilliams, G. M., and Brauning, D. W. (2000). The birds of Pennsylvania. Ithaca, NY: Comstock Pub. Associates.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 598.09748 M177b (LEVEL B)

Morris, B. L., et al. (1984). Birds of the Lehigh Valley area. Emmaus, PA: Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 598.07234 M875b (LEVEL B)

Sutton, G. M. (1928). An introduction to the birds of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, PA: J. Horace McFarland Co.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 598.09748 S967i (LEVEL B)

What is the land use history of your region?

Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania (3rd ed.). (1999). St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, Inc.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8003 E56o (LEVEL A)

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Roberts, C. R. (1914). History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and a genealogical and biographical record of its families. Allentown, PA: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.827 R643h (LEVEL A)

What primary ecological event/process influenced the landform where you live? (Bonus special: What's the evidence?)

Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania (3rd ed.). (1999). St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, Inc.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8003 E56o (LEVEL A)

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Roberts, C. R. (1914). History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and a genealogical and biographical record of its families. Allentown, PA: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.827 R643h (LEVEL A)

What species have become extinct in your area?

Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania (3rd ed.). (1999). St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, Inc.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8003 E56o (LEVEL A)

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Martin, J. (1997). Pennsylvania almanac. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Call Number: Trexler Library Reference Collection 974.8 M381p (LEVEL A)
NOTE: References endangered species.

What are the major plant associations in your region?

Find Your County Office (Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach)
http://extension.psu.edu/extmap.html

What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?

Halma, R., and Oplinger, C. S. (2001). The Lehigh Valley: A natural and environmental history. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 508.74822 H194L (LEVEL B)

Leopold, D. J. (2005). Native plants of the Northeast: A guide for gardening & conservation. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Call Number: Trexler Library Main Collection 635.95174 L587n (LEVEL B)

Native Plant Database (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Austin)
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/

Wildflowers Native to Pennsylvania (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Austin)
http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=2159
HINT: Browse bloom dates.

Citing Your Sources

Remember to cite the sources you use to complete your quiz. See Citation Guides (also linked directly from the Library Homepage) for help citing sources in APA, Chicago, or MLA styles.