Tag Archives: natural bridge

Citizen Scientists: Researchers in the Wild

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This morning someone shared an article about kids as citizen scientist researchers–observing and documenting ladybugs in their place, and learning about research and data in the process. I love engaging students in real work as part of the learning process…and teaching them that all of us, as part of our daily lives, can and should continue to learn every day.

On our rain hike in Yellowstone the other day I got to look closely at the environment around me, noticing details and appreciating the beauty.  Our destination was this natural bridge, a work of nature that I’m sure informed the first people who saw it.

natural bridge

And as we walked away from the bridge back toward the car, I noticed bubbles in the puddles as we passed.  I was sure I was noticing something in the bubbles…and stopped to watch.  It seemed that with the rain drops, a bubble would form with a white insect in it–magnifying the image of the bug–and then pop after it floated a ways.

insect drops

I had to look closer…what were these creatures?  And why do they form these bubbles?  Do they only come out in the rain?  Are they native to this forested area in Yellowstone?

insect bubble

I haven’t yet found out what these insects (I think they are insects) are…but I am curious to know more about them.  I’m hoping that someone will know something more and lead me to some research to answer my questions.  Here is a close up view…

insect bubble close up

There are so many interesting things to learn about when you take the time to notice.  As I start to prepare for the beginning of school, I’m thinking about ways to support and encourage my students to pay attention the world around them and then to document and further research the questions that interest them.  I’ll also be on the lookout for citizen scientist projects in my area (and would love any information you might have)…what a great way to engage students as researchers!

And if you happen to know anything about these bugs in the bubbles…I’d love some leads!

 

 

A Bear and a Bridge

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This really is a month for the unexpected!  On our last day at Yellowstone, we set off early knowing we were heading toward the other side of the park and hoping that an early start would bring more opportunities to see wildlife.

As we sipped our coffee and drove down the road, we suddenly saw a bear ambling across the road.  You might remember from yesterday’s post that Geoff had his heart set on seeing a bear during our visit…so imagine our excitement and the jolt of adrenaline when we spied the bear ahead of us on the road!  I grabbed my phone as the bear looked up and headed off to the side of the road.  I started taking pictures as it headed off, stopping and looking back at us then continuing into the trees.

bear in action

I was excited that the photos captured the bear…and with some editing, showed some of what we saw.  After consulting with some folks at an information center, we think this is a grizzly based on the hump on the back and the fact that it is collared.  (They said they believed only the grizzlies are collared in the park…not the black bears.)

bear2

bear

This bear sighting was truly the cherry on the top of this trip to Yellowstone!  Even the rainy day couldn’t dampen our spirits or spoil our adventures.

As a lark, later in the day we decided to take what we thought was a quarter mile hike to a natural bridge in the rain.  Donning our rain jackets with hoods on, we headed down the path through the woods.  That quarter mile turned out to be at least a three-mile round trip in a steady downpour…and totally worth it!  The natural bridge was spectacular!

natural bridge

We ended our day with dinner at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, a delicious and relaxing ending to three days in the park.  The rain stopped and the sky brightened.  As we drove out of the park towards our hotel, the sun and clouds gathered to create a gorgeous skyscape.  We stopped not far from the arch to take this final photo at Yellowstone.

skyscape

Our time in Yellowstone has been amazing, filled with the unexpected.  We’ve enjoyed exploring the natural beauty, spending lots of time outdoors, and piquing our interests to learn more about the natural world.

There is so much more to say…and so many more photos I’ve taken on this trip.  I’m sure you will be hearing more about my adventures in Montana and Wyoming!