Wildlife Encounters

Today, all of second grade got a visit from Wildlife Encounters! They shared animals with us that help our Earth breathe and grow. We talked about all the things we need to do to help the plants in our gardens grow, such as turning the soil, adding fertilizer, planting seeds, protecting plants from pests, and turning the soil again. 

The first animal Krista brought out was a Tegu named Monster. The Tegu lives in the rain forest in South America and finds food near or in the water, so he burrows in the ground by the water to make his home, which helps the earth breathe. He fertilizes soil because he eats mussels with bone crunching jaw, and his sandblaster-like stomach helps him to break down the shells much faster than they would through decomposing, and he puts the nutrients back into the soil.

The second animal Krista shared with us was the  Hog-Nose Snake. They are an endangered species that mixes soil by burrowing in the ground to find worms and bugs, brings air into the soil and also add fertilizer to the soil as they digest their food.

Krista then brought out a Blue and Gold Macaw named Sophie, who plants seeds by eating them and quickly digesting them as she flies. Fruits want to be eaten by birds because birds digest them so quickly, the seeds don't get damaged. That is why they cover their seeds with yummy flesh so birds want to eat them!

Then Krista brought out a Hedgehog named Rafiki (which means friend in Swahili!) Rafiki is a friend to pets because she eats pesky bugs and insects that try to eat the plants. In Africa, many people put small shelters in their gardens to encourage the hedgehogs to stay there and keep the bugs away from their crops!

Ms. Riley got to hold Rafiki while the giraffes got to pet her!

Ping the Woylie is an animal native to Australia, they are part of the kangaroo family! Krista brought Ping to share with us because they too eat pests that destroy plants, but the pests they eat are fungus! Unfortunately, Woylies are also critically endangered, so places like Wildlife Encounters and conservation zoos are working to protect them. 

The last animal Krista showed us was Athena the Three Banded Armadillo. Armadillos live in warmer climates, and they protect themselves from their predators by rolling into a ball of their hard armor. Armadillos like Athena help the earth by bringing more oxygen to the soil as she looks for bugs and worms to eat with her long nose and sharp claws. The soil is also good for armadillos as it helps them to regulate their body temperature in the very hot climates they live in. 

After we got to pet a few of the  animals, we went back to the classroom to draw pictures of our favorite animals that we saw and we labeled the parts of the animals' bodies and wrote about how they help the earth to add to our science folders. 

Thank you so much to Krista from Wildlife Encounters for sharing so much with us today! We loved seeing all of the animals you brought along, and we learned so much about what animals to do shape and grow our planet :) 

Wildlife Encounters: Animal Planters!

This week, Wildlife Encounters paid the second graders another visit, this time with animals that help plants grow! While many of the animals we saw back in the fall were also helpful to plants and their soil, we learned about some new animals who also do their part to keep the Earth green. 

The first animals we got to see were Masdagascar Giant Hissing Cockroaches. While you may not want to find these in your house, they are a great help to the plants and soil outside. They eat decaying plants and animals, break them down, and leave the soil rich with nutrients. 

Even though Kaya the Wallaby eats plants, she helps them grow by only eating the parts of the plan that can easily grow back without damaging the rest of the plant. She also helps  to spread and plant the seeds from the plants she eats when they leave her body and she steps on them to push them into the ground and spread them over long distances. 

She also seemed very interested in eating our lunch! 

Noah is a Green Winged Macaw who loves three things: berries, nuts and Alicia Keys. While the latter does not do much to help the planet, Noah also helps plants grow by spreading the seeds of the plants he eats! 

OJ the Albino Corn Snake helps plants by protecting them from their predators. While OJ does not eat corn himself, he does enjoy the mice who do. Farmers rely on these types of animals to protect their crops and help them continue to grow. 

It was also pretty cool to see a very special audience volunteer get to hold him!

Next, we got to meet a Giant Cane Toad, which helps to protect a very important plant to second graders--sugar cane! The toad protects the plant by eating bugs that fly around it. It also secrets poison from behind its eyes to protect itself from its prey which also gets on the cane plants, so animals and insects that try to eat the plant get sick or pass away.  

Lastly, we got to meet Fauna the Brown Skunk. While Fauna has had her spray glands removed, we still learned to warning signs to know when a skunk is feeling threatened enough to spray. First, skunks will thump their feet on the ground to ward predators off. Then, they will wag their tails at a predator. Finally, they will stick their tail straight up in the air, at which point you will only have seconds to get at lease 15 feet away! Skunks do not like to spray, as it hurts their body, so they will only do so when they are feeling seriously threatened. Skunks help plants by eating only the parts of plants that will grow back, as well as the insects that destroy plants such as beetles.  

Thank you very much to our friends at Wildlife Encounters for another amazing and informative visit! And thank you to all of the animals working hard to keep our Earth green :) 

Wildlife Encounters: Animals That Burrow

We have been learning a lot about rocks and minerals and how they contribute to the soil, which we will study even further when we learn about plants. To help us learn a bit more about what animals can do for our soil, Krista from Wildlife Encounters brought us 6 different animals who help the soil all around the world!

The first animal Krista brought out was Monster the Black and White Tegu. Tegus like to eat snails and mollusks with their shell-crunching jaws. Because the Tegus have such a powerful jaw, they are able to break down the shells much more quickly than the Earth can, and they deposit the nutrients from the shells directly into the soil! Tegus live in South America in tropical and subtropical climates. 

The second animal Krista shared with us was Butch the Madagascar Ground Boa Constrictor. Butch was a bit feisty, and he likes to dig holes in the ground that are big enough for his body. This provides channels for water to get deep into the soil and it also aerates the soil. Like all snakes, Butch has a very small brain and only has a memory of about 7 minutes, so they run solely on instinct!

The next animal that Krista brought out was very, very silly! His name was Sid the Salmon-Crested Cockatoo and he showed us some of his crazy dance moves and even imitated a fire alarm! Cockatoos, like many birds, eat nuts and seeds from trees and deposit the bits and pieces that they don't digest all around their environment., which brings nutrients to the soil and causes new trees and plants to grow. Sid's species also happens to be on the critically endangered list, so it is important to preserve and protect their natural habitat on the Moluccas Islands.

Krista then brought out Daffy the Flemish Giant Rabbit. Despite only being a few months old, Daffy is already 23 lbs.! Daffy likes to eat all sorts of plants (especially plants from vegetable gardens!) and she deposits the nutrients for these plants throughout the soil in her surroundings. Daffy's species is originally from Europe and was later brought to the U.S.

Krista also shared a very shy animal with us named Nibbles the Patagonian Cavy. Nibbles also is an omnivore (a plant eater) who deposits nutrients into the soil from the plants he eats. Nibbles is a relative to the guinea pig and can run up to 40 mph! His species lives in South America. We learned that if animals have eyes on the side, they like to hide. Eyes on the front, they like to hunt!

Rex the African Spurred Tortoise can usually be found in the Sahara Desert. Rex has great arms and claws for digging, which helps to bring air and water deep into the soil, just like Butch! Rex can dig holes so big, that three adults could fit inside by standing on one another's shoulders! Rex is only 25 now, but he can live to be over 100 years old. The rings around his shell tell us about how many growth spurts he has had, and he could grow to be as big as the black carpet he was standing on!

After the presentation, Krista let us pet Monster, Rex, Butch, and Daffy. Monster's skin felt like a football and Daffy was very fluffy. Rex went on an adventure all around Mrs. Healey's room! 

Thank you to Wildlife Encounters for bringing such a meaningful learning experience to our classroom! We truly appreciate having the opportunity to do some hands-on learning with some very cool animals! 

Wildlife Encounters- Animals of New Hampshire

On Thursday, we were paid a visit by Derek from Wildlife Encounters along with a few of his animals friends! Before meeting the animals, Derek had us recite the Citizens of Earth's Pledge to the Planet" to protect and respect the living things around us:

"I Pledge Allegiance 

to the Web of Life

of which we are each a strand

and to the planet Earth

on which we stand,

one ecosystem,

under the sun,

interdependent,

with diversity and respect for all"

The first animal we met was a brown Skunk named Fauna. We learned the scientific name for skunks (mephitis mephitis) as well as the scientific name for humans (homo sapiens). The first part of the name refers to the genus of the animal and the second part of the name comes from the species. We also learned that skunks are nocturnal (which means they typically come out at night), but occasionally will come out during the day if it is dark and cloudy. 

We learned that skunks are mammals because they have fur. We also learned that the only difference between hair and fur is that fur grows to a certain length and then stops while hair will continue to grow. Fauna was a little nervous around the big crowd and showed us "Nature's Stop Sign", but luckily she had been de-skunkified before becoming one of Derek's Teaching Assistants! 

Next, we met the largest reptile in New Hampshire, the Snapping Turtle! We learned that turtles don't actually have shells like hermit crabs or shellfish because their shells are part of their body and it cannot be removed! Derek showed us that the center of the shell is actually the turtle's spine and the sides make up its rip cage! Snapping turtles have very long necks, not only to protect themselves from predators, but to also help them catch their food and flip themselves back into upright position should they get knocked over.

Next we met Houdini the Groundhog/Woodchuck. Houdini was a bit plump when we saw him, because he is getting his body ready to hibernate for the winter. We learned why groundhogs/woodchucks gained the nickname "whistle pigs" when Derek lifted him out of his cage! 

Derek also told us about where the holiday "Groundhog Day" originated from. In Germany, when hedgehogs would poke out of their winter homes, it was a sign that spring was on its way! 

Next we met Aurora, the Great Horned Owl. Aurora was rescued from the wild when she was accidentally hit by a car when swooping down to pick up another animal off the side of the road. Aurora was demonstrating the "panting" movement that owls do with their beaks and throats. Owls do this to communicate with one another and they also do it when they are feeling hot or stressed. 

Lorena the Virginia Opossum was also rescued from the wild when her mother was hit by a car while carrying herself and her brothers in her pouch (they are the only marsupials living in North America). We learned that Opossums can hang from their tails and have more teeth than any other North American mammal. She even gave us a glimpse of those 50 pearly whites before Derek placed her back in her cage! 

Lastly, we met a Hognose Snake.This type of snake is only slightly venomous, and they only use it to help capture their prey. While many people are not fond of snakes (including Ms. Riley), we learned that they are vital to keeping our environment in balance! 

Thank you very much for sharing your animals and wealth of knowledge with us, Derek! We can't wait to see you and meet some new animals again later on in the year!