8-11 yr. Old Full Day Summer Camp
Expedition Naturalist
At a glance
Campers will discover the globes diverse plant and animal
life. Campers will explore ecological processes on each
adventure in the world’s different biomes
Time requirement
7hrs./day
Group size and grade(s)
5-12 kids/instructor
Materials
Goal(s)
-Campers should discover the world’s
different biomes and their
interconnectedness
-Campers should understand general
ecological concepts- feeding strategies,
biotic and abiotic features in systems
-Campers should appreciate the world’s
plant and animal diversity
-Campers should want to protect these
wonderful places on earth
Objective(s)
1. Participants will be able to name at
least 5 types of feeding strategies
(herbivory, carnivory, frugivory,
saugivory…)
2. Campers will be able to define a
food web (autotrophs, primary and
secondary consumers)
3. Campers will be able to locate the
worlds biomes- on a world map
Theme
-Leave with an understanding of the worlds
diversity of biomes and the diversity of
animals and plants that live in them
1. There should be five or fewer.
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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Expedition Naturalist
Summer Camp 2011
Day I- Expedition Aquatic
-*ALL ANIMALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ANIMAL DEMOS-*ONE SNACK WILL BE GIVEN/ DAY YOU WILL DISTURBUTE AT YOUR OWN
DESCRETION-*IN BETWEEN NIGHT HUNTERS & MONKEY ISLAND—THERE IS A MIST TUNNEL—GO
AND CHILL OUT AT POINTS THRU OUT THE DAY.
-*FEEL FREE TO ADD IN ANCILLARY DETAILS
Use the train, tram to move through the zoo whenever possible or to just relax.
EVERYDAY
-ALL COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BUCKET AND TAKEN
TO COMPOST BIN WITH KIDS
-ALL DRINKS (ONE/Week)- SHOULD BE REUSED AS A WATER BOTTLE—LABEL
EACH CHILDS
-ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE RECYCLE AREA (1ST
FLOOR)
**-ASSIGN ONE OR SEVERAL CHILDREN EACH DAY TO BE THE “SUSTAINABILITY
STEWARD” THESE CAMPERS WILL BE IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED
OFF AND ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS ARE PUT INTO THE CORRECT BINS!!***
Background:
-Aquatic Habitats
Water covers 71% of the earths surface
Water is the basis for all life
-It has very unique physical properties
Welcome/Introduction (20 minutes): The first day of camp--- Make sure the kids are
comfortable and you have introduced yourself to each child and parent specifically as they
entered.
-Organize the camper’s lunches (I would put them in the classroom closest. If the kids
can see them throughout the morning they (their lunches NOT the campers ) could
turn into a distraction)
-Go around the circle and introduce yourself and ask the kids:
-Their Name
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-Favorite Animal, food, game, sport, what they want to do when they grow up,
etc.
RULES- These are very important, if you lay out what is expected the campers will have no
choice but to acquiesce.
Rules and Expectations – (Can ask kids to make suggestions for rules they want – be sure to
add any additional ones they forget).
A. Summer camp is a fun time of discovery and learning about different animals and
plants. But we need everyone’s help to ensure that they are always safe. There are
a few rules that everyone need to follow this week.
B. Give directions without sounding like it. Use the way you present an activity and
how you emphasize its steps as a way to minimize “giving the rules.” A great way to
do this is to try and turn everything you want to give as a rule into something you
expect. So, instead of saying something negative like “Don’t scream”(One of my
favorites) you could say “We are to talk in classroom voices” Campers are constantly
receiving “No, Stop, Don’t” rules in their lives at camp and at home. The problem
with these rules, while sometimes necessary, is that they may not explain what they
should be doing as well. By stating things in the positive you explain to them your
expectations for what they should be doing and sometimes can eliminate the need
for “rules” altogether.
C.
1. RULE # 1: Show RESPECT for your instructor and each other.
x Keep your hands to yourself
x Be nice to kids as well as adults
x Follow directions of the instructor and teen
x Listen when others talk
x Stay seated until dismissed
x Ask kids to suggest more ways they can show respect
2. RULE # 2 : STAY SAFE
x Stay with the group at all times
x Stay behind leader
x Hold hands with partner
3. RULE # 3: If you get lost…
x Stay where you are- the group will come back to look for you
x Look around you for someone who works at the zoo- they will have a
name tag just like the one your instructor wears.
x Tell them you are lost
4. RULE #4: Have Fun!!!!
D. If anyone has difficulty following these rules this week, the instructor will help you
follow that rule.
-Sarah, Nicole & I- Should be seen as the principles of Summer Camp
OR
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Group Contract
 Need: Dry Erase Board, Markers, Large Sheet of Paper
 Directions:
1. As a group, write up a list of expectations that the kids come up with for the week.
Encourage them to think how they want to be treated.
2. Write the rules on the poster board. Can also include consequences (sitting out for
an activity, sitting out during animal time, talking with parent, talking with Camp
Directors (Principle), etc.).
3. Make sure to include the following rules as well as others you may want:
4. Ask the kids to sign the list and show that they agree with what has been written.
Post the paper in the room in a prominent place.
Wrap Up
-Rules and expectation are important for the campers but we should not focus on discipline.
Rather we should focus on the fun we can have at the zoo.
Getting To Know Each Other Game (10 min):
All about you….
 Need: index cards, pencils
 Directions:
1. Welcome everyone to spring break camp and explain that before we get started
with our fun-filled week of animal training and enrichment. We need to get to know
each other. In order to do that, let’s play “All About You”. (This is what the game
was originally called – feel free to change it)!
2. Pass out an index card and pencil to each person. Ask them to write down two true
statements about themselves. The instructors and volunteens should also
participate in this activity.
3. Next, collect all the cards. Choosing cards randomly, read aloud the statements.
Can the kids guess whose card it is?
-ICEBREAKER GAME- Choose game from “Bag o Tricks” This is be a great team builder as the
kids will be working together to figure out clues that will direct them to their next expedition.
Another getting to know each other Game: (5 min) Predator, Prey & Decomposer OR Rock,
Paper & Scissors
Needs:
Activity:
o This game is Rock-Paper-Scissors, but with an ecological focus. Furthermore, it’s sort of
a cultural game that kids play for fun, but with zero real educational value. At camp this
can be a fun game to help the campers understand structures of ecosystems. The group
divides itself into pairs that stand opposite each other. On the leaders command, the
couples must assume the hand motions to show their character. The positions will of a
turtle, a fungus and a fox.
 Turtle = Left hand cupped over right hand. Right hand in a fist with your thumbs
out, and move them back and forth (like a turtle swimming- Its actually ASL sign
language for turtle)
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o
o
o
o
 Fungus = Both hands interlocking fingers. With fingers up, and wiggle them
 Fox = Raise hands to head with all fingers pointing up. Like fox ears.
The kids can make up the movements for the different organisms.
Be sure to go over what these animals do and their interactions. The turtle eats the
fungus, the fox eats the turtle, and when the fox dies the fungus decomposes the fox.
This can be a fun down time game. It will allow the kids to play an educational game.
This week the kids will discover different biomes and the interactions of organisms
within other biomes.
Week’s Overview- (5 min)
Getting ready
-Nothing
Doing the activity
-This week will be an expedition to different places on earth, where campers get a chance to
become naturalists and choose what part of the earth they want to explore.
-Each day camper’s will take an Expedition/Quest/Treasure Hunt to discover the world’s biomes
and the diverse animal and plant life that call them home
-During the expeditions the campers will acquire information along the way
-Ask the kids if they are ready to go on an EXPEDITION!!!!???
-Let them know that before we go out and explore we must first find out what a Naturalist is
and does.
Wrap-up
-The campers will be finding clues that will lead them around the zoo to specific animal exhibits
-The clues will rhyme as well as be directional and educational
-They will have to be clever to figure out where the next clue will be or where it may lead them
next
Day I: Introduction (15 min)- What’s a Naturalist? More importantly is it Cool?
Getting Ready
-Dry Erase Board
-Dry Erase Markers
-Pictures of World famous Explorers, Naturalists
-Thane Maynard, Dian Fossey, Jack Hanna, Jane Goodall, Jacque Cousteau
Doing the Activity
-First ask the campers if they know what a naturalist is or does?
-If they don’t know exactly what a naturalist does that is OK, ask them if they know what an
explorer does?
-Have them brainstorm ideas of what either of these types of people do
-Write the list on the dry erase board
-The campers will come up with some interesting ideas
-Now that the campers got to voice their opinions, now we can define what a naturalist does
-A naturalist is someone, boy or girl, man or women that understands animals and plants and
how they work together in their natural settings (or they enjoy hugging trees and holding
animals and talking about them .
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-An explorer is someone, boy, girl, women or man that travels in search of undiscovered
animals and plants, biomes ….
-Show the campers picture of Naturalists and Explorers—These people study animals in their
natural habitat and get to travel all over the world finding new species and uncovering
unknown facts about animals and plants and how the interact with their environment
(ecology)!
-Thane Maynard- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden- President: World Traveler, Author
of 13 books about wildlife and T.V. guest
-Steve Irwin- World famous “Crocodile Hunter” He made wildlife interesting to millions
of people and he had a great accent. 
-Dian Fossey- Born in California- 1st person to study gorilla lifestyle. She studied their
ecology, behavior and biology. She brought world wide attention to Gorilla
conservation. Studied in Africa for 18yrs.
-Jane Goodall- Born in England. Studied Chimps in the wild. 1st to observe and
document tool usage amongst primates
-Jack Hanna- Columbus Zoo Director. Born in Tennessse- Has his own T.V. show- Jungle
Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures
-Jacque Cousteau- The first to study ocean ecology. Became well known after starring
on T.V. and showed the world what was beneath the oceans surface!
-Ask them if they have ever heard of or seen these people?
-Tell them that they are like the LeBron James of animals and plants!
-These people are the Movie Stars of the Mojave, the Rockstars of the Rainforests....
Wrap Up
-Ask the campers if they think an exploring naturalist is a cool job to have? Let me think.. YES!!!
-The one commonality between all these folks is that they explored animals in places that no
one had ever seen before! Gorillas, Chimps, Crocodiles oh my! Most importantly they told their
story.
-This week campers will uncover a story of many different animal species and their
interconnectedness
Tools of the Trade Treasure Hunt: (30 min)
Getting Ready
-Zoo Maps
-Magnifying Glasses
-Nature Notebook
-Compasses
-Pencils
-Naturalist Napsack
-1st clue
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers their first naturalist task is to uncover the meaning of a rhyme that will take
them on their first expedition to get the naturalist tools of the trade
-Take them to the backyard of the education building, their treasure hunt begins here (right
outside of the glass doors)….
-All the expeditions will have clues that rhyme and are meant to take the campers around the
zoo and discover hidden objects that will help them as naturalists and will direct them to the
next stops
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-CLUE #1: This clue you will have in your supplies- Magnifying Glasses READ ONE CLUE AT A
TIME & REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
-Setting- Start at the glass backdoors (outside) of the education building
-Follow the gravel from small to big
-Over a home where animals dig
-Now raise your sights up into a tree
-That animals call their sanctuary
-Its important to naturalists like you and me
-White Pine- Identification- Needles are in bundles of 5 (one for each letter in
the word W.H.I.T.E)—Natural History—Native Americans used it in Tea because
it is high in Vitamin A & C)
-On the limb of said tree you will find the next clue that will lead you to the tool of the trade.
(Have the kids look for it), you may have to move limbs out of the way).
CLUE #2: This clue will be hidden in the white pine tree, probably wrapped around a limb
-Now follow the white pines
-Back east along the rock line
-As you walk the first tool of the trade you shall find
.- Magnifying Glasses- Will be hidden in the mulch beneath a white pine tree. Let the
kids search around for them. Here they will find their third clue
-CLUE #3: This clue will be hidden with their magnifying glasses- Naturalist Notebook
-Stay on the grassy lawn due east
-The second tool you will find beneath
-Under the bush with the honey taste (honeysuckle- although invasive provides nesting
sites for birds and shelter for animals plus flowers for pollenators)
-You will find your tool near its leafy base
-Near its roots is where you will find – Your Naturalist Notebook- This may be the most
important tool as this is the place where you will record information about animals,
make drawings/rubbings of animals and plants. For the campers will this will be a
review in the classroom from the things you talked about on their expedition
-CLUE #4: This clue will be hidden with the Notebooks- Naturalist Knapsack & Map
-Turn around now head west
-The gravel path begins this quest
-Follow it to a concrete pad
-Near it you will find a tool to add
-The knapsacks will be hidden in the opposite doorway on the backside of the
greenhouse
Wrapping UP
-Now that the campers have collected all of their Tools of the trade
-Have them pull off a couple bundles of white pine needles, head back to the room and record
it in their new naturalist notebook.
-Have them make a rubbing, record some facts and uses
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Live Animal Demonstrations: (20 min):
Getting Ready
-Hand Sanitizer
Doing the Activity
-Show the animals
-Map Turtle OR Spotted Turtle
-Cattle Egret
-Alligator
-Be sure everyone gets a chance to wash their hands after showing and touching the animals
-Also tell them exploring naturalists use deductive reasoning which is critically important to
their quest this summer.
-You can define deductive reasoning- Going from a general description to specific
-The campers will need this for figuring out the clues
Wrapping UP
-The reason I mentioned deductive reasoning is because all the animals you just demoed have a
couple things in common
-They live in the water
-Most eat fish (with the exception of the cane toad)- piscivorous- fish eating animal
-Your morning adventure may take the campers on an expedition to explore the underwater
world and some of its inhabitants (Depending on which expedition they choose!)
-Ask the campers what they think the animals saw had in common?
Choose your Own Adventure: Mission Aquatic! (20 min)- These will have to
coordinated amongst instructors (depending on how many camp sections are running
concurrently, as there are only enough materials for two groups to operate simultaneously!
Getting Ready
- Envelopes OR Treasure Boxes/Chests labeled 1&2, (All of the envelopes/boxes will have the
same expedition, but allow the kids to pick one they vote on. Then they are choosing their own
conservation adventure. (I know we should not deceive the youngsters but I wouldn’t expect
you instructors to be able to remember every part of the curriculum depending on what
expedition they pick
-Buckets for water
-Small Envelopes with “Mission Aquatic” written on them (Inside the larger envelopes)
-Dry Erase Board
-Markers
Doing the Activity
-Show the campers the envelopes/Boxes labeled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Expedition
Unknown” (A) or (B)
-Explain that inside these envelopes holds our missions or expeditions for the day- generally
there will be an AM mission and a PM mission.
-Ask the campers which Expedition they want to go on today, A or B? (Both are the same but
they don’t know that)
-Allow the campers to vote, once they have decided on with expedition, open the
envelope/treasure chest with anticipation……..
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-There mission will be “MISSION: AQUATIC- AM & PM” smaller envelopes in the larger
envelope- Once they have figured out their mission for the day is have them record it in their
Naturalist Notebooks.
-Have them recall what naturalists do?(if you think they need to be reminded)
-IF we are to study animals and plants in the aquatic habitat we need to know more
what lives beneath and what types of aquatic habitats there are!!
-Have the campers explain what an aquatic habitat is?- It is a place where animals that are
adapted to survive in the water live.
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of what types of animals live in aquatic habitats?
-Do mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects?
-What types of adaptations would an aquatic animal need to live?- Gills, webbed feet…
-Have them list some examples of aquatic mammals, aquatic reptiles, aquatic birds and
insects
-What adaptations do these animals have to allow them to survive and thrive in such an
environment?
Wrapping UP
-Tell the campers that many different types of animals live in aquatic habitats from around the
world
-Use the smaller MISSION envelope as an incentive to get the information part of the morning
over with.
-Let them know before we do another expedition we must be naturalists and learn about the
different types of aquatic habitats found around the world
-After the campers gather information on their mission they will soon partake in an aquatic
expedition!
Background:
Freshwater Pond Ecosystem Information:
-Ponds act as a stopover point for many migrating birds
-Ponds have a host of animals from microscopic animals to large snapping turtles
Vocabulary:
Ecosystem- A group of living (Biotic) and non-living (Abiotic) things working together. They
have no particular size, in this case they could be as large as the pacific ocean or as small as a
backyard pond.
Aqua-Diversity Match: (10 min) Aquatic Ecosystems
Getting Ready
-Dry Erase Board
-Saltwater/Freshwater & Brackish Water Cards
-World Maps with fresh, salt and brackish water labeled
-Question Cards
Doing the Activity
-There are many different types of aquatic ecosystems. Define ecosystem (You can have the
campers define ecosystem in their notebooks)
-Ask the campers if they can name different types of aquatic ecosystems?
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of different aquatic ecosystems (write them on the dry
erase board).
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-If they aren’t doing very well, have them think of the animals they saw earlier and
where they live.
-There are 3 main types of aquatic systems:
-Saltwater -Oceans & Seas
-Freshwater -Lakes/Ponds/Streams/Rivers
-Brackish- This is where saltwater and freshwater mix
-Now explain to the campers that they have to guess what information matches which type of
aquatic ecosystem
-Have the Saltwater, Freshwater & Brackish water cards in the center of the circle and as you
read the questions have the campers point to the correct answer. Once they have decided
which is the correct answer. Then give them a little ancillary information. (They can record this
in their Naturalist Notebooks)
1) The average depth of this aquatic ecosystem is 2 miles deep.
a. Saltwater-The average depth of all the oceans in the world is about 2miles deep
-The deepest part of any saltwater system is about 6miles deep!!
(Marianas Trench)- Western Pacific Ocean
b. Freshwater
c. Brackish
2) Amphibians will only be found in this ecosystem.
a. Saltwater
b. Freshwater-Amphibians have very sensitive skin and cannot survive in saltwater
or brackish conditions
c. Brackish
3) This ecosystem is where a river meets an ocean.
a. Saltwater
b. Freshwater
c. Brackish Water
4) Alligator, crocodiles, many fish species and seals can all live in this type of aquatic
ecosystem.
a. Saltwater
b. Freshwater
c. Brackish Water
5) What aquatic animal can live in all 3 types of aquatic ecosystems? The Manatee
-Once you have finished up, show the campers on the world map where some of these places
are (All the oceans, large freshwater lakes, large rivers (Nile, Mississippi, Amazon, etc.), brackish
water ports (Florida inlets, and coastal areas)
-Once your expedition is over for the day we will mark where the naturalists went using pins
with the specific mission on them
Wrapping UP
-Although there are 3 main types of aquatic habitats all the animals that live in those habitats
are adapted to survive in that habitat.
-Briefly talk about how abiotic (weather, climate, type of water) parts of an ecosystem really
form an animals/plants adaptations—Super cold saltwater habitats contain animals with lots of
blubber
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Mission Aquatic- Expedition (40 min): (~11:10am-Noon)
Getting Ready
-Mission Aquatic Envelope/Treasure chest (Smaller envelope inside the Choose your Own Ad.
Envelope)
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers its time to see what our mission is
-it is hidden in the aquatic missions envelope!
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue! This clue will take you outside: READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE
EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
CLUE #1: This clue will lead you to Swan Lake (on the wooden platform in front of giraffe ridge
and next to Sabu’s enclosure)- Talk about the pond ecosystem (information above)
-Walk down to the lake that was covered in ice
-To a view near Sabu that is mighty nice
-Hold the rails on the wooden platform
-Over where an amphibian may transform
-Near this freshwater ecosystem on the ground
-Look and you will see that a rope can be found
-Pull on the rope to bring up a clue
-That leads to an animal in our aquatic Zoo
CLUE #2: This clue will lead you our Little Penguins (Located on a rope at the bottom of Swan
Lake)
-Aquatic environments hold mysteries
-This adventure will take you to pacific seas
-Look to your maps and see who it could be
-Find a bird that would never let fishes swim free
Read (Below) After you have talk about the little penguins
-Your next Clue will be with a volunteer you see
-Find the answer and your next set of clues for free
CLUE #3: This clue will be at the “Discover Zone”- Little Penguin Cart- Approach the volunteer
and the volunteer will ask the group this question:
“Name 3 aquatic ecosystems and which ecosystem do the little blue penguins live in?”
-Once the campers answer those questions the volunteer will give them their next set of clues
-From aquatic birds to aquatic mammals
-Your next step leads you to fearsome animals
-This animal is bigger than you or me(have them look at the map for aquatic mammals
bigger than humans)
-In a habitat where you won’t find a tree
-(If they don’t get it—you can give them a hint like but santa you may see)
-See the Keeper Talk at 11:30am- Polar Bear
Wrapping UP
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-When you get the campers back to the education building review what you learned and have
them record some of the information you gathered on your expedition
-The polar bear was the Top Predator of the arctic ocean ecosystem
-Little blue penguins were fish eaters (piscivorous)
-We saw three types of aquatic systems- freshwater pond/pacific ocean (temperate) & arctic
ocean
LUNCH TIME/BREAK MOVIE TIME (45min)-Relax and have lunch
-Check for food allergies before campers begin eating
Introduction of Afternoons topic/Warm UP Game: Keeping it Aquatic- Mission Aquatic!
Migrating Salmon Game: (20 min)
Getting Ready
-Boxes (to be fitted around “fishermans” feet)- 3 Boxes
-Jump ropes (X3)- Currents
-Large bed sheets (Locks and Dams)
-Obstacles (big boxes) – X4
-Carpet Squares for “predator” kids = bear
-Pictures of salmon swimming up stream
-PDF with salmon obstacle course
-Stair steps- Will be two pieces of rope which will lead the salmon past the dams. (X3)
-Location: Depending on the weather, you can do it in the classroom or outside behind the
education center. If you are in Wolf Woods then do it in the classroom, regardless of weather.
Doing the Activity
-Salmon are one of a few animals that can withstand all three types of aquatic ecosystemsThey must travel through all of them to get to their breeding grounds
-This is a fun game to get the campers thinking again about the different types of aquatic
habitats
-Furthermore, the next animal they will see can also live in all three habitats- MANATEE
o The First time around, ONLY assign kids to natural (non-human) obstacles that spawning
salmon may encounter on their way up stream.
o Assign the rest of the kids to be salmon
o Have the non-human obstacles (kids) line up in to form a tunnel (stream corridor-Be
sure that the corridor is pretty wide- to ensure that some salmon make it).
o Here are some of the natural barriers salmon have to deal with:
 Bear – 3 Kids- They will have to stay on the carpet square (Be sure to spread these
out so most salmon can get by without being caught) and only reach with their
hands at the passing salmon. (Be sure there is enough space for the kids to slip
through, if the bear tags them then the salmon is dinner.
 River Currents- 2 Kids- have these kids play the current by moving the jump ropes up
and down (don’t let them get too rowdy, if they do then you and the volunteen will
have to take this over). If the “salmon” get touched by rope then they weren’t
strong enough to get up stream, maybe next year.
o Those that are salmon, will have to travel “upstream” (All at once)
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o Ask the kids if they think life for a salmon is easy or hard?- It is pretty hard, now lets add
some human impacts and see how tough the journey is.
o The Second Time around, assign other kids to the human impacts:
 Dams- 2 Kids- They will move the dams (sheets) up and down, the salmon have to
get through with out getting caught
 Fisherman – 2 kids- They will wear one shoe box on one of their feet and try to tag
salmon as they go by.
o Finally ask the kids if it was harder to go up stream to spawn with the natural obstacles
or was it harder with the natural and human induced difficulties.
o Salmon have a difficult life without human influences on their habitat, but adding
human impacts makes it that much more difficult!
How Humans Help!
o The Third Time around, this time we will add alternate routes for salmon that have
been created to help the salmon get around some the human obstacles.
 Fish ladders have been built, which look like stair steps, to help the salmon swim
over the dams. After using the stairs to by-pass the dam, biologists have placed
gravel, which is needed for their nesting.
 Place these “stair steps” directly before the dams and the give “salmon” an
alternate route.
Wrapping UP
-This activity should get the campers to come out of their food haze and be ready for their next
expedition
-Their next expedition will take them just like the migrating salmon from the Saltwater
ecosystem through the brackish system and into the freshwater system
Live Animal Demonstrations: (20 min):
Getting Ready
-Hand Sanitizer
Doing the Activity
Chinese Water Dragon
Snake
-Show the animals
-Be sure everyone gets a chance to wash their hands after showing and touching the animals
Vocabulary
Dentition- The character of a set of teeth especially with regard to their arrangement use and
kind
Mission Aquatic- Afternoon Expedition (50 min):
Getting Ready
-Mission Aquatic Envelope (Smaller envelope inside the Choose your Own Ad. Envelope)labeled Mission Aquatic #2 oR PM(On the back of the envelope)
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers its time to see what our mission is
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-it is hidden in the aquatic missions envelope! (#2/PM)
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue! This clue will take you outside:
CLUE #1: (Located inside MISSION AQUATIC #2 envelope)-Destination- Manatee Springs then
go to the Keeper Talks at Sea Lions & Otters (2:30pm & 2:45pm- Respectively)
CLUE #1: will lead us on our next expedition
-This animals dentition is very strange (define dentition) (Can give them a hint
“marching molars”)
-The Florida coastal ecosystem is its range
-These giants prefer green leafy stems
-In a building named after them
Manatee Springs Information:
-Florida Manatee-Southeastern water in the U.S. and can range as far north as Virgina!!
-Live in both salt and fresh water habitats
-The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee
Senses:
-Have large ear bones and have a good sense of hearing
-Manatees make a variety of vocalizations from chirps, whistles and squeaks
-Studies suggest that vocalizations play a key role in keeping mother and calf together
Anecdotes:
-Mother & calf were trapped behind an earthen dam that separated a water filled
quarry and a river. Zoo staff from the Miami Seaquarium were able to capture the calf
but not the mother and released the calf back into the quarry. The nest day the mother
was placed in the quarry and swam directly to her calf, in very turbid water (low
visibility).
-To reduce orphaned manatees, using the knowledge above. People rescuing young
manatees will capture the young manatee and keep it in the water and often the
mother will come to the young’s vocalizations.
-The Florida manatee is an herbivore, and uses a grazing feeding strategy
-It feeds on submerged, emergent, floating and shoreline vegetation (feeding at all
levels, underwater, mid water column and on the surface)
-In saltwater, manatees will feed on several species of seagrass including: turtle grass,
manatee grass, and shoal grass.
-In freshwater they feed on a variety of plants including: water hyacinth. They are
opportunitistic feeders, feeding on over 60 different species of plants.
-The flippers and upper lips of manatees are used to manipulate and hold large pieces of
vegetation
-To eat all this vegetation, they have marching molars, which is a great adaptation when
eating 10% of your body weight in plant material each day. Plant material is very hard to digest
and extremely taxing on teeth (wear them down quickly).
-Florida manatee average size: 12-15ft. Avg. weight 800-1200lbs. Females are generally larger
-Breeding in manatee is slow and produces one calf every two years. Gestation is about
12months. Calves will stay with their mothers for about 1.5yrs.
-Calves will be weaned around 12-18months
Myths & Legends:
-The best known myth about sirenians is that they are mermaids!!!
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-Although it is very difficult to see the resemblance!
-Some people say that the legend began when a sailor saw a manatee with seaweed
draped over its head, after just having lunch.
Wild Facts:
-How can you tell the age of a manatee?
-By looking at their ear bones, which have growth layers and continue to grow
throughout the animals life.
-Unlike most mammals and other living creatures. The manatee has only 6 bones in its neck.
(We have 7, giraffe have 7, rodents have 7). The two toed sloth is the only other mammal that
has 6.
-Manatee and Dugong bones are compact not hollow to offset all the gas they produce in their
stomachs, from digesting plant material
Our Manatees
The three manatees that arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo on November 3, in a “sea cow shuffle”
that involved six institutions and nine manatees, are adjusting well to their new home.
For those of you who may not have been introduced to our new sea cow trio, here is a quick
run-down of who’s who. Betsy is our 1,800-lb female who came from Homosassa Springs State
Park and is 20 years old. Illusion and Wooten both were living at Miami Seaquarium before
arriving here, and formed a friendship while there.
Illusion was rescued in March 2010 after being struck by a boat, and her injuries from the
propeller are very obvious. Wooten, our little guy, was found as an orphan in February and is
just about a year old.
Illusion is very curious, especially with our divers when they are cleaning. She loves to roll in
the hoses that they use, and also seems to enjoy when the keepers are treating her wounds.
The keepers are keeping a close eye on Illusion’s injuries, making sure that they are healing
properly so that she will be ready for release next year.
Wooten is our eating machine, though he would rather steal a head of lettuce from one of the
girls than go get one of his own. Like any youngster, he likes to investigate new things but will
quickly swim back to his buddy, Illusion, if he is unsure of things. If he continues to eat like he
does now, he may hit the 600 lbs. mark needed to be released next year.
Betsy is a very typical manatee, laid back and timid while taking her napping and snacking very
seriously. She seems to be a magnet for the smaller two, especially at naptime when they all
usually huddle together near one of the logs in the exhibit.
We are very excited to have these three be the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth manatees to call
the Cincinnati Zoo their temporary home.
The Cincinnati Zoo is one of only two Zoo’s outside Florida to work with the US fish and Wildlife
to rehab manatees and return them to the wild. This program has been in place at our zoo for
over a decade and each year we continue to see successful releases into the wild. Check out
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www.wildtracks.org this website will show where our released manatees have traveled since
being introduced to the wild.
Manatee Game: (20 min)
Getting Ready:
10 or more kids
Threat Cards
Doing the Activity:
-The object of the game is for the manatees to migrate form the ocean to Manatee Springs
without being impacted by the variety of threats encountered on the way.
-Designate one group to be manatees and the others as manatee threats.
-Those designated as threats should wear a threat card around their necks
-Station the manatees on one side of the playing field, preferably on the wood walkway or on
one side of the classroom.
-The goal is to migrate from the ocean (one side of the classroom) to manatee springs
(the other side of the classroom). Have them touch the wall once they have successfully
migrated.
-Place one of each threat sporadically throughout the playing field. (Note: Since there is more
than one “Hit by a boat” threat there will be a number of people sitting on the sidelines during
the first round). Tell your students that this first round represents the threats to manatees in
the 1970’s. Inform the threats that their means of impacting a manatee is by tagging it.
Manatees that are tagged must stop where they are and sit down, since they represent animals
that died while migrating.
-Conduct the first round and count the number of manatees that have survived. Ask each
manatee that died what threat took them out and review each one. Always adding what
humans can do to help mitigate that threat.
-Now it is thrity years later. Add the remaining threats to the playing field. Play again.
-Did more or less manatees survive?
Wrap UP
-The future for manatee is looking pretty good because of education and strict law enforcement
against boat traffic. Moreover, our zoo and its association with the US fish and wildlife service
has helped repopulate the wild with manatees from our rehab program.
-Hand out a manatee poster to each child before they leave
Compostable Materials—To composter—Go GREEN Garden
Fun Game/Dismissal
-Fill Out naturalist notebooks and relax as parents pick up their kids
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Day II-Mission: Grasslands
-*ALL ANIMALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ANIMAL DEMOS-*ONE SNACK WILL BE GIVEN/ DAY YOU WILL DISTURBUTE AT YOUR OWN
DESCRETION-*IN BETWEEN NIGHT HUNTERS & MONKEY ISLAND—THERE IS A MIST TUNNEL—GO
AND CHILL OUT AT POINTS THRU OUT THE DAY.
-*FEEL FREE TO ADD IN ANCILLARY DETAILS
Use the train, tram to move through the zoo whenever possible or to just relax.
EVERYDAY
-ALL COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BUCKET AND TAKEN
TO COMPOST BIN WITH KIDS
-ALL DRINKS (ONE/DAY)- SHOULD BE REUSED AS A WATER BOTTLE—LABEL
EACH CHILDS
-ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE RECYCLE AREA (1ST
FLOOR)
RULES- Review
-Have the students remind you of them
Time requirement
7hrs./day
Group size and grade(s)
5-12 kids/instructor
Materials
Goal(s)
-Campers should discover the world’s different biomes and their interconnectedness
-Campers should understand general ecological concepts- feeding styles- browsers, grazers
-Campers should appreciate the world’s plant and animal diversity
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-Campers should want to protect these wonderful places on earth
Objective(s)
4. Participants will be able to name at least 5 types of feeding strategies (herbivory,
carnivory, frugivory…)- name different types of grasslands biomes (savanna/temperate)
5. Campers will be able to define a food web (producers, consumers)
6. Campers will be able to locate the worlds biomes
Background: Grasslands
Grasslands are characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees. In
the Miocene and Pliocene Epochs, which spanned a period of about 25 million years, mountains
rose in western North America and created a continental climate favorable to grasslands.
Ancient forests declined and grasslands became widespread. Following the Pleistocene Ice
Ages, grasslands expanded in range as hotter and drier climates prevailed worldwide. There are
two main divisions of grasslands: (1) tropical grasslands, called savannas, and (2) temperate
grasslands.
Savanna
Savanna is grassland with scattered individual trees. Savannas of one sort or another cover
almost half the surface of Africa (about five million square miles, generally central Africa) and
large areas of Australia, South America, and India. Climate is the most important factor in
creating a savanna. Savannas are always found in warm or hot climates where the annual
rainfall is from about 50.8 to 127 cm (20-50 inches) per year. It is crucial that the rainfall is
concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought when fires
can occur. If the rain were well distributed throughout the year, many such areas would
become tropical forest. Savannas which result from climatic conditions are called climatic
savannas. Savannas that are caused by soil conditions and that are not entirely maintained by
fire are called edaphic savannas. These can occur on hills or ridges where the soil is shallow, or
in valleys where clay soils become waterlogged in wet weather. A third type of savanna, known
as derived savanna, is the result of people clearing forest land for cultivation. Farmers fell a
tract of forest, burn the dead trees, and plant crops in the ashes for as long as the soil remains
fertile. Then, the field is abandoned and, although forest trees may recolonize, grass takes over
on the bare ground (succession), becoming luxuriant enough to burn within a year or so. In
Africa, a heavy concentration of elephants in protected parkland have created a savanna by
eating leaves and twigs and breaking off the branches, smashing the trunks and stripping the
bark of trees. African Elephants can convert a dense woodland into an open grassland in a short
period of time. Annual fires then maintain the area as a savanna.
The soil of the savanna is porous, with rapid drainage of water. It has only a thin layer of humus
(the organic portion of the soil created by partial decomposition of plant or animal matter),
which provides vegetation with nutrients. Savannas are sometimes classified as forests. The
predominant vegetation consists of grasses and forbs (small broad-leaved plants that grow with
grasses). Different savannas support different grasses due to disparities in rainfall and soil
conditions. Because the savanna supports such a large number of species competing for living
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space, usually only one or a few kinds of grass are more successful than the others in a
particular area. For example, in drier savannas such as those on the Serengeti plains or Kenya’s
Laikipia plateau, the dominant grasses on well-drained soils are Rhodes grass and red oat grass;
throughout the East African savannas, star grasses are dominant; the lemon grasses are
common in many western Uganda savannas. Deciduous trees and shrubs are scattered across
the open landscape. One type of savanna common in southwestern Kenya, Tanzania, and
Uganda, known as grouped-tree grassland, has trees growing only on termite mounds—the
intervening soil being too thin or poorly drained to support the growth of trees at all. Frequent
fires and large grazing mammals kill seedlings, thus keeping the density of trees and shrubs low.
Savannas receive an average annual rainfall of 76.2-101.6 cm (30-40 inches). However, certain
savannas can receive as little as 15.24 cm (6 inches) or as much as 25.4 cm (10 inches) of rain a
year
Savanna has both a dry and a rainy season. Seasonal fires play a vital role in the savanna’s
biodiversity. In October, a series of violent thunderstorms, followed by a strong drying wind,
signals the beginning of the dry season. Fire is prevalent around January, at the height of the
dry season. Fires in savannas are often caused by poachers who want to clear away dead grass
to make it easier to see their prey. The fires do not devastate the community. Most of the
animals killed by the fires are insects with short life spans. A fire is a feast for some animals,
such as birds that come to sites of fires to eat grasshoppers, stick insects, beetles, mice, and
lizards that are killed or driven out by the fire. Underground holes and crevices provide a safe
refuge for small creatures. Larger animals are usually able to run fast enough to escape the fire.
Although the dry stems and leaves of grasses are consumed by fire, the grasses’ deep roots
remain unharmed. These roots, with all their starch reserves, are ready to send up new growth
when the soil becomes more moist. The scattered shrubs can also subsist on food reserves in
their roots while they await the time to venture above the soil again. Unlike grasses and shrubs,
trees survive a fire by retaining some moisture in all their above-ground parts throughout the
dry season. Sometimes they have a corky bark or semisucculent trunk covered with smooth
resinous bark, both being fire resistant. A fire leaves scorched earth covered with a fine layer of
powdery black ash in its wake. During March, violent thunderstorms occur again, this time
heralding the rainy season. When the rains come, savanna bunch grasses grow vigorously.
Some of the larger grasses grow an inch or more in 24 hours. The savannas experiences a surge
of new life at this time. For example, many antelope calves are born. With so much grass to
feed on, mothers have plenty of milk. Calves die if the rains fail to come.
Other animals (which do not all occur in the same savanna) include giraffes, zebras, buffaloes,
kangaroos, mice, moles, gophers, ground squirrels, snakes, worms, termites, beetles, lions,
leopards, hyenas, and elephants.
There are also some environmental concerns regarding savannas such as poaching, overgrazing,
and clearing of the land for crops.
Temperate Grassland
Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation. Trees
and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter, and the amount
of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in savannas. The major manifestations are the
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veldts of South Africa, the puszta of Hungary, the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the
steppes of the former Soviet Union, and the plains and prairies of central North America.
Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is moderate. The amount of
annual rainfall influences the height of grassland vegetation, with taller grasses in wetter
regions. As in the savanna, seasonal drought and occasional fires are very important to
biodiversity. However, their effects aren’t as dramatic in temperate grasslands as they are in
savannas. The soil of the temperate grasslands is deep and dark, with fertile upper layers. It is
nutrient-rich from the growth and decay of deep, many-branched grass roots. The rotted roots
hold the soil together and provide a food source for living plants. Each different species of grass
grows best in a particular grassland environment (determined by temperature, rainfall, and soil
conditions). The seasonal drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large mammals all prevent
woody shrubs and trees from invading and becoming established. However, a few trees, such
as cottonwoods, oaks, and willows grow in river valleys, and some nonwoody plants, specifically
a few hundred species of flowers, grow among the grasses. The various species of grasses
include purple needlegrass, blue grama, buffalo grass, and galleta. Flowers include asters,
blazing stars, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers, clovers, psoraleas, and wild indigos.
Precipitation in the temperate grasslands usually occurs in the late spring and early summer.
The annual average is about 50.8 to 88.9 cm (20-35 inches). The temperature range is very large
over the course of the year. Summer temperatures can be well over 38° C (100 degrees
Fahrenheit), while winter temperatures can be as low as -40° C (-40 degrees Fahrenheit).
The fauna (which do not all occur in the same temperate grassland) include gazelles, zebras,
rhinoceroses, wild horses, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, deer, mice, coyotes, foxes,
skunks, badgers, blackbirds, grouses, meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks, owls, snakes,
grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and spiders.
There are also environmental concerns regarding the temperate grasslands. Few natural prairie
regions remain because most have been turned into farms or grazing land. This is because they
are flat, treeless, covered with grass, and have rich soil.
Temperate grasslands can be further subdivided. Prairies are grasslands with tall grasses while
steppes are grasslands with short grasses. Prairie and steppes are somewhat similar but the
information given above pertains specifically to prairies—the following is a specific description
of steppes.
Steppes are dry areas of grassland with hot summers and cold winters. They receive 25.4-50.8
cm (10-20 inches) of rainfall a year. Steppes occur in the interiors of North America and Europe.
Plants growing in steppes are usually greater than 1 foot tall. They include blue grama and
buffalo grass, cacti, sagebrush, speargrass, and small relatives of the sunflower. Steppe fauna
includes badgers, hawks, owls, and snakes. Today, people use steppes to graze livestock and to
grow wheat and other crops. Overgrazing, plowing, and excess salts left behind by irrigation
waters have harmed some steppes. Strong winds blow loose soil from the ground after plowing,
especially during droughts. This causes the dust storms of the Great Plains of the U.S.
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Welcome/Review (10 minutes):
Getting Ready
-Nothing
Doing the Activity
-The Second day of camp--- Make sure the kids are comfortable and you have introduced
yourself to each child and parent specifically as they entered.
-Remember if you are happy the kids will follow suit.
-Go around the circle and introduce yourself and ask the kids:
-Do they think there are many cool aquatic creatures? Are they ready for another
completely different unknown expedition?!
-Review some of the specific information from yesterday’s topic.
Wrapping UP
-Animals inhabit all of the earths ecosystems and they are equipped with wonderful
adaptations that allow them to exploit their specific habitat!
-Today we will talk about another type of ecosystem
Choose your Own Adventure: Mission: Grasslands! (10 min)- These will have to
coordinated amongst instructors (depending on how many camp sections are running
concurrently, as there are only enough materials for two groups to simultaneously!
Getting Ready
- Envelopes/Treasure Chests labeled 1&2,-- Just like Yesterday (All of the envelopes will have
the same expedition, but allow the kids to pick one they vote on. Then they are choosing their
own conservation adventure. (I know we should not deceive the youngsters but I wouldn’t
expect you instructors to be able to remember every part of the curriculum depending on what
expedition they pick
-Small Envelopes with “Mission: Grasslands AM & PM” written on them (Inside the larger
envelopes)
-Dry Erase Board
-Markers
Doing the Activity
-Show the campers the envelopes labeled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Expedition Unknown”
(A) or (B)
-Explain that inside these envelopes holds our mission or expedition for the day.
-Ask the campers which Expedition they want to go on today, A or B? (Both are the same but
they don’t know that)
-Allow the campers to vote, once they have decided on with expedition, open the envelope
with anticipation……..
-There mission will be “MISSION: GRASSLANDS” smaller envelopes in the larger envelope- Once
they have figured out their mission for the day is have them record it in their Naturalist
Notebooks.
-IF we are to study animals and plants in a grassland habitat we need to know more
about what type of habitat it is and what type of animals call it home!!
-Have the campers explain what a grassland habitat is and what animals they think are adapted
to survive in it
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of what types of animals live in grassland habitats?
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-Do mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects?
-Have them list some examples of grassland mammals, reptiles, birds and insects
-What adaptations do these animals have to allow them to survive and thrive in such an
environment?
Wrapping UP
-Tell the campers that many different types of animals live in grassland habitats from around
the world
-Let them know before we do another expedition we must be naturalists and learn about the
grassland habitats found around the world
-After the campers gather information on their mission they will soon partake in a grassland
expedition!
Vocabulary
Savanna- Savanna is grassland with scattered individual trees. Savannas of one sort or another
cover almost half the surface of Africa.
-Climate is the most important factor in creating a savanna. Savannas are always found
in warm or hot climates where the annual rainfall is from about 20-50 inches per year. It
is crucial that the rainfall is concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by
a long period of drought when fires can occur. If the rain were well distributed
throughout the year, many such areas would become tropical forest.
Temperate Grasslands- Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the
dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from
summer to winter, and the amount of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in savannas.
The major manifestations are the veldts of South Africa
Biome- The world’s major plant and animal communities classified according to the
predominant vegetation & characterized by adaptations or organisms to a certain
environment.
Grazers- A feeding strategy used by generalist herbivores to allow them to take in lots of plant
material that doesn’t have much nutritional value
Autotrophic- An organism that can convert solar energy into chemical energy using
photosynthesis
Herbivore- An organism that gains energy from the intake of plant material.
Niche-The ecological role and space that an organism fills in its ecosystem
Diversity of Grassland Habitats (20min)
Getting ready
-Globe or map
-Pictures of savanna & temperate grassland and non-grassland animals, blue ribbons
Doing the activity
-Today, the animals that we will be learning about animals that supremely adapted like to live
in grasslands. What are grasslands?
-Land dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees
-Rainfall = up to 30” each year
General Types of Grasslands
-Temperatures range from below freezing to over 100 depending on type of grassland.
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-Savanna – grasslands in warm to hot climates with 20-50 inches of rain per year and a
few scattered individual trees. Rainfall comes within 7-8 months followed by a drought
period. If it rained all year, would turn into rainforest. Fire is important for maintaining
area as a savanna. Soil is poor.
-Temperate Grassland – Trees are absent and temperatures vary more from summer to
winter. Rainfall is less (20-35 inches) and soil is very nutrient-rich.
-Steppes – dry areas of grassland with hot summers and cold winters. Receive 10-20
inches rain per year.
1. Brainstorm what grasslands would look like, different kinds, and locate on map
2. Place the animal pictures in the center of the circle. Identify each animal.
3. Ask which animals live in temperate grasslands and which animals they think would
be found in savannahs
4. Ask the kids to help you determine which animals live in savannah or temperate
grasslands and which don’t.
5. After identifying animals from either the temperate or tropical grassland
6. Then give blue ribbons to the animals found in the savannah and discuss
adaptations each animal has that helps it live in that habitat.
Wrapping UP
-There are two main types of grasslands that are home to vary different animals
-In the morning we will take an expedition to the African savannah of the world
Morning Topic: Tropical Grasslands/Savannah-(20min)
Pick a Food Web Out a Hat
Getting Ready
-Crayons/Colored pencils
-Box containing the habitat peices
-Habitat pieces (primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, decomposers)
Sunlight--Grasses—Gazelle/Zebra—Cheetah/Lions—Beetles/Vultures
-Arrows that connect each piece of the food web puzzle
Doing the Activity
-Explain to the campers since we now know what types of animals in savannahs we can start to
understand how they fit together (to make up this ecosystem—predator/prey, producers &
consumers)
-This activity will have the campers build the food web of the African savannah from the
primary producers to the decomposers
-Tell the campers that you have a box that they can’t see into and that each camper will pick
out one member of the savannah ecosystem (laminated cards in box).
-Once all pieces of the ecosystem have been removed from the box (if you don’t have 12 kids,
allow each camper to remove a couple pieces of the food web from the box until all pieces have
been removed)
Primary Producers- Grasses- this type of organism is known as an autotroph- which
converts solar energy to chemical energy by photosynthesis.
Primary Consumers- Zebra/Gazelle- herbivores- consume primary producers, the zebra
and gazelle use the feeding strategy of grazing
Secondary Consumers- Cheetah- Carnivore consumes primary consumers, the cheetah
is a speed predator and could only survive on the open savanna.
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Decomposers- Vulture- Scavenger
Wrapping UP
-This is an abbreviated version of the actual food web that makes up the African savannah
biome
-Feel free to ask the kids where other animals may come into this food web
Live Animal Encounters (20min):
African Hornbill- African Grassland Species (Secondary Consumer)
Leopard Tortiose- African Grassland Species (Primary Consumer)
-Since you won’t want to both do the expedition at the same time—One instructor can do the
animal demos while the other one starts out on the expedition…..
Grassland Mission- Expedition (40 min): AM
Getting Ready
-Mission Grassland Envelope AM (Smaller envelope inside the Choose your Own Ad. Envelope)
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers its time to see what our specific mission is
-it is hidden in the grassland missions envelope!
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue! This clue will take you outside: READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME &
REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
CLUE #1: This will be inside the small envelope labeled “Mission Grassland”- It will take you to
the Grevvy Zebra exhibit
-Head over Swan Lake, past the Reptile House
(Have the campers use their maps and find a route together that will take them
over Swan Lake and past the Reptile House
-These primary consumers will dwarf a mouse
(Again have them look at the map and try to figure out where they need to go?)
-Your next stop you will see an herbivore
-These striped creatures graze the savannah floor (it could be the bongo, as it has stripes
but bongos are found in forested areas)—Grevvy Zebra
-After you finish talking about the grevvy zebra, tell the kids their next clue is hidden behind
them (When facing the Zebra exhibit)- The next clue will be hidden in the myrtle (ground cover)
CLUE #2: Will be hidden in the ground cover opposite the zebra exhibit- It will take you to the
black rhino
-Travel to an animal with a prehensile lip (this may need explanation- prehensile lips are
used by browsing animals and works as another gripping extremity). Look at the map- It
could be the greater one horned rhino or the black rhino? The next part of the clue
should give it away
-Leaves, berries and bark it uses to strip
-Which one of two species do you think it could be
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-The one that will eat off of African Trees (have them check the interpretive signage and
see if they don’t already know)
- Talk about the Black Rhino and its job in the savannah biome
-Your next clue can be found on a post near the ground
-Without these ,people would have to ask all around
-Behind the words and pictures your clue will be found
CLUE# 3: This clue will be taped to the back of the black rhino interpretive sign. It will take you
across the path to the lions then to the cheetah show
-Beware, the African savannah’s top predator is near!
-Across the path is an herbivores worst nightmare!
-Check out the White Lions- talk about them being the top predators of their grassland biome
(details below)
-From one secondary consumer to the next
-This animals speed will leave you perplexed—
OFF to the cheetah show you go (Sorry couldn’t help myself)
Hike : African Veldt & Cheetah Show (11am) & Giraffe Ridge- Feeding (11:45am)
 Prior to hike
x
Bathroom and drinking fountain break.
x
Review rules and expectations as needed.
Destinations: African Veldt- Zebra & Black Rhino, Lions & Cheetah Show
 Grevy’s Zebra
x Odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) – one toe or hoof
x Hindgut fermentation – so can eat large quantities of low-quality forage.
x Found in dry desert regions and grasslands
x Unlike other zebras, Grezy’s zebras tend to form very informal groups – rarely
staying together more than a couple months at most.
x Grazer
 Black Rhino
x Browser - special top lip (prehensile) that he can stick out and use to grab branches,
bushes, leaves, etc.). A white rhino would have a square shaped top lip for grazing
(eating grass)
o Most ungulates are either grazers or browsers. Browse tends to have more
chemical and physical (like thorns) adaptations to protect itself from
browsers.
x If startled or disturbed black rhinos can react aggressively in wild (as opposed to
White rhino) - Can run as fast as a car driving in a neighborhood – 35 mph
x Will mark territory by spraying with urine or even leaving a pile of scat.
x Black rhinos require water each day and also use wet areas for mud wallowing. This
adaptations keeps insects from biting them as well as cooling them off.
 Lions
LOCATION: from savanna woodlands of E. Africa to sands of Kalahari Desert
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x
x
x
The light coats of lions give them excellent camouflage when hunting.
Females hunt together to take down prey such as gazelles, zebras, antelopes,
giraffes, and wild hogs, yet males eat first at the kill. Females need about 11 pounds
meat/day and males 15 pounds/day.
Hunting styles of lions have adapted for an open grassland area. Several females
will hide downwind of a herd of prey while other females will stand upwind of the
prey, scare them towards the hiding lionesses who pounce.
Cheetah Show (11am)
Giraffe Ridge- Feed the giraffe at 11:45am- Try to be about 10 minutes early so you can get a
good spot in line.
LOCOMOTION:
x Legs incredibly long - reach food other animals can’t, run from predators (lions),
x Has to spread legs to be able to reach water to drink – vulnerable to predators
then.
x Has different gaits –
Paces – swings both right side legs forward and then both left legs
Gallops – both hind legs forward and place them on the outside of front
legs. Neck moves back and forth like rocking horse for momentum
MISC:
x Giraffes are fond of acacia tree species. Some trees have a “security team” to
protect them from the browsers. The whistling-thorn acacia secretes a sugar, oil
and albumen mix near the tips of its leaves. An ant species feeds on this fluid
and lives in the tree’s hollow thorns. In return, the ant’s powerful bite protects it
from browsers. Thick saliva protects tongue from thorns on acacia trees
x Humans and giraffes have same number of neck vertebrae (7)
x Feeding Strategy- Browser
x Both males and females have knobs on top of head – ossicones
x Top speed – 32 mph
x Height –12-17 feet (they could stand in front of a house and look into the second
floor window)
x Habitat - Savannahs, open woodlands, seasonal floodplains - South of Sahara in
Africa
x Is a ruminant
OUR ANIMALS:
x Baby Zuri- Born April 2nd 2011
x Tessa- Mother Born 2007
x Kimba Born 2006
LUNCH TIME/BREAK MOVIE TIME (45min)-Relax and have lunch
-Check for food allergies before campers begin eating
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Warm UP Game: Carrying Capacity (15 min)- You can combine classes for this
activity
Getting Ready
-Open space- in the yard or the frisch’s theater
Doing the Activity
-To review the concepts we talked about in the morning we will play a fun active game and add
a layer to our savannah ecosystem
-In a savannah there are predator animals and prey animals (Pick two volunteers one to be a
predator (cheetah/lion) and one to a prey (zebra/gazelle)
-Ask them if there can be a million predators in one place? Maybe only if there are 2 million
prey animals and plenty of grasses to support all this life
-In every ecosystem, there is a maximum number of predators or prey animals that the
ecosystem can support—This is called the systems carrying capacity
-Now have the rest of the campers split up into groups of two. Explain that these two sets of
individuals represent the carrying capacity for this grassland
-Have the pairs spread out in the space.
-Explain that the predator must chase the prey animal until the prey animal finds suitable
“habitat” (the habitat are the pair of campers). OR the predator tags the prey, which turns the
prey into a predator. And the chase continues again
-If the prey animal finds a habitat, the prey must lock arms with one person in the pair that
makes the habitat. When they lock arms, we now have exceeded the carrying capacity for that
habitat and the person that doesn’t have their arms locked with the prey person now becomes
the prey and better run!!
-Do a couple warm up games so the campers understand why they are running around having
fun
Wrapping UP
-Hopefully this game will show the campers that we have food webs in ecosystems and they are
limited by resources (amount of prey (Grasses or animals))
Afternoon Topic Introduction: Temperate Grasslands (15 min): Food Chain Lap
Sit
Getting Ready
-Nametags with temperate grasslands species on them
-Diagram of the two food chains creating a food web
Doing the Activity
-This activity will allow each camper to take on a species in a temperate grassland
-There is a certain connectivity within an ecosystem between its plant and animal parts
-This activity will show that although, animals may hunt and kill other animals they are still
reliant on eachothers presence for their own survival.
-These interrelationships and interdependencies are important when discussing any biological
system
-Have the campers form a circle standing shoulder to shoulder
-Next have them name components of any food chain/web – primary producers, consumers,
autotrophs, etc.
-Now tell them that they are going to all play a part in a temperate grassland ecosystem
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-Hand out the nametags, start with the sun and decomposer- these two nametags should be
handed out to the campers that are opposite of eachother in the circle, also give them a chair
to sit in facing eachother
-Without these two components the ecosystem couldn’t start (sunlight) nor could it end
(decomposer) and start all over again. Without decomposers dead animals would pile
up and never get broken down into their chemical parts which are essential to the
growth of new plants to begin again the base of food web.
-Now ask the campers what they think would be the next part of the food chain after sunlight
-Next ask them what animals would be primary consumers? You can give them choices if you
want (wolf or insect..)
-Continue until all campers have a nametag and a place in the food web
-Ask all the campers (EXCEPT the decomposer & the sun) to turn to the right
-They should be standing close to eachother
-Now have all the campers place their hands on the shoulders of the people in front of them (as
if to connect the food chain)
-On the count of three ask the campers to slowly sit down on the person behind them
-At this point the campers will either fall or stay up.
-If they stay up talk BRIEFLY about how there is an interconnectedness of all organisms (plants
and animals in the same ecosystem)
-Ask the campers what they think would happen if you removed the insect person? Or the
falcon person?
-Would the ecosystem collapse?
-Try it!
-Here are the components of one type of food chain within a temperate grassland:
-Vulture/Fungus (Decomposer)
-Wolves (Secondary Consumer)
-Elk Or P-Horse (Primary Consumer)
-Grasses (Autotroph)
-Sunlight (Solar Energy)
-Here are the components of another food chain within a temperate grassland
-Vulture/Fungus (Decomposer)
-Falcon (Tertiary Consumer)
-Meadowlark (Secondary Consumer)
-Insects (Primary Consumer)
-Grasses (Autotroph)
-Sunlight (Solar Energy)
Wrapping UP (1:15pm)
Live Animal Encounters (20min)
Chicken Inquiry
Chicken
-This is an opportunity for the campers to see which type of food the chicken will choose- or
what niche would the chicken fit into if it was in a natural ecosystem (What niche- would it be
better adapted to feed on worms or better to feed on plant material? Which is more
nutritious?—The mealworms. But can the chicken always find worms? Unlikely, it is adapted to
feed on both plants and animals
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-Start by introducing the two types of food: Chicken Scratch (which is just a grain mix/plant) &
Live mealworms- Omnivore (talk about their amount of nutrition—would you have to eat more
plant material or meat to become full?)
-Explain to the class that the chicken as part of their diet gets both of these types of food
-Prediction Time: Ask them which one they think the chicken will like more? Mealworms or
Scratch?- Do you think the chicken will go for the more nutritious (energy rich) meal worms or
the scratch?
-If you are brave, say I know which one I like. Then eat a mealworm and gross them all
out!
-Once the campers have all made a prediction, then place the two food choices in the middle of
the circle or plastic sided fence.
-Then place the chicken equidistant from both food sources.
-See what happens???
-Discuss why the campers think the chicken chose what it did?
-If they were to train a chicken, which type of food would they pick for a reward?
Wrapping UP
-Animals have adaptations that allow them to feed on certain types of organisms, from the
teeth and claws of lions to a prehensile top lip of a rhino or a beak of a chicken.
-These adaptations allow the animal to be a part of its ecosystem but also fill its niche
within that ecosystem
Grassland Mission- Expedition (40 min): PM- Wolf Woods & Children’s ZooGoat Feed & Blakley’s Barnyard Bonanza 2pm!!
-You can switch the goat feed while one class does the expeditionGetting Ready
-Mission Grassland Envelope PM (Smaller envelope inside the Choose your Own Ad. Envelope)
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers its time to see what our PM mission is
-it is hidden in the grassland missions envelope- they will already know by use of
deductive reasoning that they will be seeing a temperate grassland ecosystem!
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue! This clue will take you outside: READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE
EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
CLUE #1: This clue will lead the campers to Wolf Woods (Specifically the “wolf den”- that is
where you will find your next clue)
-Venture past the train depot
-Where the autotrophs grow
-Again over the tracks
-Look left smelly snacks (Stop here and talk about “Spicebush”- Take a leaf from the
spicebush and crush it in your hands. Pass it around and let the campers smell it.
What do they think it smells like? This is natures “Scratch & Sniff”) The spicebush was
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used by early naturalists during their expeditions- The leaves were dried and used to
make a drink that would fight against fever.
Take an entire leaf for the campers to be able to draw in their journal at the end of the
day
-The temperate grassland top predator is near
-To its den your adventure will take you from here
CLUE #2: This clue will be the “Wolf Den” and lead the campers to the grey fox
-Head past our piscivorous friends
-Stay on the trail, follow its bends
-To the grey fox where the trail ends
Mexican Wolves
Mexican wolves are the smallest subspecies of North American gray wolves. They are also the
most endangered. Commonly referred to as "El lobo," the Mexican wolf is gray with light brown
fur on its back. Its long legs and sleek body enable it to run fast.
Our Wolves: Both Females
-You can try and call to the wolves often they will call back—If they do or not it’s a great time to
talk about communication and cooperation.
-Mya
-Sedona
Fast Facts
Height: 26-32 inches at the shoulder.
Length: 4.5-5.5 feet from nose to tip of tail.
Weight: 60-80 lbs; Males are typically heavier and taller than the females.
Lifespan: Up to 15 years in captivity.
Diet
-Mexican wolves mostly eat ungulates (large hoofed mammals) like white-tailed deer, mule
deer and elk (primary consumers).
-They are also known to eat smaller mammals like javelinas (wild pigs), rabbits, ground squirrels
and mice.
Population
-Once extirpated from the southwestern United States, 34 wolves returned to southeastern
Arizona following a reintroduction program begun in March, 1998. There are only about 200
Mexican wolves in captivity. The goal of the reintroduction program was to restore at least 100
wolves to the wild by 2008; unfortunately, at the end of 2008 there were only approximately
50.
Range
-Mexican wolves once ranged from central Mexico to southwestern Texas, southern New
Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Today, the Mexican wolf has been reintroduced to the
Apache National Forest in southeastern Arizona and may move into the adjacent Gila National
Forest in western New Mexico as the population expands.
Behavior
-Mexican wolves prefer to live in mountain forests, grasslands and shrublands, and are very
social animals.
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-They live in packs, which are complex social structures that include the breeding adult pair (the
alpha male and female) and their offspring. A hierarchy of dominant and subordinate animals
within the pack help it to work as a unit.
-This is a great example of animal teamwork, from hunting to raising young wolf packs stick
together to increase the strength of the pack.
-Much like we have done so far as naturalists working together to figure out where to go for
our expeditions
Grey Fox- Niche mid sized predator
The gray fox is a close cousin of the more common red fox. But unlike the red fox, the gray fox
can climb trees and prefers mature hardwood forest and woodlot habitats but its cousin the
swift fox prefers grasslands.
Identification
General description: A medium-sized canid (member of the dog family) that resembles a red
fox in shape, but is gray with a black tip on the tail.
Length: 35 to 40 inches long, including the 12 to 15 inch long bushy tail.
Weight: Adults weigh from eight to 14 pounds.
Color: Grayish, with a distinct black stripe on top of the back and tail. The underfur, belly, and
feet are a yellow buff.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs in late winter, and gestation (time required for the young to develop) is about
two months. Litter size averages four, and the young stay with their mother until autumn. Red
and gray fox do not cross-breed in the wild.
Food
Gray fox eat a variety of small mammals but have a preference for cottontail rabbits. Other
foods are small birds and insects. Grey fox can climb most trees, and sometimes they catch prey
there. New born fawns are also a favored prey item.
Predators
Gray fox compete with red fox for food, but their main predator is probably the coyote and the
wolf.
Population and management
The gray fox is classed as a furbearer, and is managed with a regulated hunting and trapping
season each year. Only a few thousand are taken for fur annually.
Fun facts
The gray fox is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees, and does so both to
catch prey and escape predators.
Children’s Zoo: Goat Feed & Blakley’s Barnyard Bonanza (2pm)!!
Snack/Recess/Bathrooms (30 min)
Update Naturalist Notebooks/ Dismissal (30 min)
Getting Ready
-Naturalist Notebooks
-Pencils/Colored Pencils
-Spicebush leaf- laminated to make rubbing
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Doing the Activity
-Have the campers update their naturalist notebook with the information they learned today
-Savannahs & Grasslands (there differences, similiarities)
-Any relevant definitions you think they should know (niche, primary
producer/consumer/top predator, etc.)
-Then have the campers make a rubbing of the spice bush leaf
-Have them record the smell (lemony fresh) and the uses
Wrapping UP
-Wildlife and the habitats have live in hold many mysteries as naturalists it is our job to unlock
them
Day III-Mission: Tropical Rainforests
Floor
-*ALL ANIMALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ANIMAL DEMOS-*ONE SNACK WILL BE GIVEN/ DAY YOU WILL DISTURBUTE AT YOUR OWN
DESCRETION-*IN BETWEEN NIGHT HUNTERS & MONKEY ISLAND—THERE IS A MIST TUNNEL—GO
AND CHILL OUT AT POINTS THRU OUT THE DAY.
-*FEEL FREE TO ADD IN ANCILLARY DETAILS
Use the train, tram to move through the zoo whenever possible or to just relax.
EVERYDAY
-ALL COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BUCKET AND TAKEN
TO COMPOST BIN WITH KIDS
-ALL DRINKS (ONE/DAY)- SHOULD BE REUSED AS A WATER BOTTLE—LABEL
EACH CHILDS
-ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE RECYCLE AREA (1ST
FLOOR)
RULES- Review
-Have the students remind you of them
Time requirement
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7hrs./day
Group size and grade(s)
5-12 kids/instructor
Materials
Goal(s)
-Campers should discover the world’s different biomes and their interconnectedness
-Campers should understand general ecological concepts- feeding styles- browsers, grazers
-Campers should appreciate the world’s plant and animal diversity
-Campers should want to protect these wonderful places on earth
Objective(s)
1. Participants will be able to name at least 5 types of feeding strategies (herbivory,
carnivory, frugivory…)- name different types of grasslands biomes (savanna/temperate)
2. Campers will be able to define a food web (producers, consumers)
3. Campers will be able to locate the worlds biomes
Background: Tropical Rainforest- Floor
Background
Tropical rainforests encompass 7% of the earth’s land but provide habitat to an estimated 50%
of the world’s species. As a result of steady year-round temperatures, prolific rainfall, and an
abundance of niches, diversity is a standard descriptive for rainforests.
Rainforests are responsible for many of the products that people use on a daily basis. From
medicines to foods, rainforest plants were the origin of things such as spices used in cooking,
medicines for illnesses, and even “fun” things such as chewing gum and the eraser on a pencil.
Without rainforests, our lives would be very different, missing many of the elements that we
take for granted.
Layers of the Rainforest
Canopy Layer (65-115 feet)– Flat carpet of tall trees. Crowns spread out and take up all
possible space to soak up sunlight. 80% of forest’s food is produced at this level. (Hornbills,
Understory Layer (15-65 feet)– Young or small trees, often with large leaves to get as much
sunlight as possible. Low light, but humidity and temperature is changes very little. (spiders,
ants, chimpanzees, African leopard, birds, orangutans)
FOCUS: Floor Layer (0-15 feet)– Little vegetation, scattered with leaf litter. Humidity constant
at 90% and temperature varies within 5 degrees. (Okapi, forest elephant, duiker, gorilla,
elephant shrew, weaver ants, gaboon viper, red river hog, shoebill stork, Okapi, driver ants,
congo peafowl
Background information
Cacao Tree - How is chocolate made?- Understory
1. Cacao tree prefer shade and are often planted by banana trees, rubber trees, or coconut
palms which provide natural shade.
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2. The pods take five to six months to develop. When the pods ripen they turn from green or
yellow to orange or red. Cacao trees can be harvested twice a year. Workers use a machete
to cut the pods off the trees, split them open, and scrape out the pulp contained inside. The
beans are left in for a few days to ferment – becoming dry and wrinkly.
3. Seeds are then shipped to a processing mill, where they are cleaned to remove foreign
material.
4. Next, they are roasted at 250-350 degrees, to loosen their husks around the seeds. The
husks are used for animal feed.
5. Finally, the inner kernel of the seed is broken into bits called "nibs."
6. Nibs are ground under heavy stone mills, and the oil within the nibs is released, and
transforms the mass into "chocolate liquor," a thick substance which, upon hardening,
produces the bitter chocolate. Cocoa butter, sugar, and milk is added to make milk
chocolate.
7. Chocolate is then refined by being reheated, mixed, and cooled. The “better” the quality of
the chocolate, the longer it is refined.
8. The ancient Aztecs prepared a beverage by crushing cacao beans, which they boiled with
water and various spices, seasoned with pepper, and served cold.
9. Spanish explorers, who stumbled upon this potent Aztec drink, stole the recipe, deleted the
pepper from it, and substituted an equal measure of sugar to the crushed cacao beans and
water before boiling it. The Spaniards successfully squirreled away their new and improved
drink recipe for almost 100 years until, in the mid 17th century, a Frenchman found sweet
success by discovering the art of making solid chocolate from finely ground cacao beans.
Coffee - How is Coffee Made?
1. A coffee tree, usually takes 5 years before it flowers and fruits can be produced. After the
white petals drop off, red cherries form, each with two green coffee beans inside (a small
bush yields enough beans for a pound of coffee each year).
2. After the coffee cherries are harvested by hand, the cherries are dried and husked
3. A machine removes the hull which polishes the bean to a clean, glossy finish.
4. The beans are then placed on a conveyor belt that carries them past workers who remove
sticks and other debris. Next, they are graded according to size, the location and altitude of
the plantation where they were grown, drying and husking methods, and taste. All these
factors contribute to certain flavors that consumers will be able to select thanks in part to
the grade.
5. Next the beans go to a roasting plant. When they arrive, they are again cleaned and sorted
by mechanical screening devices to remove leaves, bark, and other remaining debris.
6. If the coffee is to be decaffeinated, it is now processed using either a solvent or a water
method. In the first process, the coffee beans are treated with a solvent that leaches out
the caffeine. If this decaffeination method is used, the beans must be thoroughly washed to
remove traces of the solvent prior to roasting. The other method entails steaming the beans
to bring the caffeine to the surface and then scraping off this caffeine-rich layer.
7. The beans are roasted in huge commercial roasters according to procedures and
specifications which vary among manufacturers (specialty shops usually purchase beans
directly from the growers and roast them on-site). The most common process entails
placing the beans in a large metal cylinder and blowing hot air into it. Roasting gradually
raises the temperature of the beans to between 431 and 449 degrees Fahrenheit (220-230
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degrees Celsius). Roasting also darkens the color of the beans, gives them a crumbly
texture, and triggers the chemical reactions that imbue the coffee with its familiar aroma.
8. If the coffee is to be pre-ground, the manufacturer mills it immediately after roasting.
Special types of grinding have been developed for each of the different types of coffee
makers, as each functions best with coffee ground to a specific fineness.
Pineapples
1. Pineapple flowers are pollinated by humming-birds. The flowers are small and pink and
develop into the pineapple. This takes at about 18 months.
2. Pineapples can also be grown by planting the top of a pineapple. When it is one year
old, the flowering process begins.
3. The pineapple is native to Brazil although they are grown throughout Central America.
How Vanilla is Made
1. Vanilla pods are actually from an orchid called vanilla planifolla. It is a small, plain
yellow orchid that produces 7 to 8 inch pods.
2. Pods are picked green and then are dried and fermented which allows the vanilla flavor
to develop.
Bananas
1. The banana plant grows from a gnarled, fleshy bulb called a "rhizome." It contains many
buds, similar to the eyes of a potato.
2. After the leafy stalk has matured, a flowering stem emerges from the top where a large
bud develops. As each leaf of the bud unfolds, it reveals a double row of tiny flowers.
These flowers become individual bananas, called "fingers." Each row has about 15 to 30
fingers that make up a "hand." The stem develops 7 to 10 hands of bananas.
3. When the plant is 9 months old, the stem weighs up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or
more and is ready to harvest. After harvesting, the mother plant is cut back to 2 to 5
feet (61 to 152 centimeters) high.
4. Meanwhile, a daughter plant from the same rhizome has sprouted and grown to about
one-third the size of the mother plant and the whole process starts again. It's possible
for plants to grow from the same rhizome for over 100 years!
5. Bananas are the most popular fruit in America – average person eats 33# of bananas per
year!
6. Native to Asia but brought to Central and South America in 1800’s.
Bananas grow on giant plants, not trees. They are among the world’s largest plants without a
woody stem. Stems can weigh up to 100# and leaves can be 30 feet in length
Background Information
Mahogany - table
x Is a very smooth, reddish-brown dark wood with little to no imperfections.
x Used for furniture and boats
x Lasts a long time – slow to rot
x Gibson guitars now buys SmartWood – mahogany wood that is harvested in a ecofriendly way.
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Ylang Ylang - perfume
x Is name of flower of the cananga tree
x The flower is greenish-yellow to pink and produces an oil used to create fregrances.
x The oil of the flower is obtained through steam distillation of the flowers and separated
into different grades (extra; 1; 2; 3) according to when the distillates are obtained. It is
used in many perfumes.
Sapodilla – chewing gum
x A major by-product of the sapodilla tree is the gummy latex called "chicle", containing
15% rubber and 38% resin.
x For many years it has been employed as the chief ingredient in chewing gum but it is
now in some degree diluted or replaced by latex from other species and by synthetic
gums.
x Chicle is tasteless and harmless and is obtained by repeated tapping of wild and
cultivated trees in Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala. It is coagulated by stirring over low
fires, then poured into molds to form blocks for export. Processing consists of drying,
melting, elimination of foreign matter, combining with other gums and resins,
sweeteners and flavoring, then rolling into sheets and cutting into desired units.
x The dried latex was chewed by the Mayas and was introduced into the United States by
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana about 1866 while he was on Staten Island awaiting
clearance to enter this country. He had a supply in his pocket for chewing and gave a
piece to the son of Thomas Adams. The latter at first considered the possibility of using
it to make dentures, then decided it was useful only as a masticatory. He found he could
easily incorporate flavoring and thus soon launched the chicle-based chewing-gum
industry. In 1930, at the peak of production, nearly 14,000,000 lbs (6,363,636 kg) of
chicle were imported.
Aloe – medicine for cut
x the translucent inner pulp as well as the resinous yellow exudate from wounding the
Aloe plant is used externally to relieve skin discomforts
x if ingested, can work as a laxative
Rosy periwinkle – medicine for cancer
x originated in Madagascar and was used for diabetes by indigenous people
x When scientists were experimenting with it for curing diabetes, they discovered that it
affected certain childhood leukemias. Before its use, only 5% of patients lived. Now,
84% survive.
Rubber Tree – bicycle tires
x The white or yellow latex occurs in latex vessels in the bark, mostly outside the phloem.
The latex is not in the sap.
x Once the trees are 5-6 years old, the harvest can begin: incisions are made, just deep
enough to tap the vessels without harming the tree's growth, and the sap is collected in
small buckets. Older trees yield more latex.
Heliconia
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x
Heliconias are sometimes called “lobster claws” or “parrot flowers” because of their
beak-like “bracts” which can be orange, purple, red, yellow, pink, green or a
combination of these. A bract is a leaf structure at the base of a flower. The heliconia's
bracts are so large and colorful that they almost hide the flowers altogether, which are
tiny and are found inside these bracts. This keeps the flower's sweet nectar tucked away
so that only specialized birds can get to it.
Heliconia latispatha
Photo by Chris Wille
x
x
They are also often found as ornamental plants in gardens and landscaped areas.
The heliconia, like the bromeliad, can also be home to other living things. Water collects
in the bracts of the straight stems, which provides a habitat for many species of tiny
aquatic organisms. Hummingirds and butterflies like to drink the sweet nectar from the
heliconia’s flowers.
Vocabulary
Biodiversity - a measure of the relative diversity among organisms present in different
ecosystems
Ethnobotany - study of how people of a particular culture and region make of use of indigenous
plants.
Pollination - the transfer of pollen from an anther to the stigma in angiosperms
Shaman – traditional healers within a tribe or group
Welcome/Review (10 minutes):
Getting Ready
-Nothing
Doing the Activity
-The Third day of camp--- Make sure the kids are comfortable and you have introduced yourself
to each child and parent specifically as they entered.
-Remember if you are happy the kids will follow suit.
-Go around the circle and introduce yourself and ask the kids:
-Do they think there are many cool grassland creatures? Are they ready for another
completely different unknown expedition?!
-Review some of the specific information from yesterday’s topic.
Wrapping UP
-Animals inhabit all of the earths ecosystems and they are equipped with wonderful
adaptations that allow them to exploit their specific habitat!
-Today we will talk about another type of ecosystem
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Choose your Own Adventure: Mission: Tropical Rainforest! (5min)- These will have
to coordinated amongst instructors (depending on how many camp sections are running
concurrently, as there are only enough materials for two groups simultaneously!
Getting Ready
- Envelopes labeled 1&2, (All of the envelopes will have the same expedition, but allow the kids
to pick one they vote on. Then they are choosing their own conservation adventure. (I know we
should not deceive the youngsters but I wouldn’t expect you instructors to be able to
remember every part of the curriculum depending on what expedition they pick
-Small Envelopes with “Mission: Jungle” written on them (Inside the larger envelopes)
-Dry Erase Board
-Markers
Doing the Activity
-Show the campers the envelopes labeled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Expedition Unknown”
(A) or (B)
-Explain that inside these envelopes holds our mission or expedition for the day.
-Ask the campers which Expedition they want to go on today, A or B? (Both are the same but
they don’t know that)
-Allow the campers to vote, once they have decided on with expedition, open the envelope
with anticipation……..
-There mission will be “MISSION: Jungle- Floor” smaller envelopes in the larger envelope- Once
they have figured out their mission for the day is have them record it in their Naturalist
Notebooks.
-IF we are to study animals and plants in a tropical rainforest ecosystem we need to
know more about what type of habitat it is and what type of animals call it home!!
-Have the campers explain what a tropical rainforest is and what animals they think are
adapted to survive in it
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of what types of animals live on the rainforest floor?
-Do mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects?
-Have them list some examples of tropical rainforest floor dwelling mammals, reptiles,
birds and insects
-What adaptations do these animals have to allow them to survive and thrive in such an
environment (focus on the rainforest floor for the morning)?
Wrapping UP
-Tell the campers the rainforests of the world hold the largest amount of biodiversity in all of
the terrestrial world!!e world
-Let them know before we do another expedition we must be naturalists and learn about the
most diverse system on earth!
-After the campers gather information on their mission they will soon partake in a rainforest
expedition!
Tropical Rainforest Floor: Rainforest Recipes (10 min)
Getting Ready
-Dry Erase Board
- Short list of selected rainforest plants and their uses
-Dry erase board
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-Map of rainforests around the world
Doing the Activity
-Ask the campers which organism starts any food chain, whether it be grassland in N. Dakota or
a tropical rainforest? A plant (Autotroph to review vocabulary from yesterday)
-Explain that we are going to go on an expedition to the rainforest floor and as a naturalist we
must be knowledgable about plants that sustain the animals.
-In addition to sustaining the animals that live in the rainforest, the rainforest plants have
provided humans with many things as well.
-Ask the campers if they can come up with a list of products humans get from plants:
-Medicines, Food, Dyes, Popsicle sticks ;), perfumes, chewing gum, etc.
- Discuss how the knowledge of rainforest plants comes from the indigenous peoples who live
in rainforest around the world.
(Show the campers the map of world and where the rainforests are located—around the
equator)
-Explain how this information is passed from generation to generation in a tribe in the
rainforest- often many uses of plants are part of the information being passed around.
-These folks are naturalists just like us!
-Can they think of anything that they have learned from their grandparents? Maybe a holiday
tradition or a way to eat a certain food.
-In many tribes, it is the shaman or naturalist that has much of the information on the healing
properties of plants. However, if there are not younger individuals in the tribes to learn the
information, it may be lost.
-A program in the Amazon called the Shamans and Apprentices Program helps shamans share
their information with a selected apprentice in the tribe. In this way, the information and
wisdom that the Shaman has, is not lost.
---Telephone Time----An example of how information can be lost or changed if not carefully passed on, is by
playing the game “telephone”. As the instructor, whisper a sentence to the person next
to you who, in turn, whispers it to the next person, etc. At the end of the game,
compare the sentence that you started with. Is it the exact same sentence or did it
change? How much did it change?
Wrapping up
-Traditions and knowledge are passed along from generation to generation regardless of your
culture, nationality, etc.
-Plants/autotrophic organisms are the base of any food chain but also provide humans with lots
of products
Shaman QUEST Mission- Expedition (40 min): AM- Discovery Forest & Elephant
Reserve (10:30am)- Keeper Talk & Wildlife Canyon- Sumatran Rhino Keeper Talk
(11am)
-You can switch the animal demonstration while one class does the
expeditionGetting Ready
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-1st Clue, 2nd & 3rd clues which will lead you on separate missions to find the apprentice,
guardian & high shamans hidden throughout the discovery forest
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
-Laminated plant leaves to make rubbings (Coffee , Sapodilla, Cinnnamon)
-Wild research cards (hopefully)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers that their mission this morning will take them on an adventure through our
discovery forest to find different shamans hidden in the forest- along the way the campers will
collect information about plants and their healing properties
-There will be an envelope that holds the first three clues for this AM expedition- the other
clues will be hidden through out the forest on small graphics designed signs
-Head to the ground floor of the discovery forest and start your expedition at the “Wild
Research” station located there
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue for the Apprentice Shaman! This clue will take you outside: READ ONE
CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
CLUE #1: Apprentice Shaman- This first clue will lead you to others hidden in the discovery
forest and will end with the campers searching for the apprentice shaman (a little wooden
painted figurine)
-Take 10 steps past the sloth and look for a tree with large snowflake shaped leaves
-Make a stop at the Coffee Plant (Located in a large pot in front of the Sloth
exhibit)- See the background information above
-Dotted with leaf scars the trunk is narrow and green
-And this is where the next clue can be seen
CLUES #2 & #3: Hidden throughout the forest
Clue #2- will bring you and the campers to cacao trees (leaves shaped like a football)
-Talk about the Cacao tree (information above)
Clue #3- this clue will put you near the sapodilla tree (information above)
CLUE #1: Guardian Shaman- Start near the Computer (Wild research Station) on the Discovery
Forest Floor
-Head toward the water and start to climb
-Counting the steps up to 9
-Look for the clue hidden behind
-Tiny green hearts that grow on a vine
Other CLUES: Hidden throughout the forest
CLUE #1: High Shaman- Start near the Computer (Wild research Station) on the Discovery
Forest Floor
-Trace the waterfall to its source
-Where you will find a clue of course
-Hidden among fishtails of green
-That cascade running over a stream
Other CLUES: Hidden throughout the forest
-Once you have completed all the shaman QUESTS
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-Head to the following keeper talks
Elephant Reserve Keeper Talk 10:30am
Our Elephants:
-3 Females (Jati, Mai Thai & Princess Schotzie)
-Princess Schotzie- The Matriarch of the herd (Also the Tallest)
-Jati- The Middle sized female
-Mai Thai- The smallest (Has hole in her ear as well as a shorter tail)
-1 Male (Sabu)
FAST FACTS
DESCRIPTION:
Huge thick-skinned herbivore with fan-shaped ears
and a long trunk, with a single finger-like projection
at the tip, which originates between two forward
projecting incisors that extend to the ground
SIZE:
2.4-3.1 m (8-10 ft.) at the shoulder
WEIGHT:
6000-11000 lb.; females are smaller
DIET:
Consumes plants including grasses, fruits,
vegetables, leaves, and bark which it gathers with
its long trunk
GESTATION:
18-22 months
SEXUAL
MATURITY:
MALE
10-14 years (bulls)
FEMALE
8-9 years (cows)
LIFE SPAN:
60-70 years
RANGE:
Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and Sumatra
HABITAT:
Forests, adjoining grasslands, and scrub
POPULATION:
GLOBAL
No data
STATUS:
IUCN
Endangered
CITES
Appendix I
USFWS
Endangered
FUN FACTS
1.
The elephant's ivory tusks are incisors used for digging, uprooting
trees and displaying.
2.
The dominant elephant in the herd is a female, the matriarch. She
is often the oldest, largest or most experienced elephant in the
herd of related females and their young.
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3.
An infant elephant is cared for by its mother and other females
called "aunties" in the herd.
4.
Elephants can use low frequency sound waves for communication
between members of the herd and individuals outside the herd.
These sounds may carry for distances of up to 10 miles.
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Asian elephants have adapted to their environment as it changed over
vast periods of time. Today they still interact with and shape their
environment. Their foraging activities help to maintain the areas in
which they live. by pulling down trees to eat leaves, branches, and roots
they create clearings in which new young trees and other vegetation
grow to provide future nutrition for elephants and other organisms.
Elephant trails through the brush are paths that other animals can use.
Termites eat elephant feces and often begin construction of termite
mounds under piles of feces!
The Asian elephants' forest homes are being ravaged today because of
commercial demand for forest derived products such as coffee, tea,
rubber, and hardwoods. Crop cultivation, mining for iron ore, and
flooding by hydroelectric projects have also acted to diminish the large
tracts of land required by elephants for adequate food supplies. Only
about 35,000-40,000 Asian elephants survive today throughout a
discontinuous range in southeast Asia.
Wildlife Canyon: Sumatran Rhino Keeper Talk- 11am
Our Rhinos:
-1 Female- Suci-1 Male- Ipuh
Our Conservation Efforts:
Emi, our female Sumatran Rhino, is famous for being the first Sumatran Rhino to give birth in
captivity in over 112 years. She produced not one calf, not two, but three baby Sumatran
Rhinos.
Andalas, Emi’s first son was born on the 13th of September in 2001. He was the first
Sumatran baby born in captivity in 112 years. Currently Andalas is in Indonesia, at a Rhino
Sanctuary, a part of a breeding program there. Then on the 30th of July, 2004, Emi gave birth to
her second calf and first female, Suci, who still currently resides here. Finally, Emi gave birth to
her most recent calf, a boy and her second son, Harapan (Harry for short) on 29th of April, 2007.
Mom and all babies are doing great and that wouldn’t be possible without the great
staff and volunteers here at the zoo. Breeding programs are especially important to Sumatran
Rhinoceros Conservation because they roughly estimate that there are only 300 Sumatran
rhinos left out in the wild. An extremely low number that would make the Sumatran
Rhinoceros critically endangered and the most endangered species of rhinoceros in the world
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(there are less Javan rhinos in number, but their population is relatively stable while the
Sumatran rhino population is quickly decreasing).
Efforts like these are important to everyone. Without zoos and other organizations
helping to conserve these animals, many of them wouldn’t survive. We here at the Cincinnati
Zoo & Botanical Garden take part in several programs similar to our Sumatran Rhinoceros
program.
Sumatran rhinos are generally solitary creatures that feed on fruit, twigs, leaves, and shrubs.
Like other rhinos they have a keen sense of smell and sharp hearing, and they leave a network
of scented trails throughout the forest in order to find one another.
As the smallest rhino, they weigh about 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms), and grow to a height
near 5 feet (1.5 meters) at the shoulders and 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3.2 meters) in length. Unlike
most other rhinos, their hide, dark red-brown in color, is covered with patches of short, dark,
stiff hair. The hair helps keep mud caked to the body, which cools the hide and protects it from
insects.
The Sumatran rhino’s two horns are considerably smaller than those of their African relatives,
the black and white rhinos. The anterior horn may grow up to 31 inches (79 centimeters), but is
normally much smaller, while the posterior horn may grow up to 3 inches (10 centimeters), but
is generally no more than a hump.
The horns for which rhinos are so well known have been their downfall. Many animals have
been killed for this hard growth, which is made of a hair-like substance and is revered for
medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in the
Middle East, Yemen especially, and North Africa as an ornamental dagger handle.
Listed as critically endangered, there are thought to be fewer than 400 Sumatran rhinos in
existence today. While a number of these animals are kept in zoos, they rarely breed in
captivity. In 2001 a calf born in the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio was the first Sumatran rhino born in
the United States, and the first successful captive delivery in over 100 years. The main threats
to their survival in the wild include poaching and habitat encroachment by humans.
Fast Facts
Type:
Mammal
Diet:
Herbivore
Average life span in captivity:
35 to 40 years
Size:
Height, 48 to 58 in (1.2 to 1.5 m), Length, 8 to 10 ft (2.5 to 3.2 m)
Weight:
About 1,760 lbs (800 kg)
Group name:
Solitary
Protection status:
Endangered
Did you know?
Fewer than 400 Sumatran rhinos are thought to exist, making it one of the rarest large
mammals in the world.
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WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE DISCOVERY FOREST
-These animals are both from tropical areas of the world and are found in Jungles (especially
the Sumatran rhino)
-When you return to the Discovery Forest to get the campers thinking about plants and their
purposes again
-Get a couple leaves from the Cinnamon tree (Located opposite the waterfall in the back
near the glass of the greenhouse wall)—I will show you during training.
-Tell the campers this is the secret ingredient in Cincinnnati’s Famous chilli (Skyline)- crush the
leaf up and smell it and pass it around
-Have campers guess what it smells like?— cinnamon
Wrapping UP
-Once you get back to the classroom have the naturalists record the rainforest plants you
discussed and have them make rubbings in their notebooks
-Also have them add any facts about the Asian Elephants & the Sumatran Rhino
Live Animal Demonstrations (20 min)
Getting Ready
Handsoap
-Cockroach
-Screaming Hairy Armadillo
-Three banded armadillo
Doing the activity
Cockroach
-Rainforests are home to hundreds of thousands of species of insects. From butterflies to
beetles and ants to dragonflies, insects are everywhere! 10% of butterflies in the world can be
found in Costa Rica. In a single tree, over 43 species of ants were found in Peru.
-Insects are intricately linked to rainforest plants because they are often the ones responsible
for pollinating the flower.
-Flowers offer insects rewards of nectar, pollen, fragrances, and oils to attract insects.
-Orchids are particularly interesting. Many species of orchids are pollinated by only one
species of insect. As a result, they have evolved very specific shapes in order to cater to
that specific insect. Other orchids, can be tricky. For example, one orchid has flowers
that flutter in the breeze, moving in such a way that male Centris bees perceive it as a
territorial challenge and fly towards it. When they aggressively plow into the flower,
they pick up the orchid’s pollen.
-Madagascar hissing cockroach is native to Madagascar forests and is a scavenger, eating rotten
fruit off ground.
-Cockroaches (and other insects) play many roles in rainforest habitat including
decomposers/scavengers as well as food for other animals.
Move up the food Chain from an Insect to an Insectivore!
-You can let the animal run around the circle of campers if you think the group can handle it
-Let them know a head of time that the animal is very curious and could climb under their legs
or next to their hands. They don’t have anything to worry about as the animal is just sniffing
around
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Southern Three-banded Armadillo
Tolypeutes matacus
Armadillos are in a group of animals called Xenarthra, along with sloths and anteaters.
Home Range
Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Habitat:
open forests, marshes
Diet
Armadillos dig into insect colonies and bark with their strong front claws to feed on ants and
termites. (insectivores)
Reproduction
One young, born about the size of a golf ball.
Social Structure
Usually solitary
Fun Facts
This is the only armadillo species that can roll itself into a nearly perfect sphere when
frightened. Its ears tuck in, and its tail and head fit together so that predators cannot reach its
vulnerable underside.
Armadillo headplates are unique to each armadillo, like human fingerprints.
Armadillos are in the order Cingulata.
LUNCH TIME/BREAK MOVIE TIME (45min)-Relax and have lunch
-Check for food allergies before campers begin eating
Jungle Mission- Expedition (60 min): PM- Insect House & Gorilla World
Getting Ready
-Mission Rainforest Floor Envelope PM (Smaller envelope inside the Choose your Own Ad.
Envelope)
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-Tell the campers its time to see what our mission is
-it is hidden in the rainforest floor missions PM envelope!
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
-Then read the clue! This clue will take you outside: READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE
EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
CLUE #1:
-Millions of individuals working as one
-The rainforest floor is where all their work is done
-Creepy and Crawly one may say
-Many of these bugs help clear the way
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As you exit the insect house- Have the campers look for their next clue- it will be on the ground
in between the entrance and exit of the insect house!
CLUE #2:
-The next expedition you are about to take requires smarts
-Thumbs, binocular vision and large brains are the required parts
-Explain to the campers that these are characteristics are those of primateshave them look at the map and see what primate exhibits are near?
-Up the hill you must go
-Keepers talk about Jomo
INSECT WORLD- Keeper Talk 1pm
There are several animals that are NOT insects in the exhibit – see how many the kids
can find (rat snakes, black widow spider, pygmy marmosets, naked mole rats, scorpions,
giant centipedes, etc.). Most of the non-arthropods are insectivores or have insect-like
lifestyles (naked mole rats) Have the kids line up and get their weight in insects (they
will want to anyway, but if you can get them lined up and facilitate it. The hike through
the insect house will be much easier)
Emperor Scorpion
-Not an insect – but still an arthropod (Phylum Arthropoda, Class Arachnida, Order Scorpiones)
-Weighs as much as a hard-boiled egg (about 1.1oz)
-Some scorpions glow in ultraviolet—light. One theory suggests that many insects are sensitive
to natural UV light and when they see it, head towards it. In this case, the “light” is actually a
scorpion who grabs the insect to eat. Scorpions are like a living bug zapper
-Live birth to about 35 babies are born live after 7-9 months. They ride around on Mom’s back
and then may live together in a group for awhile. Young molt several times, getting
progressively darker.
-Large emperor scorpions rarely use tail to sting and kill prey – use claws to crush it, instead.
-Over 1,100 sp. of scorpions and less than 30 are considered to be dangerous to humans.
Emperor scorpions are not lethal to humans.
Malaysian Walking Leaf
-Incomplete metamorphosis – eggs laid in dirt, nymph, adult
-Nymphs are about 1 inch long at hatching
-2 year lifespan
-Females have small wings and can’t fly
-Defend themselves by using back legs (with spines) like a nutcraker.
Giant Hissing Cockroaches
-Incomplete metamorphosis – look for nymphs (often pale cream color) and adults in exhibit
-Female carries eggs inside body where they hatch – can produce over 750 young in her
lifetime.
-Males have 2 bumps on top of head (females don’t).
-Hissing noise comes from spiracles, small openings on side of body used for respiration. When
air is forced out, makes hissing noise – used to startle predators, in courtship, and in territorial
disputes.
-Over 3,500 sp. of cockroaches – very important recyclers in ecosystems.
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-Hercules Beetle
-Complete metamorphosis – female leaves eggs and feces in rotting logs
-Larva hatch, feed, and grow in rotting log (look like grubs you might see in your lawn)
-2 years to reach adulthood
-Same family as Japanese, June, and Dung Beetles
-Males use horns to pinch
Leaf Cutter Ants-Go through complete metamorphosis
-Ants are divided into several different jobs:
-Soldiers – largest with jaws that can cut through leather
-Gardeners – smallest – tend the fungus garden in the colony
-Foragers – carry pieces of leaf 3x their own weight from tree to garden
-Leaf-cutters – cut the pieces of leaf to pass to the foragers
Giant Water Bug
-Mom lays eggs on dad’s back. He is responsible for the care of the eggs. Has to bring them out
of water periodically so mold won’t grow on eggs. Takes 3 weeks before they hatch.
-Traps a bubble of air under wing and when dives under water, can use that bubble to breath
underwater.
-Found in Mexico and southern US.
-Adults have 3 pairs of legs – front pair used for grabbing prey. Back 2 pairs have lots of little
hairs to increase surface area and are used in swimming.
-Elongated mouthparts are used for piercing and sucking.
Honey Bees
-Complete metamorphosis
-Larvae develop in cells of the comb that workers make out of wax secreted from special
glands.
-Divided into different roles:
-Queen – the reproductive female, life expectancy is up to 2 years
-Drones – males that are designated to mate with queen
-Workers – sterile females that do many jobs including cleaning the comb cells, caring for
developing larvae, guarding entrance of the hive, and collecting nectar. Life expectancy is
about a month.
-Look for the queen bee- often there will be workers surrounding her in (it looks like daisy
shape).
Gorilla World- Keeper Talk 1:30pm
From tiny insects that inhabit the rainforest floor to the largest primate species that lives
primarily on the rainforest floor
Wrapping UP (20 min)
-Head back to the classroom and have the naturalists record some information about the many
different animals they saw
-Have them put in their notebooks the word diversityChoose Your Own Adventure: Expedition Naturalist, Summer 2011
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-Today’s theme was diversity (we saw many different types of animals and plants that live on
the rainforest floor)
-Diversity in terms of the niches they fill, in terms of their size and morphological
characteristics and their different feeding strategies
Recess Time (30min)
-Behind Education or in the Frisch’s theater
Live Animal Demonstrations (20 Min)
Getting Ready
Handsoap
-Short Tailed Opposum
-Rainbow Boa
-Common Boa OR Red Tailed Boa
Doing the activity
-Focus on the rainforest floor food chains, feeding strategies (carnivore, herbivore, omnivore,
insectivore)
Activity/Dismissal
Understory/Canopy & Emergent Layer
Day IV
-*ALL ANIMALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ANIMAL DEMOS-
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-*ONE SNACK WILL BE GIVEN/ DAY YOU WILL DISTURBUTE AT YOUR OWN
DESCRETION-*IN BETWEEN NIGHT HUNTERS & MONKEY ISLAND—THERE IS A MIST TUNNEL—GO
AND CHILL OUT AT POINTS THRU OUT THE DAY.
-*FEEL FREE TO ADD IN ANCILLARY DETAILS
Use the train, tram to move through the zoo whenever possible or to just relax.
EVERYDAY
-ALL COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BUCKET AND TAKEN
TO COMPOST BIN WITH KIDS
-ALL DRINKS (ONE/DAY)- SHOULD BE REUSED AS A WATER BOTTLE—LABEL
EACH CHILDS
-ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE RECYCLE AREA (1ST
FLOOR)
RULES- Review
-Have the students remind you of them
Time requirement
7hrs./day
Group size and grade(s)
5-12 kids/instructor
Materials
Goal(s)
-Campers should discover the world’s different biomes and their interconnectedness
-Campers should understand general ecological concepts- feeding styles- browsers, grazers
-Campers should appreciate the world’s plant and animal diversity
-Campers should want to protect these wonderful places on earth
Objective(s)
1. Participants will be able to name at least 5 types of feeding strategies (herbivory,
carnivory, frugivory…)- name different types of grasslands biomes (savanna/temperate)
2. Campers will be able to define a food web (producers, consumers)
3. Campers will be able to locate the worlds biomes
Background: Layers of the Rainforest
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Canopy Layer (65-115 feet)– Flat carpet of tall trees. Crowns spread out and take up all
possible space to soak up sunlight. 80% of forest’s food is produced at this level. (Hornbills,
chimpanzees, guenon monkeys, crowned guenon, African gray parrot, potto, macaw
FOCUS: Understory Layer (15-65 feet)– Young or small trees, often with large leaves to get as
much sunlight as possible. Low light, but humidity and temperature is changes very little.
(spiders, ants, chimpanzees, African leopard, birds, orangutans)
Floor Layer (0-15 feet)– Little vegetation, scattered with leaf litter. Humidity constant at 90%
and temperature varies within 5 degrees. (Okapi, forest elephant, duiker, gorilla, elephant shrew,
weaver ants, gaboon viper, red river hog, shoebill stork, Okapi, driver ants, congo peafowl
Vocabulary
Arboreal – related to living in the trees
Brachiation – a method of locomotion in which an animal moves its arms, hand over hand,
while swinging.
Epiphytes – plants that grow upon or are attached to another living plant.
Fragmentation – breaking apart, separating (when referring to forests, it is the division of large
tracts of forest by creating roads, and other artificial breaks between trees).
Biodiversity – the range or variety of distinct living species, their genetic base, and the
ecosystems and ecological process of which they are parts.
Canopy – the highest level of the tall trees in a rainforest where the tree branches spread out
and produce many leaves to capture sunlight.
Floor – the ground level of a rainforest.
Tropical rainforest – warm, humid forests that lie within the tropical regions (Cancer and
Capricorn) near the equator, in areas of year-round warm temperatures and abundant rain.
Understory – bushes, short trees, and tall plants in a rainforest.
Niches- is the role and position of a species in nature, a place where an animal can find all
things it needs to survive
Lesser Ape- Sharing all the characteristics that make a primate a primate (thumbs, binocular
vision & large brain compared to body size). All apes lack a tail, all monkeys have a tail. A lesser
ape is a type of gibbon—Slender, tailless, arboreal ape
Welcome/Review (10 minutes):
Getting Ready
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-Nothing
Doing the Activity
-The Fourth day of camp--- Make sure the kids are comfortable and you have introduced
yourself to each child and parent specifically as they entered.
-Remember if you are happy the kids will follow suit.
-Go around the circle and introduce yourself and ask the kids:
-Do they think there are many cool rainforest floor creatures? Are they ready for
another completely different unknown expedition?!
-Review some of the specific information from yesterday’s topic.
Wrapping UP
-Animals inhabit all of the earths ecosystems and they are equipped with wonderful
adaptations that allow them to exploit their specific habitat!
-Today we will talk about another type of ecosystem
Choose your Own Adventure: Mission: Tropical Rainforest Understory &
Canopy! (5min)- These will have to coordinated amongst instructors (depending on how
many camp sections are running concurrently, as there are only enough materials for two
groups simultaneously!
Getting Ready
- Envelopes labeled 1&2, (All of the envelopes will have the same expedition, but allow the kids
to pick one they vote on. Then they are choosing their own conservation adventure. (I know we
should not deceive the youngsters but I wouldn’t expect you instructors to be able to
remember every part of the curriculum depending on what expedition they pick
-Small Envelopes with “Mission: Jungle” written on them (Inside the larger envelopes)
-Dry Erase Board
-Markers
Doing the Activity
-Show the campers the envelopes labeled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Expedition Unknown”
(A) or (B)
-Explain that inside these envelopes holds our mission or expedition for the day.
-Ask the campers which Expedition they want to go on today, A or B? (Both are the same but
they don’t know that)
-Allow the campers to vote, once they have decided on with expedition, open the envelope
with anticipation……..
-There mission will be “MISSION: Jungle- Understory & Canopy” smaller envelopes in the larger
envelope- Once they have figured out their mission for the day is have them record it in their
Naturalist Notebooks.
-IF we are to study animals and plants in a tropical rainforest ecosystem we need to
know more about what type of habitat it is and what type of animals call it home!!
-Have the campers explain what a tropical rainforest is and what animals they think are
adapted to survive in it
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of what types of animals live on the rainforest understory?
-Do mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects?
-Have them list some examples of tropical rainforest floor dwelling mammals, reptiles,
birds and insects
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-What adaptations do these animals have to allow them to survive and thrive in such an
environment (focus on the rainforest floor for the morning)?
Wrapping UP
-Tell the campers the rainforests of the world hold the largest amount of biodiversity in all of
the terrestrial world!!e world
-Let them know before we do another expedition we must be naturalists and learn about the
most diverse system on earth!
-After the campers gather information on their mission they will soon partake in a rainforest
expedition!
Home, Sweet Home (15min)- Understory, Canopy & Emergent layers
Getting ready
-Puppets and stuffed animals
-Or look into the rainforest—biggest tree in the forest
Doing the activity
-Ask the kids why trees are important, this should be relatively easy as yesterday was focused
on plants and animals in the rainforest floor and the functions both economically and
ecologically. Ideas may include: provide oxygen, clean the air, provide shade, provide building
materials, food (apples, medicine, chairs, walls, popsicle sticks, acorns) for humans and wildlife,
provide homes for plants and wildlife
-Today we are going to talk about the larger trees and the layers of the rainforest above the
forest floor—Define the rainforest layers (see above)- Floor, Understory, Canopy & Emergent
Layer (Think of this layer as a chimney sticking out of a house, the roof being the canopy, the
understory containing a bunch of rooms all specific to different types of animals (niches)- Each
of these layers contain different types of animals and plants
-This is a fun warm up game….
-Ask each child to become a kapok tree (show the camper the kapok tree in the discovery
forest) in a central American rainforest. Kapok trees are emergent trees that can often get to
be over 150 feet tall. Buttresses around the tree help stabilize it and sharp spines on the trunk
help protect it. Its flowers produce an unpleasant smell which bats find quite alluring which
ultimately helps the kapok tree be pollinated. Along with bats, kapok trees are homes to frogs,
insects, monkeys, apes like howlers(make the kids practice their howler monkey call—breath in
and spiders, and birds.
1. Their job as a kapok tree is to provide homes to animals that live in the understory,
canopy and emergent layers of the rainforest”. Ask kids to list as many animals that
live/move through the trees. Answers may include: monkeys, birds, snakes, insects,
spiders, chameleons, sloths, macaws, pottos, bats, etc. Compare each classes list and
see if each class, can “beat” the other class.
2. Next, using the stuffed animals and puppets, begin to toss an animal to each “tree”, one
at-a-time. For a “tree” to provide a home to the animal it must successfully catch and
hold the animal. Any animal that touches the ground is lost and must be picked up and
thrown (by the instructor) to another tree.
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3. After all the animals have been accounted for, select one tree to be “chopped down” or
lost to drought/disease. Ask the kids where the animals might go. As habitat is lost,
they must look to trees for space. Ask the “lost” tree to turn over their animals to the
instructor and sit down. The instructor then, tosses the animals to new trees.
-I pretend like my arm is a chainsaw (act like you pull the pull cord (around your elbow)
to start it and cut it down or pretend like you are a little beetle carrying a disease and
“bore” into them which will make them fall and drop their animals)
4. Repeat the process until the trees that are left can hold no more. Discuss with the kids
what happened to the remaining trees. Were there enough resources in the trees for all
the animals? Why or why not? Were the resources of the trees, tapped or did they still
have plenty of space and shelter?
5. Finally, discuss the advantages to have lots of trees. Include things such as: more space
for animals, increased diversity, travel routes for animals in the trees (so they won’t
have to come to the ground to move from tree to tree), more spaces to hide.
Wrapping UP
Most campers will agree that the more trees, the better the habitat for animals that live in the
understory, canopy & emergent layer of the rainforest.
Live Animal Encounters (20min):
Getting Ready
Handsoap
-Lady Ross’s Turaco
-White Faced Owl
Understory/Canopy & Emergent Layer Mission- Expedition (60 min): AMGibbon Island & Jungle Trails
-You can switch the animal demonstration while one class starts the
expeditionGetting Ready
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-There will be an envelope that holds the first clues for this AM expedition- the other clues will
be hidden through out the zoo
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT
DESTINATION
CLUE #1:
-Characteristics of primates choices of three
-Review the defining characteristics of a primate
-Our first destination will take us to see
-A lesser ape, noisy it must be
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-Let the kids guess what they think their destination is—what do they think is a
lesser ape?- Ask them if they have heard any loud animals at the zoo- peacocks
& our gibbons on gibbon island duet in the mornings
-Brachiation is how it gets through the canopy
CLUE #2: This clue will be hidden along the small path that ends at swan like—It is in between
the train tracks and gibbon island
-From lesser to greater apes
-Down bear hill we must traipse
-Past the spectacled bear
-Look right your entrance is near---- Jungle Trails
Gibbon Island & Jungle Trails
Concept: Moving in the Trees- Canopy & Emergent layer
Animals: Gibbons or Oranutans
-Brachiation – means to move by swinging with the arms from one hold to another.
-Have the campers walk like a gibbon to their next destination
-Gibbons very rarely move on the ground. Arms are longer and stronger than legs. When
bipedally walking on branch, will lift arms above head in order not to step on fingers. Fingers
are like hooks – long and curved with a very short thumb to aid in movement. The short thumb
is used for grooming instead. Can swing over 9 foot distances, 200 feet above ground. Can
swing up to 35 mph.
Orangutans
-Size, alone, has big impact on how and where orangutans move.
-Wild orangutans have been found with mended bones from a break probably made from a fall
from a tree.
-Make nests in which to sleep each night. Often make a new one each night.
-Will descend to ground to move to next tree, although not often. Males, which weigh 200
pounds, often can’t find branches to cross over and must descend to ground to walk to next
tree.
-Orangutans only drink from the trees – bromeliads that collect water and even off their own
fur
Concept: Challenges to Living in the Trees: Finding Each Other & Establishing Territory
-Locating troop members – with leaves on trees, epiphytes, etc. rainforest if very dense. How
do arboreal animals cope? Many take to the tops of the trees – moving in the emergent layer,
above the canopy. Others, particularly gibbons, use their vocal chords to make locator calls,
territorial calls, and the like.
-Gibbons will duet (the male and female- parents) to establish their territory
-Gibbons live in classical territories that can range from 30-100 acres. They are very attached to
their territory and usually remain there for life. Gibbons travel throughout their territories daily
on frequently used paths. They have no need to be secretive in their movements because they
live so high in the canopy that their predators are few and far between.
Duetting and Territorial Defense
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-The main function of gibbon duets is to aid in territorial defense. There is much evidence for
this. For one, gibbon duets/songs are extremely loud, and can be heard up to 1 km. away.
These duets can be heard by gibbons in neighboring territories, letting neighboring gibbons
know that a certain pair is on a certain territory. This establishes territories without requiring
any visual or physical interactions with other gibbon groups, which is one reason fighting is so
rare in gibbons. Researchers know that gibbons pay attention to the duets of their neighbors
because they have been observed to pause in their duets to listen to other groups calling
(Raemakers 1984). In addition, gibbon groups will exchange duets, one pair taking a turn and
then waiting while the other pair duets. Females respond to the calls of other females fairly
vigorously by duetting more strongly in their duets. This indicates the females necessity to keep
other females away from her mate and her territory.
-Geissman (1986) found that newly mated gibbon pairs will sing more than mated pairs. This
suggests that new pairs must quickly learn their duets or risk attracting competitors attracted
to "atypical" duetting songs that are indicative of a weak pair bond. A gibbon sensing a weak
pair bond might try to capitalize on this opportunity and attempt to displace one member of
the pair. This also indicates that more complex songs are favorable.
-Mitani (1985) has done many interesting experiments regarding the relationship between
duetting and territorial defense. He found that the response to a recorded duetting playback
was more intense when the playback came from the center of the gibbons' territory. If playback
came from the center of the territory, gibbons would approach the area and begin to duet. If
playback came from territorial boundaries, gibbons would merely duet in response, but not
approach the sound. If played from a neighboring territory, it was rare that any response was
elicited. Therefore, gibbons will use spatial information to determine their response to a duet ,
and only sing if defense is necessary (i.e. if an intruder is close). Duets that come from a
neighboring territory are not threatening to gibbons.
-After and during natural and/or simulated encounters, gibbons will duet and call more. This
probably serves to announce and reinforce the fact that they are present on a particular
territory. However, this increase was only seen when the playback was from the center of the
territory. Also, gibbons stay in the area of the playback more on days following playback
simulations from the territorial center. On these days, they also cover a greater distance,
covering/patrolling more areas of their range (Mitani 1985).
Concept: Challenges to Living in the Trees: Finding Food
Animal: Diana monkeys, Colobus monkeys
x By moving through multiple trees throughout the day, gibbons ensure that they will find
enough food not only for an individual, but for the family troop.
x Angolan Black & White Colobus- Leaf eating monkeys. They have a large four
chambered stomach that allows them to digest plant cellulose thru bacterial
fermentation. Fermentation by products are CO2 & Methane (Mouth Farts), they belch
in eachothers faces as a friendly gesture. Their specialized digestive systems enable
them to eat leaf diets that other primates can’t.
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Concept: Challenges to Living in the Trees: Moving around a Baby
Animal: Loris or Pottos
x Some leave their babies and others have babies that are born with enough strength to
hold on to mom’s belly while she swings in the trees.
Pottos/Loris
x Baby parking – Pottos have solved the problem of moving through the trees with a baby
– simply leave it behind! Often, a mother will leave her baby curled up on a branch and
head off for food, returning when she is done to claim her baby!
x Making it stick! – Loris and pottos have adapted a “creative” way to give their hands and
feet some extra “stick” when moving through the trees. By urinating on their own
hands and feet, they make them “stickier” and thus, better at climbing through the
rainforest.
x Good Defense- While foraging for food, pottos tilt their head down and use their
olfactory sense to find food. This provides them a defense, because while their head in
is this position, they have a scapular shield (bony) that protects them from attack.
Concept: Challenges to Living in the Trees: Avoiding Predators
Animals: Lemurs & Gibbons
x Avoiding predators – although high in the canopy/emergent layers of the rainforest,
gibbons still need to be on the lookout for predators like eagle owls, and cats. In order
to combat this, gibbons live in troops, alert each other by sound/calls if danger is
present, and sleep in the trees, avoiding land predators. Lower elevations in trees can
be dangerous as leopards and pythons may encounter the gibbon. The higher up the
gibbon, however, the skinnier the tree branch and heavier predators can not be
supported, thus discouraging their approach
x Black & White Ruffed Lemurs- Largest of the quadrepedal lemurs. Have very boisterous
alarm calls that begin as a grunt and end as a roar. This helps to get the group together
and defend their territory.
Concept: Challenges to Living in the Trees: Moving between Trees
Animals: Any!
-Moving between trees and even sections of land. Habitat fragmentation is becoming a threat
to arboreal animals. Roads that but through forest, interrupt the layout of the forest. An
animal that moves from tree to tree, is forced to descend to the ground to move to the next
tree, which makes it much more dangerous for that animal.
-Many countries have creative ways to connect fragmented forests. For example: Poles made
from eucalyptus wood form high bridges above a dirt road in a forest fragment in southeastern
Brazil, providing safe passage for tiny tamarin monkeys as they cross the road.
-Conservation due to fragmentation with the black howler monkeys, in Belize. Has led
community members to make rope bridges in bet ween fragmented areas. These fragmented
areas were made by framers.
-The farmers banded together to make these rope bridges and connected unfarmed land.
-Decreasing fragmentation means: More connectivity means that animals can migrate, which
ensures genetic movement among groups of animals that in turn lessens inbreeding. Corridors
provide wildlife access to former isolated food sources, which ensures more viable populations
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in the long term. Protected pathways between forest fragments can help decrease the number
of human-animal conflicts that often prove fatal for one or both species.
LUNCH TIME/BREAK MOVIE TIME (45min)-Relax and have lunch
-Check for food allergies before campers begin eating
Bird Show 1pm & Wings of the World & Lorikeet Feed: (70 min)
-Show up the Bird Show around 12:45pm- They have a pre-show fun demonstration
-After the show tell the campers that their next clue can be found in between the bongo & the
bird show amphitheater…Let them search to find it
CLUE #1:
-You just witnessed birds in flight
-Head down the hill make a right
-Past the stinky polar bears
-Your next stop, wings beat in pairs
WINGS OF THE WORLD
WINGS OF THE WORLD – South America
Scarlet ibis
-Ibises nest in large breeding colonies. Both parents cooperate in building the nest -- a loose
pile of sticks -- and in caring for the young birds.
-The female ibis lays two or three dull green eggs streaked with brown. After 23 days of
incubation, the young hatchling is able to leave the nest.
-Males and females are similar in appearance until the breeding season when the male’s bill
becomes shiny black while the females remain brownish black. Also, the male’s legs will
become more brilliant red in color while the females remain a dull pink color. The males will
often times inflate a throat patch during the breeding season as well. These are two small little
pink sacs on each side of the throat.
-Nestlings are covered with black down and have a straight bill.
-Chicks are fed by regurgitation – food is easier for chicks to digest.
Black and white seedeater
-Males claim and defend territory
-Nest is a woven cup placed in low bushes
-Parents regurgitates food for chicks
-Adults can eat bitter tasting seeds other seedeaters won’t
Yellow-rumped Cacique
-Live in colonies
-Nest is pouch-shaped and with lots of other nests. Sometimes located near wasp nests for
added security against predators.
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-Males take turns guarding colony
WINGS OF THE WORLD - Australasia
Rhinoceros hornbill
-Scientists debate over role of the casque on top of the bill – from hitting fruit off a tree, to
amplifying sound, to competition for mates.
-Female nests in tree cavity. Male seals her in with mud except for small opening beak can fit
in. Male feeds her while she sits on eggs which are protected from predators. After babies
hatch and fledge, break out of tree.
-Horn and casque on top of horn is hollow
-Live in pairs
-Zoo does have a nesting pair – may or may not be on display. Last year’s baby may be on
display (doesn’t have the full grown “horn” on its beak yet).
WINGS OF THE WORLD (areas after Australasia)- These aren’t from the rainforest but while
you are there……
Thick-billed Parrot
-Found only in forests of western Mexico – thought to be about 1500 breeding pairs left in the
wild.
-Need specific habitat to survive – pine trees for food (Douglas-fir seeds, dried pine seeds, and
Durango pine seeds.
-Nest in tree cavities that they enlarge and excavate with their bill.
-Nest late because pine nuts ripen in late summer. (Eggs are lain in July)
-Tend to hang around in groups – 2 or 3 pairs will nest in same tree. May be advantage for
having several birds around to keep eye out for predators.
Use the exhibits that separate the first and second part of the bird house to review the
grassland ecosystem
Tri-colored Heron
-Rich chestnut head and neck and chestnut feathering on blue-gray back
-Nesting territory is selected by the male before mating
-The female lays three to four eggs on a nest of sticks placed on a bed of reeds or in a tree. Both
the male and female build the nest and incubate the eggs.
-The chicks hatch in about three weeks. Both parents care for the chicks and feed them
regurgitated food.
-The chicks fledge in a little over a month.
These are definitely NOT from the rainforest but you can’t go to the bird house and not check
out these and the penguins
Auklets (crested and whiskered)
-Forms colonies
-Eggs laid on bare rock
-Both parents care for egg and nestling – have a throat pouch to carry plankton back to nestling
-1 nestling
-Horned Puffin
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-Chicks are fed mostly fish until they are older. An adult puffin is capable of carrying as many as
15 fish in its bill at one time, which it brings back to its chick
-Breeding season in spring and the puffins will return to their breeding colonies after spending
several months at sea.
-Courtship rituals include visual displays such as flapping of the wings, jerking of the head, and
"billing" or rubbing the bills together.
-Once a pair mates they usually are mated for life, and will often use the same nesting burrow
again and again.
-Male builds nest between the rocks of a cliff out of feather, leaves, and grass, and one egg is
laid there.
-The egg is incubated by both the male and the female.
-Once the egg hatches, both parents will feed and care for the chick, taking turns so that one
parent can stay behind to keep the chick warm.
-After 5 days both parents can leave since the young puffin can keep warm on its own.
-After 50 days the young puffin is mature enough to "fledge", or leave its nest. It will fly away
from the island to spend the next 3-4 years out on the ocean, but when mature enough to
breed it will return to the same breeding colony it was hatched in.
King Penguins
-Baby chicks are born from their greenish-white eggs nearly naked, but quickly become covered
in a brown woolly fuzz to keep them
-King penguins do not build nests, but tuck their single egg under their bellies while resting it on
their feet! Mother and father penguin take turns keeping the egg warm in the cold and
protected from predators such as skuas (a type of marine bird)
Feed Lorikeets (15 min)
Recess (30 min):
Naturalist Notebook: (20 min)
-Head back to the classroom and have the naturalists record some information about the many
different animals they saw- the diversity of animals found in the rainforest understory, canopy
& emergent layer
-Diversity in terms of the niches they fill, in terms of their size and morphological
characteristics and their different feeding strategies
Live Animal Encounter (20 min):
-Caroline Porcupine- Would be brought by Staff
-Blue & Gold Macaw- Brought by staff
-Sloth
-Common Boa
Fun Activity & Dismissal
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Desert & Review of Ecosystems/Biomes
Day V
-*ALL ANIMALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ANIMAL DEMOS-*ONE SNACK WILL BE GIVEN/ DAY YOU WILL DISTURBUTE AT YOUR OWN
DESCRETION-*IN BETWEEN NIGHT HUNTERS & MONKEY ISLAND—THERE IS A MIST TUNNEL—GO
AND CHILL OUT AT POINTS THRU OUT THE DAY.
-*FEEL FREE TO ADD IN ANCILLARY DETAILS
Use the train, tram to move through the zoo whenever possible or to just relax.
EVERYDAY
-ALL COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BUCKET AND TAKEN
TO COMPOST BIN WITH KIDS
-ALL DRINKS (ONE/DAY)- SHOULD BE REUSED AS A WATER BOTTLE—LABEL
EACH CHILDS
-ALL RECYCLABLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE RECYCLE AREA (1ST
FLOOR)
RULES- Review
-Have the students remind you of them
Time requirement
7hrs./day
Group size and grade(s)
5-12 kids/instructor
Materials
Goal(s)
-Campers should discover the world’s different biomes and their interconnectedness
-Campers should understand general ecological concepts- feeding styles- browsers, grazers
-Campers should appreciate the world’s plant and animal diversity
-Campers should want to protect these wonderful places on earth
Objective(s)
1. Participants will be able to name at least 5 types of feeding strategies (herbivory,
carnivory, frugivory…)- name different types of grasslands biomes (savanna/temperate)
2. Campers will be able to define a food web (producers, consumers)
3. Campers will be able to locate the worlds biomes
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Background:
Welcome/Review (10 minutes):
Getting Ready
-Nothing
Doing the Activity
-The Second day of camp--- Make sure the kids are comfortable and you have introduced
yourself to each child and parent specifically as they entered.
-Remember if you are happy the kids will follow suit.
-Go around the circle and introduce yourself and ask the kids:
-Do they think there are many cool aquatic creatures? Are they ready for another
completely different unknown expedition?!
-Review some of the specific information from yesterday’s topic.
Wrapping UP
-Animals inhabit all of the earths ecosystems and they are equipped with wonderful
adaptations that allow them to exploit their specific habitat!
-Today we will talk about another type of ecosystem
Choose your Own Adventure: Mission: Deserts! (10 min)- These will have to
coordinated amongst instructors (depending on how many camp sections are running
concurrently, as there are only enough materials for two groups to simultaneously!
Getting Ready
- Envelopes labeled 1&2, (All of the envelopes will have the same expedition, but allow the kids
to pick one they vote on. Then they are choosing their own conservation adventure. (I know we
should not deceive the youngsters but I wouldn’t expect you instructors to be able to
remember every part of the curriculum depending on what expedition they pick
-Small Envelopes with “Mission: Deserts” written on them (Inside the larger envelopes)
-Dry Erase Board
-Markers
Doing the Activity
-Show the campers the envelopes labeled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Expedition Unknown”
(A) or (B)
-Explain that inside these envelopes holds our mission or expedition for the day.
-Ask the campers which Expedition they want to go on today, A or B? (Both are the same but
they don’t know that)
-Allow the campers to vote, once they have decided on with expedition, open the envelope
with anticipation……..
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-There mission will be “MISSION: DesertS” smaller envelopes in the larger envelope- Once they
have figured out their mission for the day is have them record it in their Naturalist Notebooks.
-IF we are to study animals and plants in a grassland habitat we need to know more
about what type of habitat it is and what type of animals call it home!!
-Have the campers explain what a grassland habitat is and what animals they think are adapted
to survive in it
-Have the campers brainstorm a list of what types of animals live in desert habitats?
-Do mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects?
-Have them list some examples of desert mammals, reptiles, birds and insects
-What adaptations do these animals have to allow them to survive and thrive in such an
environment?
Wrapping UP
-Tell the campers that many different types of animals live in desert habitats from around the
world
-Let them know before we do another expedition we must be naturalists and learn about the
deserts habitats found around the world
-After the campers gather information on their mission they will soon partake in a desert
expedition!
Dry Dry Deserts (10min)
Getting ready
-empty bucket or pitcher
-bucket of water
-rain gauge
-towels (or can do outside)
-globe or map
Doing the activity
1. Ask the kids to brainstorm a list of things that come to mind when you say the word
“desert”. Some might include: dry, hot, sand, cactus, no rain, sunny, no animals. Using
the globe or map, identify where in the world, you could find deserts.
2. Explain that rainfall is what determines a desert, not necessarily temperature (these are
the abiotic- non living features that form an ecosystem. There are some deserts (like
the Gobi Desert) that are very cold, but because there is so little rainfall, it is still a
desert. Let’s see how much rain a desert actually gets!
3. Place an empty bucket in front of you.
4. Using the rain gauge, count out the number of inches of rain per square inch we receive
in our temperate forest biome. Next, measure a desert biomes rainfall.
Desert
Biome
Rain (per square inch)
Less than 10
Temp. (in Farenheit)
0F – 120F
Tundra/Taiga
10-30
-60F – 32F
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Grassland
Up to 30
Can be hot all year or have
fluctuation temperatures
Temperate Forest
30-60
Below freezing – 90s
Rainforest (tropical)
90-400
70-85 F all the time
Wrapping UP
Desert biomes can be a tough place to live – let’s go on an expedition and discover how animals
survive in the desert!
Desert Mission- Expedition (60 min): AM- Wildlife Canyon- Bactrian Camel &
Reptile House
Both classes should do this expedition together because the Camel keeper
talk is at 9:30am!!Getting Ready
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-There will be an envelope that holds the first clues for this AM expedition- the other clues will
be hidden through out the zoo
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT
DESTINATION
CLUE #1:
-The Gobi Desert is its home
-With two humps they roam
-Filled with water they are not
-Its biome may be cold or hot
Expedition: Wildlife Canyon- Camels- Keeper Talk 9:30am (50 min)(problems
inherent with reptiles in deserts and how they cope with it).
Getting ready
x Take a bathroom break before hike 
x Review rules and expectations on hike
x Focus on ways animals and plants survive in the desert
Doing the activity
Bactrian Camel
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Bactrian camels have two humps rather than the single hump of their Arabian relatives. The
humps function the same way—storing fat which can be converted to water and energy when
sustenance is not available. These humps give camels their legendary ability to endure long
periods of travel without water, even in harsh desert conditions. As their fat is depleted, the
humps become floppy and flabby.
Bactrian camels live not in shifting Sahara sands but in Central and East Asia's rocky deserts.
Temperatures in these locales can become searingly hot—over 100°F (38°C) in summer. Yet
they can also drop to –20°F (-29°C) in winter. Bactrian camels have developed special
adaptations to allow them to survive in such a brutal environment. One is a thick, shaggy coat
that protects them in winter and falls away as seasons change and temperatures rise.
Like Arabian camels, Bactrians rarely sweat, helping them conserve fluids for long periods of
time. In winter, plants may yield enough moisture to sustain a camel without water for several
weeks.
When camels do refill, however, they soak up water like a sponge. A very thirsty animal can
drink 30 gallons (135 liters) of water in only 13 minutes.
Like Arabian camels, Bactrians' nostrils close to keep sand at bay, and their bushy eyebrows and
two rows of long eyelashes protect their eyes. Big, flat footpads help them navigate the rough
rocky terrain and shifting desert sands without sinking under their own massive bulk or the
weight of heavy packs.
The only truly wild camels that still exist are Bactrian camels. These herds survive in the Gobi
Desert of Mongolia and China but number less than 1,000.
General info
Reptiles have a particularly difficult time in a desert biome, due to the fact that they are
ectotherms. Explain what ectothermic means
x Strategies have evolved that include: thick skin to prevent water loss, stay in shade,
active during parts of day that are not too hot or too cold, locomotion on hot sand that
keeps amount of skin to sand contact at the bare minimum.
x Bactrian camels have two humps rather than the single hump of their Arabian relatives.
The humps function the same way—storing fat which can be converted to water and
energy when sustenance is not available. These humps give camels their legendary
ability to endure long periods of travel without water, even in harsh desert conditions.
As their fat is depleted, the humps become floppy and flabby.
x Bactrian camels live not in shifting Sahara sands but in Central and East Asia's rocky
deserts. Temperatures in these locales can become searingly hot—over 100°F (38°C) in
summer. Yet they can also drop to –20°F (-29°C) in winter. Bactrian camels have
developed special adaptations to allow them to survive in such a brutal environment.
One is a thick, shaggy coat that protects them in winter and falls away as seasons
change and temperatures rise.
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x
x
x
x
Like Arabian camels, Bactrians rarely sweat, helping them conserve fluids for long
periods of time. In winter, plants may yield enough moisture to sustain a camel without
water for several weeks.
When camels do refill, however, they soak up water like a sponge. A very thirsty animal
can drink 30 gallons (135 liters) of water in only 13 minutes.
Like Arabian camels, Bactrians' nostrils close to keep sand at bay, and their bushy
eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes protect their eyes. Big, flat footpads help
them navigate the rough rocky terrain and shifting desert sands without sinking under
their own massive bulk or the weight of heavy packs.
The only truly wild camels that still exist are Bactrian camels. These herds survive in the
Gobi Desert of Mongolia and China but number less than 1,000.
Reptile House
Mexican Beaded Lizard and Gila Monster
LOCATION: Mexico and Northern South America
General: The world’s only venomous lizards, the Mexican Beaded Lizard and its close
relative the gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), hold on with bulldog tenacity when
they bite. The venom, which is produced in glands along the lower jaw, helps subdue
potential predators, as well as prey. The lizards feed on rodents and on the eggs and
young of ground-nesting birds. Beaded lizards are active primarily at dusk and after
dark, escaping the heat of day in abandoned burrows, under rocks, or in tunnels they
have dug themselves.
Trans-Pecos Ratsnake
Is a constrictor. Prefers to hide in the shade during hottest part of the day.
African Fat-tailed Gecko
LOCATION:
Light grayish in color, the gecko is well camouflaged against light colored sand. The tail,
after which this species was named, is very chubby – serving as a fat storage chamber
for use in lean times. It also mimics the geckos head. It can be shed in times of danger
and regenerate within 3 months. Toes are sharp and have no climbing pads so that it
can dig into the sand
Live Animal Demonstrations (20min):
-Spiny Tailed Lizard
-B. Dragon
-Blue Tongued Skink
4D Theater- 11:30am- The Wizard of OZ- To kill sometime you can have campers
take an expedition around the carousel- The Tickets will be delivered to you at
the beginning of the day
LUNCH TIME/BREAK MOVIE TIME (45min)-Relax and have lunch
-Check for food allergies before campers begin eating
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Night Hunters- Mission- Expedition (60 min): PM- This expedition will take you
to Night Hunters- which has predators from nearly every biome (Should act as a
review)- ocelot, clouded leopard, potto, slow loris—Rainforest…. Sand Cat &
Pallas Cat (More Steppe)- Desert. Carcal, aardwolf—grasslands—This visit will
act as a review of the worlds biomes and their inhabitants
Getting Ready
-1st Clue
-All the campers should have their naturalist tools of the trade before going on their expedition
(including maps)
Doing the Activity
-There will be an envelope that holds the first clues for this AM expedition- the other clues will
be hidden through out the zoo
-Black Light- to find prey animals of our nocturnal predators—The prey animals will be painted
on the walls near the predators exhibits (See chart below)
-Open the envelope with anticipation……
READ ONE CLUE AT A TIME & REPLACE EACH CLUE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR NEXT
DESTINATION
CLUE #1: Off to nighthunters—At the end of nighthunters the exhibit. Tthere are places for
campers to make their own rhyme(on computers), much like the rhymes that have given them
clues throughout the week.
-Stop at one of the computers and as a group of naturalists create one of these signs that
rhyme!!
-Visit Dragons as you have not been there yet this week!! Keeper Talk 1:30pm
-The rhyming comes full circle
-Nighttime predators from biomes everywhere
-Unwitting nighttime prey animals better beware
Night Hunters: As you walk through the exhibit point out the prey animals and reinforce the
food chain concept and the interdependence of predators and prey
Invisible Animals & Their Locations:
Animal
Red fox
Madagascar tree boa
Indri
Hyena
Reticulated python
Asiatic brush-tailed
porcupine
Large-spotted genet
Relationship to animal(s) on
exhibit
Lives in Eurasia along with
Eurasian eagle owl & Pallas’ cat
Lives in Madagascar forest with
fossa
Prey species for fossa
Lives in African savannah with
aardwolf
Lives in Southeast Asian
rainforest with clouded leopard
Prey species of clouded leopard
Predator of bushbaby
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Location
Across from Pallas’ cat
Along back wall down from fossa
Along back wall down from fossa
Along back wall across from
aardwolf
Along back wall across from
clouded leopard
Along back wall across from
clouded leopard
Along back wall across from
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Opossum
Leopard
Spectacled owl
Prey of ocelot
Lives in African savannah with
aardvark/bushbaby
Lives in Latin American rainforest
with ocelot
Along back wall across from
Along back wall across from
aardvark/bushbaby
Along back wall across from ocelot
Exhibit & Camp Themes
Theme
It’s an “eat or be eaten” world in the wild.
Sub-themes
1) Predators are specially designed to hunt and eat
other animals (prey).
2) Prey must always be aware of their
surroundings to keep from being eaten.
3) Wild cats are the ultimate in predator design.
4) At night, predator and prey rely on enhanced
senses and particular strategies.
5) An ecosystem would not survive without its
predators, and vice versa.
Animals:
Eurasian Eagle Owl:
Habitat: Edges of open areas and conifer forests
Diet & Feeding Strategy:
-opossums, hares, foxes, ducks, quail, pheasant, rabbits, insects, small rodents.
-They are considered opportunistic feeders, finding what is most available. Since they live in a
wide variety of habitat they can feed on many things. Some specialize on brown rats and mice,
others hedgehogs or squirrels, one even specialized on frogs. They can eat buzzards, goshawks,
osprey, cats, foxes, and porcupines. The largest prey item recorded is a roe deer.
-Can catch their prey on the on ground or in air.
-Do not have sharp teeth like the cats but their beak is curved and used to rip apart animals.
-Have the sharpest and strongest talons of any of the owls used to grab and impale prey. (fun
fact: their talons can be larger than leopard claws)
-Have silent flight developed to sneak up on unsuspecting animals
Pallas Cat:
Habitat: Mountain Steppe (Similar to Temperate Grasslands)
Diet: Carnivorous- Rodent specialist- feeding almost entirely on pika
Feeding Strategy: Ambush, sit and wait
Fossa:
Habitat: Madagascar- Rainforest- Largest Malagasy carnivore
Diet: Carnivore- It hunts lemurs primarily
Feeding Strategy: Can hunt in trees (arboreal) but will also hunt on the ground taking snakes,
common tenrecs and Guinea fowl.
Aardwolf:
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Habitat: Grassland species (south africa)
Diet: Insectivorous- Highly specialized eater- feeding on mostly termites
Feeding Strategy: Unlike most other termite eating animals which dig up the termite nests the
aardwolf uses its tongue to like up these insects (Eating up to 20,000 termites each night!)
Clouded Leopard:
Habitat: South East Asian Rainforest
Diet: Carnivore- Rodents, primates, ground squirrels
Feeding Strategy: Stalking predator
Pygmy Slow Loris:
Habitat:
Diet: Insects (70%), fruit
Feeding Strategy: Locate their prey using their sense of hearing before locating with sight.
They will consume poisonous invertebrates
Aardvark:
Habitat: Savannah
Diet: Ants & termites (insectivorous specialist predator)
Feeding Strategy: Uses large long, sticky tongue- digs up earth and forages on termites in
mound—eating up to 50,000 termites a night
Potto:
Habitat: African Rainforest
Diet: Mostly insects and fruit
Feeding Strategy: Prey is detected by smell and caught, generally, when the prey is stationary,
unlike
Greater Bushbaby:
Habitat: African Rainforest
Diet: Insectivorous and frugivory (fruit eater)
Feeding Strategy: Bushbabies which sense prey with their hearing and then capture the buzzing
insect as it passes or while its on the move.
Vampire Bat:
Habitat: Rainforests of the New World (S. America)
Diet: Blood feeder (Saugivory)- mammals and occasional birds are victims
Feeding Strategy: Echolocation
Brazilian Ocelot:
Habitat: Tropical Rainforest
Diet: Carnivore- oppoosums, rodents, armadillos, rabbits, birds, fish, snakes and lizards
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Feeding Strategy: Specialized hunter- rodent specialist (most efficient living mouse trap). But
will hunt other animals They are very agile climbers but do most of their hunting on the
ground. Reported to be good swimmers. Will actively hunt prey for 12-14hrs./day!
Hunting Strategies:
-Slow Hunting- They use a walk and sit method- while walking it will listen to see if it has
flushed any potential prey
Burmese Python:
Black Footed Cat:
Habitat: Savannah/Desert- S. Africa
Diet: Carnivorous. Small mammals, lizards and birds
Feeding Strategy: Unlike most cats- the Black footed cat hunts strictly on the ground (most
other cats will venture to trees for an easy snack):
They use several hunting strategies:
-Fast Hunters- The cat will move swiftly through and over vegetation- flushing prey from
cover
-Slow Hunting- Stalking
Sit & Wait- Will place themselves next to rodent den and sit as still and as silently as
possible
Sand Cat:
Habitat: Desert- Sahara- Northern Africa- must be able to cope with excessively hot
temperatures in the summer (104 degrees) to -13 degrees in the winter!!
-Will dig in burrows made by gerbils and other animals
Diet: Carnivorous- small mammals, lizards (Spiny Tailed Lizard) and birds
Feeding Strategy: They will stalk their prey and pounce and they will also chase preyopportunistic predator
Bobcat:
Habitat:Temperate woodlands- temperate grasslands- Varied in their habitat
Diet: Generalist hunters- Carnivore- hares, deer, rodents
Feeding Strategy: Use the sit and wait method (ambush) & mobile hunting techniques
Fishing Cat:
Habitat: Tropical Rainforest
Diet: Carnivore- mostly birds, amphibians, and fish although it will prey on small mammals
Feeding Strategy: This cat is a strong swimmer above & below water! Ambush hunter. Mostly
solitary
Bat Eared Fox:
Habitat: African Savannah
Diet: 80% of its diet is made of insects (they are especially fond of the dung beetles & termites)
Feeding Strategy: The fox follow large herds of hooved animals as it is dependent on these
large mammals for provision of its food despite its insectivorous nature… Stay with me…. Since
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they feed primarily on dung beetles, which lay there eggs in hoofstock dung, bat eared foxes
will listen for larvae crawling around in dung piles and stick their nose in poop to get a prize.
Fennec Fox:
Habitat: N. African Desert- Sahara
Diet: Lizards, mammals & fruit
Feeding Strategy: Stalking
Caracal:
Habitat- Tropical Savannah
Diet: Carnivorous- Eating birds from guinea fowl (Chicken like bird) to eagles and small
orstriches. Their mammalian prey includes mice & hares.
-Predator Instincts—These cats sometimes will go on killing sprees! Killing more than
they can eat—it is noted that several small goats were killed by one caracal on one
night!
-Diet studies show that about 72% of the meat consumed by caracals come from
prey animals weighing 2 to 2.5 x’s their own size!!
Feeding Strategy: Stalking predator- They will try get within 5 meters or so of their prey before
punching on it.
Tayra:
Diet & Feeding Strategy:
Habitat: S. & C. American Tropical Rainforests
-agoutis, guinea pigs, mice, squirrels, small mammals, brocket deer, will eat honeycomb when
available, insects and fruits
-Climbs through the trees to catch prey
Night Hunters Keeper Talk (Fishing Cat- 2:30pm)
Komodo Dragon Talk at 1:30pm
Komodo Info.
-Natural History & Evolutionary Relatives
It is said that Varanid lizards(the same family that contains the komodo dragon and 29 other
species) showed up in the fossil record about 70 Million Years Ago (mya). This is about the
same time that dinosaurs disappeared from the landscape and the age of mammals began.
One relative of the varanid lizards was a Mosasourid which had crocodile like bodies and
flippers instead of legs, measuring upto 30ft. in length and had a mouth containing many sharp
teeth and a double hinged jaw,so the sea lizard could swallow whole fish upto 7 feet in length!
After developing legs, these huge sea creatures gave rise to the largest terrestrial lizard ever
known, Megalania, which measured 20-23 ft. in length and weighing upto 4,500lbs!!. This
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impressive beast is the closest relative living of extinct of the modern monitor lizards
(Varanids), especially the komodo dragon.
-Komodo Connection: A trace of this double hinged jaw remains in modern day varanids. This
adaptation allows them to attack such large quadrupeds, like horses and water buffalo. The
komodo dragon’s ancestor the Megalania established itself on the islands of Indonesia, that
contain the only living komodo dragons on earth. As the super large herbivores declined in
number so did the Megalania both in number and in size. This decrease in prey size and
abundance gave rise to the present day komodo dragon.
-Captive Komodos
Although known for their ferociousness in the wild, generally komodos become very docile
when in captivity. Many keepers have described them as big puppy dogs. Zoo keepers have
been able to train them using operant conditioning. However, when kept in an outdoor
enclosure, they seem to lose their tameness and become more aggressive.
Although komodos seemed to be very tame in captivity, they had very short life spans due to
captivity and the inexperience of keepers and caregivers. However, now keepers can provide
great care for these beasts because of their knowledge of the animal its behavior, biology and
ecology.
-Varanid Ecology, Behavior & Biology
Range: Four small islands off Indonesia (Flores, Komodo, Rintja & Padar)
Habitat: Tropical savannahs
Diet: (Wild)- Pigs, deer, sheep, water buffalo, snakes and even fish
Predation Style: Ambush hunter
Size: Adult Males- up to 10ft. (length) Adult Females- up to 8ft. (length) weighing as much as
350lbs.
Ecology-Komodo Dragons are endemic to the volcanic islands of 4 Indonesian Islands
-Komodo Dragons are considered an apex predator in their habitat as they are the largest
predator. As apex predators they maintain a balanced ecosystem.
-Conservation Connection-Komodo Dragons are also considered an Umbrella Species
because of their place in the food chain. By protecting the Komodo dragon other less visible
animals and habitat will be protected
-Komodo Dragons will also scavenge for food. They can smell carrion from over 2.5 miles away!
Physical Adaptations-The largest lizard species on the Globe!!!
Scent:
-Can smell dead objects, up to 2.5 miles away, using it’s very long forked tongue to pick up
scents. Using their yellow forked tongue (which gave rise to the myth of “fire breathing dragon)
in combination with the Jacobson’s Organ this organ analyzes the chemicals gotten from the
air.
-Along with the its extra sensitive smelling tongue, komodos walk by swinging their head to
help them find scents in the air.
Sight:
-Can see potential prey animals from up to 300 meters away (about 3 football fields)
-Their eyes contain mostly cone cells (which aid in seeing color and during the day),
komodos have poor vision in dim light.
Hearing:
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-Komodos can hear, but they can’t hear well. They can’t hear high pitched screams or very low
sounds. This is because Varanids only have a single bone which vibrates to deliver sounds to
the brain. Whereas, mammals have multiple bones in their ears.
Locomotion:
-Can run up to 8-10miles/hour (for about a 1/3 of a mile)
-Can stand up right to find the scent of a rotting carcass
-Can climb (only the young), they are excellent swimmers and divers
Komodo Power:
-1-2 Punch of sharp teeth (serrated much like a shark) and a venomous bite! Their venom is as
potent as the most deadly snake on earth (the Inland Taipan)
-Venom rapidly decreases blood pressure and sends victims into shock
-Komodo’s have the most complex venom delivery system known to reptiles
-Komodos have venom ducts between their teeth to allow for venom to seep into open
wounds formed by their sharp teeth
-Komodo’s use a “bite & pull” method to facilitate venom and rip their prey apart
-Komodo Dragons can capture prey 20x’s their own size!
-Komodo Dragons have an extra flap of skin around their neck which allows them to inhale
large chunks of prey and unhinge their jaw to accommodate large pieces of flesh.
-Komodos have a stomach that is capable of expanding and allows the dragon to consume 80
percent of its own body weight in a single meal.
-Most large predators only consume about 75% of their kill, Komodos are much more efficient
and can consume nearly 90% of their prey.
-Komodo Dragons although large and aggressive when capturing prey they have a bite force of
that less then a domestic house cat!!!
-Their skulls are not made for crushing bone like that of a crocodile.
-This is why they swallow large piece of their prey
Behavior:
-Solitary unless the smell of a rotting carcass gains the interest of a bunch of Komodo Dragons.
-They can feed communally on a large carcass
-Hunt mainly in the morning
-Ambush hunters- Komodos will lay and wait in one spot for hours on end (likely near an
animal run). Waiting for a deer, boar, goat or anything sizable and nutritious
-Komodos drink similar to snakes- they will submerge their entire snout up to their eyes and
suck up the water, then lift their head and allow gravity to take the water from the throat to
the stomach
-Komodos eat almost all of their prey, including the intestines. Often komodos will rip out the
intestines of an animal and fiercely shake their head back and forth, thereby, removing any
feces from the intestines
-Since komodos eat nearly all of their prey, including hooves, bones and hair. Most of which
are indigestible. Komodos much like birds of prey will disgorge pellets
-All varanids and reptiles for that matter are ectothermic- they can’t regulate their own body
temperature.
-Behaviorally they need to wake up and sunny themselves, “recharging” their battery.
They will lay out legs splayed to the side collecting solar energy, this behavior is called basking.
-They also seek shade in the heat of the day, to avoid overheating. They will also pant (much
like a dog) to bring cooler air over their tongue to cool themselves.
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-Komodos will dig a shelter at night to shelter themselves from the climate fluctuations at night
-They can dig up to 30ft into the ground, and will then position themselves in the burrow with
their head and tail at the opening (in a U-shape)
-After a large meal- Komodos will dig out a “form” or resting spot to digest food- Try finding
them in the exhibit
-Young komodo’s will (since adult komodos do practice cannibalism) roll in the intestines of the
dead animals to mask their own scent to avoid being eaten by larger dragons.
Conflict Behaviors
-Scent Marking- Young Monitors avoid larger monitors because adult monitors have a territory
these scent markers come packaged in fecal pellets. These fecal pellets are like the newspaper
for an intruding monitor large or small.
-They can tell the other monitor the approximant age, sex and breeding condition of the
depositor.
-Appeasement- If a monitor wants to partake in a kill with other monitors. There is a ranking
system. Mostly delineated by size but smaller dragons can partake if they exhibit the correct
behaviors.
-Smaller monitors will stay on the periphery and do a ritualized walk. This walk shows
they mean no harm and know their place. The walk is a slow, stiff legged, stereotyped gait they
throw their body from side to side.
Assessment
Suggest ways to assess student learning (e.g. write report, graph, etc.) and provide a rubric
when possible.
Unsatisfactory—define elements required at this level
Satisfactory—define elements required at this level
Excellent—define elements required at this level
Extension
Suggest at least one related activity to supplement curriculum or take concepts farther.
Each additional activity suggested should begin a new paragraph.
Resources (Provide list of resources for teacher on the topic.)
Activity guides:
Author’s last name, first name or initial. Title. Organization/publisher (optional). Year.
Double space between resources.
(other category options include books, magazines/articles, material sources, web sites,
organizations…)
Any activity pages necessary follow on separate pages. Can alter number of columns to need for
activity pages.
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Use line art in public/pictures/line art. If you request illustrations from Graphics, be sure to add
new line art to appropriate folder. Original line art is much preferred over generic clip art.
Note: no header on 1st page.
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