Monday, March 28, 2011

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.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

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).

Monday, March 14, 2011

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!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

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

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

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!