Nature

Can you guess when trees stop growing–they don’t stop! Their massive roots keep them in the ground and require plenty of water, sunshine and nutrients from the soil to help them grow. Trees are the oldest, largest and tallest living things on Earth, with the oldest part of the tree being its strong, woody middle. Find out how a maple tree gets its start! How does a tree grow?

Native American tribes from the Northwest Coast learned to use the wood of cedar trees for many of their daily needs. Tribes used recycling to conserve resources hundreds of years ago. Pounding bark until it was fluffy to make diapers and with special thin branches called withes, cedar trees were soaked and used to make rope. What special technique did tribes use to take down big cedar trees?

A tree’s rings can tell us many things about its long life–whether it was healthy, or unhealthy, if it needed rain or if its wide rings show it grew healthy and strong. Through poetry, this story shares the life of a tree and how special these giant plants really are! Find a stump and count the rings to listen to a tree’s story. Will the tree you pick be healthy? How will you know?

Travel through Rumpke’s recycling center to find a plastic jug? Trash that can be recycled takes a ride on the conveyor belt to become something new! Try to find the milk jug on the conveyor belt! Trash at the factory goes through many machines to make sure it can be recycled. Can you guess what the milk jug will help make once it leaves the factory? What other types of trash go on the conveyor belt?

Climate change affects many regions with hotter and drier weather, and forest fires are a growing problem. Learn how hungry animals might help reduce wildfires. Fires need fuel, oxygen and heat to start a flame. The forest floors are covered with dry grass, dead wood, and bark called duff–fire fuel! Learn how conservationists are using sheep, goats, beavers and other animals to reduce fires!

What happens to trash after the garbage truck picks it up? Where does it go? The problem of too much trash is hurting the planet. Recycling, reusing, composting and creating new ways to make less trash is a start! Learn to recycle old furniture, and how safer materials are being developed that can easily decompose. People are working hard every day on new ways to have a trash-free future! Are you?

Yo helps his father recycle garbage and learns what types of trash go into the recycling bin. Yo learns his fleece vest is made of plastic and that special factories recycle the plastic and melt it down into new things like toys and his favorite fleece vest! Can you guess which trash goes into the blue bins? Yo wants to surprise his mother with a special present–knowing how to recycle!

Gardens make great habitats for many types of animals. Water, protection and food are the benefits for animals living in a garden, and in return they keep the soil healthy, eat pesky insects, and help pollinate the flowers.

The wind is moving air! When warm air rises through the atmosphere, cool air flows in to take its place, creating wind! Did you know that wind power can produce electricity? Tall machines called wind turbines are solar-powered and becoming the fastest-growing renewable source of energy–they burn no fuel and cause no pollution. Turbines can be found on many wind farms, especially in Europe!

What happens when the trash you throw out is picked up by the garbage truck? Where does it go? Once the garbage truck picks up the trash in your neighborhood, it goes on a journey to be broken down. A recycling truck might pick it up and make new things or it may be used for a compost heap, or maybe it goes to a landfill where it’s covered with dirt. Find out what happens when a landfill is full!

Martin, Liz, and their friend take a hike through the forest and learn about animals and plant life. This forest ecosystem is a healthy environment for animals and plant life to grow. A woodpecker checks for bugs to eat in a nearby tree, with bark that is ancient. Martin notices moss on the old tree bark and poisonous mushrooms! What else will they find on their forest hike?

Yo learns an important rule about using a campfire when she goes camping with her mother and father. Yo notices land destroyed by a forest fire. Campfires can start just from a small spark hidden in the coals of a campfire and a little wind! Yo discovers how forest fires can start and how to prevent them. What does Yo learn about being safe with campfires? How would you put out a fire?

Do you know what clouds are made of—they are made up of water particles! Learn about weather science, the characteristics of clouds, and how clouds recycle water. What are the effects on weather and different organisms in the world? Understand the science of precipitation—how clouds create rain, snow, and hail!

What is juicy, red and green with white stripes and pops up from the ground ready to eat—watermelon! Their seeds need plenty of water, lots of sun and nutrient rich soil. Follow along as a tiny, black seed bursts into a delicious fruit. Watermelons are ready to be picked when their yellow petals have all fallen. Find out what Bee-u-ti-ful insect helps the watermelon grow?

Have you ever seen or felt a prickly cactus or a juicy aloe? These are just two of the amazing plants that can survive in the desert! In the study of botany, identify the different plants that thrive in hot, dry climates like deserts.