Kathrina O’Connell led a cross-curricular project focusing on the human impact on prairie life. Her sixth-grade students collaborated with each other and with field experts to research conservation and maintenance of land, focusing on a part of their local prairie in northwestern Minnesota. They learned to hand-harvest, scarify, and plant seeds to support the growth of prairie grass. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Protecting Our Prairies
ENVIRONMENT It turns out that Florida’s prettiest pinkos are natives of the Sunshine State after all. (National Geographic) Learn more about American flamingos with the Photo Ark! Discussion Ideas What is the species range of the American flamingo? Until recently, the species range of the American flamingo was thought to be mostly in the countries of the Caribbean—hence the bird’s other name, the Caribbean flamingo. … Continue reading Florida’s Flamingos Were Hiding in Plain Sight
Sometimes it’s hard to get kids enthused about plants when there are snakes around. “Vertebrates are cute and fuzzy, and we’re vertebrates, so it’s easy to relate,” says plant ecologist Jocelyn Holt. Nurturing a child’s sense of kinship with plants requires some effort. Jocelyn works with the National Park Service to bring EcoHelper students from the Los Angeles Unified School District to hike, pull weeds, … Continue reading Plant Wars and Tinder Boxes
