Tree Frog Treks

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 30

Here is an easy and inexpensive way to explain volume and density to kids. This is an experiment that we like to call “Will It Sink or Will It Float?

Materials
1 large bowl or small tank
1 cup
1 can of Diet Coke (or diet soda)
1 can of Coke (or regular soda)
1 orange with peel
1 orange without the peel
1 egg
Salt

Instructions
1) Fill a bowl or small tank with water.
2) In the first part of the experiment start with the Diet Coke vs. Coke. Place the Diet Coke in the water first and observe what happens. Next add the regular Coke to the bowl of water. The sugared soda sinks to the bottom because it is more dense and the diet soda floats because it is less dense.
3) Now try the same experiment with an orange. Place a peeled orange in the water and then add an orange with its peel on. You will notice that the peeled orange sinks and the unpeeled orange floats to the top. Density = Mass/Volume. When the orange has a lot of volume compared to its mass, it will float (unpeeled orange).
4) Put an egg in a cup of water. You will notice that they egg will sink to the bottom of the cup. Now add some salt, stir, and add even more salt. You will see that the denser salt water pushes the egg up. The same thing happens to us when we enter the ocean. The salt water in the ocean pushes us to the top to float.

For more on this experiment, watch our video:

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 28

Did you know that of all of the water on Earth that 97% is salt water, 2% is frozen in polar ice caps, and only 1% is drinking water?

These are some of the cool facts that students will be learning this week with Tree Frog Treks. This week, the curriculum is titled, “Oceans in Motions!” The kids will learn all about the five oceans on Earth: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. They will learn that the earth’s surface is made up of 70% water, all about water currents, and the animals in the ocean.

Click here to learn how to make a paper plate fish!

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 25

Dear Mr. Science,
Why do snakes shed their skin?
Jessica, age 10

Hi Jessica,

Thanks for your question! Snakes shed their skin in order to grow. The snake begins to grow another layer of skin, under their old layer, and the top layer begins to fall off or shed. Their new layer of skin has the same scales and pattern as their older piece of skin. They also shed to replace old or worn scales with new healthy skin. Snakes shed more when they are young and growing quickly but they continue to grow throughout their lives.

Interesting fact: When rattlesnakes shed their skin, they get a new piece added to their rattle. In fact, when rattlers are first born they only have one piece on their rattle, called a button. Their rattles are noiseless until they shed for the first time and a new piece is added to their button to make a rattle!

Keep those questions coming!
GET OUT and GET DIRTY!
Mr. Science aka Chris

Do you or your child have a science or reptile related question for Mr. Science? If so, please post it in the comments section. If we select your question, we will mail you a special gift from Tree Frog Treks. A new question and answer will be posted on our blog every Friday!!

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 23

This week, the students are learning all about the African Savannah. Savannah vegetation varies from open dry grasslands with scattered trees and scrubs to more thickly wooded areas. The African Savannah is also home to the largest, tallest, and fastest land animals on Earth! This week, students will learn about Savannah’s animals, endangered species, camouflage, and different types of grass. They will also learn the saying:

Sedges have edges.
Rushes are round.
Grasses have joints,
from their tops to the ground.

The images above are of the different types of grass found in Savannah. The first image is of a sedge; the second image is of a rush, and the third is of grass.

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 18

Dear Mr. Science,
Why do turtles hide? Ivan is nice when he is not hiding.
Max, age 6

Hi Max,
That’s a great question! Turtles and tortoises hide in their shells to keep safe. They hide to protect themselves from predators or other animals that may hurt them. Sulcata Tortoises, like Ivan, have SUPER armored scales on their front legs and when they are scared they hide in their strong shells, pull in their front legs across their face for protection. This makes them hard to attack or get hurt. Aquatic turtles also hide in their shells to stop themselves from drying out in the sun. Turtles and tortoises sometimes sleep inside their shells but not on a regular basis.

The image above is of Ivan taken at Summer Camp this year. Ivan is one of the nicest animals we have at Tree Frog Treks if not the nicest. He loves wandering around the office and at the park, and enjoys eating his leafy greens. He is about 20 years old and can live to be 100 years in age!!!

Keep those questions coming!
GET OUT and GET DIRTY!
Mr. Science (aka Chris)

Do you or your child have a science or reptile related question for Mr. Science? If so, please leave it in comments.

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 14

This fall, Tree Frog Treks is providing school programming in 70 schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. This week our curriculum is focused on how to “Become An Explorer.” Students will learn about explorations and about some famous explorers like Christopher Columbus and Lewis and Clark). They will also learn about the tools people use to explore things like maps, binoculars, and compasses. Here’s how you can make a compass at home:

How to Make a Compass
Materials
Straight pin or sewing needles
A magnet (it works better if it is not covered in plastic)
A slice of cork
Petri Dish
Water
Crayons
Scissors
Compass Rose sheets (see image above)

Instructions
1) Magnetize one end of a pin or needle by rubbing a magnet against it (be sure to rub the magnet in just in direction.)
2) Attach it to a piece of sliced cork.
3) Place it in a petri dish with water.
4) The magnetized needle will align with the magnet north/south.
5) Place the compass rose you designed with the marked directions and place it under the dish.
6) After you find north see what happens when you move the magnet near, but not touching, your compass.

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 11

This past weekend’s Kid’s Play Night was themed “Dinosaur Dig.” We had a great turnout for the event! The kids met Julie the Burmese Python and Buddy the Iguana. They watched “They Might Be Giants – Here Comes Science”, “Madagascar”, and danced around like dinosaurs. They learned all about dinosaurs, fossils, and blasted off popper rockets.

This weekend’s Kid’s Play Night theme is “Snakes Alive.” Registration is now open!

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 9

School is back in session for the fall and that means that 70 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area are going to be exposed to Tree Frog Treks “wild science.” This fall, our curriculum is titled “Planet Earth Explorer.” Here is a description of some of the things your students will learn about:

Become an Explorer Frog as you hop between the continents to discover planet Earth’s ecosystems with the scientific team from Tree Frog Treks! Join our amazing animal ambassadors from the deserts of Australia, the rainforests of South America, and the jungles of Southeast Asia. Prepare yourself for Arctic and Antarctic expenditions, and then transport yourself to the African Savannah to find out how living things have adapted to these extreme weather conditions. Become a volcanologist to peek below the Earth’s crust, and learn about non-carbon based life life arsenic-breathing bacteria. Calculate the possibilities of life on other planets as you leap out into intergalactic space! Make your own scientific equipment like binoculars, planet presses and specimen jars to take home, and don’t forget to make a pledge to save, preserve, and maintain our home as a Planet Earth Explorer.

If you are interested in having Tree Frog Treks come to your school, please call us at 415-876-3764 or email info@treefrogtreks.com.

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 4

Dear Mr. Science,
Do we have any poisonous snakes living in San Francisco?
Gabby, age 10

Hi Gabby,
Thanks for your question. No, we do not have any poisonous or venomous snakes living in San Francisco; however, we do have some venomous snakes that live in parts of Northern California. These snakes, the Great Basin Rattlesnake and the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (see above image), are venomous and can be dangerous to humans. They will not actively seek out humans but will strike or attack if they feel threatened or harmed in some way. It is best to leave any snake alone while out in the wild just in case!

Keep those questions coming!
Get Out and Get Dirty!!
Chris a.k.a. Mr. Science

posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Sep 1

Here are some upcoming birding events with friend and colleague Domink Mosur. Please note that all events are FREE and all ages:

The Arboretum walk is on every 1st Sunday of the Month. It starts at the 9th avenue entrance to the Botanical Gardens at 8 a.m. and usually runs at least 2 hours, longer if there’s a lot to see.

The Randall Museum walk is the 3rd Friday of the Month. The group will meet at 8 a.m. in front of the Randall Museum, the gates are unlocked just come to the front lawn. Duration is also 2-2.5 hours depending on what’s out there.

He is also leading a one time trip on September 27th (a Sunday) at Candlestick State Recreation Area, which starts at 9 a.m. at the LAST PORT parking lot, this is the parking lot closest to the 101. This walk is to help raise awareness about the restoration work being done at Candlestick and also to highlight the risks to habitat and associated wildlife that may arise from the ongoing development in that sector of our city.

If you have any questions, regarding these events please contact Dominik at Dominik Mosur callipepla[at]gmail.com