Arbor Day 2014 with Idaho Forest Products Commission

My friend Michelle has made a great resource available to the rest of us on her website!

http://www.idahoforests.org/arborday.htm

This will keep you busy all weekend.  Enjoy Arbor Day and get outside...even in the rain!

 

This beautiful painting was done by one of our art instructors!  Love it!

Earth Day 2014

Of all the fun, cool, inspiring, and educational resources that exist on Earth Day and everyday, I really liked this one from the Washington Post.  It shows the Earth from a variety of perspectives from all over the galaxy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/04/22/earth-day-2014-gorgeous-humbling-views-of-our-planet-from-space/

Enjoy!

Lunar Eclipse tonight!

“The total eclipse phase begins at 1:07 a.m. Tuesday, April 15. The moon will be completely darkened by the Earth’s shadow from 1:46 to 2:25 a.m. Tuesday morning and the eclipse will be finished at 3:33 a.m.”

 

From 1:07 to 2:25 AM, (the darkest time occurring at 1:46 a.m.) the moon will appear dark red-orange.  It will appear darkest at 1:46 AM.

 

Also, while the conspicuous partial phase (with the moon missing a “bite”) ends at 3:33 AM, the moon will still be in the earth’s partial (penumbral) shadow for the next hour, during which time it will appear slightly darker than normal along its right edge, less so as it moves out of the penumbra, and will be completely out of the penumbra by 4:39 AM (although most people won’t notice anything unusual about its appearance after 4:00 AM or so, since the amount of shading will be so slight).

 

Here’s a graphic that may make it clearer.  Note that all times are MDT, and the moon moves from right to left over the course of the night:

 

TOMORROW is the ISU Science and Engineering Festival!!

Wow!!  I just found out about this and the cool part is that we will be in Pocatello tomorrow so we can go between volleyball games!!  Awesome!

http://www.isu.edu/isef/

It was really fun.  Ellie wanted to go back after the tournament because we didn't get to do everything!

Our favorites were the kite station and the stomp rockets.

Girl Scout STEM Smart Day Camp

I found this on our local Girl Scout website, and it looks like a great activity.  Registration has started, but the girls need to be Girl Scouts to attend.     I loved my years in Girl Scouts, both in Connecticut and in Texas.    Girl Scouts of America has changed over the years, but I appreciate their efforts to incorporate STEM in their programs and events.   They are much more than cookies now!

http://www.girlscouts-ssc.org/activities-events/stem-smart-day-camp.aspx

What is Science?

Yesterday I was reminded of several things.   First,  technology had made this world very small.  A HS classmate of mine from TX posted a cute video clip of a dad singing with his daughter.   Well,  I told her that he was the brother of my daughter's ballet teacher.     But the blog worthy part of that story is that he is also the first winner, in 2012, of a science challenge that asked scientists to explain complex topics to 11 year Olds.   The children actually voted on the submissions, and Ben Ames, singing dad and doctoral student at University of Innsbrook,  won by explaining best "What is a Flame."

http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/the-flame-challenge-2/meet-last-years-winner/

This year the question is "What is color?"  The submissions are in and children all over the world have been asked to judge.   This is such a cool idea!
  Thanks Alan Alda!
http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/the-flame-challenge-2/what-is-color/

Jane Goodall's 80th Birthday

Well, what a fun day to remember one of my mentors in life!!

 

This picture was taken in 1992 when I returned to Grapevine High School to attend a fundraiser and school assembly where we again honored Dr. Goodall and the work of my other major mentor, Sherri Steward-Ganz.   I think my mom still has the videotape of my speech during the assembly.  I am sure I said what every college student says, "When I was in high school..."  even though it had just been 3 years. 

Happy Birthday Dr. Goodall!  What a timely message you still share about global conservation and the power of ONE!  You are wonderful!!

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/02/happy-80th-birthday-and-thanks-jane-goodall/