By Alex Oberle The feathery smudge was an epitaph inscribed on a high window of an Iowa home, a sad homage to a migration that came to a sudden and final end. Was the smudge left by an ovenbird, already 700 miles of flight but one unyielding window short of the dense woods of central Ontario? Or was the smudge left by a black-and-white warbler, … Continue reading Celebrating and Advancing the Year of the Bird with Geo-Inquiry
ENVIRONMENT Silicon Valley is booming, and longtime residents are being driven out. But only in Shoreline Park are the newcomers eating the natives. (New York Times) Where else are feral cats threatening native species? Use our study guide to learn how Australia is dealing with the problem. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including today’s simple MapMaker … Continue reading Feeding Feral Cats is Not For the Birds
Lyanne Abreu connected her urban students with the natural world around them through a challenge offered by the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. Students learned about native and migratory bird species in South Florida and collected data, making observations at specific sites and documenting their findings in journals. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Developing the Patience to See
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
ENVIRONMENT New research shows a trend of vultures avoiding Portugal in favor of Spain, and human activity is likely to blame. (BBC) How else are vultures adapting their species ranges? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Portugal is a nice place! Why are vultures avoiding it? Read through the short BBC article for some help. … Continue reading Why Vultures Avoid Portugal
