Zoo Bloom Feat.
Farm Day
March 18, 2017
At a glance
Through Zoo-wide efforts we will dedicate an entire day to bringing
awareness to the importance of farms.
Materials
Any farm-related activities and biofacts
provided by the education department.
Posters and promotional materials provided
by marketing or the keeper department.
Goal(s)
1. To bring awareness to the
interdependence of animals, plants
and people.
2. To investigate the various tasks that
farmers carry out on a farm.
3. Through live animal demonstrations
we will show why some animals have
been domesticated.
4. Encourage participants to “get their
hands dirty.”
Objectives
1. Participants will explore the
relationship between the plants and
animals on the farm and the food and
products they consume at home.
2. Participants will be able to discover
that they too can grow their own
food.
3. Participants will learn that much of
our food is a product of pollinators.
4. Participants will learn about ongoing
citizen science projects that study
local pollinators.
Theme
Whether we live on a farm or not humans
depend on the goods produced by
agriculture.
Sub-theme(s)
1. We can make a positive impact on our
local plant, animal and human
communities by supporting local
farmers.
2. Eating produce that is in season will
help to decrease our carbon footprint.
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Background
The rise of agriculture 12,000 years ago played such an integral role in the development and change of
human civilization that it has been dubbed the “Neolithic Revolution.” Domestication of plants and
animals allowed for a more sedentary lifestyle, leading to permanent settlements (i.e. cities) and a
reliable food source. Agriculture is responsible for providing for most of the world’s food and fabrics
then and now, and is the primary factor leading the global population boom. Agriculture also provides
wood for heat, construction and paper products. These products, as well as the agricultural methods
used, will vary from one part of the world to the other. Soil quality, temperature, pH levels,
precipitation and more play a role in determining where crops are best grown (Figure 1.). Globalization
and advancing technology has allowed produce to be traded across continents and grown in nonnative lands (“How far food travelled”).
Farms have evolved greatly since the Neolithic Revolution, both in size and in production yield. Across
the world, and especially throughout the United States, industrial farms have become king (and
instrumental in feeding the world’s growing population). These large-scale farms are almost like
factories thanks to their efficiency. Most are monoculture farms, meaning they grown only one crop at
a time, and will often use chemicals/pesticides, genetic engineering, seasonal workers and the
utilization of every inch of space available (for both crops and livestock) to ensure high yields.
Industrial farms are able to keep food cost low, allowing (non-farming) consumers to feed themselves
and their families. Advanced technology, such as GMOs, has even allowed farming to continue in
places adversely affected by climate change (i.e. the drought-ridden sub-Saharan Africa). With a
constantly-growing human population, every person has a right to affordable food. However, this type
of farming does not come without cost- smaller family farms are often driven out of business because
they cannot compete against this mass production.
Subsistence farming is a type of farm that produces only enough to feed a family with little or no
surplus for sale. It is not meant to provide income, but instead would ideally produce all needed food
year-round. Many family farms across the United States, however, are commercial farms, whose
surplus products are meant to provide income. These farms can consist of growing crops, raising
animals for meat, eggs and dairy, raising fish, or a combination of these. Many smaller family farms will
use sustainable farming techniques such as crop diversification, border cropping, crop rotation etc.
Current consumer trends of the middle and upper class seek to support local farms and sustainable
farming techniques. Farmer’s markets allow citizens to become locavores, or eaters of food that is
locally produced rather than transported over long distances to markets. Many locavores often try to
consume produce “in season,” decrease their meat consumption, and may have small gardens of their
own. Urban farming and community garden projects are becoming quite prevalent, and are especially
important in places known to be food deserts (1 in 4 Baltimore residents live in a food desert). These
farms allow urban citizens greater food security and access to affordable health food options.
This day aims to educate guests on the importance of farms (and pollinators) and how we can be smart
and responsible consumers.
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Figure 1. Predominant land use and major crops across the globe.
Source: http://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/food-crops-americas/
Figure 2. The most lucrative human food crop in each state. N.B. corn, soybeans, sorghum, barley and hay
(crops fed to animals) have been excluded.
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Figure 3. Where the percentage of each state’s agricultural income derives from, human vs animal feed.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/largest-crop-each-state_n_6488930.html
Vocabulary
Agriculture-the art and science of cultivating the land for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock
(ranching)
Aquaculture- the art and science of cultivating marine or freshwater life for food and industry
Arable- land able to produce crops
Domestication- the process of adapting wild plants or animals for human use
Sustainable- able to be continued at the same rate for a long period of time
Crop rotation- the system of changing the type of crop in a field overtime, mainly to preserve the
productivity of the soil
Harvest- the gathering and collection of crops, including both plants and animals
Genetically modified organism (GMO) - living thing whose genes (DNA) have been altered for a specific
purpose
Monoculture- the system of growing one type of crop
Polyculture- two or more species intermingled in a field
Pollinator- an animal that helps transfer pollen from one flower to another
Citizen science- the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the
general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists
Green Revolution- the increase in food production due to improved agriculture technology
Food desert- places vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in
impoverished areas.
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Activities
Farm Chores Education Station
Collecting Eggs
Objective: To learn about chickens and their role on a farm.
Background: Chickens are kept on the farm for two reasons: laying eggs and for meat. One of the
chores a farmer often does is collect eggs from the hens. Hens laying eggs for market are usually
kept separately from roosters so the eggs will not be fertilized. While those selected to lay eggs for
chicks will have access to roosters. Hens are in-determinate layers, which mean they will keep
laying eggs to complete a normal clutch size as long as the nest is empty and they are healthy and
well-fed. Therefore, farmers encourage the hens to continue laying eggs by collecting eggs daily.
There is considerable variation between individuals and between breeds in egg productivity. An
egg takes approximately 25 hours to be produced from the time the ovum moves down the
oviduct. After laying, the hen broods the eggs to keep them warm, which means the eggs are also
warm to the touch when collected.
Materials:
- Chicken Puppet
- Bowl
- Plastic Eggs
- Bio fact – Chicken feathers, goose egg
Procedure:
Step 1 (all ages) - Ask participants if they know what kind of puppet is sitting in the bowl. See if
they know the difference between a hen and a rooster (roosters have larger comb and wattle,
often have showy tail feathers and sport spurs on their legs). Have participants mimic the sound of
a hen and a rooster.
Step 2 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) - Ask participants what they think the
hen might be sitting on. Challenge older children to reach under the hen and see if they can tell
how many eggs there are without looking. For younger children, have them collect an egg and
then count all the eggs in the basket.
Step 3 (all ages, younger children will need to be guided) - With interested participants, discuss the
parts of the egg: shell (protection), yolk (food) and egg white (or albumin – cushioning and some
food). Discuss what a farmer would do with the eggs he collects.
Sources:
 http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/interesting-facts-about-chicken-eggs
Hoof Picking
Objective: To investigate the parts of a hoof and learn about the importance of hoof care.
Background: Good hoof care is very important for horses. Along with regular Ferrier visits, picking
a horse or donkey’s hooves regularly helps farmers maintain the health of their feet. By picking
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their feet often, farmers are able to dislodge any stones that may cause bruising, to see if any
areas are warmer than normal or are tender to the touch, and to see if there are any cracks or
splits. If horses wear shoes, farmers check for loose shoes and other things that could be hurting
the horse. Using the pick end of the hoof pick, farmers start at the outside back part of the frog,
the triangle shape at the center of the hoof, and pick out the dirt, mud and rocks that are lodged in
that groove. The frog is important because it is a shock absorber as well as an important part of
the horse’s circulatory system. Farmers want to pick from the wide part of the frog at the back
edge of their hoof, to the point in the middle of the hoof. After both sides are picked and the
grooves are free of rocks, farmers can then use the brush end of the hoof pick and brush any other
dirt off.
Materials:
- Plastic hooves
- Popsicle sticks
- Play doh
- Bio facts – hoof stock hoof trimmings (most likely giraffe)
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) - Ask participants if they would like to pick a hoof. Explain that they will be using
the popsicle stick as a hoof pick to clean the dirt (play doh) out of the hoof.
Level 2 (all ages) - Point out the area that the frog is in and explain that it is important that they
must pick around it without hurting it. Have them start at the back of the hoof and gently dig the
play doh out from the grooves in the hoof.
Farm Animal Feet
Objective: Take a closer look at farm animal’s feet and learn about the roles each of them has on a
farm.
Background:
 Bovids – Sheep, Cows, Goats – These even-toed, hoofed mammals are ruminants, meaning
they chew their cud and have four-chambered stomachs for digestion. They graze grasses
and forbs and/or browse leaves from shrubs. All three can be used for meat and dairy
production although cows are the most commonly used in modern agriculture. Oxen are
cattle that perform work such as pulling carts or plows. Beef and beef products come from
cows, and mutton from sheep and goats. Other bovids include buffalo, gaur, antelopes,
wild sheep and wild goats. Their dropping are typically pie or pellet-shaped and consist of
plant matter.
 Pigs – These even-toed, hoofed mammals are hind-gut digesters and have a caecum as part
of the large intestine where materials move slowly for more complete digestion. They are
strongly omnivorous, eating a variety of plant and animal matter. They are used primarily
for meats. Ham, bacon and pork are all pig products.
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
Equids – This group of odd-toed mammals includes horses, donkeys and mules. Equids
have one main hoof on each leg with their other digits being absent or vestigial (present
but of little use). Equids typically graze and are fed hay with vegetables and fruits added to
their diet as treats. They are not ruminants, but have an enlarged caecum that allows them
to better process the coarse grasses they graze upon. Equids typically perform work on a
farm – pulling all manner of equipment or carrying riders. They also may be used simply as
pets. Their droppings are biscuit-shaped and consist of undigested grasses.
 Fowl – There are typically two forms of fowl domesticated for use on a farm – gamefow
like chickens, turkey, peafowl, and guinea fowl, and waterfowl like ducks and geese.
Though the two groups are not closely related, they both feed on a variety of food
including grains, other seeds, leaves, insects, carrion, berries and household leftovers. Their
complex digestive systems include a crop for storage, a gizzard for grinding food in addition
to a stomach and intestine for efficiently digesting nutrients. They are used for meat and
for the production of eggs. Droppings are either black (or green) and white splotches or
narrow cylinders of similar color.
 Carnivores – Dogs are used as companion animals, protectors of flocks, herders and for
hunting rodent pests. Cats help keep rodent populations down and are companion animals.
Dogs have four-toed (a fifth vestigial claw – the dew claw is present but rarely shows in
track) tracks which always show claw marks. Cat claws are usually more rounded and don’t
show claw marks. The droppings of dogs and cats are brown or gray and cylindrical in
shape – often narrowing at the tip. Wild birds of prey, snakes, weasels, bobcats and foxes
may be tolerated on a farm because they often eat or ward off pest species such as mice.
Materials:
- Pictures of Dog, Cat, Chicken, Goose, Donkey, Cow and Pig
- Pictures of feet of the above animals for matching (for younger students the feet pictures
are color-coded)
- Bio facts - Pig skull, chicken feathers, goose egg
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) – Have participants match the animal pictures to feet pictures
Level 2 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) – Once the pictures have been
matched, ask participants what they think each of the animals job is on the farm.
Whose Baby am I?
Objective: Participants will test their baby farm animal identification skills.
Background:
Materials:
- Baby animal pictures
- Adult animal pictures
- Animal sound cards
- Bio facts – sheep or alpaca wool
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Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) - Have participants match the baby animals to their parents.
Level 2 (all ages) - Participants can then match the animal sound cards to the animals that make
that noise.
How Many Hands are you?
Objective: Learn how a horse is measured with the use of a hand.
Background: Horses and ponies are measured from the ground to the top of the withers and are
traditionally measured in "hands". One hand is equal to 4 inches. Originally horses were measured
by the width of a person's hand which was approximately 4 inches, and by placing one hand on the
ground, the other above it and then moving the first hand over the second, then the second over
the first, and repeating up to the horse's wither to measure the horse. The term used for height
measurement of a horse is "hands high" or "hh". Often the height is just over a number of hands
example; 16 hands and 2 inches and the height is therefore referred to as 16.2 hh.
Materials:
- measuring tape
- a hand
- Bio facts – Zebra skull
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) - Explain to participants that horses are measured in hands. Show how many
inches are in one hand using the measuring tape
Level 2 (all ages) - Use your hand to measure the guest like you would do with a horse. Have
participants measure themselves against the horse heights in the donkey barn.
Cow Stomach Digestion
Objective: To explore ruminate digestion by moving through each of the stomach sections.
Background: Cows are unique in that their teeth are set up much different than many other
mammals. In the front of the mouth, teeth known as incisors are only located on the bottom jaw.
In place of the top incisors, there is a hard leathery pad (known as the “dental pad”). In addition,
cattle have a relatively immobile upper lip. Because of this a cow will use its tongue to grasp a
clump of grass and then bite it off. Teeth in the back of the mouth, known as molars, are located
on the top and bottom jaws. Plant materials sometimes contain tough stems, but because a cow
chews food in a side-to-side motion, the molars shred the grass into small pieces that are more
easily digested. When a cow first takes a bite of grass, it is chewed very little before it is
swallowed. Cows are known as “ruminants” because the largest pouch of the stomach is called the
rumen. Imagine a large 55-gallon trashcan, in a mature cow the rumen is about the same size! Its
large size allows cows to consume large amounts of grass. After filling up on grass, cows find a
place to lie down to more thoroughly chew their food. This process of swallowing, “unswallowing,” re-chewing, and re-swallowing is called “rumination,” or more commonly, “chewing
the cud.” Rumination enables cows to chew grass more completely, which improves digestion. The
reticulum is directly involved in rumination. The reticulum is made of muscle, and by contracting, it
forces food into the cow’s esophagus which carries the food back to the mouth. The reticulum is
sometimes called the “honeycomb” because of its distinct honeycomb-like appearance. With a
simple stomach, humans and other animals like dogs cannot digest many plant materials. A cow’s
rumen is different because it functions like a large food processor. In fact, millions of tiny
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organisms (mainly bacteria) naturally live in the rumen and help the cow by breaking down plant
parts that cannot be digested otherwise. These tiny organisms then release nutrients into the
rumen. Some nutrients are absorbed right away; others have to travel to the small intestine before
being absorbed. To help the cow’s body capture and absorb all these nutrients, the inside of the
rumen is covered by small finger-like structures (called papillae). There is little separation between
the first two sections of a cow’s stomach, the reticulum and the rumen, so food and water pass
back and forth easily. The next pouch in the stomach is the omasum. This pouch acts like a giant
filter to keep plant particles inside the rumen while allowing water to pass freely. By keeping grass
pieces and other feed inside the rumen, bacteria have more time to break them down, providing
even more nutrients for the cow. After the grass pieces and other feed are broken down to a small
enough size, they eventually pass through the omasum and enter the abomasums. The prefix “Ab” means from, off, or away from. The abomasum, then, is located just beyond the omasum. The
abomasum has the same basic function as the stomach of a human or any other mammal, which is
the production of acids, buffers, and enzymes to break down food. After passing through the
abomasum, partially digested food enters the small intestine where digestion continues and
nutrients are absorbed.
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm255500.htm
Material:
- Four boxes (stomachs)
- Green pipe cleaners (grass/hay)
- Foam pieces (bacteria)
- Bio facts – herbivore skull
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) - Hand each participant a pipe cleaner,
explain to them that they will be moving the pipe cleaner through each of the stomachs of a cow.
The participant should pretend to chew up the pipe cleaner and place it into the first box, the
rumen. Then the fold the pipe cleaner in half and move it to the second box, the reticulum. Explain
to the participant that the chewed up piece of pipe cleaner will come back up to the mouth and be
chewed again. They should fold the pipe cleaner in half again. They then may place the pipe
cleaner into the third box, the omasum and fold it in half again. The pipe cleaner should then be
moved and placed into the last box, the abomasum. The participant may then take a piece of fake
poop to show that the digestion process has been completed.
Level 2 (older participants) – Ask participants why do they think cows have so many stomachs?
Why the does the food item (pipe cleaner) get smaller each time it moves through the stomachs?
Sustainable Farming Education Station
Sustainable Farming
Objective: To Learn about the many ways sustainable farming can improve farm land for both
plants and animals.
Background: Sustainable farming is agriculture which strives to keep soil fertile, intact and loose,
limit the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and protect local environments while still
producing optimal yields. This can be done by rotating crops, planting winter cover crops, using
free range and paddock techniques for livestock, intercropping in orchards, using integrated pest
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management, composting and recycling manure and maintaining permanent vegetative borders
around streams and roads.
 Crop Rotation – Each crop has particular nutrient needs. Some need more nitrogen, others
more potassium etc. Planting the same crop year after year (monoculture) depletes the
particular nutrients needed by the plant. Eventually, this decreases the yield of the crops
unless nutrients are replaced through chemical fertilizers or manure. Monocultures also
tend to be more susceptible to pests because, if allowed to, pest populations can increase
virtually unchecked each successive year. Chemical pesticides are virtually a necessity
under these conditions. Most cash crops grow during specific seasons. To grow only one
crop means the field must lie fallow for part of the year. Leaving the soil uncovered can
allow topsoil to be washed away (erosion) and compacted from heavy rains, machinery and
drying heat and winds. By rotating the crops grown on a particular field and incorporating
nitrogen fixing plants (plants that convert non-usable atmospheric nitrogen into usable
forms) like alfalfa, clover or green manures (plants that are planted to turn back into the
soil to incorporate nutrients in more usable forms) like rye into the rotation, the soil
naturally stays fertile longer and the need for chemical fertilizers decrease. The constant
presence of roots working their way into the soil also loosens the soil but, at the same
time, prevents it from washing away. The rotation shown in the overlay includes a year of
corn, followed by a heavy manure application, a crimson clover winter cover crop (a
legume which are nitrogen-fixers), followed by a year of soybean (also a legume), followed
by a rye winter green manure followed by corn again.
 Cover Crops – Cover crops are planted during the off-season with the main purpose of
protecting the soil. They are typically planted in the fall with enough time to sprout, root
and begin growth before winter temperatures inhibit growth. The roots of the plants hold
the soil, but also protect the soil from compaction. The leaves of the plants protect the soil
from pounding precipitation. Cover crops may be nitrogen fixers like crimson clover or
alfalfa, cash crops like winter wheat or green manures like rye.
 Intercropping – This technique is similar to crop rotation but is used in conjunction with
long lived plantings like fruit and nut trees or vines. Essentially, crops are rotated in rows
located between the rows of the orchard or vineyard plants. Our rotation includes corn,
with crimson clover cover crop, sweet potatoes with winter wheat cover crop, melons and
tomatoes with rye green manure and corn again with rye as a green manure.
 Free Range – This is a technique where the animals are entirely allowed roam free within
an area and largely subsist on the food available within the range. This often lessens the
use of chemical additives since the livestock are not feeding on processed hay and grain.
This technique is often successfully used with chickens and other poultry. Because of their
relatively small size and varied diet, they need less area than livestock. There is also the
added benefit that they eat insect pests and therefore serve as part of a farm’s integrated
pest management plan.
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
Paddock Grazing – In a sense, this is organized free range. Over various intervals, livestock
are rotated through a series of pastures or paddocks. At any given time, there are one or
more paddocks left empty to promote re-growth of the grasses and forbs. While this
technique does limit foraging area, it often increases yield by producing higher quality
forage. It also limits the need for processed feed. The manure produced by the livestock
also promotes growth. Pigs are often moved into paddocks formerly grazed by other
livestock because they will readily eat the manure!
 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – IPM is a pest control technique that uses a multifaceted approach to combating pests with the goal of limiting the use of chemical
pesticides. Crop rotation limits the ability of pests to build their populations because the
same crops are rarely grown in the same field two years in a row. Biological agents like
praying mantids, parasitic wasps, ladybugs, bats, purple martins, barn swallows, chickens
and other insect predators are encouraged to live on the farm to keep pests at bay. Rodent
predators like owls, hawks, snakes and foxes (as long as they aren’t killing the chickens!)
are encouraged as well. Manual pest prevention like traps and hand picking are used in
some cases. Planting companion plants like fragrant mints and marigolds sometimes keep
insect pests at bay. Chemical pesticides may only be used in small quantities, when all else
fails or not at all.
 Vegetated borders – Maintaining stream, road and field edges with vegetated borders
prevents erosion and runoff and provides wildlife habitat.
Materials:
- Poster Board with mural of typical Factory-type farm with fallow fields, chicken coop and
yard, livestock pastures and pig sty. 2 Overlays with monoculture crops – corn and fruit
orchard
- 2 Overlays with sustainable crop rotation and intercropping techniques depicted
- 1 overlay showing free range chicken area and extra pasture
- 2 overlays showing paddock style livestock rotations with one field in recovery
- One overlay with green hedges for field border.
- 2 over lays showing better storage area for manure pile
- 1 overlay making pig sty into more pasture
- Bio facts – hay, grain, apple fiber biscuits, pig skull
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) - Show participants the typical farm
with barren field and with monoculture overlays. Have them search for potential environmental
problems. Fields left barren increasing likelihood of runoff and compaction. Monocultures deplete
soil and invites pest infestations. Fields not edged with vegetated borders encouraging runoff and
discouraging wildlife. Livestock have access to all pastures and have overgrazed and compacted
them. Chickens and pigs are confined in small areas necessitating the need to feed expensive
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processed foods, discouraging vegetative growth and increasing impact of waste products. Pig sty
and manure pile located next to stream.
Level 2 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) – Have participants replace parts of
the farm that are in need of improvement. Put hedge overlay and discuss benefits of vegetated
borders. Put crop rotation overlay over reddish brown field (or have them do it). Discuss benefits
of crop rotation with participants using questioning techniques. Put intercropping overlay over
light brown field and discuss benefits. Put free range chicken habitat overlay down and discuss
benefits. Put pasture paddock overlays down and discuss benefits. Put manure pile overlay in open
area on reddish field and discuss benefits of new location. Cover pigsty and manure pile with
pasture overlay and discuss benefits.
Wildlife on the Farm Education Station
Checkerspot Butterfly Garden
Objective: To investigate the needs of the checkerspot butterfly throughout its entire lifecycle.
Background: Over the past few decades, Maryland populations of Baltimore checkerspot
butterflies have experienced significant declines. The State of Maryland currently lists the
Baltimore checkerspot butterfly on its “Conservation Watch List.” This list highlights species that if
their numbers continue to decline may become threatened or endangered in the state. It should
be noted that there are stable populations of the Baltimore Checkerspot elsewhere within their
range, which comprises most of the eastern half of the U.S. and southern Canada.
Checkerspot caterpillars prefer to feed on white turtlehead. This plant typically grows in wet areas.
The caterpillars also favor the moist air typical of wetlands. Turtlehead, and other less-favored
food plants like beardtongue, false foxglove and English plantain tolerate drier conditions, but
marshes, wet meadows, stream banks, intermittent wetlands and pond edges provide the
optimum conditions for caterpillar survival.
Like most species experiencing population declines, the Baltimore checkerspot has endured drastic
alterations to their habitat:
- The continuous development of wetlands reduces the amount of wetland habitat available
for Checkerspot breeding.
- White-tailed deer, heavily overpopulated in many parts of the eastern United States, often
out-compete checkerspot caterpillars for turtlehead leaves. Their depredations on
turtlehead plants severely limit the food available to the growing caterpillars.
- All-terrain vehicle operators crush caterpillar food sources as they motor through suitable,
but often fragile habitat. Other destructive land uses such as indiscriminant mowing and
grazing may have similar impacts.
Pesticides, designed to combat gypsy moth and other insect pest infestations, take their toll on
similar but beneficial insect species like the Baltimore checkerspot.
Materials:
- Two foam bases
- Two plastic plates
- Various items on popsicle sticks (fruits, vegetables, turtlehead, sand, mud, etc.)
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- Laminated dead leaves
- Pictures of checkerspot butterflies and caterpillars
- Bio facts – meadow insect display
Procedure:
Level 1 - Set up the plates and foam bases next to each other. One base will be for things that a
checkerspot caterpillar needs. The other will be for things that a checkerspot butterfly needs.
Level 2 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) - Go through the pictures on popsicle
stick with the kids and ask what types of things should be in an ideal garden for a caterpillar and
butterfly. Have the kids stick the popsicle sticks in the appropriate garden. Some pictures won’t
belong in either garden. For instance, native plants and fruits would be beneficial, but things like
mangos and pineapples aren’t naturally found in Maryland. The two gardens will have differences.
The caterpillar garden needs the turtlehead plant and dead leaves for the caterpillar to hibernate
in. The adult butterfly garden will have native fruits (apples, tomatoes, and blackberries) instead.
The gardens will also have things in common: sun, rain, and mud are essential to both caterpillars
and butterflies. Things like lemons, mangos, and bottled water won’t be utilized in either garden
plot.
Level 3 (older participants) - One the gardens are built, discuss the difference between them. Why
do they have some differences? What do they have in common? Why were some pictures not
used in either garden? Tell guests that we can help native insect species by planting native plants
in our yards, using fewer pesticides, and not overdeveloping.
Pollinator Power
Objective: To explore the importance of bees, and how their role as pollinator directly benefits
humans.
Background:
More than 75% of the 115 leading crop species worldwide are dependent on or at least benefit
from animal pollination. Thus, animal pollination contributes to an estimated 35% of global crop
production. Crops that benefit from animal pollination include seeds, nuts, fruits, grains etc. While
many of these crops can either self-pollinate or reproduce via wind pollination, the quality
seriously decreases and is often does not produce shelf-ready produce. Bee pollination specifically
has proven to decrease malformations, increase shelf life and overall produce higher yields (in
coffee, blueberries, melons, cucumbers, almonds etc.). This is particularly imperative because
globally 1/3 -1/2 of all fruits and vegetables are lost after harvest due to mechanical errors,
deterioration, general waste etc. Consumers are currently so particular about what their fruits and
veggies look like, that much produce is just thrown out. Strawberries pollinated by bees, for
example, were redder and brighter than berries pollinated by other methods. Because these
strawberries were firmer, their shelf-life was also increased. Therefore, an increase in animal
pollination leads to a decrease in food loss/waste, which economically is a huge benefit.
Materials:
- Scale with flower on one side
- Strawberry(s)
- Flowers with different colored pollen balls
- Forceps
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Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) - Ask the participants if they have heard of the word pollination before, can they
think of any examples of pollinators? Ask if they knew that some of the food that we eat depends
on the hard work of pollinators!
Level 2 (all ages, younger children may need to be guided) - The participants will play pollinator (in
this case a honey bee) to ultimately produce strawberries! First place the strawberry on one side
of the scale. Have the participant pluck pollen off the flowers until the scale balances- this means
the strawberry is ready to be picked/eaten. Have them match the color of the pollen balls from the
wild flowers to the one on the scale. Ask the participant which strawberry they would rather eatprobably the biggest! The more pollinators there are, and the more diverse the pollen, the better
the quality and size of the strawberry!
Sources: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/12/better-berry-thanks-bees
http://beesource.com/point-of-view/joe-traynor/almond-pollination-math/
https://www.britannica.com/science/pollination
Wildlife on the Farm
Objective: To discover why farms sometimes make a good habitat for wildlife.
Background: Farmland supports a huge range of wildlife especially where field margins include
hedges and strips of rough grassland next to fields for growing crops. Farm ponds, old trees,
patches of scrub, small woods and boggy areas also create more space for wildlife on farmland.
Materials:
- Wildlife on the farm board
- Wildlife cut out pieces
- Popsicle stick with magnet
- Bio facts – meadow insect display, turtle shell, frog skeleton
Procedure:
Level 1 (all ages) – Ask participants what kind of animals do they think would be found on a farm?
Do they think any wild animals would also live on a farm?
Level 2 (all ages, younger children might need to be guided) – Have participants use the popsicle
stick and magnet to remove pieces of the board to see what wildlife would be found in that area.
Ask participants why they think that animal would be found in that area? How might the wildlife
be beneficial to the farm?
Resources and Further Reading
"Agriculture." National Geographic Society, 09 Oct. 2012. Web. <http://www.nationalgeographic.org/
encyclopedia/agriculture/>.
Foley, Jonathan. "Feeding 9 Billion." National Geographic <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/ >.
Jackson, Wes. New Roots for Agriculture. Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1985.
Kremen, C., A. Iles, and C. Bacon. 2012. Diversified farming systems: an agroecological, systems-based
alternative to modern industrial agriculture. Ecology and Society 17(4): 44.
Macdonald, Cheyenne. "How Far Your Food Travelled to Get to You: Interactive Map Shows Where the
World's Produce Comes from." Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 15 June 2016. Web.
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Satran, Joe. "2 Simple Maps That Reveal How American Agriculture Actually Works." The Huffington
Post. 16 Jan. 2015. Web.
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