Learning About Connections!

Today, the Urban Naturalists learned about food chains and about how all the parts in nature are connected. The Urban Naturalists put together food chains examples and presented them to the rest of the class. After the presentations, the scientists observed and drew diagrams of earthworms: our excellent decomposers!

Our Urban Naturalist, Edward, hard
at work drawing diagrams of our worms!

Some of us were still a little hesitant
 to touch the worms...

Scientific Drawing

We had a lesson from our OSEEC AmeriCorps, Chloe, on Scientific Drawing tips and tricks! We put them to good use by sketching and labeling some objects from nature. We then took a walk out into the chilly schoolyard to find some objects to sketch. We learned the importance of focusing on shapes, patterns, colors and distinctive features when drawing our scientific sketches.

Practicing our Scientific Drawing Sills using biofacts from the Audubon Society

One student's drawing of a butterfly wing

An excellent example of a
 scientific drawing of a seagull egg! 

It was chilly outside! 

Concentrating on the details of an owl feather

First Day of Winter Session!

We were pumped to start our first day of Winter Session! 

We wrote up and illustrated our class contract together. The Urban Naturalists came up with the contract on their own. It is as follows:

• No stealing
• No touching the dogs at the park
• Keep your hands to yourself - don't get up in my grill
• Use the bathroom before we go to the park
• Respect nature, friends and educators 
• Listen to the person speaking
• Be careful with the animals we find
• No littering 
• No being nasty
• No swearing 
• Stay with the group
• Stranger Danger 
• Stay where you are and howl if you get lost in the park
• No feeding the animals
• No throwing things 

Specifically for the educators: 

• No yelling when everyone is happy
• Be awesome! 
• Don't accuse anyone or abuse your power 

We then met a Ball Python named Bo and learned about snakes from one of our veteran 8th grade Urban Naturalists!

Group of Urban Naturalists illustrating the importance of not littering in the park 

Urban Naturalists showing
the importance of  the
 "Keeping your Hands to Yourself "
 rule and the "Stranger Danger" rule

Two excellent Urban Naturalists
 brainstorming  for their posters

Kash, our 8th Grade Urban Naturalist teaching the class about Ball Pythons

Camouflage at its Best!

Our Urban Naturalists have become experts in the game of "Camouflage". The game, similar to hide and seek, involves the students to use the surrounding habitat to blend in as not to be spotted by the seeker. The seeker, however, cannot move around from their designated spot. Instead, they must use their senses to try to find the students hiding in plain sight infront of them.

Can you spot our Urban Naturalist Expert Camouflager among the leaves? 

Leash the Pups!

Our students worked very hard to make sure we could conduct our science experiments within the park without worrying about puppies trying to join in. Thanks to the Friends of Blackstone Park, we are able to enjoy our time at the park even more with pups on leashes!

Sit Spot Surprises

Each Urban Naturalist chooses a spot to observe for the entire session to determine the various changes throughout the season. One of the Fall 2012 Scholars, Emilio, discovered some lovely mushrooms at his new spot! Check it out!

PBS Special

The PASA Summer Scholars program was featured in a PBS NewsHour Special over the summer. Check out the Urban Naturalists on National TV!

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/july-dec12/summerschool_08-20.html

The Creative Projects by Urban Naturalists!

6 Word Story Mural the Urban Naturalists are painting and placing in Blackstone Park

Map of Blackstone Park with areas of human interaction indicated along the trail

Comparative list of nature found at both Blackstone Park and Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk, MA

Students collection of 6 Word Stories

Invasive Species Trading Cards created by the Urban Naturalists

The start of an epic tale of Carl, an Urban Naturalist, who battles invasive species along his travels!

Our mural is almost complete!

Urban Naturalist Display Case

Student's collection of biofacts from the 4-week program

While playing a game titled The Un-natural Trail, students were asked to find plastic animals hidden along a set trail. This was to help teach them how to better use observation skills. During this game, a few students discovered a snake shed, a leaf containing a gall, a large beetle and a collection of spotted feathers (perhaps part of a kill site). I guess we didn't need to practice observation techniques with plastic animals after all! They were naturals at being Urban Naturalists!

Over the 4 weeks, we have collected even MORE to add to our display case. Check out our findings!

Invasive Species Service Project Day

Invasive Species Removal
Service Project Day

Students pulling up Japanese Knotweed at Blackstone Park in Providence, Rhode Island

Taking down some Japanese Knotweed!

Trying to pull the Invasive Species out by the roots

Singing as we work

Students pulled up large portions of Knotweed from under the ground

Students take a water break

Crescendo helped us dig up plants!

Group with all our work from the day!

Silly photo!

Journaling

Student shares his 6 Word Story and drawings

LOOK OUT RI!: Marmorated Stink Bugs Invading Connecticut

An invasive type of stink bug has hitchhiked its way into Connecticut and is threatening fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Called the brown marmorated stink bug, the spotted insect came to the United States from Asia as a stowaway on cargo containers. Entomologists believe they arrived in Allentown, Pa., in 1996 and spread to New Jersey in 1998. Since then, the insect has spread to 33 states and the District of Columbia.

 But the brown marmorated stink bug feeds on more than 70 plants and has no known biological enemy, said Chris T. Maier, entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

When this pest eats plants and flowers, it leaves brown spots behind, and with the nymphs and adults eating the same plant, they can cause significant damage. This stink bug is known to eat apples, peaches, nectarines, pears, cherries, apricots, figs, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, sweet corn and field corn, soybeans, lima beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, roses, honeysuckle, lilacs, maples and dogwoods. These pests also feed on perennials, sunflowers, hazelnuts and pecans.

 

There are no insecticides known to effectively kill this nuisance, although scientists are working on it.

With nothing to stop the brown marmorated stink bugs from spreading, populations can reach levels high enough to cause serious damage to crops within a few years after arriving in an area, Maier said.

In the mid-Atlantic states such as Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the stink bug populations soared last year, damaging so many crops that they hurt apple and peach growers financially.

But if you spot a brown marmorated stink bug, she said, immediately contact the experiment station (see instructions below.) The brown marmorated stink bug is the only brownish stink bug, over one-half-inch long, with distinctive white bands on each antenna, Maier said.

Both the adults and nymphs can be found on the underside of leaves from June to August, said Joan Allen, assistant cooperative extension educator in residence at the University of Connecticut.

To kill any such bugs found outside, shake them into a bucket of soapy water or into a plastic zippered bag, and put it in the freezer. Like all stink bugs, they emit a pungent odor when threatened, so try to avoid direct contact. 

>>If you see an adult bug, collect a specimen, note the date and contact Chris Maier at Chris.Maier@ct.gov/. Please mark the town where it was found, and send it to Maier at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, New Haven, CT 06504.

Are Humans Invasive Species?

Six Word Stories Created By Students

"Closing eyes to find unusual things" -Leila

"Trying to find my delicious prey" -Julisse

BARK by Emeril
CLEAN UP by Melvin
FOILED INVASIVE by Jordan
ADVOCATE by Julisse

Erosion at Blackstone

The students have been watching out for erosion around the park, when they learn about soil degradation and the importance of staying safe while helping protect the environment.

Student Created "PASA" Poster

Wordle War!

Based on some intense observation collection, these wordles represent our findings between the Nathan Bishop space and Blackstone Park. 

Bigger words are objects that more students collected observations on. 

 Can you tell which wordle is which?

Classroom Decor!

The VOCAB TREE is updated daily based on our newly defined and discussed words. We then recycle the words when we write six word stories or invasive species rap parodies.

The CLASSROOM RULES were created and voted on by the campers!

We found the ADVICE FROM A TREE at a tag sale and thought it was the perfect addition to our classroom. The advice goes as follows: "Stand tall and proud, sink your roots into the earth, be content with your natural beauty, go out on a limb, drink plenty of water, remember your roots, enjoy the view."

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STUDENTS OF THE DAY/WEEK

RACE TO THE PARK GRAPH