Friday, October 18, 2013

Jr Ranger Program has begun!

EcoThink is partnering with the Tryon Creek Rangers to offer a unique program where our students can earn a Jr. Ranger Badge by attending and participating in six EcoThink Club sessions.  The kids will discover nature secrets, identify native and invasive plants, learn how to be safe when you are exploring, and participate in events to clean and protect our school campus and local parks.

This week the students conducted research and created clues for several of our local wildlife.  Here are some of their 'Nature's Secrets':

1. I eat disgusting stuff
2. I am slimy
3. I am slow
4. I am small and yellow
5. I hate salt
    I am a   _ _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ .

1. I eat earthworms and amphibians
2. I am black with yellow stripes
3. I am long and skinny and look like a rope
4. I can be found in most parks, forests, and in the grass
5. I am scared of people
6. I don't have legs
    I am a  _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ .

1. I can grow to around 5 inches long
2. I eat arthropods
3. I am black and red and look slimy
4. I live where it is moist in the forest
5. I don't have lungs
    I am a   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1. I eat insects and sometimes fruit
2. I live in the forest where there are dead trees
3. I raise my babies in the dead trees
4. I have a black throat and red patch on my head
5. I am a type of woodpecker
    I am a   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

1. I live up to 20 years
2. I eat rats
3. I am an endangered species
4. I have a round face
5. I have yellow eyes
6. I can fly
    I am a  _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ .

1. I live in a lot of places
2. I have a high sense of touch
3. I eat crayfish, rodents, frogs, and bird eggs
4. Large hawks can eat me
5. I have night vision
    I am a  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

 If you missed the meeting but would like to earn the Jr. Ranger Badge, please complete this month's activity (Jr Ranger activity - Nature Secrets.pdf) with your family and bring it to the next session in December.



Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Wonder Tree is now online!

The Rieke Elementary School student have a lot of questions as they explore, interact, and learn about the world around them. When they have a wonder, they can submit it to the Wonder Tree at school and earn a bud with their name on it. These questions are then added to the Wonder Wall for students to pick and conduct research to try to find an answer to the question. When they return their research sheet, they earn a leaf for the tree.  Click here to find a question that interests you, search for the answer with your parent, and submit your research either at school or on the website.