WET AND WILD: ZOO ANIMALS LEARN TRICKS FOR KEEPING COOL IN HOT SUMMER MONTHS

OK, I admit it. I'm been bitten by the quilting bug.

I'm certainly NOT an expert seamstress, although I have dabbled in making my girls some matching outfits. (It's a mom thing.)

There's something very appealing about quilting. My grandmother was a wonderful quilter and even though she's been gone for several years, I still enjoy snuggling up in her quilts. These handmade wonders connect us to the past. I also figure that one day -- keep dreaming -- I might actually have time to quilt.

I've taken a number of wonderful classes at the local quilt shop, but I've also found a wealth of information on the Internet.

www.quilting.com/MainQuiltingPage.html

The World Wide Quilting Page boasts of being one of the oldest of its kind on the Internet. It was established in May 1994 and had its millionth visitor in October 1997. Obviously, I'm not the only quilting nut. There are lots of how-to tips, along with definitions of some of the techniques well familiar to veteran quilters.

There's also a quilt block coloring book -- sorry it's not really for kids. Quilters can take the quilt patterns and experiment with colors before they try it out in fabrics.

What's the difference between a Monkey Wrench and a Balkan Puzzle block? This site will tell you. It lists dozens and dozens of patterns alphabetically or by type, with explanations of each.

I learned more about Foundation blocks, which is a new technique I'm trying. My pile of UFOs (Unfinished Objects) is growing by the week. They have a bulletin board and chat rooms for quilters to exchange ideas and advice and an online library with lots of resources.

A number of quilters worldwide have a twist on Y2K. No panic here. They are exchanging fabric swatches with quilters around the world to create traditional charm quilts with 2,000 different fabrics in honor of the year 2000. This site offers a place to trade fabric for Y2K or other kinds of quilts.

www.bhglive.com/crafts

Better Homes and Gardens has a comprehensive site for all kinds of home improvement and craft projects -- and that includes quilting. The company publishes a magazine on quilting, called American Patchwork & Quilting, which I really enjoy. You can get a sneak peek online.

You can find some patterns online that can be printed out at home. There are downloadable projects that require Adobe Acrobat, which is a free program on the Internet. Check out the discussion room on quilting where topics range from fabric swaps to book suggestions. It's easy to join in.

www.noquers.org

The National Online Quilters site is also packed with good ideas and projects. With just a click of the button, you can translate the site from English to French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. That demonstrates a real international appeal.

There are lots of great tips under the Share heading. Its awards page links you to top quality quilting pages across the country. Don't forget to check out the Design Wall for some impressive works of art.

You'll find a lot of quilters looking to swap fabric for Millennium and other quilts. Some are looking to swap with people in all 50 states.

They have an extensive bulletin board, chat and e-mail systems as well to link quilters from all over the world.

www.nmia.com/(tilde)mydesign/qor/index.html

There's lots of good advice at the Quilters Online Resource.

You can connect with other quilters through chat, pen pals or swap, help or project pages.

The "Free patterns, information and goodies" area lives up to its name. I know my friend, Debra, would enjoy an article on fabric dyeing under the techniques section. I'm working on a quilt from fabric Debra dyed and it's gorgeous.

There's a special section for beginners that I found helpful. There's a glossary and even bed measurements. Patterns come in all shapes and sizes, and this will tell you if its crib size, king size or anything in between. You can also send e-mail card to your fellow quilters.

www.aqsquilt.com

Of course, I can't forget to mention the American Quilter's Society, which is headquartered in nearby Paducah, Ky. They have a wonderful museum there, and is host to one of the nation's largest quilt shows each year. You can look at the 1999 winners, which are pretty amazing. Click on the images for a larger look.

The site is fairly limited, although they promise some changes soon.

www.berninausa.com/worldquilt/register.html

Bernina is sponsoring the World Quilt and Textile Show this Thursday through Sunday, and they invite you to have a front row seat.

Bernina promises to bring us the show live over the Internet, including discussion with quilters, a view of the winning quilts, downloadable quilt patterns and nightly updates. They boast of having 250 of the finest and most culturally diverse quilts ever displayed in the U.S.

I'm pre-registered with an e-mail address. Perhaps I'll see you there.

What's your favorite quilting or craft site? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.

WET AND WILD: ZOO ANIMALS LEARN TRICKS FOR KEEPING COOL IN HOT SUMMER MONTHS

Tiger: A mother Siberian tiger played with one of her two cubs. The female cubs were born March 27 at the zoo.

Giraffe: A giraffe rested in the shade during a hot, summer afternoon.

St. Louis Zoo

www.stlzoo.org

WHERE: Forest Park, close to U.S. Highway 40/64 and Interstate 44.

COST: Admission is free, but there are fees for parking and the Zooline Railroad, Sea Lion Show and the Children's Zoo.

HOURS: The zoo is open year round, except Christmas and New Year's Day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The zoo is open each Tuesday until dusk from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

EVENTS: Daily shows and feedings are planned at the zoo. For information call (314) 781-0900.

ST. LOUIS -- Churchill, a nearly 11-year-old polar bear, knows the secret to staying cool in the sweltering heat of another Missouri summer.

He seldom leaves the cool waters or the shade of his polar-like den at the St. Louis Zoo.

He's not alone. Zoo keepers say most of the animals at the zoo have learned to enjoy a dip in their pool or a nap in the shade of a tree during the heat of the afternoon.

Zoo keepers note changes in their daily behavior and offer a cool spot when the temperatures rise, said Steve Bircher, a curator of mammals and carnivores at the zoo.

"Sometimes just opening a door to the inside and allowing them to go indoors can help," he said.

The animals learn to adapt to their environment; sometimes they're even better at it than their human counterparts. Creatures like the arctic fox, which can stand temperatures of 80 degrees below zero, have learned to withstand the sweltering heat of a 100-degree day in Missouri. How? Their coats just don't grow as thick as they would in the arctic regions.

Animals like the brotherly trio of river otters Larry, Moe and Curly, love to play in the water. They swim about in their pool while people gather to watch their antics at feeding time.

Whenever a zoo keeper throws in a fish, the otters dive into the water after it. They twist and turn, flip and splash until they've developed enough of an appetite to eat the fish.

Feeding time is an all-day task at the zoo. With more than 4,000 animals to feed, zoo keepers are busy from dawn to dusk. Early each morning, the food and dry chows are delivered to each building in the zoo.

Zoo keepers in those buildings then create the individual diets for the animals, which range from nectar for the Lorakeets to eucalyptus for the koalas.

An exhibit in the Children's Zoo kitchen shows how many different kinds of food the animals eat. While animal diets vary, they also have enrichment programs. Zoo keepers hide food and dry chows within the creatures' environments to make them use some of the skills they would need in the wild, said Bircher, who has worked at the zoo for 21 years.

Preserving an animal's natural instincts is important. Zoos aren't just trying to take care of the animals in their collections, but are trying to conserve the species as well, Bircher said.

"It's not just that you can come see the animals, but we want to make it a conservation center so that if they are endangered, populations will still exist," he said.

The St. Louis Zoo works with the Species Survival Plan, a program developed among zoos to help preserve habitats and species that could become endangered. The zoo cooperates by monitoring species and breeding.

About 100 species are included in the program. Siberian tiger cubs born four months ago at the zoo's maternity yard are part of the program. By protecting the Siberian tigers and preserving their natural habitat, "it will also act as an umbrella in that area to protect other species," Bircher said.

Because the Siberian tigers are "very beautiful and popular" they've become one of the SSP's flagship species. "People love to see the big cats," he said.

And a trip to the St. Louis Zoo wouldn't be complete without a stroll through Big Cat Country where you can see the lioness Asha lap water to quench her thirst or see the female Siberian tiger cubs at play with their mother.

The big cat exhibits at the zoo are an example of the move from the days when zoos kept animals in barred cages to allow them to move freely in areas resembling their native habitat. It's a concept called immersion that's become popular with many zoos in the nation.

Creating a more natural habitat allows for a larger diversity of animals, and lets them live in their social groups. "They're sharing the areas as they'd do in the wild," Bircher said. "Each has a different niche and doesn't compete for food."