All About Trees!

Today, the Urban Naturalists learned about plants outside! We learned about some wonderful trees that surrounded our schoolyard. We had to figure out how to identify the trees using clues in its bark, leaves and flowers.

Sketching a Bradford Pear Tree in their notebooks! 

Here, one of our Urban Naturalists attaches a leaf
into his journal to help ID it in future hikes

We then learned about "Tree Cookies" or cross sections of a tree. By looking at tree cookies, we can learn about the history of the environment in which the tree grew up in. Not only do we learn about the age of the tree, but also about whether the tree received enough nutrients and sunlight, if it suffered any trauma due to fire, human impact or insects, and what was going on in the environment in which it lived. All in all, we discussed how trees were truly living things!

Taking some time to examine our tree cookies

We finished up the day by planting some "mystery seeds". Each Urban Naturalist will measure and analyze their plant in hopes to discover what mystery plant they are growing! Each will get to take their plant home at the end of session. 

Urban Naturalists: Out and About Part 2!

Elly made the news in a very small photo on the Cox Communications website! Check him out at http://www.coxconserves.com/

First Day of Spring Session!

Our first day of Spring Session has begun! Our Urban Naturalists began their day checking out a "Mystery Object". They observed, drew, and noted various parts of our Mystery Object and took some guesses as to what it may be. The correct answer was a Gall. A gall is a small bulge on a plant stem that is usually due to the effects of an insect laying its egg into the layers of the stem. As the egg develops, the stem swells to accomidate the growth. When the insect is mature enough, it escapes through a small hole in the top. To learn more about galls, click here.

We then took an adventure outside into the schoolyard of Nathan Bishop Middle School to learn a bit about the Urban Naturalist program and about scientific illustration.

We then put our skills to the test by drawing and observing various biofacts brought by the ASRI educators or by observing something in the schoolyard.

Finally, we were able to meet a Pueblan Milksnake! Some students chose to draw her while Chloe presented our animal while others just had lots of questions! Click here to learn a bit about Pueblan Milksnakes.

Peregrine Falcon Babies!

The Peregrine Falcons nesting in Providence finally have some puffy babies! Check out the two new chicks that have hatched this week at http://www.asri.org/general-conservation-info/providence-peregrine-falcon-webcam.html and watch them grow!

To learn more about Peregrine Falcons, click here for some information.

Here is a grainy photo of Momma Peregrine feeding some of the babies!

Urban Naturalists - Out and About!

Check out this news update Jaida was featured in! http://blackstoneparksconservancy.org/1366/urban-naturalists-demo-in-the-park/

Good Job Jaida!

Press Release for Urban Naturalists and Cox Communications!

The Urban Naturalists for Spring Session went right to work educating others about the environment! Cox Communications of RI generously donated to ASRI to help support technology to be used in the AfterSchool Urban Naturalist Programs. The Urban Naturalists attended the Press Release and educated some of the Cox Communications representatives about what they do in their program! We were so grateful for this donation and we can't wait to use some of the new tools and devices to aid in our exploration around Providence!

Learn about the Cox Communications Award at http://prsync.com/cox-enterprises/cox-communications-awards-grant-to-audubon-society-of-ri-537391/

Here, the Urban Naturalists were able to educate some visiting RISD students! 

Our excellent information team: Elly, Frances, Katherine, Emeril and
Jaida showed folks some projects we have done in the past as well
as a scientific illustration demonstration! 

Thank you Cox! 

Posing for a Serious Photo...

...followed by a TRUE Urban Naturalist shot!

Jaida's live Scientific Illustration Demonstration

Just some of the educators that day! 

Wahoo Urban Naturalists! 

Photo taken by Hope Foley from ASRI

Photo taken by Hope Foley from ASRI

While our veteran Urban Naturalists were talking with the folks
inside, our new Urban Naturalists spent their very first day
in the program outside exploring the refuge! Despite
the rain, they spotted a number of birds and even a
rabbit!