Life on Earth shares our findings with 2nd graders

So, what did we find?  A whole lot of mud and some hardy, but struggling aquatic critters.... all waiting for the next rain.  Life on Earth students decided to share their findings ....

Our narrator takes the stage

Just what do we find when we look in healthy water?  Lots of different kinds of organisms

Using probes to measure temperature and conductivity gives us a bit more insight into the quality of the water

Students spend time learning about the plants that line the edge of the SRE puddle

 ... those tiny creatures draw in everyone for a closer look

Active stations in action: plants, aquatic critters, mud.  It's all worth exploring

Everyone's learning something.  That gives MsLevy something to smile about

Tiny critters are much easier to see when they're in small jars

Our tech-team, working out ways to share our physical data with the 2nd graders

Hmm, if you're the mosquito, then there's always going to be someone in a healthy habitat who will make lunch of you!

Scooping, sorting, comparing to prepared samples, estimating ... some great math skills in evidence here

Mr. Clark gives this group a close up view of a dragonfly larva

What would it be like to get into those great, big waders?  Fun!!

Scientists, observers, artists

Looks like we've got our next ecological explorer ready to go

Data can still be stylish!

Life on Earth explores the SRE puddle once again

For the second year, Life on Earth has asked the question, is the SRE puddle a mosquito-breeding pool or a healthy, high-diversity habitat?

Gearing up for a wet meadow

making sure all of the equipment is working

The first brave souls set out to find the puddle

and the next set join them ... hmmm, no waders?

... ok, now it's getting down-right crowded out there

and what did we find?  No open water at all.  I guess August and September really were very dry!

Recording that essential weather data

The survey crew measuring the lay of the land

A brave soul returns with what little bit of mud there was to sample

Data collection, complete

And sure enough, there are critters in that mud!

Tadpoles, giant water bugs, and a few tiny critters

How do you define dry?

And yet, there were tadpoles hanging on in the tiniest pools of water!

Sure, it might look like a meadow from afar

but the data suggest water

...and close up, those cattails signal water for sure

Now, back to the classroom to prepare to share our findings!

Ecomentors in September

Fueling up before heading out on our excursion

Salamander ... check out the external gills

One perky little snapping turtle

Boatmen

And what kind of fish is that?

 ... it certainly has big eyes!

some lovely leeches

and a terrestrial salamander

dragonfly larva exuvia all over the place!

and sometimes, we get a visit from bugs that live out of the water

A beautiful September day

Doing right by the critters, and getting them back into the water ... Good job scientists!

Levy helps out at the Boston Children's Museum

What a treat!  Thanks to Teaching Creatures and my good friend Rae.