04/30 Gray Squirrel

This week we learned about the Gray Squirrel.  They are mainly found in trees and eat nuts, seeds, berries, and insects. 

We watched a video that two Squirrels were squeaking or "talking" to each other.  We also watched a video with Squirrels doing lots of funny things.  The kids really enjoyed this.



This will be our last animal class.  The 7th will be the zoo trip, the next week the kids want to participate in the cardboard city activity and the following week is Field Day.

04/23 Geoduck

This week we talked about the Geoduck (pronounced like gooey-duck), which also happens to be the Evergreen State College mascot.

The Geoduck is a clam that can be found right here on our Washington beaches.  It can live 150+ years!  The Geoduck burrows down in to the sand and stays there for its life.  The siphon (or neck) can be over 3 feet long and will extend up to the top of the sand and retract when it senses danger. 

The kids enjoyed watching video clips of people digging up Geoducks.  It is a messy time consuming job.  We also watched some clips from the show Dirty Jobs which showed us a local Geoduck farm and how they harvest the clams and also how they are prepared and eaten. 

04/16 Marbled Murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet is a bird that is found near the coast of the Pacific Ocean and actually spends the majority of its life out at sea. 

For our class we read a book about the mystery behind the Marbled Murrelet.  They were considered a mystery for a long time because nobody could figure out where the birds lived.  It has been discovered that most of their life is spent at sea.  When tending for an egg or chick they will travel up to 50 miles inland and make their "home" (they do not make nests) on large moss covered branches in old growth forests.