Wilderness Science Center



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Dee's Journal

This journal is maintained by Dee Wilson, district coordinating teacher at the WSC.

01/10/2006

Today's kindergarten class was treated to a sleety, snowy day. As usual the lesson began in the classroom learning about the many Kansas animals that live around the WSC. After identifying the many different animals and feeling the animals' furs we were ready for the hike. By the time we had finished, the rained had made its turn from rain to sleet. As we started on our walk, it turned to snow. The quiet of the WSC was interrupted by the sounds of the falling icy snow. What a treat to stand and listen to the snow fall. The group was treated to the sights and sounds of a flock of dabbling ducks taking flight. Finally, as we finished our walk a flock of geese flew over sharing their conversations and noise.

What a beautiful day to be at the WSC!

01/06/2006

Today before the first kindergarten group arrived the rabbit that lived under the deck had met its demise. Several crows were noticed just off the deck circling, and on further inspection we discovered the rabbit's body. It's unlikely the crows were the predator that caught the rabbit, but they certainly were enjoying the feast. While the rabbit will be missed, its bones will nourish small rodents that gnaw on them and various decomposers will be at work helping enrich the soil with the rabbit remains.

01/03/2006

The WSC is officially off break and ready for the New Year!

Here are some sightings that were reported over the winter break. Raccoon tracks were found along the stream bank. An owl pellet was on one of the paths. Easily identified in the owl pellet were the jaw and ribs. Dabbling ducks were bottoms up in the wetland looking for food. Deep deer tracks were observed in the mud along the path. Several visitors were observed at the bird feeder; these included doves, doves, cardinals, chickadees and a down woodpecker. A red tailed hawk was perched high in a tree overlooking the prairie and the bird feeders. Plus a fresh pile of coyote scat was found at the entrance of the rabbit hole under the deck.

It seems the WSC was quite busy over break.

12/21/2005

Out for the winter break! Be back Jan. 3, 2006!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

12/14/2005	Today's classes found deer tracks left in the mud. The deer were really slipping and left deep track in the soft mud.

12/12/2005	Snow is hanging around long enough for todays groups to see a few remaining animal tracks left in the snow. Kindergarteners found rabbit and bird tracks all over the WSC.

12/09/2005	No school still snow!

12/08/2005	Snow day at the WSC! 11inches!! Unfortunately, no school no classes.

12/01/2005	Tables are down; chairs are circled ready for the onslaught of kindergarten classes. December is kindergarten month at the WSC. Kindergarteners come to learn about the WSCs habitats and about the Kansas animals that live here.

11/30/2005

True to form the sixth grade habitat study proved once again to be a character defining experience. It's the challenge of the cold Kansas winds and weather that give the students the real feel of being a field scientist. These past four days have given the students a good challenge in the field. I like to think of the experience as providing students experiences with practical application of skills learned in the classroom but it also allows the student the opportunity to learn about their own character and survival skills. We had cool, windy and very damp conditions for all the classes this week.

Also today eighth grade from HMS began their two water testing experiences at the WSC. Students will be studying and continuing to monitor of the WSC water through the chemical analysis part of the lab.

11/22/2005	Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

11/16/2005	Today marks the beginning for the PRMS sixth grades coming to the WSC for their annual ecosystem comparison using various weather instructions and other measuring tools.

11/07/2005	Today begins with second graders learning about soil. Of course we all know that "Dirt makes my Lunch!" Second graders learn about the process involved in making dirt and exploring what is really in dirt. Just picture the dirty hands when we finish.

11/03/2005

Check out the Kansas Conservation Association for Environmental Education (KACEE) conference information. http://www.kacee.org/Resources/Conference.php

WSC closed while staff goes to conference.

10/31/2005	As first graders started into to the woods today, we first heard a rustling. Then we looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of six white tails as the deer darted deeper into the woods. It all happened very quickly, unfortunately not everyone got to see. Maybe next time!

10/18/2005

MES Earth Club came to the WSC after school today to practice nature photography. The students hiked the center looking for interesting nature items to photograph. I think there were a few nature photographers of tomorrow in the group!

10/17/2005

One of the 1st grade groups was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a rough green snake decided to cross the path just as the group approached. The group was able to watch while it passed.

The green snake is very small, delicate often hard to see and usually very secretive. What a treat!

10/10/2005

Today we started a new first time ever, fifth grade activity exploring plant survival adaptations. Students first learn about desert plant adaptations through investigations and observations. After the classroom observation we went into the field to compare prairie plant adaptation to forest plant adaptations. Interesting discoveries were made!! One of the coolest was that most prairie plants really do have small leaves compared to the large leaf forest. Come to the prairie and forest and check it out.

Netti and Bob Biggs long time volunteers at the WSC were honored as Volunteer of the Year at the Board of Education meeting this evening for their serve and dedication to the center.

Nettie has spent countless hours in the butterfly and bird gardens. With her help the gardens are growing and actually looking like gardens. She has made phone calls, made charts and enlisted Bob's help on many projects.

Bob has single handed built a small observation deck for students' water testing projects. He has carried mulch, sawed trees and branches, moved mud off bridges, repaired steps and boardwalks help weed the prairie and helped with the prairie burn plus all those extra projects that Nettie has for him in the garden. Sometimes they would even take a project home to work on. These are the kind of volunteers that make a difference and provide so much support for the WSC. Plus they are just fun people to be around, and I am so grateful that they chose to work at the WSC.

Thanks are not enough but thank you very much!

09/29/2005	Thanks for visiting our new Web site. I am hoping to add journal entries as often as possible. Come back often to find out what is happening at the WSC!

09/29/2005

Today at the WSC, fifth grade enrichment students participated in a new Grasshopper Study. This will be a long term study done in association with the Konza Prairie Biological Station and their educational program KEEP. Students had to use the Konza prairie protocols to record and report data. Data was recorded on the Konza prairie data bank. Comparisons from Konza prairie and the WSC prairie can be made. http://www.konza.ksu.edu/keep/

The first groups to participate in the study were 5th grade classes from MTE and LES.

It was a hoppin great day in the WSC tall grass prairie.

09/26/2005

Today was the being the first of many 1st grade decomposition lessons for the year. Students learned about decomposers in the classroom. Then the students went out to find and record the decomposers at the WSC. How the excitement grows when we actually see isopods, millipedes or shelf fungus.

MTE 5th grade enrichment class came looking for monarchs to tag. We walked to WSC and only saw two monarch and weren't able to catch either. Even though we didn't actually tag any butterflies, we all agreed it certainly was a pleasure time to walk the WSC on this beautiful fall day.

09/21/2005	At the end of the day, after all the classes had left and the WSC human activities were closing down for the night, more than 30 monarchs were observed on one bush in the butterfly garden. What a sight!!

09/16/2005

Over the past two weeks the numbers of migrating Monarch Butterflies have dramatically increased. The WSC is looking for volunteer groups to come after school and help tag monarchs.

Every year small groups of students are asked to help tag monarchs as part of the nationwide collaborative effort to monitor the Monarchs migration. For more information check out www.monarchwatch.com

09/12/2005	Fourth grade classes from CHE are studying the relationships of the physical factors (abiotic) and the living factors (biotic) within a habitat. This was the first of several groups looking at the interactions within the forest.

09/06/2005

Today begins the 2nd grades onslaught of scheduled Insect Studies. The WSC has over thirty Insect classes scheduled and over ten 3rd grade Insect Classification classes this fall. This is the time when 2nd graders practice their observation and drawing skills by recording what they see by actually looking at an insect and drawing what they see, not just what they think they know about insects. Students use sweep nets to catch the insects. Then they observe the insects in their bag while trying not to squish the insects in the process.

It is truly a buggy time of year at the WSC!

08/22/2005

Eighth graders and fifth graders were both sharpening their observation skills today at the WSC.

BVMS eighth graders were making observations and new discoveries in the wetland. Before today not many students knew macro-invertebrates existed. Today they observed and drew an unknown animal's physical properties in order to identify the unknown animal by looking up those physical characteristics in a field guide.

Fifth graders were studying birds and their characteristics. Students learned about the characteristics that help to identify birds. Then they walked outdoors at the WSC identifying birds and discovering which type of habitat each kind of bird appeared to prefer.

08/08/2005

Over the weekend a very large old tree toppled over. The roots were spent; the center hollow, the forces of nature and time sent this old tree down. As it fell it took several smaller tree and old dead branches from a few near by trees.

What a change in this section of the forest by the passing of this old tree! It opened a large canopy hole which really brightens the forest floor. I look forward to the changes this happening will bring to the forest. Now we have a chance to watch a small example of succession in the WSC forest.

“I found that all those small organisms living in the wetlands was interesting because I have never really noticed all those small swimming bugs before." - Dusty, 8th Grade