Monday, February 3, 2014

Apples!

Woodland Ecology dives into the qualities and characteristics of apples, to discover the family history of those apples ... Fuji, Braeburn, Empire, Macoun, MacIntosh, Granny Smith.






Apple Art



Swift River Puddle ... report to be published in March 2014

Life on Earth students tackled the question of whether we could use our finely honed aquatic sampling techniques to answer a question on everyone's minds ... is that puddle breeding mosquitoes?


Geared up and ready to explore

Ladies and waders

The competition is fierce for the title "Animal Whisperer"

Ready to do some first rate sampling

Ms. Vigneux stops by to get the "scoop" on the puddle

couldn't resist, could you?!

It's all about who gets to use the waders!!

Ecology and Clark's class get together

... for a lesson on leaves and ...
A meeting of the minds, under the SRE pavillion ... why do trees need their leaves?

Which branch is Oak? Which is Maple? ... voting with our feet


... a rousing game of Oak-Oak-Maple
Oak, oak, oak, oak, oak, oak ... 

... MAPLE!!

run, Sam, run!

Fun in the sun on a September afternoon



Biology students explore the Belchertown Experimental Forest

In the waning days of October, students go in search of biotic and abiotic data at the BHS pond and in "Narnia"
Result?  Lots of diversity in both locations, each with a different flavor.

Tadpole visits room 111

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Another successful Lake Wallace Cleanup!

Joining thousands of volunteers across 4 states on October 5th, these hard working volunteers picked up garbage, cleared sticks and got to work constructing a temporary bridge for the swampy backwaters of the Lake Wallace loop trail.  Thanks, scouts and everyone else!

Volunteers are geared up and ready to make Lake Wallace a better place

Hmm ... this is the 3rd time we've found an owl pellet on this rock.  Maybe it's from the same owl that hooted back to us last February

Volunteers getting muddy for the sake of a dry trail

Ms. Levy gets a helping hand

A job well done ... Thanks to all!

and to you, too.

Late summer at the BHS pond

The water is pretty low for the first week of October

 ... but the frogs are still photogenic

Fuzzy caterpillars ... it's always a good idea to be cautious with wildlife!

Late summer provides many opportunities to explore and appreciate.

Web highlighted by the morning dew

This Garden spider has found her breakfast ... or it found her.

The spiders web, a wonder of engineering and materials production

Savannah Sparrow, fueling up for the long trip south.

ConsComm walk at Lake Wallace with Jim Lafley

Gorgeous day and lots to explore ... geology, ecology, history, botany on a beautiful September afternoon.
Jim discusses the complex interactions in a healthy ecosystem

Colors are just appearing, and does that beaver lodge look vacant?

The sad reality for all of our Chestnuts ... orange spots of the blight

Indian pipe - at the end of its growing season

This one's still growing ... but not a green patch in sight!

Belchertown's newest coffee shop ... the view from the trail.