Spring Frog Calls

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Spring Frog Calls

There’s another wonderful symphony that begins as soon as the snow melts in spring.  Local frogs are looking for mates and a place to lay their eggs to keep life thriving in wetlands.  Each kind of frog or toad has its own characteristic call.  How many of these early songsters can you listen for this spring?  These calls are from the Toronto Zoo’s ‘Adopt a Pond‘ website.  It’s also a great source for more information about reptiles and amphibians.

Spring Peeper

Striped Chorus Frog

Wood Frog

Leopard Frog

Pickerel Frog

Americal Toad

To help scientists monitor the presence and abundance of these important ‘indicator species,’ try participating in a Citizen Science program where you report what you’ve heard or seen.  A good program for the Peterborough area is ‘Frog Watch Ontario‘.

A super resource for other things to look and listen for in spring is Drew Monkman’s book ‘Nature’s Year in the Kawarthas.’

Become a Citizen Scientist

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Citizen Science Workshop

This comprehensive set of resources provides excellent support for teachers exploring water quality and aquatic ecosystems with intermediate-level classes.  The workshop also introduces Pathway Landmark 22:  ‘Become a Citizen Scientist by helping to monitor environmental health,’ which is geared to Grade 7-8 classes.  The workshop is a partnership between Otonabee Conservation and the Pathway Project.

Ontario Curriculum Links:

Grade 7:  Understanding Life Systems - Interactions in the Environment

Overall Expectations:  1. Assess the impacts of human activities and technologies on the environment, and evaluate ways of controlling these impacts; 2.  Investigate interactions within the environment, and identify factors that affect the balance between different components of an ecosystem; 3.  Demonstrate an understanding of interactions between and among biotic and abiotic elements in the environment

Grade 8:  Understanding Earth and Space Systems - Water Systems

Overall Expectations:  1.  Assess the impact of human activities and technologies on the sustainability of water resources; 2.  Investigate factors that affect local water quality; 3.  Demonstrate an understanding of the earth’s water systems and the influence of water systems on a specific region

Workshop Components:

1. Introductory Video:  This 20-minute video, produced by Otonabee Conservation,  introduces the Otonabee region watershed and provides an overview of chemical and biological methods used locally to monitor watershed health.  This can be used as a stand-alone activity or an introduction to hands-on monitoring opportunities for students.

2. Worksheets:  Depending on the equipment you have available and your access to nearby waterways, the following worksheets have been prepared by Otonabee Conservation to guide students through a variety of activities to learn about their watershed and monitor its health:

  1. Mapping Activity Worksheet
  2. Water Quality Worksheet
  3. Biological Indicators Worksheet
  4. Surface Water Velocity Worksheet
  5. pH Worksheet

French Language Worksheets

  1. Macroinvertebrate Worksheet
  2. Punaise D’Eau – Mots Caches
  3. Quand Je Serais Grand

3. Lesson Plans: These comprehensive lesson plans were developed by teacher and Outdoor Educator Sherri Owen to guide you through aquatic field labs with your class.

FIELD LAB 1: WATER CHEMISTRY

This guide outlines safety considerations as well as protocols for water collection and testing. It includes tracking and assessment sheets and identifies where you can find testing tools and supplies. 

Finally, we show you how to submit your data to Water Rangers, a Canadian organization accepting water quality data from citizen scientists like you. 

Thanks to Water Rangers for contributing a Water Rangers Testing Kit to the Pathway Project.  To borrow our kit, email Cathy at  cathy@pathwayproject.ca

DOWNLOAD: WATER CHEMISTRY FIELD LAB

FIELD LAB 2: BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

This guide provides everything you need to catch and identify benthic bugs, calculate water quality ratings, and create a water quality statement.  

You’ll also get two worksheet protocols for evaluating water quality using aquatic macroinvertebrates. 

This field lab explains how to submit your data to the Leaf Pack Network Database. 

DOWNLOAD: BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS FIELD LAB

Wet and Wonderful – A Mud Puddle-and-Pie Activity Guide

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Wet and Wonderful – a Mud Puddle-and-Pie Activity Guide

The season of wet-and-muddy is upon us, and with it, an opportunity to embrace all manners of sensory play, mud-puddle math, nature art and interdisciplinary integration!  Have boots? Will play!

Mud-puddle math:

Mud puddles provide endless hours of sensory fun, and an incredible opportunity for authentic learning!

How deep is the water? How much water is in a really big puddle?  What could it fill? A bucket?  A bathtub? How could we even measure it?!

In her blog Puddle Play – Rethinking the ‘Math Classroom’, Deanna Pecaski McLennan, PhD, elaborates the “measurement, counting, capacity, classification, time and quantity” that can all be explored authentically  in a puddle. This is rich learning where play and adaptive reasoning intersect.

Math can happen anywhere, and outdoors doing something most children love is the perfect place!

Tool tips? Try:

  • Turkey basters  That turkey baster that only gets used twice yearly?! An incredible (and FUN) instrument of transfer and measurement:  squirting distance, volume transfer – comparing between one container and another.
  • Measuring cups
  • Funnels

More math and measurement?! Try Mud Kitchens!

Mud Kitchen:

Cooking up delicious “recipes” in a mud kitchen requires only a few second-hand kitchen implements like muffin tins, metal bowls, collanders and spoons.  This can be on-the-ground immersive play or hands-in-a-sandbox in a wood or brick enclosure (pictured below).  Second-hand stores are inexpensive sources for utensils, and places like the Re-store offer inexpensive sinks and accessories for more elaborate builds!

Frozen Sun Catchers

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Frozen Sun Catchers

A recipe for easy mid-winter magic

January 23, 2019

Ingredients

  • Found nature objects – Twigs, leaves, berries, pine cones
  • Container to freeze the water in – aluminum pie plates are perfect!
  • Water
  • Something to hang them: twine, yarn, ribbon
  • Freezing temperatures

Steps

  1. Lay out your nature objects in the base of your container for freezing
  2. Lay the twine amidst the nature objects with a large loop or two loose ends hanging out – this will be your hang or tie 
  3. Place your creations on a flat outdoor surface where they can freeze undisturbed (window sill, picnic table, etc.)
  4. Slowly pour in water until the container is full and ensure your twine/ribbon are still submerged
  5. Set the outdoor temperature to below freezing 😉 **freeze overnight for best results

Hang this ice art from a tree branch in a sunny spot where the sun will shine through and slowly melt it away, transforming your creation throughout the day.

Tips

  • play with colours, textures, patterns… Eating oranges?  Add visual a-peel with pieces of rind or slices interspersed 
  • Make minis in ice cube trays
  • Fancy a rainbow catcher? Add food coloring
  • Use bundt pans for a frozen wreath

 

Warning: This recipe will quickly become a staple on your nature crafting menu!