Beaches!

WGCU's Curious Kids TV Beaches

If you don't live close to a beach, then perhaps you'll visit one on a summer vacation. I've been lucky enough to work in Florida for the last fourteen years and I have to say that going to the beach is one of favorite things to do. 

Florida beaches have experienced some murky waters this year after freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee triggered terrible algal blooms along both coasts. The ocean might be vast, but it is easily affected negatively by human actions. I've listed below some things you can do to help protect the ocean.

Did you ever wonder what a closer look at sand might reveal? The Curious Kids interviewed Dr. Gary Greenberg who introduced them to the magical world of sand grains.

Things you can do to help protect your watershed, and subsequently the ocean into which it feeds:

• Use biodegradable household cleaning products (easy to buy these days), or make your own -  ingredients such as baking soda, essential oils, vinegar, borax  and lemon will do the trick.
• Dispose of hazardous materials safely - many communities have Hazardous Waste Pick up. Toxic waste that ends up in the landfills can leach into the watershed.
• Conserve water - even if you live somewhere where it rains a lot, conserving water helps foster an appreciation for this precious resource.
• Wash your car at a car wash - in addition to using less water the Car wash seems more eco-friendly:  Check out the numbers here. 

                           Have fun at the beach and remember to only leave your footprints!

Hey, have you played the Footprint Game with Earth and Rosie? Try it out - click on the Footprint Icon on the right hand side of this page!

Grandmother Spider

When I was touring schools with my Eco-rock Rainbow Road show (from 1997 - 2003) I opened the performances with a Muskogee (Creek) story called "How Grandmother Spider Stole The Sun. It was my signature story and became synonymous with the "We're All Interconnected" message I sought to impart to children.

Truthfully, I'm not wild about spiders. They freak me out. However, I implicitly understand their importance in the ecological landscape of our world and retain (like many others) an inherent fascination with arachnids of all shapes and sizes.

Tan jumping spider - Photo by Kevin Collins

There's no denying their ability to evoke fear in us! But also amazement at their beauty and ability to spin such phenomenal webs!

Peacock spider Photo by Jurgen Otto

Photo by Fir002/flagstaffotos.com.au

So how do we introduce spiders to children? After all, there is good reason to fear some of the spiders in our neighborhoods. In Florida the brown recluse is a formidable entity, as is the black widow in parts of Canada. But painting all spiders with the same brush stroke can create unnecessary fear and demonization of the species. So when my 5 year old grandson expressed horror and disgust at the thought of spiders in the basement of his home (where I was sleeping), I immediately reassured him that spiders aren't 'bad'; that one should be cautious around them, but gently removing them from the house and putting them outside was my personal preference when confronted by them. We promptly did this with one that I found.

Australian golden silk orb weaver with locust: Photo by Brian W. Schaller

The approach I take with kids is to get them fascinated by the creatures. Look at this spider catching a locust. Think about the strength of the silk spiders spin. How many babies do they have - how do they float in the wind? Below are some ideas for starting the conversation.

Story & Lesson Plan: How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun

Learning about spiders

The Secrets of Spider Silk

Butterflies

  

I Saw Butterflies Kissing Today!

What child is not captivated the first time it sees a butterfly fluttering by. There is something enchanting about these fragile insects. To watch the metamorphoses of a caterpillar into a butterfly is one of life's most memorable first science lessons.

Butterflies can also provide us with insights into resilience and mimicry; butterfly wings have also inspired a biomimicry project (provided in a link below). Butterflies have evolved to use mimicry to their advantage. Take the Peacock butterfly for example:

                                                              Photo by Charles J. Sharp

Lepidopterists studying Peacock butterflies hypothesize that the 'eyespots' on their wings deter potential predators, such as birds, making the butterflies less susceptible to being eaten. Can your kids find any other examples of how butterflies use mimicry? I can think of one butterfly, that's fairly well known...it's name begins with a 'V' and it imitates a very well know butterfly called the Monarch!

Speaking of Monarch butterflies, they have to be one of the most resilient.

                                                                Photo by William Warby

Many of you reading this Blog probably know all about monarch butterflies, as they tend to be the most popular butterfly species to be studied in classrooms. However, some of you may not know that many of the Canadian, or northern-born, generation of Monarchs make the 3,4000-mile (5,500 kilometer) journey to Mexico each year. A sharp decline in the numbers arriving in Mexico a few years ago prompted fear that the species might be on the brink of extinction. Thankfully, recent conservation efforts between the U.S., Canada and Mexico seem to have had positive results, showing that in 2014 their numbers had increased. One action that will help these butterflies is to plant Milkweed, the wildflower that is essential to their survival. 

                                                                   Photo by Teune

You will need to check which milkweed plant is native to your area. 

There are lots of projects out there to do with kids on butterflies. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Invite the kids to identify one or two butterflies in your neighborhood. Learn about those. Are they connected to a specific plant species, like the Monarch? If so, can you plant some seeds for next year?

2. Make a Butterfly Feeder to attract butterflies to your garden/apartment or school yard.

                                                                             ******
Here is a website that provides more information on Behavioral Ecology
Project Milkweed provides information on the milkweed plant.
Biomimicry and Butterflies is an interesting introduction to biomimicry by the Smithsonian.
                                                                                Have fun!