Urban Wildlife Watch: Bats

Happy Halloween! What better wild animal to introduce to you than the Bat on this day!

However, unless you’re trying very hard or extremely lucky, you probably will never have a personal encounter with a bat. Bats are one of the most elusive mammals there are, and most mammals are pretty elusive.

Bats are important members of our ecosystem – even in urban and suburban areas. Most mainland U.S . bat species are brown and small in size – like the size of your thumb to the size of your hand. And they are insect eaters. They are pretty abundant, especially if your neighborhood or city has lots of trees, because they live in forest habitats. In urban and suburban areas they live parks and cemeteries – okay, that’s a little Halloween humor; but think about it, cemeteries are just like parks – open green spaces and lots of trees. Bats roost - hang and sleep - up-side-down on trees, on the sides of brick buildings, under the overhang of buildings or even on the ground nestled under the leaf litter. Summer evenings they awake from their sleep and gobble up thousands of mosquitoes, gnats, and other flying insects. They are important urban neighbors.

Right now is a transitional time. Autumn is the breeding season and they hibernate over winter. But…haha, females are NOT pregnant during hibernation. That would just be too energetically costly. No, they mate in the fall and store the sperm over winter. When they wake up some interesting physiology happens, allowing the still active and living sperm to travel and fertilize the female’s eggs in the spring. Amazing! Most bats have one, maybe two babies in the spring.
But you can still create a welcoming habitat for bats. Build a bat house: Info 1, Info 2. That way you might increase your chances of observing these animals and reducing the mosquitoes in your yard.

*****

Oh, I almost forgot. I promised to explain my blurry bat story. The photo was taken at Cornell University High Rise Tower #5 Dormitory while I at a scientific conference. My friend and fellow biologist & I were returning to our rooms when we noticed the Dorm RA running around her room fanning at the walls. We looked curiously at her and then I asked, “Got a bird in your room?” She replied, “NO, a bat!” Beth and I looked at each other and asked, “Want us to get it for you?” She looked oddly at us and said, “You’d do that?” Beth and I, smiled at each other and replied, “Yeah, We’re mammalogists. This is nothing.” So we dropped our bags. I grabbed the camera and Beth kicked off her shoes and grabbed a paper towel. After a couple of tries, she nabbed him. The pictures were blurry because the bat was so stressed and moving around. We didn’t have the time to just hold him for a photo shoot, it wouldn’t be proper. The video is dark, too. Can’t see him, but you can hear him. That’s his vocalization used to echolocate insects. And I must say this….Do not attempt this at home. We are professionals and have had our rabies boosters.

Picture of Me, Beth, and Marcella (she’s the official Bat Biologist in our lab, but wasn’t with us that evening)

Wordless Wednesday: Perspective

I was sitting in my neighborhood park taking some nature photos and discovered how important perspective is and why one shouldn't draw conclusions too quickly.

At first I noticed a very lush tree. Looks full and healthy.

Then I noticed a bald spot. Sometimes tree have some dead branches. No big deal.

So I walked around and noticed my first impression was not accurate.

This tree looked fine, but most of the branches are dead.

Back to my starting point.

Urban Political Science

Okay, I never go political here - at least not in a bi-partisan way. But I got a link to this video from CNN Anderson Cooper's Blog and I HAD to share.

Students from The Ron Clark Academy are studying politics in an unusual way… holding mock debates, but also rapping about the upcoming Presidential election. Sixth and seventh graders joined Mr. Clark and performed their latest song "You Can Vote However You Like" , putting their own lyrics to T.I.’s "Whatever You Like".

It is Political Science- Urban Science Adventures! (c) style.
Click the link here: Rap for your favorite candidate

I love this and these kids. For those who know me, you know how much I love that urban flavor being expressed in academics and intellectual matters. I'm so geeked.

Do like the kids say...Vote However You Like on November 4th.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Opossums

photo credit: wikipedia

The Virginia Opossum, scientific name Didelphis virginiana, is the only Marsupials of North America. Yes, marsupials like kangaroos and koala bears. Opossums, like their Australian cousins, bear immature young and nurse them in the female's pouch.

Traditionally, opossums live in forested areas near water. Every living thing needs fresh water for survival. But they do quite well in cities, especially in neighborhoods with trash bins and alleys or near dense areas by parks. In fact, they are one of the most common animals in urban and suburban areas. They are often mistaken for rats because of their long noses and naked scaly tails. And many people regard them as vicious and scary, but they are actually quite passive. They hiss and bear their teeth as a threat, but when confronted they usually run or play dead - playin' possum - if you will.

Like rats, opossums will eat most anything. They are omnivores, meaning they eat protein like insects, mice, and moles but also vegetables and fruits, especially persimmon fruits (very common US forest tree). Not being picky eaters, they will dine on free protein of other dead animals - road kill. Hence, they are ecologically important as carrion eaters. As a result, they often become road kill themselves, which is how most people encounter this animal.

In fact, I met this fellow this past weekend on the street in front of my home.

As a mammalogist, road kill is a laboratory specimen and this is a teaching moment. During my training in graduate school, we collected road kill and preserved them for later study. This guy is actually in pretty good shape. Ten years ago I would dressed him (removed all of the fleshy insides), bagged him up and dropped him in a deep freezer until I was ready to prepare a museum flat-mount of him. My mother was not happy with me.

Here's a quick Anatomy lesson.

• Opossums have thin leathery ears. His ears were actually split. Look closely at the photograph. He probably got snagged earlier in life.

• They have a thick long prehensile tail which can wrap around limbs and help secure the animal as it climbs trees and fences. When they are babies they can actually hang in trees by their tails..so cute.
  

• They have padded paws (or hands and feet) with opposable thumbs. Opossums are pretty dexterous or handy and can get into your trash or compost very easily.
• Those knots in a string are NOT fetuses in the uterus. Opossum babies don't get that big in the mama's belly. I'm pretty sure that is the intestines and those dark lumps are poo. I can't be sure, sorry for that. The scientist in me was tempted to thoroughly examine and dissect this fellow but I didn't have any gloves nearby. Plus, I don't think my photographer was up to the challenge of taking photos of this interesting, yet gross science lab experiment.
  

• I'm quite sure this fellow was a male. He was rather large and heavy. he was about the size of a house cat. Females tend to be a little smaller than males. Plus, I didn't notice any dead little ones. Because the young do stay with the mom - in the pouch or on her back - when a female is hit by a car her young often succumb as well.
  

This picture gives you an idea of big he is. I know it's gross, but stay with me. Something else I noticed a little way from the possum - I tend to drop the O when I say the word.

• At first I thought the pale white organ was its heart, based on shape, but now I think it is it's cecum. The cecum is the blind pouch in the intestine, the appendix is a cecum and all of the stuff looks like food matter or poo. That dark red organ could be the spleen. Spleen are very dark red and slender organs. Like I said, I wasn't able to poke around and confirm things, but I feel pretty sure about it. But I bent over to take a closer and I noticed parasites.

• This fellow has a whole mess of round worms coming from what I though was its heart. Do other mammals, beside dogs, get heart worms? I don't know, but it wouldn't be a big surprise. Parasites, internal and external, are apart of life for animals, even urban wildlife. But now that I think it is the cecum, then these could be intestinal worms, which are very common among mammals.
  

• And one last interesting fact about opossums - they have an amazingly short life span, usually 1-2.5 years, even in captivity.

I did my civic duty and removed his carcass from the street to prevent any unpleasant meetings by the neighbors or other potential road kill victims who might want to check out the scene.

I put the carcass in my compost bin.

Russian Conservation News Now in Russian and English

Written by leading conservationists, scientists, and researchers, Russian Conservation News provides a voice for those who are working hard to conserve the natural treasures of northern Eurasia and its unique and extensive system of protected lands.

You may know of Yellowstone Park, but have you heard of the Valley of the Geysers in Kronotsky Zapovednik? Or the new national park network to protect Siberian tiger habitats in the Russian Far East? Why should you care?…because nature doesn't respect political boundaries. Climate change, global warming, destruction of natural habitat and loss of biodiversity affect us all, no matter where they occur.

Check it out. Please download a free copy now, in Russian or in English. Enjoy the stunning wildlife photography of Igor Shpilenok and others. Learn about Russia's unique natural habitats, the challenges they face, and the people who are dedicated to preserve them.

Wordless Wednesday: Out of Focus

I'm participating in Thematic Photographic 20 - Blur. Usually, I delete blurry photos. So, I'm glad I kept these to share.

#1

Bush Honeysuckle (an invasive species)

#2

White Ash (a native species)

#3

Grasshopper - species and status unknown.

#4

Brown bat - exact species unknown (didn't have time to ID), but it is Native. I have a great story to tell about this photo.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Ash Trees

Ash trees, Fraxinus spp. are common hardwood trees in the United States. They are forest trees as well as urban trees planted along streets, in parks and cemeteries.

This tree is one of many of its kind along my street. I also have a very large one in my backyard. The squirrels occupy this tree – as well as my roof. The best I can figure out this is a White Ash Tree. I feel pretty confident about this identification. You’ll notice that the leaves are beginning to turn yellow.
Identifying plants can be challenging, especially in the winter when there are no leaves. The autumn is a great time to identify trees because there are still leaves on trees and you can use the fall colors to help in identifying the species. Check out Dr. Roberts Ash Tree Identification Guide. I learned a lot myself. MAD Horse. Only Maple, Ash, Dogwood, and Horse chestnuts have opposite branches. The branches off of stems shoot out directly across from each other. I also like the Michigan State Ag extension Ash Tree Identification Guide. It is a short and sweet ID Key with several great photos to aid identifying the parts of the tree. It can be printed as duplex, in color, and folder up and put in your back pocket. Go out and see how many Ash trees are a part of your urban forest – along your neighborhood streets, parks, and other green spaces.

The scientific name of the White Ash is Fraxinus americana, but other common names include the American Biltmore or the Cane Ash. This tree is most famous for being the best wood for baseball bats.

Good news – it is a native American tree and very common in American Forests. Seeing them in cities and suburbia are great remnants of our traditional forests. Plus it is a strong and hardy tree species.

The fruit is called samaras. A single seeds is contained within each samara, which you can see as the bump in the picture.
I'll confess that I was quite unfamiliar with this term. I call these types of fruits “helicopter seeds”. Maple tree fruits are another classic example. When the seeds are ready to falls they ‘fly’ into the air spinning like helicopter propellers. Squirrels love these fruits and soon they will drop and fly all over the place. This is how the seeds disperse from their natal area, where they were born or grown, to where they might eventually settle and grow to adulthood.

The Great Star Count - Space Science & Urban Ecology

Okay, I still have my head in the Stars…But it’s all for the good - enhanced science education and science exposure for Urban audiences. Beginning tomorrow, October is the Great Worldwide Star Count.

From the National Science Foundation Press Release
Star Count Goes Global
Schoolchildren, families and citizen scientists around the world will gaze skyward after dark from Oct. 20 to Nov.3, 2008, looking for specific constellations and then sharing their observations through the Internet.
The Great World Wide Star Count, now in its second year, helps scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars.

Light pollution is a modern day problem and mostly an urban problem. Our modern lives have ‘reset’ our natural body and sleep clocks so that we can get more done even when the sun goes down. That’s a good thing. But all of this light, when it should be dark has some serious implications on wildlife…so we’re back to urban ecology. Autumn is a natural signal to wild animals like birds that it is time to prepare for winter. But all of this light can fool them into thinking that it’s not quite autumn and they are unprepared for the winter cold. It is also a BIG problem for migrating waterfowl. The bright lights of big cities downtown areas can throw migrating birds off track. They get confused and can be taken off course. This jeopardizes their lives and the future success of their species if too many of them get disoriented or die.

Julie Zickefoose, a Naturalist and bird rescuer says “Now we need to get urban areas to dim or turn out lights at least during migration, like Toronto has--see flap.org for more details. Light pollution is an insidious thing--but so easy to address. Turn 'em off!” FLAP stands for Fatal Light Awareness Program to call attention to the problem of light pollution and migrating bird fatalities.

The Great World Wide Star Count is open to everyone, so join me and get involved. Download Activity Guides and Sign up to Watch the Sky. It’s a perfect science activity for Homeschoolers or as a Service Learning Project for High School Students. I really encourage older students to participate in Citizen Science projects like this and get independent or extra credit for it. Keep a journal of your activities and write up a report. Trust me. It’s hard for your teacher to say no if you have done so much great work.

Head outside with your family and friends and enjoy some quality time together. Visit your local science center or planetarium and participate in the event. As a child I was so excited about the Haley comet visit of 1986. I slept outside for days. I’m surprised I didn’t become an Astronomer. Stars have been the focal point of folk stories – like Slave Escape on the Underground Railroad and camp fire stories. Create some memories with your family. Point out the zodiac and other constellations.

It is so much fun… And it’s free. How can you beat that in this economy?

Urban Science Adventures Shout Out to Barrington Irving of Miami

I'm rounding out the week with another -Space Science piece, Urban Science Adventures! © style.

Do you know Barrington Irving? I didn't until the other day when I heard a story on CNN about him. He is the youngest and 1st Black pilot to fly around the world solo. How young is he? 23 years. Amazing isn't it.

But that's not the most amazing thing about this young man. He built a single engine airplane in 10 weeks with the help of inner-city high school students of Miami, Florida. He started a program called Build & Soar. It is a hands-on after-school science education and incentive program to encourage these students to do well in school and inspire them. And many of the students are now excited about careers in aeronautics and engineering they had never thought of before.

It is one of many Science Education Programs that proves that when you give every student a chance, patience, and especially resources, they can do it all.

Also check out his vodcast interview with NASA NE Experience Aviation.

The Projector Makes the Debate, Again

I really can't believe the projector was mentioned again in the 3rd Presidential Debate.

I didn't get into details last time, it was Wordless Wednesday after all, but I think some explanation seems to be in order now.

"One science spending difference managed to creep into the second presidential debate, however. McCain ridiculed an unsuccessful Obama earmark attempt to get "$3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Ill. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?" McCain asked.It turns out that wasn't just an old-fashioned overhead slide viewer, but a replacement for the 38-year-old star-and-planet projector in the Sky Theater at the Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and located in Obama's home state."

- from the LiveScience.com article Scientists View Both Obama, McCain as Supportive, which by the way I recommend reading.

This is the "projector" that needs replacing. It 'projects' images of space onto the domed Sky Theater. Now I went through some trouble to get this shot. The Sky Theater is a show and extra feature in addition to regular admission $10 for adults and they offer no student discounts. I entered the theater, without a ticket as paid patrons were entering. The staff were hawking me as I explained that I just want a photo of the Zeiss, the much debated projector. They watched suspiciously as I flashed photos and seemed relieved when I dashed out of the theater.

That was my Urban Science Adventure, endured to deliver facts to you.

Have a great weekend.

Donors Choose to fund School Supplies to Needy Schools

I know these economic times are hitting most of us hard. But I want to let you know about a great philanthropic effort – DonorsChoose. It is a non-profit education fundraising website. Teachers from poor public schools submit proposals for supplies and equipment to teach bright and deserving students. As a Donor or Philanthropic Citizen you choose the classrooms projects to support.

If for some reason you were not able to take part in the KidSmart School Supply Drive, have no worries. You can make a donation of $5 or more and help bring some amazing and fun learning activities to life. I am asking you to make a donation to one or more class projects. As a science educator, I pushing for science and math education programs, but every single proposal is worthy.

I made a donation as a part of a Challenge Fundraisers for Bloggers – Blogger Challenge ‘08. Some of my favorite, must-read blogs are participating in this year’s challenge, so I’m plugging for them.

Black Bloggers for Education includes
BDPA Foundation – which was one of the first tech blogs to show me love. If you are a member of a local chapter of the Black Data Processors Association, please contribute to the projects listed on this giving page.
Jack & Jill Politics – who pull no punches in delivering political news and commentary
Science, Education, & Society – a fellow science nominee of the Black Weblog Award

Various individual blogs from the Science Blogs.com community are participating, including Bora who is responsible for my participation in the upcoming ScienceOnline09 Conference.

And several members of the BlogHer community are also participating in the challenge.

Please, please participate. Like I said, as little as $5 can help make a difference.

Thanks for your participation.
DNLee

Wordless Wednesday: The Great Projector of Presidential Debates

The Zeiss Mark VI Projector
I visited Adler Planetarium and got a shot of the infamous "overhead projector" Senator McCain mentioned in Presidential Debate #2. Can't wait for tonight's Debate.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Lady Bugs

Lady Beetles or Lady Bugs as I call them are the best of the beetles. That’s my opinion. As a young child I was actually afraid of bugs. I was such a typical girl, all panicky if one landed on my head. I out grew that, thankfully. But I was never freaked out by Lady Bugs. They were pretty and dainty and had no stingers or scary mouth parts. That’s what freaked me out about most other bugs – they caused pain.

It is autumn and you may notice that these a lot of these little beetles everywhere. Or you may notice them near your windows and on your screens. In side of warm, climate controlled buildings are perfect places to overwinter. If they are becoming a nuisance, simply sweep them out, but don’t kill them. Lady Bugs are beneficial bugs. They prey of garden pests that do damage to your vegetables and flowers. The orange colored lady-beetles are actually the Asian Lady Beetle which was purposely introduced by the USDA in 1979. Lately, these are the lady bugs I see trying to get inside of buildings.

image credit: Iowa State University Ag Extension

Lady Beetles overwinter in very large colonies and keep each other warm. They hibernate, together in the leaf litter or under rocks – any place safe. When they emerge in the spring, it is time for love. All of that cozying up over winter makes it a little easier for male and female lady beetles to find each other and start the circle of life all over again. More detailed info about Lady Beetles here.

This lady beetle hitched a ride on my car from Racine, Wisconsin. As I was loading up and saying goodbye to my parents, I noticed this lady bug on the back door of my car. When I got out of the car in Milwaukee (north of Racine) to visit more family, I notice this little guy (or gal) was still hanging on. I had no idea these beetles were so tenacious. I’m not sure if it departed in Milwaukee or somewhere else along my route. But it sure is a fine example of how Sweepstakes Dispersal works.

Manic Monday: Moon - My visit to Adler Planetarium

I’m piggy backing off of Villager’s Manic Monday Meme: Moon. Each Manic Monday introduces a new theme for bloggers to explore in any way they see fit. Villager always takes the time to connect the meme theme to African-American Culture. Today, he introduced his readers to African-American Astronauts of NASA.

How timely, I visited the Adler Planetarium just this past weekend and there was a NASA Education Exhibit there.

NASA is celebrating 50 years of research, innovation, education, and exploration. I had a great time and learned alot. Science Agencies and Science Museums like the Adler work together to share science with everyone. I applaud the efforts and variety of ways scientists and educators work together to help the general public understand what NASA and Scientists do and how everyone benefits from their work. Moreover, these Outreach Programs introduce audiences to career tracks that may often be overlooked by school counselors. NASA is the pioneer of science outreach. They do a hefty amount of outreach and education to students (K-12)and their teachers and to college students. How else do we get new astronauts if they don't study and go to college?

Science News from Tree Hugger

Okay, it should be no big surprise that I subscribe to Tree Hugger. I mean I am a tree-hugging eco-warrior type. Plus, they do share some amazing stories and tips. In fact, I pass on alot of their stuff to you.

Here are two things I must share.

#1
A local teenager, from Chesterfield, Missouri took the very lucartive 3M Young Scientist Challenge. She's in Middle School!

A big hearty congratuations goes to young Miss Melissa Ray who is officially America's Top Young Scientist. Read the complete story here.

#2.

A dolphin rescue attempt was caught on tape. Earlier this year I shared a link to a video of Dolphins who save an infant whale. I know as a strict and well-trained Animal Behaviorist that I cannot say as an expert that these animals have intentions and meaning. But, deep in my soul I believe these animals are very intelligent and do things that have an obvious motivation and directing. Dolphins truly are amazing creatures.

Science Video Contests

I find the communication vehicles afforded by the internet quite fascinating. You communicate visually, in writing, and auditory. Pretty much everything but touch, taste and smell and I bet someone is working on that.
For those of you have started following me recently, you may be surprised to know that all of this started out as a way to pour my energies into outreach until I could snag an opportunity to go live. My fondest wish is to produce a science television program about urban ecology and environmental education. I love sharing science and I’m not shy.
That brings me to two crazy ideas have swirling around in my head: Entering a couple of Video Contests. Yes, I am diligently working on the dissertation. But this is in the name of Science. It’s one of my synergistic activities. That makes it alright then.

Contest #1
Tom's of Maine River Stories Video Contest
Make a video talking about your eco-friendly river experiences.
The Prize: a New Honda Prius
I’ve got lots of possible stories to tell. I’ve lived in a Mississippi River city most of my life. More recently, I have done several work/volunteer projects that deal with the Mississippi & Missouri River Confluence.
A new fuel efficient car would be sweet. I’d have to pass a hat around to pay the taxes on that prize. Deadline for Submission Oct 31, 3008

Contest #2
AAAS Science Dance Party Dance Your PhD Thesis Contest
The Prize: Conference & Travel Fees to the AAAS meeting in Chicago 2009.
I’m writing up my dissertation and preparing my presentation for defense right now. What better time to do a dance interpretation of my dissertation. Do you think I can submit that to my committee? Hmmm.
Deadline for submission Nov 16, 2008

Join me, why don't ya?

Wordless Wednesday: Green on Green

Grasshopper on a leafy bush.

Science Online09 – Science Blogging Conference

On January 16 -19, 2009, several dozen scientists, educators, science journalists, science bloggers, and some proud techies for good measure will convene on the Sigma Xi Center, Research Triangle, NC – the Center of the Science Universe.

Science Online09 is the 3rd Annual Conference on about Science Blogging. It’s all about Doing, teaching and communicating science on the Web. It is a free ‘unconference’ for everyone interested in science communication and education, how the Web is changing science, and how science is changing the Web. There will also be Lab tours. This is truly fun nerdy stuff: A field trip to local science labs and museums and demonstrations. It’s like visiting Epcot Center.

Registration is nearing 75%. If you think you’re interested you should sign up now. Or if you simply want to see if your favorite science blogs and magazines will be represented check to see who has already registered.

Conference organizers recommend for participants to start thinking now about what you can bring to the discussion. They even recommend sharing links and questions and resources, and keeping a notebook so we're come to the workshops ready to gab. In fact I registered to attend and was asked to moderate a session: Race in science – online and offline. In fact, the entire Program is shaping up nicely. I am quite excited to attend and participate.

I read some of these blogs daily and can’t wait to meet the authors. I’m looking quite forward to learning and networking.

It was only 6 months ago that I was concern about my blog’s growth and outreach capacity and now I have experienced a number of highs.

1. Becoming a Finalist Nomination for 2008 Weblog Awards in the Science/Tech Category. That really spread the word to people, especially among African-American Bloggers.

2. Being invited to contribute to the Young Black Professional Guide – a forum of multiple perspectives and advice to support the many challenges that Young Black Professionals face. Through YBPGuide I am reaching more people and sharing science and environmental lessons with a traditionally under-served audience.

3. And now this. Participating as a moderator in the ScienceOnline Conference.

Proud to be a Nerd,
DNLee

I can name 6 Latin-American Scientists!

Saludos a todos!

We smack dab in the middle of Latino Heritage Month. Unlike Black History Month or even Women's History Month, this cultural celebration of the talents and contributions of our Latin-American family doesn't get much media attention.

But thanks to the efforts of the Urban Scientist to promote diversity in the sciences, we can all learn a little more.

Over at Science, Education, and Society there is Science Diversity Meme and Challenge. In honor of Latino Heritage Month, can you name 5 Latino or Hispanic Scientists?

Yes, I can! And I can do so because my department has a strong recruitment emphasis in Latin America, so many of my fellow classmates are Latin-American Scientist. But one of the rules is that you can't name anyone from your current institution. Thank goodness some of them have graduated and are now elsewhere, so I get to name them.


1. Letitia Avilés: University of Arizona Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Studies the social behavior of spiders.
Contributor of The Evolution of Social Behaviour in Insects and Arachnids

2. Regina Macedo: She studies Animal Behavior of Birds and is an officer in the Animal Behavior Society - which is one of my main professional affiliations. Many of her publications are in Portuguese, but she is also an accomplished wildlife photographer. Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília

3. Manuel S Leal: Assistant Professor of Biology, Duke University.

4. Renata Durães: She is one of my former classmates and is now a Post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Tropical Research in Los Angeles, California. You can access one of her publications here.

5. Guillermo Paz y Miño: He is actually my academic sibling - which means we were mentored by the same advisor - in our case we share 2 advisers. He also studies animal behavior (worked with voles, too.) He is also a big proponent of Behavior and Conservation Studies.

6. Iván Jiménez: He is another of my former classmates and the only person on this list who is NOT an Animal Behaviorist. Assistant Curator with Missouri Botanical Garden and studies plants.

Can you name 5 (or more) Latin-American Scientist? Latin-American Heritage Month ends October 15th.

Rules
1. Be sure to name their discipline or field.
2. You can't choose people from your own institution or company. (I may go soft on this one, this time)
3. You can't Google or use the internet to aid in your search. (But if you know someone is a scientist, but not sure what disciple, you can look that up).
4. You can consult textbooks, journals, and class notes.
5. You can ask others to help you brainstorm, but they can't use the internet just to get 5 names fast (see #2).
6. Living and deceased scientists are acceptable.
7. Links to or references about the named scientists are greatly appreciated. Let's share the knowledge, and list as many as you can, even if it isn't five.

Book Review: Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
By Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Publisher Houghton Mifflin Company

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author creatively and accurately describes scenes of life in a meadow throughout a typical day with poetic riddles. The accompanying illustrations are grand and lush and offer clues to the riddle. The art is poster-worthy in and of itself.

Following each pair of poetic riddles the answer is provided on the next page. She explains how the wildlife in the meadow live and interact with the other creatures and the land. Through this whimsical presentation youngsters are introduced to basic ecological concepts like abiotic-biotic interactions, predator-prey relationships, insect-plant interaction, even ecological succession, but she does so with such ease and simplicity. It is perfect read-a-long book for young ones or read-on-my-own book for young readers. The sentences are simple and descriptive and you can take one section at a time if you like.

The I LOVE this book, it actually features voles, meadow voles to be in fact. And you all know about my affinity for voles. Plus, I've studied meadow voles, so this is extra special to me. Voles never get their due in stories or adorable creature media. When will they make a vole Beanie Baby? I’m waiting. In the meantime, I highly recommend this adorable and informative Poem Book to you and your family and students.

Wordless Wednesday: Fuel Efficient Transportation

Vehicles modified to be electrically powered.

Photos taken at the Green Homes Renewable Energy Festival.