In lieu of a final exam, we have to present what's called a Capstone Project. It's a way to transition us from learning to teaching. I have joined with another gal in my class. She was invited to develop the curriculum for a 4H day camp happening the end of July. I will be helping her. Our topic is trees. Our theme (at this early point in planning) is ecology, and the part trees play in the world's ecosystems. Our audience is Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. That's a pretty broad spectrum of attention spans, I know. In the end, we hope to make them more aware of their surroundings, spark curiosity, instill a lifelong passion for learning more about the world around them, while fostering awareness of the power they have to make change. The capstone will essentially be an outline of our intentions and what preparations we've already made. I think the presentation, and the day camp, will be great fun!
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I joined an organization called iNaturalist. It's an organization where Citizens Scientists and Academics Scientists join together to identify organisms in Nature. I tried out my phone camera today and it's no good for what I need. I need to be able to take up-close photos, and because of the wheelchair I can't always gain access, so I need a telephoto lens. I dug out my digital camera and am dusting it off and charging the battery. I will give it a try tomorrow and see if it works any better. I'm not even sure I can hold it up anymore, but I'm in the process of remedying that.
Did you know there was such a thing as Citizens Scientists? With technology the way it is these days, Academic Scientists are taking advantage of regular everyday citizens to help them with their research. Take iNaturalist as just one example. You take photographs, attempt to identify it yourself, or at least get the basic grouping that the object of your photograph is in, and then they help you identify it, all the while using that data for their own research. This way academic scientists can have thousands of people assisting their fieldwork. Academics get the data, and we learn more from their knowledge. It's a symbiotic relationship, and one I'm looking forward to being a part of. As a Citizen Scientist, you can help independently, or be a part in assisting with group projects as well. Some examples are:
- Audubon Christmas Bird Count --www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/getinvolved.htmi, if you love birds;
- Minnesota Frog and Toad Calling Survey; North American Butterfly Counts--www.naba.org/counts.html;
- Journey North "engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change". for K-12 and the general public as well -- www.learner.org/jnorth/
- Lake Level Minnesota is a program for volunteers and cooperative organizations to collect and report lake levels throughout the state -- mndnr.gov/volunteering/lakelevelmn.html
There are so many opportunities available, in every state. Please feel free to leave me a message if you're interested in more information.
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I was able to get down by the river today. It finally got warm enough. I spooked up what I thought was a Grey Heron, but when I got back to look at my bird book, I'm fairly certain I saw a Sandhill Crane. If it was, it was a first time siting for me.
I also heard a solitary Redwing Blackbird for the first time this season. I saw a flock of white pelicans, as well, soaring in the sky.
I'm looking forward to see what kind of adventures will evolve the summer, especially with all these new tools I have at my disposal. Stay tuned, it could be fun!
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