Bird guard: In Menlo Park in California USA, schools have turned to life-size coyote statues to keep crows and geese from covering play areas with droppings. The idea came from a Canadian suggestion that these figures help scare off geese in public parks, and staff hoped the same trick would help their fields stay clean. Once placed near lunch spots and open spaces, the models quickly reduced the mess that custodians had struggled with for years. Nearby schools later added their own statues after seeing the results. Some neighbours even phoned in warnings before learning the coyotes were fake, adding humour to the mix. The statues now stand as easy, low-maintenance helpers for busy campuses.

Peanut patch: A long-running study has found that a simple skin patch can help toddlers become less reactive to peanuts by introducing tiny amounts of peanut protein through the skin. The treatment guides the immune system to handle small exposures, lowering the chance of a dangerous reaction from an accident. Children who started on a placebo later used the real patch and showed steady gains as their tolerance improved. Many could handle small amounts of peanuts without strong symptoms, and the patch's safety record stayed solid throughout the treatment. Mild skin irritation was the most common issue. Parents still need medical guidance, but the results point to a practical way of reducing risk.

Roman routes: A group of researchers has built a detailed online map showing the old roads stretching across the Roman world, working much like a Google Maps-style guide for ancient travel. Their project used records, landscape studies, and satellite images to create a clearer view of how people once moved across long distances. The map displays major routes and smaller paths, making it easier to picture trips between far-off cities. It also adjusts earlier guesses by following natural terrain, since Roman roads often curved around mountains. Travellers can explore these ancient paths much like modern directions, seeing how roads linked distant regions. It's a simple tool that helps bring the empire's movement to life.

Pattern heritage: In a village in Burkina Faso (a country in West Africa), families build thick earthen homes that are later coated with painted designs reflecting Kassena traditions. Men shape the walls during the dry months, and before the rains arrive, the community gathers so women can add protective and decorative patterns. The oldest women choose the designs, and younger helpers learn by taking part in the work. Local pigments provide red, white, and black colours with meanings tied to courage, honesty, and the unseen world. Symbols range from animals to simple shapes linked to daily life. As people walk through the clustered homes, they see how practical construction has become a way for the community to show its shared culture.

I don't go by a rule book I lead from the heart, not the head. ~ Princess Diana

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense. ~ Mark Twain

Free notices for not for profits rudy@coffeenews.co.nz

1. This children's author originated the word nerd?

2. Including its pedestal, is the Statue of Liberty 100, 215, or 305 feet tall?

3. A cucumber is a fruit - T/F?

4. Who wrote Peter Pan?

5. SONAR stands for ______ navigation and ranging.

Colour squirrel: India's Malabar giant squirrel is known for its striking mix of colours and unusually long body. Living high in the forest canopy, it stores a wide range of foods and uses its bold coat to blend into shifting light among the branches.

Ancient tunes: Early humans carved basic flutes from bird and mammoth bones more than 35,000 years ago. These simple instruments show that people were making organised sound long ago with whatever materials they could obtain.

Bark spice: Cinnamon starts as the inner bark of select tropical trees, trimmed away in thin sheets, and dried and rolled into the sticks we know. This simple preparation keeps the bark usable, allowing its natural warm aroma to shine when added to food.

Luck tap: People often knock on wood after saying something optimistic, as a ritual to keep misfortune away. One theory links the habit to early beliefs that trees held protective spirits, so tapping the wood was seen as a way to ask for support.

Sand ban: Some Spanish beaches have outlawed casual sandcastle building, turning a childhood pastime into a ticketed offence. The rule aims to keep the shoreline clear, meaning even a simple tower might require official permission first.

Dad: I was a lot better at history than you are. Son: Well, there was a lot less of it then!

Why do refrigerators hum? They don't know the words.

Sign outside of an exterminator: We make mouse calls!

An amoeba walks into a bar. The bartender said, Pay your tab before you split.

When bottled water is cheap it's called a liquidation sale.

To many girls the word 'marriage' has a nice ring to it.

1. Dr. Seuss 2. 305 3. True 4. J.M. Barrie 5. Sound