Win big at the fair!

During the last school year, Kerm had to build a colonial ship and create a three-dimensional butterfly sculpture. What can you do with school projects once they've been graded and returned home? This year, we're going to enter them as a "model boat" and "miscellaneous model" in our local community fair.

I've written about county fairs and how they can be fun places to learn about science. But if visions of ribbons motivate you, competing at a fair can also be a great way for you to learn something new and share your knowledge with others. With categories like home-grown fruits and vegetables for green thumbs, collections of shells or rocks for budding naturalists, and educational exhibits tailored to your favorite topic, everyone can find something to fit their interests. You might even win a ribbon!


Photo credit: Benny Mazur, via flickr //CC BY 2.0

Summer Smiles

beneath the gnarled oak
a boy is sprawled, exhausted
successful tree climb

Image credit: Little Brother (watercolor on looseleaf)
Poem: Mama Joules
Subject of poem: Kerm, who met his summer goal of climbing a tree!

The ABC's of Skin Cancer

Things are heating up here in the northern hemisphere, so I wanted to remind everyone to take a moment and check over your skin and that of your loved ones. It could save a life!

When you are examining a mole, remember your ABC's:

A - asymmetry. If you divided the mole in half, does each side look different?

B - border. Does the mole have a ragged or irregular border?

C - color. Is the mole one color in one spot and a different color someplace else?

D - diameter. Is the mole larger than the end of a pencil eraser?

E - evolving. Is the mole changing over time?

And I would add this letter to the mix:

F - funky. Is the mole unusual-looking?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, it's better to be safe than sorry and have the mole checked out by a dermatologist. Stay safe this summer and remember to use your sun-block! The American Academy of Dermatology reminds us to Play Sun Smart(SM).



Photo credit: C. E. Price, through BurningWell.org

Mountains and moose

Today, my family went for a picnic near a mountainside lake. On the drive down the canyon, we pulled off of the road several times to read the signs explaining the geology of the area. My older son and I decided to stop at two different rockslides to examine the rocks.

Now, a rockslide may not sound like much fun. But for two amateur geology buffs with over-active imaginations, it was a blast. We took home several finds: a sparkly rock that surely contains gold, a piece of shale with a rust-colored inclusion that just has to be a fossiled tree leaf, and a striated rock that might become a jewel someday.

But my favorite part of the day came as I was driving along the canyon road and saw something out of the corner of my eye. Two moose were frolicking in the grassy wetland area flanking a nearby stream. They almost looked like horses, except that their muzzles were far too large. Unlike most moose I've seen in my life -- slow and lumbering -- these two were clearly rough-housing and playing in the water.

It was an awesome sight. I wish I could have taken a picture, but in a way, I'm glad that I couldn't. The road was winding and narrow at that point, with no place to stop for a photo. And that's probably why the moose were there.

Head on over to the county fair!

I'm traveling with family this week and, unfortunately, we are missing the week-long county fair at home. I enjoy attending the fair each year with my sons. We usually head first to the special barn that houses the baby animals. Often, we get to pet a few. I point out the baby ducklings and geese peeping about, tell my sons to avoid those animals that bite, and finally we stop at the display of honeybees and look for the queen. I remind the boys that bees are in decline and that we shouldn't be afraid of them or squish them.

We then wander among the displays near the barn. I pick up a free car trash bag and fill it with various science-themed items: a baby seeding from a forestry group, some compost from a local compost retailer, a few pencils from the 4-H club.

We stop by the 4-H building next. Along with admiring the food and crafts, we learn about science in its various forms: keeping lifestock, raising plants, growing vegetables, exploring the food chain. Right outside of the 4-H building, we see a gigantic walking "tree", talking to kids and teaching them about conservation.

My younger son favors the rescue vehicles, so we always walk over to learn about "stop, drop, and roll" while playing on the inflatable firetruck and inspecting the real ladder trucks. The craft displays are also favorite of ours, since we often enter items in the fair. My sons are especially fascinated with the Lego® and K-NEX sculpture competitions.

If you haven't stopped by your local county fair lately, you might give it a try. There are a variety of things to see and do and you can pick up some great low to no cost science education materials. Drop by County Fairgrounds, USA! to help plan your next trip!

Bringing the seashore home

Photo credit: Brian Lopez, BurningWell.org
Are you headed to the seashore this summer? Be sure to take some of your beach-combing treasures home for later.* Driftwood makes for an interesting table topper. Seashells, pebbles, and beach glass make good starting materials for creating a mosaic. You can also glue a few of these items to a picture frame or a wreath base to make a sea-themed wall hanging. String some seashells with holes into a necklace. Put some sand in a jar and layer some seashells and driftwood on top to create a miniature shoreline. Or create your own 3-D field guide by labeling the your items and mounting the pieces for display.

Your finished craft project can be a visual reminder of the time that you and your family spent encountering wildlife on a shoreline nature hike. It's a nice way to re-visit the seashore and invite a little of that coastal ecosystem into your home.


* Always check to make sure that your seashells don't have someone living inside them! As a child, I accidentally took home a hermit crab and, unfortunately, he died due to my ignorance about care. Also, some beaches and natural areas have restrictions on how many and which items can be taken from the beach. Be sure to check the rules before you collect!