THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
Presents
“Florida’s Alien Wildlife”
Tom Sterling
Naturalist/Filmmaker
Two Performances Only
April 17, 2009 -- 10:15am & 11:45am
A Teachers Manual & Student Guide
Appropriate for Grade Levels 3-5
2 FOUR ARTS PLAZA PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33480 T -561-655-7227 F- 561-655-7233
“Florida’s Alien Wildlife”
Tom Sterling Naturalist/Filmmaker
April 17, 2009 at 10:15am & 11:45am
The story of America’s introduced, or alien species, is best mirrored by Florida. This is a tale of
amazement, wonder and growing concern. Learn the massive impact this has on our native wildlife
as well as the impact on our economic future.
An astonishing number of alien, or non-native, plants and animals are found throughout the United
States. A few were introduced by accident, but most were brought here by man. A wildlife tour of
The Sunshine State will reveal many animals, dozens of bird species and at last count, over 150
species of alien fish and reptiles!
Along with all of her “new” wild animals, Florida has many introduced plants that pose a challenge
to control efforts. Water Hyacinth and Hydrilla clog canals and rivers while the trees, Melaleuca and
Casurina, along with the pervasive Brazilian Pepper, have become dominant in some areas.
For 30 years, Naturalist/filmmaker Tom Sterling has collected film footage on many exotic species of
animals that he has encountered in his travels. In Virginia he filmed Sika Deer, a native of Japan.
Texas is home to India’s magnificent Blackbuck. China’s splendid Mandarin Duck is right at home in
Alabama. New Mexico’s Florida Mountains harbor hundreds of Iranian Ibex, but one state tops all of
the others with its extensive list of introduced species – FLORIDA!
Primary Goal: Learn the massive impact alien species have on our native wildlife as well as
implications for our economic future.
About Tom Sterling:
Noted naturalist, photographer and filmmaker, Tom Sterling is a regular contributor to the popular
PBS wildlife series Profiles of Nature and The Nature of Things, as well as the producer of several
specials for Canadian Broadcasting.
This program is free for students and chaperones, however reservations are required. Please
contact Brandy Stephenson at 659-8513 for reservations.
About the Society of the Four Arts
We welcome the opportunity for you and your students to take part in one of our free presentations for
school aged children. Performances take place in our 700 seat auditorium, which is equipped with stateof-the-art lighting and sound systems.
On the day of your trip, please arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the performance time to give your students
time to use the restrooms and find their seats. Good theater manners mean that all visitors remain seated
during the entire performance to ensure that they do not distract performers or other patrons.
When you arrive, you will be met by a Four Arts Staff Member. Please be prepared with the exact
number of students and chaperones that are in your party.
In addition to our auditorium, the Four Arts is also home to an art gallery. For the safety of the students
and the protection of items on display, students should be supervised by an adult chaperone at all times.
While there is no dress code necessary for school programs, teachers are encouraged to use this trip as
an opportunity to discuss what is and is not appropriate to wear at the theater. If teachers feel that it is
appropriate, consider asking students to dress up in slacks, collared shirts, skirts or dresses.
Please leave any food or drink at school or on the bus.
Once the performance begins, students have an important job ~ they should pay close attention to the
stage and the performance. Remember to look, listen, laugh and enjoy!
After each presentation there will be question and answer time ~ please speak only when prompted by
the performer.
We have no lunch facilities for school groups.
Our Campus is located in the heart of Palm Beach. Take I-95 to the Okeechobee Boulevard exit; proceed
east for approximately two miles to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. After crossing the bridge,
turn left at the first street which is Four Arts Plaza (before the traffic lights). Here you will find the
Children’s Library located in the John E. Rovensky Administration building and the Walter S.
Gublemann Auditorium where our school programs are held. Among these buildings you will also find
the Gioconda and Joseph King Library, the newly enhanced Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden and the
Four Arts Horticulture Garden.
Are You Ready To Visit
The Society of the Four Arts?
What does it mean when the lights blink in the hallway outside of an auditorium?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The theater is trying to save electricity
There is a problem with the light bulbs
It is a special effect to make the theater seem interesting
It is time to go into the theater and sit down
The answer is D. The lights blinking means that the performance is going to start in just a few minutes. Your
teacher or chaperone will lead you to your seats so you don’t miss anything.
When should you go to the restroom when at a performance?
A.
B.
C.
D.
During the quiet parts
During the loud parts
When there are only a couple of people on stage
Before or after the performance so I don’t disturb anyone
The answer is D. Even if you try to be very quiet, getting up in the middle of the performance bothers the
people sitting around you and can distract the performers. Try to go to the bathroom before or after a
performance so you can concentrate on what’s happening on stage.
When is it OK to talk during a performance?
A.
B.
C.
D.
When my friends are talking
When I think of something funny
If it’s loud enough that the performer can’t hear me talking.
When the performer asks the audience a question
The answer is D. Remaining quiet unless asked a question shows the performer that you care about what they
are doing or saying, and helps the people who are sitting around you hear the program. Even if your friends are
talking, it is good theater manners to remain quiet.
What should you do with food and drink when attending a performance at The Four Arts?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sneak it in under my jacket
Ask my teacher to hold it
Hide it in a plant or behind a chair
Leave it in a safe place, such as the bus or the car, and enjoy it later.
The answer is D. The Four Arts doesn’t allow food or drinks in the auditorium at all. Sneaking or hiding food is
not allowed either.
NO
FOOD
After the performance, sometimes the performers take questions from the audience. If you are called on,
what should you do?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Stand Up
Speak Slowly
Speak Very Loudly
All of the Above
The answer is D. If the performer asks “Does anyone have any questions?” by all means, raise your hand! If you
get called on, speaking slowly, loudly and standing up helps the performer and the audience hear your question.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED
Science
(SC.D.2.2)The student understands the need for protection of the natural systems on
Earth.
(SC.G.1.2)The student understands the competitive, interdependent, cyclic nature of
living things in the environment.
1. knows ways that plants, animals, and humans interact.
2. knows that living things compete in a climatic region with other living things and that
structural adaptations make them fit for an environment.
(SC.G.2.2)The student understands the consequences of using limited natural
resources.
1. knows that all living things must compete for Earth’s limited resources; organisms
best adapted to compete for the available resources will be successful and pass their
adaptations (traits) on to their offspring.
2. knows that the size of a population is dependent upon the available resources within its
community.
3. understands that changes in the habitat of organism may be beneficial or harmful.
Social Studies
(SS.B.2.2) The student understands the interactions of people and the physical
environment.
3. The student understands how human activity affects the physical environment.
(SS.B.1.2) The student understands the world in spatial terms.
1. uses maps, globes, charts, graphs, and other geographic tools including map keys and
symbols to gather and interpret data and to draw conclusions about the planet.
4. knows how changing transportation and communication technology have affected
relationships between differnt locations.
(SS.D.1.2.) The student understands that scarcity of resources requires choices on
many levels, from the individual to societal.
Language Arts
(LA.3.5.2.1)(LA.4.5.2.1) The student will recall, interpret, and summarize information
presented orally; (4th only) and show an understanding of key points.
(LA.5.5.2.1) The student will listen and speak to gain and share information for a
variety of purposes, including personal interviews, dramatic and poetic
recitations, and formal presentations.
Teacher Development
An important goal of this lesson is for students to realize the importance of
non-natives in their lives. Here are some interesting facts to learn in order to
understand non-native species in Florida, how they get here and their impact
th
υ Non-native species are organisms which
did not originate in a specific area.
υ The terms non indigenous, alien or exotic
are synonymous. None of these terms
actually describes the value or lack of value
of an organism, merely their origin.
υ Some species introduced to Florida, while
with good intentions, have resulted in
economic or environmental harm or cause
harm to human health. These are referred
to as invasive species.
υ During the 1400s Florida’s first European
settlers brought crops and livestock from
their homelands. Columbus’ second voyage
to the New World in 1493 brought wheat,
melons, onions, sugarcane, cattle, horses,
swine and many others to this part of the
world.
υ Hernando de Soto is reported to have
brought along 13 hogs to feed his men
while exploring Florida in 1539. By 1542,
the herd had multiplied to hundreds of
animals.
υ Invasive plants are considered to have the
greatest impact of all invasives on natural
areas. A non-native species must possess
certain aggressive qualities in order to
become invasive in an area.
i
t
υ Invasives will lack the natural controls that
existed in their native homes such as
predators and disease. Without a means to
keep the organism in check, invasive
species will have high survival rates.
υ During 1999, Florida spent $90 million on
invasives ($45 million of which was to
protect agriculture).
υ Invasive species are able to produce many
young and they are readily dispersed by
humans, wind or water. Invasives are often
habitat generalists and can tolerate a range
of climate or other physical conditions.
Invasives are able to outweigh native
species in competition for survival
resources such as food and proper habitat.
υ Invasive species are of concern because
they may alter habitat, reduce native
diversity, exclude or cause disease in
natives or beneficial non-natives, hybridize
with natives, or be harmful to humans.
Invasive species do not necessarily have all
these impacts, but could have one or some
of them. For example, kudzu can grow so
heavily that it completely covers all the
other plants in the area and kills them by
blocking sunlight. The result is a reduction
in native diversity in that area. Citrus
canker, a bacterial disease, causes
significant losses of fruit on citrus trees. The
disease results in a large economic impact
to commercial and residential growers.
υ 95 pythons were captured in the
Everglades, and experts estimate that for
every creature caught, 100 to 1,000 are
slithering around feasting on birds, turtles
and even alligators. They will eventually
kill every other living thing edible in the
Everglades…
υ There are means of controlling invasive
species ranging from biological (using other
organisms to eat, parasitize or otherwise
inhibit the invasive), chemical (application
of chemicals to kill or inhibit invasives),
physical (physical removal of invasives)
and ecological (altering the habitat to
inhibit or kill invasives)
υ Economists have estimated that across the
globe, $3-5 trillion may be lost annually to
the impacts and management of invasive
species (this figure includes impacts by
introduced plants and animals, diseases,
agricultural weeds, and others).
υ Invasive species can also have surprising
benefits such as feral pigs which are now
important in the diet of the Florida panther
or water hyacinth which is consumed by
manatees.
υ Burmese pythons in the Everglades can
prey on native wildlife as well as pets like
dogs and cats, and are large enough to
injure people.
υ Nile monitor lizards in Cape Coral pose a
threat to the Florida burrowing owl, which
is a protected species.
υ Gambian pouched rats are reproducing on
Grassy Key. If these large rats find a way to
the mainland they may cause damage to
agricultural crops.
υ Monk parakeets build large colonial nests
that can damage electrical power poles and
cause power outages.
υ Cuban tree frogs outcompete native tree
frogs for food, and eat smaller species of
native frogs.
…….These are just a few of the many examples of non-native species that have escaped or been released from
their owners. www.myfwc.com
!!!! As a state, Florida is at a high risk for invasion for many reasons !!!!
υ Our subtropical climate
υ the number and importance of our shipping ports
υ the extent and importance of the plant-based industries in the state
υ the highly transitional population, couple with other factors to facilitate
introduction, escape and spread of these problem plants.
HOW DO THEY GET HERE?
G
Non- native species can be transported by air, by water and by land.
G
These species can arrive here voluntarily and in-voluntarily by human hands.
G
Dispersal by humans through movement of equipment, people, and/or soil contaminated
with seeds or roots.
G
Dispersal by wildlife (especially deer & birds), cattle, water, wind, etc.
Did you know there are several ways for
the average citizen to help control
invasive species? Read below to see
Plant native species in your yard to help restore
natural areas. Home gardeners can safely use
non-native plants as long as they have
researched what they intend to plant to ensure it
will not become invasive.
Don’t bring home unfamiliar plants or animals
Never free pets into the wild
Clean off boats and aquatic equipment
When fishing, don’t throw back alien fish
Know the pathways of introduction - do your
part to stop accidental release into the wild
Be aware of laws related to non-native species
Join a community group that restores habitat &
removes invasives
Look at up-to-date
invasives and exotics
information
on
new
Teach others about the benefits and risks of nonnative species
Suggested Resources:
The Alien Animals, by George Laycock
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Discover Magazine May 2005 “The Truth About Invasive Species” pp.
35-41
National Geographic Magazine March 2005 “Attack of the Alien
Invaders” pp. 93-117 Florida Native Plan Society, www.fnps.org
http://myfwc.com/ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
http://myfwc.com/nonnatives/index.htm
Contacts:
•
Division of Aquaculture, 1203 Governor’s Square Blvd, 5th Flr, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 850-488-4033
www.FloridaAquaculture.com
•
U.S. Fish & Wildlife for Florida = myfwc.com/nonnatives
•
Florida Ag in the Classroom, Inc., 2053 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611.
352-846-1391 www.flagintheclassroom.com
•
Everglades Park Headquarters Visitor Center
•
Department of Natural Resources, Tallahassee, FL
•
Green Cay Nature Center, 12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437.
561-966-7000
•
Grassy Waters Preserve, 8264 Northlake Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33412.
561-804-4980.
*From the website Developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Aquaculture
Pre-Activity Ideas
Familiarize your students with the vocabulary list. Start with the word search provided. Explain the
terminology for native, non-native, alien, non-indigenous, and invasive species as defined. Explain to your
class that many of the plants and animals that we observe every day are non-native. Very few agricultural
species are native, many garden plants are non-native, and most of our pets are non-native. Give some
examples, both animal and plant, for each group. Ask which of these are familiar to your students.
Create a KWL chart as a group. Write down any current understanding that students have in the K, or
Know, column. Use the center column, W, or Want to Know, to mark down any questions that students have
about Alien species or their experience at the Society of the Four Arts, complete the L, or Learned, column upon
return to school.
Post-Activity Ideas
Complete the “Aliens Have Landed!” map activity included in your packet.
Using the alien animals list provided, ask the students to make cards with each species name. Instruct
them to sort the cards by type, place of origin, or degree of invasiveness. Have them explain how their list is
sorted.
Develop a class list of alien species or use the list provided. Of the alien species listed, help them to
determine which of these are invasive. Have them talk about what makes the organisms successful and what
they can do help with their elimination or control. How are these able to take over areas once colonized by
natives? Why are agricultural crops not invasive?
Instruct each student or groups of students to make a poster to “market” information about one
particular species of plant or animal or the general problem of alien species. Have them post these around
school. Encourage the students to research, report and use various means of art to make the posters an effective
communication tool.
The students may write a narrative essay about alien species. Students can implement narrative writing
elements such as character, plot, setting, theme, point of view, and conflict. Sample Prompt: Animals, like people,
come to Florida from all over the world. Think about what would happen to an animal coming to Florida for the first time.
Tell about what happens to this alien animal in Florida.
Topics for Discussion
What effects can the introduction of non-native wildlife have on an ecosystem? How can the short term
effects differ from the long term effects? What are its impacts on our home state of Florida? What are some
examples the impact on our native species? For example, you can discuss the alien impact on our native species,
such as the Burmese python and its significant impact on everglades native species. Also, tilapia in the
Everglades have driven out native species of blue gills and bass and it is nearly impossible to get them out!
Consider the economic impact of alien species, i.e., the cost of keeping up with kudzu vines along the interstate
system.
What can we do to help offset some of the ramifications of invasive plants and wildlife? How do we
educate future generations about this? What tactics can you implement in the classroom to generate interest
and enthusiasm amongst your students? Some options are encourage others to not plant invasive plants species
and do not release pets into the wild.
Use this headline to stimulate interest in your trip to the Animal Aliens program.
Post it in your classroom on the day you send home field trip forms. As your first preactivity, ask your students what it is they think is the main idea of this program.
Guide them to the idea that this is specific to our lives in Florida. Make connections, if
you can between their suggestions and alien, or non-native, species. Then complete
some or all of the pre-activities we have provided.
Key Words*
Agriculture: farming, producing crops and
livestock
Eradicate: to completely eliminate an
organism
Alien species (Non-native): organisms which
did not originate in a specific area
Established: an organism that grows and
multiplies in an area
Aquatic: growing or living in water
Generalist: an organism that is
unspecialized—can thrive in many situations
Aquatic nuisance species: animal, and plant
species that have been introduced into new
ecosystems throughout the United States and
the world and are having harmful impacts on
the natural resources in these ecosystems and
the human use of these resources
Ballast water: water used to balance a ship at
sea (ships can intake and discharge water as
the amount of cargo changes)
Biocontrol: method of eliminating or
reducing populations of plants or animals
using other living organisms
Biodiversity: the variety of plant and animal
forms present in an ecosystem
Control: eliminate or reduce populations of
an organism—also refers to things that keep
populations down such as predators
Dispersal: the process of spreading
organisms from one place to another
Economic: related to the production,
distribution and consumption of goods and
services
Ecosystem: system formed by the interaction
of animals, microbes and plants with each
other and their environment
Environmental: related to the physical,
chemical and biological surroundings of an
organism
Habitat: the place where a plant or animal
normally lives and grows
Hitchhiker: an organism that uses another
organism to get from one place to another—
for example, seeds that stick to clothes and
fur
Hybridize: to produce offspring of two
different varieties or species of a plant or
animal
Invasive: A species that is 1) non-native/
alien to the ecosystem under consideration
and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely
to cause economic or environmental harm or
harm to human health. Invasive species can
be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g.,
microbes)
Larval: referring to the earliest stage of
development of an animal, not in the form of
the adult
Microbes: organisms of microscopic size,
including bacteria that cause disease
Native species (Indigenous): plant or animal
species that originate in the area under study.
These species are adapted to local growing
conditions.
Naturalized: plants or animals that have
become established as part of an area other
than their place of origin Non-native (Alien,
Nonindigenous or Exotic): foreign, not native,
an organism introduced to an area
Out compete: to grow or reproduce better or
faster than others
Pest: plant or animal that is detrimental to
humans or human concerns (agriculture, pets,
and gardens)
Productive: a plant or animal that has
offspring in great abundance
Reproduction: the act or process by which
plants and animals give rise to offspring
Species: a class of individuals having
common attributes and designated by a
common name (for example, Homo sapiens)
Terrestrial: living on or in or growing from
land
Vector: an organism that transmits an
invasive species
Weed: a plant growing where it is not
desired
* For a wealth of materials please visit:
www.FloridaAquaculture.com !!
A
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Directions: Use the word bank below to find each word hidden in the grid.
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ALIEN SPECIES & CONTINENT/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Kudzu
(Asia)
Formosan Termite
(Asia)
Honeysuckle
(Asia)
Bamboo
(Asia)
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
(Southern Europe)
Hydrilla
(Asia)
Water Hyacinth
(South America)
Melaleuca
(Australia)
Brazilian Pepper
(South America)
Australian Pine
(Australia)
Fire Ants
(South America)
Burmese Python
(South East Asia)
Sambar Deer
(India)
Feral Pig
(Europe)
Rhesus Monkey
(South East Asia)
Tilapia
(Africa)
Walking Catfish
(South East Asia)
Peacock Bass
(South America)
Oscar Cichlid
(South America)
Convict Cichlid
(Central America)
Scarlet Macaw
(Mexico, South America)
Chestnut Fronted Macaw
(Northern South America)
Blue And Yellow Macaw
(South America)
Red-Fronted Parrot
(Bolivia)
White-Winged Parakeet
(South America)
Budgerigar
(Australia)
Cattle Egret
(Asia, Africa & Europe)
Green Tree Iguana
(Central & South America)
Cuban Tree Frog
(Cuba)
Curly Tail Lizard
(Bahamas)
Red Whiskered Bulbul
(Asia)
Muscovy Duck
(South America)
Monk Parakeet
(South America)
Rainbow Parakeet
(Melanesia, Australia & New Zealand)
Red Lorie
(Indonesia)
Golden Conure
(Brazil)
TTH
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Directions: Using the list provided, label the map with the names of each alien species. Write the name of the alien on the country or continent from which it
originated. See example “Fire Ants” below.
Fire Ants
GET HELP INSERTING EVALUATION FORM