Nature Study - Eva Varga

Our STEM Club focus the past few months has been ecology and we recently concluded our three part Field, Forest, & Stream study. As a part of the forest ecology focus, we partnered with the USDA Forest Service to hear first hand how a forester manages a forest and to get a chance to use the real tools of the trade.

I met with the Forest Service staff a few weeks prior to our outing to discuss my goals for the lesson and to visit a couple of different study sites. We were thereby able to choose the site best suited for the lesson and for our comfort. Of the two sites we visited, one had experienced a severe forest fire about 10 years prior and though it was a great visual for forest succession (one of the topics we have been covering), there was little to no shade cover as it was still in the shrub stage. We thereby selected a site nestled in a forested area on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake.

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Forest Ecology

From an ecological perspective, the definition of a forest includes all the living components of an area, from the trees to the bacteria, and along with the non-living physical factors, from the soil type to the microclimates. One of the goals of the Forest Service is to provide science-based research, instruction, and extension that supports forest and wildlife conservation and management in an ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable fashion.

Tools of the Trade

Upon our arrival, the foresters described the area (noting that plants on the north side of the peninsula were significantly different than on the south side) and instructed the kids in how to determine our pace for 100 feet, information the kids would need to determine the height of the trees. They then demonstrated the use of a variety of tools – increment borer (to determine age and growth factors), clinometer (to calculate the height), and D-tape (to calculate the diameter of the tree at DBH or diameter at breast height).

The kids were then divided into groups and walked out to one of four trees that had been previously marked. Using the tools described, the kids took a variety of measurements and used the data to calculate the approximate value of the selected trees. [The data from two of the trees is shown in the table above.] What I loved was that the foresters discussed that the tree may be more significant to the health of the overall ecosystem than the monetary value. They then pointed out a tree that had a large number of acorns stashed into the bark by acorn woodpeckers; this was just one of many additional factors that foresters use to manage a forest.

If you would like to undertake a more in-depth forest ecology study, I highly recommend the Tree Study F.I.E.L.D. Kit® by Forestry Suppliers. The complete kit includes a Tree Finder illustrated manual to determine species, a tangent height gauge and 50m measuring tape to figure heights, and a diameter tape. With these tools, students can study annual growth rings by extracting a core sample with a professional model 8″ increment borer (with 10 core holder cards).

Students can also determine the volume of wood in a tree by using the tree scale stick. The kit also includes biodegradable roll flagging and stake wire flags to delineate research areas. Six plastic handheld magnifiers, six packs of six tree cookies, 12″ ruler, lesson plans correlated with National Science Education Standards, and carrying case box are also included.

Interested in undertaking this study yourself? Field, Forest, & Stream is part of the Life Logic: Ecology Explorations unit that I have developed for middle school students. What better way to learn about ecology than to get out there, collect data, and experience the physical factors that influence the animal and plant communities first hand.

With our STEM Club, we recently undertook a three part ecology study I call, Field, Forest, & Stream. We met at a local preserve with a fabulous outdoor classroom space and spent the day inundating ourselves in outdoor science. Today, I share with you the activities we enjoyed as a part of our stream ecology lesson.

Stream Ecology

Streams and their surrounding riparian areas provide essential habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species. To maintain a healthy population of fish and wildlife, a habitat must provide food, water, cover from predators, breeding, nesting, and rearing areas, and protection from heat and cold.

Healthy riparian areas provide most or all of these elements for fish and wildlife species. “Riparian” means riverbank, and “riparian area” refers to the border of moist soils next to a body of water, and the plants that grown there. A small stream with steep banks could have a riparian area that is only a couple of feet wide, but a large lake in a broad valley could have one several hundred feet wide.

Stream Survey / Habitat Assessment

Many factors go into making up a riparian area that is healthy and meets the needs of a variety of species. The data we gathered as a part of our habitat assessment evaluates many of the key indicators of the condition of these important areas. Typically, an authentic riparian area habitat assessment evaluates eleven different parameters, we focused on just a few to simply gain field study experience.

Bottom Substrate

Substrate is the material that makes up the bottom of the stream. It can be a good indicator of land use activities and gradient upstream. It determines what types of macro invertebrates can live there and the suitability of the site for fish and spawning. A diversity of types and sizes of materials is considered to be better habitat than just fine materials such as silt and sand. The bottom substrate affects the characteristics of flow, the quality of the water, and the suitability of habitat for instream life.

Channel Shape

Channel shape can be an indicator of other forces at work in the steam and of conditions at other times of the year. Is the shape a natural product of stream forces, influenced by the actions of humans, or a combination of both?

Velocity of Current

Fast-flowing water is generally more turbulent than slow-moving water. Turbulence is one factor that influences concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Both fast and turbulent flow require different living strategies for organisms found in these reaches. To calculate the current velocity, we measured a 50ft distance along the shore. We then used a stopwatch to calculate the time it took an orange to float this distance. V=50ft/x sec.

Interested in undertaking this study yourself? Field, Forest, & Stream is part of the Life Logic: Ecology Explorations unit that I have developed for middle school students. What better way to learn about ecology than to get out there, collect data, and experience the physical factors that influence the animal and plant communities first hand.

With our STEM Club, we are undertaking a three part ecology study I call, Field, Forest, & Stream. We met at a local preserve with a fabulous outdoor classroom space and spent the day inundating ourselves in outdoor science.

Field Ecology

Our focus for this first visit was on field ecology and we looked at several characteristics: soil, sunlight, water, plants, and animals. We dug two holes: one in a disturbed area (the trail) and one in a grassy area. We were able to collect some great data (shared below) and even found an amazing spider-like critter in the hole the boys dug.

Solifugae

We were able to identify the critter as a Solifugid (pictured in the collage), known variously as camel spiders, wind scorpions, or sun spiders. They are non-venomous, although they are capable of inflicting a painful bite with their powerful jaws.

Most live in dry climates and feed opportunistically on ground-dwelling arthropods and other small animals. Although Solifugae are considered to be endemic indicators of desert biomes, they occur widely in semi-desert and scrub. Some species also live in grassland or forest habitats. Solifugae generally inhabit warm and arid habitats, including virtually all warm deserts and scrublands.

The name Solifugae derives from Latin, and means “those that flee from the sun”. Can you guess why?

We then spent time looking for more critters and listing all the plants and animals we found. Some of the kids actually made a list – some did not. If you would like to see the list of plants & animals identified thus far, please let me know. I’d be happy to share it with you.

Interested in undertaking this study yourself? Field, Forest, & Stream is part of the Life Logic: Ecology Explorations unit that I have developed for middle school students. What better way to learn about ecology than to get out there, collect data, and experience the physical factors that influence the animal and plant communities first hand.

I am delighted to share with you that my friend, Barb at the Handbook of Nature Study, has completely redesigned her website. I have never been more excited for a blog remodel. We have been using Barb’s Outdoor Hour Challenges since we first began homeschooling almost 8 years ago. In fact, it was due to her challenges that I first started blogging about our homeschool journey because I wanted to share all that we were learning on our outdoor adventures.

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With her new website, she has made everything more accessible and I can tell you first hand, it is much easier to navigate. She is passionate about nature study and will continue to publish weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges and topical blog posts for many years to come.

She also offers a free monthly newsletter for email subscribers to encourage families with their nature study. What I love most about her redesign is how easy it is to find specific challenges and posts. Not to mention her new graphics are just so adorable ~ Swoon!

All the past Outdoor Hour Challenges (150+) organized by topic and season will continue to be available.
Access to all the current free printables will remain available.
The monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival will continue to be published at the end of each month.
We will keep working through the scheduled 2013-2014 Bundle of challenges until the end of August 2014.

For the month of April 2014, Barb is offering a $10 discount towards the Ultimate level of membership. Just use the discount code: APRIL10.

Shore Acres, located on the south coast of Oregon near Coos Bay, contains some of the most dramatic geology on the West Coast. Layers of sediment tilt at steep angles, some are spatter with dark round rock formations like cannon balls, and the surf hitting the rocks shoots spectacular waves 50 feet into the air. Both my husband and I grew up in Coos County and most of our family still resides in this area. We thereby get the opportunity to visit frequently.

Perched on rugged sandstone cliffs high above the ocean, Shore Acres State Park is an exciting and unexpected combination of beautiful natural and constructed features. Once the grand estate of pioneer timber baron Louis Simpson, Shore Acres features lushly planted gardens with plants and flowers from all over the world. Something is in bloom almost every day of the year. We’ve explored these gardens in the past but our focus this time was the geology.

1 Concretions

The rock formations that look like cannon balls are called concretions, compact masses of mineral matter embedded in a host rock. Concretions usually form before the rest of the sediment has hardened into solid rock. This pre-rock cementing material collects around a nucleus of decaying organic material.

2 Salt Weathering

The power of the ocean is wearing away the rock formations day by day, as the waves strike the rocky coastline and explode into the air. But an even more subtle force of geologic change comes from the evaporation of billions of droplets of seawater, deposited on the rocks and causing salt weathering.

3 Colliding Plates

The layers of rock that are part of the Coaledo Formation tilt at a 40-45 degree angle from the Juan de Fuca plate colliding with the North American plate. The flat surface around you is formed by a wave cut pattern called the Whiskey Run Marine Terrace.

As we drove home, I encouraged the kids to give an oral narration of what they understood from the interpretive signs we had read and the observations we had made. I hoped that they would also make a few sketches in their nature journal but a las they did not. Nature journaling is personal. I try to model it as often as I can but I don’t force it.

During our geology walk, we were delighted to also observe a pod of sea lions surfing the waves and racing one another. At first, I thought they were dolphins for I had never seen sea lions leap and dive before this day. We watched them for several minutes as they continued their journey south, presumably to a secluded beach not far from where we were standing.

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Submitted to the Outdoor Hour Challenge at the Handbook of Nature Study.

For many regions of California, 2013 ended as the driest year in recorded history. That trend has continued into 2014, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a drought state of emergency in January of this year. Though rains have begun to fall and storms have threatened some regions with flooding due to the lack of vegetation after recent fires, officials are clear that the precipitation will do little to offset the years of drought.

feast or famine Inspired to see the effects of the drought, we took a drive a few weeks ago up to Lakeview along the shore of Lake Shasta in Northern California. On this walk, we looked for signs of the weather’s effect in nature and especially for the effects on food, water, and shelter for animals.

We also observed evidence that man has changed the environment. The construction of Shasta Dam in the 1940s created a 4.5 million acre‐foot reservoir, the largest in the state. The dam captures water from three rivers (the upper Sacramento, McCloud, and Pit). As a result of the dam construction, abandoned towns, roads, and railways ended up under water.

The extremely low water level at Shasta Lake has revealed this part of the state’s history. Today’s low water level is revealing some interesting things from that bygone era – like the old railroad lines that used to run through the area. Tunnels and train trestles that are normally under about 100 feet of water are now visible.

We enjoyed walking around the lake bed. As we did so, we marveled at the normally hidden engineering projects. The sediment was so soft, we were able to observe animals tracks and small vegetation taking root.

Feast or Famine? is one of many suggested nature study outings in Creative Nature Walks, a fun, new book by Cindy West. For families new to nature study, Creative Nature Walks is a great way to begin a weekly outing with your family. She provides more than 100 exciting nature walks ideas that are sure to get you out the door in minutes and grow your family’s love for nature. For experienced families like us, her ideas provided a new spark; a little twist on our usual routine. I love that!