Another School Year

I promise I will get my pictures from Namibia posted sometime soon. The school year has been busy so far. Just as a heads up the Baker Middle School science department is currently collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items for FISH as part of the I Will campaign in memory of 9/11.

Check out this article

This article really made me think about stewardship and conservation here in the states. I just finished my trip to Africa for 3 weeks in which I was a minority. You saw people of all races exploring nature and the wildlife around! It's sad to think we struggle to make that cultural connection in the U.S. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44008927/ns/travel-news/#.Tjp3_YIabIU

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

I leave tomorrow morning for Namibia! World of great open spaces and CHEETAHS! :) I'm definitely excited. I'll be flying from Dayton to Dulles. After an extensive 16 hour flight over seas (with a stop-over in Senegal) I will land in Johannesburg and then take another plane to Windhoek, Namibia! :) Finally on the 24th we will have arrived and will stay in Windhoek for the night. I will then be going to Cheetah Conservation Fund for a few days, then to Etosha National Park. After that we go back to CCF. After our course is completed I will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa to sight see and relax a little. Also it will be an opportunity to pay homage to my pen-pal Emmerance who died of cancer over 10 years ago who lived in Cape Town (but was originally from Rwanda). After my time in Cape Town I will be flying to London to visit one of my dear friends and sorority sisters Brittany who lives and is studying in London currently! I will get to tour London for a day then I'll be back home to my friends and family, and especially my husband and our cat! :) (I am missing our one year wedding anniversary while I'm on the trip). Well next time I post I might be on the other side of the world/ and on another hemisphere! See you on the flip side! My internet access is  limited on the trip so I'll try to post when I can! 

Our cat getting in on my packing! 

Leo wants to go to Namibia to see the big cats!!!

Namibia: The preparations

I have finally finished my courses at Miami University for the summer! I took an entomology class as I mentioned earlier and ended up with a pretty awesome insect collection! We also got to visit the Cincinnati Zoo and got a "behind the scenes" tour by one of the zookeepers for the insect house (I feel terrible because I can't remember his name for the life of me now!)! Definitely interesting. (Did you know they use 3-in-1 oil to keep their ants from escaping?) Also, they grow most of the plants that they feed to their insects, which I think is a cool way to cut down on costs for maintaining the insects. I never thought about how much work goes into caring for an insect house and got to learn about what a fantastic insect house we have at the Cincinnati Zoo (it's one of the best in the country)!

My insect collection, it's a little in disarray because I added a few insects to it  that aren't in the right place yet!

A zookeeper at the insect house at the Cincinnati Zoo

I also took an infectious disease course which was really fast paced but I learned all kinds of things I didn't know before! I've started to appreciate how important getting vaccines really is. Also, to erase some misconceptions I wanted to add the note that there has now been no connection between vaccines (specifically MMR) and autism. The one report that said there was a connection was found to be essentially entirely forged by the scientist that reported it. Yes, even scientists can be unethical! 

So now it's time for me to prepare for my trip to Namibia! I'll probably put one or two more posts before I leave about my flight arrangements and also about all the crazy stuff I had to pack and things I had to do to get ready for this trip!

I get by with a little help from my friends

I will be leaving for Namibia in about 3 weeks. YIKES! When we go to the Cheetah Conservation Fund they are willing to take some donations that will go for several different uses. If you are interested in donating children's books, school supplies, rechargeable AA batteries, blank DVD's, office supplies, etc. I would be more than happy to pick up those items or arrange a location for drop off. I can only take what will fit in a duffle bag with me (up to approx 70lbs.) so what I can take is slightly limited but any donations would be appreciated! You will be helping in saving cheetahs, educating Namibian youth, and ensuring that everyone in the world can learn and be able to see what amazing animals cheetahs are! General Items to be donated to CCF . I am definitely getting excited about visiting CCF and Namibia in general. So I decided I'd post a few pictures from when Trevor (my husband) and I visited The Wilds and saw their new cheetah center! :)

Me being blinded by the sun

Trevor being blinded by the sun.

A very fitting sign, I know I wouldn't want to make the animals sick by getting eaten!

Arthropod-Mania

I am currently taking an entomology course at Miami University. Once I get my insect collection arranged a bit better be ready to see some pictures of my insects that I have collected. Today we visited the Cincinnati Zoo to tour the insect house. Did you know that the zoo has one of the largest collections of living insects in the country? It's quite fascinating to see the insects at the zoo. They discovered that the gigantic stick insects actually can go through parthenogenesis (females can give birth to live young without fertilization from a male). Here's a brief video on stick insects. Enjoy!

Books to read by the pool but get some learning in too!

If you love to read in the summertime and are planning on spending lots of time at the pool or at home here's a list of "environmentally" friendly books that I have read that I have found to be very interesting and worthwhile! Some are classics, others are not!

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson - great read if you are looking for something to remind you why organic gardening or knowing where your food and water comes from and what you put on it is important. I also find it inspiring that a movement can be made by one person writing a world-changing book!

Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Tree Hill- if you have ever dreamed of living in a tree or doing something rash to protect the environment (or any cause for that matter), this is the book for you. It's a fantastic lesson in civil disobedience.

The Elephant's Secret Sense by Caitilin O'Connell - I am currently reading this book about her time studying elephants in Namibia, not only is it fascinating to learn about conservation at work. It's a great lesson on how scientists in the field really work. (Not to mention it's cool to read about the elephants and how they interact with each other!)

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson- If you can't spend time at the ocean, you might as well read about it. Though I only read excerpts of this book while in college, I found her descriptive prose quite captivating!

Soul of a Lion by Barbra Bennett- As I am soon traveling to Namibia I have tried to find anything and everything to read about the country and I came across the tale of Marieta van der Merwe and her attempts to rehabilitate and protect wildlife in Namibia and Southern Africa.


In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall - Gives a striking perspective of how similar we really are to our relatives (the chimpanzee). This book helps renew my interest in animal behavior and evolutionary biology. It also serves as a reminder and inspiration that it takes people that are passionate about life to help to protect and save the lives of organisms on the planet.


I hope that these books inspire the naturalist inside you! Just remember the best way you can experience nature is to get outside and explore! :) You never know what you might find!

Hello from Rainy Ohio

Well Ohio has been receiving some near-record or record breaking rains this week! Though it looks like my plants outdoors really appreciate it, it has definitely been a challenge to get much accomplished. I will try to update soon with some photos of my seedlings that are still under the flouresecent lights in my house, they are definitely a lot larger. If you are looking for something to do this weekend with your family (granted that it finally stopped raining) you should stop by Five River MetroParks Wegerzyn Garden's and Children's Discovery Garden (whew a lot of words for a title), a.k.a. the awesome place with plants and a waterfall to play in (after memorial day). It was just featured today in the It's Where You Play segment on Fox 45 and 22. I am actually employed there which is why I am obviously a big proponent! Currently there is this amazing sculpture there designed by Patrick Dougherty and put together by volunteers made out of willow saplings and branches. Visit his website to check out some examples of his artwork. It should be there for the next 2 years, but come and visit it while it is newly built and see the evolution of the sculpture over time! I was there the other day when they were finishing building it and it looks amazing!

Pictures of my seedlings! :)

The seedlings are starting to grow!

I was sick for a few days and wasn't able to update my posts. Here are some images from the seed starts that I had discussed in my last post.(See above) I have some nasturtium and tomato plants growing now!

Nasturtium - They are an edible flower, they taste somewhat like a radish. They make a beautiful salad garnish and a great outdoor decoration!

It's that time of year again!

Are you looking to start a garden? Maybe your family's wallet is a little limited this year and you're looking for a way to save some money? Vegetable gardening is a fantastic way to save money and reconnect with your environment. Even if you live in an area without a back yard you can have a fantastic potted vegetable garden. This year is my new family's first attempt at growing a garden. I grew up with gardens in my backyard as a young child, but my husband and I are giving it a go this time around. We are going to use the small Jiffy pot starter kits.  Soak the pots in water, add the seeds, cover with the lid. Then you place the entire thing in a warm area, check and water regularly until the seeds germinate, then you need to put them near a light source. Normally a window will not be enough light. In the past my family has set them relatively close (2") from 1 or 2 fluorescent light bulbs. This should get them enough light. If you're lucky you might even want to get yourself a plant light that provides UV light (more like natural sunlight). Once the last frost has occurred then you're ready to plant your seedlings in the ground (or larger pots)! I'll take some images and post to take you through some of the steps.

If you are interested in learning more about gardening here are a few local places to check out (in the Dayton area).

 Grow With Your Neighbors
Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark located off of Seibenthaler Ave in Dayton, Ohio is currently renting community garden plots, for more information call (937)-277-6545
If you're looking for a more "modern" and innovative garden be sure to check out Garden Station in Dayton, Ohio.

Science Olympiad

Congratulations to the Fairborn High School Science Olympiad Team! This was their first year competing and the students did a great job! We had one pair of students place 5th in the Write it Do it competition. Mrs. Lehner and I are looking forward to the team having an awesome year next year!

Answers to the Scientific Names

1. Timber Rattlesnake
2. Duck Billed Platypus
3. Red Eyed Tree Frog (also known as the Gaudy Tree Frog).

Guess the common names!

If you have taken some time out of your schedule to visit the blog, here's a way to get a few extra credit points (for my students)! Bring in a sheet with the common names for the following species by Friday! If you're just visiting the blog I'll post the answers on Friday in the evening!

Crotalus horridus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Agalychnis calidryas


Good luck!

Did that giraffe just lick a lollipop?

Why do giraffe's have blue/black tongues?

This question was posed to me in class on Friday (along with several other questions) so I figured this would be the first one I would try to answer since I did not know the answer to the question. Surprisingly, after visiting the San Diego Zoo website I found a fantastic Giraffe facts page and learned that Giraffa camelopardalis is suspected to have a blue/black tongue to prevent them from getting sunburned. Pretty cool hypothesis, huh?  I searched several primary resources but could not find any actual research until why giraffe's tongues are blue/black, so indeed it's something I will look into further! 

Things to do in Fairborn, Greene County, and Montgomery County this weekend

The forecast for Sunday looks like it will be sunny but a little chilly with a high of about 47.
Activities on Sunday:
- Snow Trillium Hike 1:30 pm. Cedarville at the Indian Mound Reserve, log cabin parking lot.
- Ice Skate for the last day of the year at Riverscape with Five Rivers Metro Parks $5.00 for skate rental and access to the rink.
- Check out one of the Fairborn's community parks! They truly are free so be sure to check them out when the weather is nice!

For more information on these events check out the following websites:

Fairborn City Parks

Greene County Parks

Five Rivers Metro Parks

Things to do in Fairborn, Greene County, and Montgomery County this weekend

The forecast for Sunday looks like it will be sunny but a little chilly with a high of about 47.
Activities on Sunday:
- Snow Trillium Hike 1:30 pm. Cedarville at the Indian Mound Reserve, log cabin parking lot.
- Ice Skate for the last day of the year at Riverscape with Five Rivers Metro Parks $5.00 for skate rental and access to the rink.
- Check out one of the Fairborn's community parks! They truly are free so be sure to check them out when the weather is nice!

For more information on these events check out the following websites:

Student work

During the fall semester of 2010 my 8th period biology class identified and researched the trees on the school property. Below is the map we created of the trees located on Fairborn High School's property. I hope this can be helpful to some of you, as it gives general information and good images of what each type of tree looks like. In addition, if you notice any mistakes in identification please notify me, as some of the ornamental species are difficult to identify! It is easier to look at the larger map and zoom in so you can view all of the trees.  
View Fairborn High School Trees in a larger map

Welcome!

This is my first blog post about the new Fairborn Eco Spot that I have created. I currently teach 9th grade Biology and Advanced Biology at Fairborn High School. I hope to be able to share information with community members about different eco-friendly activities available in the community as well as findings my students and I have made about our surroundings during investigations! I will also share answers to questions my students have asked in class that I don't always have the time to answer in class!