Laura Vogel ©1996

Nature/naychar/n. 1. the physical power causing all the phenomena of the material world. 2. a creative and controlling force in the universe. 3.the external world in its entirety.

Rain Bird Rain Forest Curriculum Web Site - access activities and demonstrations to use in your classroom for teaching scientific aspects of the Earth's endangered rain forests. K-1 to Grade 8.

THE AMAZON BASIN AND CURRENT ISSUES - Part of the Geographic Education and Technology Program's collection of lesson plans.

Great Places Site: Links to: Amazon | Greenland | Iguazu | Madagascar | Namib | Okavango | Tibet | Here is a sampling of what you will find in Madagascar:

Learn More about Madagascar - Fourth largest island. Guess what's inside a huge egg - Watch a chameleon catch some live food! Find out about lemurs. Listen to hissing cockroach. Find out what they put in their national symbol, the Baobab Tree.

Amazon Basin - Geographic Descriptions, River Basin, Cycles of Flow, Settlements, Flora and Fauna.

How far away from this Amazon Location are you? Calculate it and then see the distance on a map.

Wealth of the Rain Forest - Pharmacy to the World The Raintree Group - Tropical Plant Database (extraordinary), Gallery of Rain Forest Photos, Newsletter, Clinical Trials on Rain Forest Plants, and much more.

Rain Forest Aerial Tram - "Dr. Perry began work on the Tram after becoming convinced that the only way to stop destruction of the rain forest was by showing not only Costa Ricans but people throughout the world the wonder of this unexplored habitat and by creating an alternative to unsustainable exploitation of the forest."

KIDS ZONE - a guided tour of the rainforest with Timbo. Visit the Frog Pond, see the artwork of children from the Amazon School of Painting, go on a Jungle Journey exploring the rainforests and lots more.

First Scientific Exploration of the Amazon - 1735 - Charles Marie de La Condamine.

Conserving Amazonia's Biodiversity - WRI Article and related links.

For KIDS and TEACHERS - Everything you want for the rainforest including: Material sources, coloring books, Classroom Activities and Field Trips and the Frog Pond.

AUSTRALIA

Australian Animals Webquest

Australia - Natural History Units: Birds & Animals | Flora & Fauna | Science | Environment |

National Wildlife Federation for Kids - Animal Tracks for Kids. Follow the tracks and get answer to questions about Water, Wetlands, Endangered Species and our Public Lands. Excellent Classroom Resource. Discover the diversity of plants and animals in a small area near you. Meet Ranger Rick. Homework Help with Ranger Rick, and find out how Kids can help at KIDS CAN!

Animal Health, Well Being, Rights - [General sites with focus on many types of animal; Specialized sites that focus on one type of animal]

Wild-Eyed Alaska," a new Web site from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The
site - http://www.hhmi.org/alaska - features video footage of animals rarely seen by most American youngsters.

Animal Tracks - coloring page

Why is the Sky Blue? - Atmosphere, Light Waves, Color of Light. Learn about light, and the Earth's atmosphere and find the answers to Why is the Sky Blue and the sunset red.

National Audubon Society

National Audubon Society Chapters

John James Audubon - 1785-1851

Visit MILL GROVE, John James Audubon's first American home. This site was created by the Audubon School in Audubon, Pennsylvania and has uncovered some little known history of the artist and naturalist, their namesake.

All About Eagles - Did you know there are 59 species and four major categories of eagles? Extensive site with many links, including Birds of Prey Programs for School.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology - including, but not limited to:
Classroom Feeder Watch, Project Feeder Watch (You can be part of this.),Bird of the Week, Sound of the Week,Birds in Forested Areas and much more. Excellent Site.

Owl Prowl - collaborative Internet project for lower primary children designed to have children in different schools research owls in their communities and have their work showcased on a website.

Backyard Birding - What to do to attract birds

Birds of the Continental United States and Canada - 914 of them

Purple Martin Conservation Association. The only bird species totally dependent on humans for supplying them with nesting sites.

List of U. S. Endangered or Threatened Birds.

Do you know why the macaw eats clay?

Hummingbirds of North America and Canada Copyright © 1996 - 1998 Nature Discovery. All rights reserved.

Hummingbirds

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

2000 Spring Hummingbird Migration Map

Did You Know? Ruby-throated hummingbirds live a relatively long time in the wild – up to five years. In captivity, they have been known to live to the ripe old age of 15.

Peterson Online Bird Identification - full life history, seasonal range map, and depictions of similar species. Beautifully done.

Monarch Butterfly - Threats/Migration

The Butterfly Conservatory - Grow a Butterfly Garden

School Programs - butterfly-oriented projects with comments by students and educators.

Butterfly Stores - Listing of suppliers to start your classroom projects.
International Federation of Butterfly Enthusiasts - IFBE is the world's first global organization dedicated to increasing butterfly habitat! In 1997 the IFBE distributed nearly 1,000,000 butterfly host sources throughout the United States. Free membership.

Images of The Furman University Collection of North American Lepidoptera (Butterflies and moths). Extensive collection of scanned images.

Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center.

Children's Butterfly Site - FAQ, Coloring Book, Life Cycle, Books and Videos, links and more.

World Atlas - Countries Around the World - Information about: Geography, Economy, Defense Forces, People, Government, Communications and more.

allAFRICA.com - Global Media multi-media company that is headquartered in the United States and Africa. It is the largest electronic distributor of African news and information worldwide.

Terraquest. This is an extraordinary journey covering geology, history, current issues, the 1996 expedition, wildife, extensive digital photo image gallery AND an Education Workbook. Excellent.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Angelfish Breeding - Everything you need to know and wanted to ask about angelfish is here.

Fascinating Facts about Fish - Examples?
Q: How many eggs does a shrimp produce in one spawning?
Q: Are the eyes of flatfishes on the right or left side?
Q: Can fish distinguish color?

Touch Tank - Put your mouse over any part of the picture and find out what it is.

Fish and Wildlife Consumption Advisories

For The Sake of the Salmon - FSOS - information on watershed restoration and protection, education and funding.

Rachel Carson, writer, scientist, and ecologist

WWF's Forests for Life Maps - Protected Areas, Global Importance, Conservation Status, Map Science and Global Forest Maps.

Conserving the World's Forests - USDA Forest Service

The Good Oak - Lesson Plan and activity utilizing concepts for Managing Our Natural Resources - Grade 9 - Materials needed: The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold.

A Thousand Friends of Frogs - connects K-12 students, educators, families, and scientists from Minnesota and beyond to study and celebrate frogs and their habitats.

Frequently Asked Frog Questions

Scientific Amphibian

North American Amphibian Monitoring Program - Part of a global project to studay and conserve amphibians. See the Teacher Toolbox to see how you can incorporate conservation of amphibians into your classroom. Excellent site and resource for everyone.

Frog Disection: or just learning about the internal organs

Bugbios - see insects for the miniature marvels they represent and to understand how intertwined our cultures have become with these alien creatures.

Insects & Spiders - Entomology Sites

Bugscope - Links to: arthropod-related general information, arthropod-related activities and curricular materials, Bugscope project proposal guidelines, representative proposals from the first year of Bugscope operation, model proposals for different grade levels and participating school projects.

Bug Club is a club devoted to young people and the "Young at heart" who find insects and other creepy crawlies interesting and even fascinating.

Entomology Index of Internet Resources: K-12 Educators'

Insect Zoo - Entomology Department at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. - providing hands-on experience under the guidance of a capable entomologist.

Yucky Bug World - A Day in the Life of Ralph Roach

Recommended Sites Compiled by Gary A. Dunn, Young Entomologists' Society and John VanDyk, Iowa State University

George Lucas Education Foundation - Exploring the Scientific Process: Albert, Charles, and the Quest for a Wasp - 4th/5th grade class research insects, create multimedia reports, and prepare questions to pose to entomologists at San Diego State University. Then, through a two-way fiber-optic connection to the University, students and scientists look at insect body parts together using an electron microscope.

The AES BUG CLUB for young entomologists. Join the Bug Club. ID your Bug. Section for Educators.

Insect Safari - Classroom Activity

Bugfood I: Insect-themed Food - University of Kentucky. Recipes for "eadible" bugs. Classroom fun for yonger students.

Common Insects - links and links and more links

What are insects?

Wonderful World of Insects - Insects Insects Everywhere! Find out the smallest, the largest, Arachnids, Arthropods, Mites and Woodlice, Introduction to Evolution and so much more. Excellent.

Cultural Entomology - insects as part of our humanities. Very different and interesting site. Older ages.

National Geographic
National Geographic - Kid Features

Entomology for Beginners - click on any part of the bee's anatomy for further explantion.

BEE prepared for this enormous group of bee links

The Annenberg/CPB Math & Science Project - Journey North, a K-12 Internet-based learning adventure that engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. Track migrations of bald eagles, bats, caribou, common loons, American robins, monnarch butterflies, whales, and more. Register your classroom for the 1998 school year. Great site !

How far is it? - Find the latitude and Longitude of cities around the world and calculate the distance between them...as the crow flies.

Cool Facts and Resources on Oceans - One Stop Access to: The Oceans of the World - Cool Ocean Facts - Topics of Interest - General Resources on Oceans - University Resources on Oceans - Ocean Resources for Kids - Resources Talking About How to Protect the Oceans.

Ocean Planet - Educational Materials associated with Ocean Planet. A vast resource.

Ocean Animals - Invertebrates: Sponges, Mollusks, Echinoderms, Cnidarians. Sea Turtles:Leatherback, Green, Black, Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridely, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Flatback.

EPA Office of Water - Clean Water Act, Top Ten Watershed Lessons Learned, Adopting a Watershed. Broken down into categories: Wetlands; Ocean, Coasts, Estuaries; Watesheds.

NATURE WATCH - Importance of Plants and Plant Communities

WHY DO PLANTS HAVE FLOWERS?

Plant science and molecular biology

List of Endangered "plant" species.

Celebrating Wildflowers Coloring Book - Choose from 345 wildflower drawings. Educational Materials and Programs on Wildflowers for Teachers.

Gardens With Displays of Regionally Native Plants by U. S. State

Wildflower Gardening: StudyWeb's list of links and links and links.

WILDFLOWER INDEX

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Educating people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants.

TURTLE, SEA TURTLE AND TORTOISE - Many great links, including Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) and its founder, Archie Carr who was considered to be the world's leading authority on sea turtles.

Sea Turtles: Endangered Species Act - All six species of sea turtles in the U.S. are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Characteristic, habitat and significant threats to each of the six endangered sea turtles is listed.

LIVING DOWNSTREAM: We all live in a watershed. But most people don't realize that their actions-whether they toss a candy wrapper down an urban street sewer or clean up after their dog in a suburban park-affect the quality of water, and the health of plants and animals, in that watershed.

Living Downstream, a new and permanent, family-friendly exhibition demonstrates how people's actions impact water quality and what we can do in our everyday lives to help the environment. Living Downstream is a permanent installation created by The Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia, PA) staff based on the institution's world-renowned scientific research, restoration and conservation efforts involving watersheds. The exhibit combines hands-on and high-tech elements designed to be understood and interpreted by visitors ages 8 and up. The attractive, interactive components are geared to impart a three-fold message:

We all live in a watershed.
We all have an effect on water quality.
We all can change our behavior to benefit, not harm, the watershed.

Learn more about water and watershed research conducted by The Academy of Natural Sciences.

INDEX OF WATERSHED INDICATORS - EPA - This is the EPA's first national picture of watershed health. The Index organizes and presents aquatic resource information on a watershed basis. You can locate and view your area's watershed by simply entering your zip code. You will be provided with an Environmental Profile and general information for the specific watershed nearest you. This is quite an education !! Your first impression may be "Wow! I had no idea!"

Far more than a blue line on a map! Excellent site !

Watershed Protection Programs - "We All Live Downstream"
A Pennsylvania Environmental Agency Site. You may not have to look anywhere else for information. This site is chock full of resources:

What Do You Know About Your Watershed?
What Can You Do to Protect Your Watershed?
Setting Up a Watershed Organization
Successful Watershed Protection Efforts
Local, State, Federal Watershed Protection Programs
Sources of Funding for Watershed Activities
Watershed Organizations
Educational/Reference Information On-Line

Adopt a Watershed - Excellent site loaded with curriculum components for K through High School. Each unit lists: Concept, Field Study, Restoration Project and Community Action. A great resource!

River Resource - Scroll to the bottom of the page. Click on River Resource and find links to river pages, search for your river, or connect to other classrooms studying rivers.

Rivers of Life - Critical Watersheds for protecting Freshwater Biodiversity.

A Gallery of Ecosystem Exhibits

The Chlorine-Free Paper Page - Reach for Unbleached!

Polution Solutions - Explore what we are doing to our world.

Submit Your Classroom Project! The Biology lessons are divided into the following categories:
Anatomy & Physiology, Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Environmental Studies and Ecology, Biochemistry, General Biology and Miscellaneous. Almost 200 Single concept lessons.

The Rainforest Workshop was developed by Virginia Reid and the students at Thurgood Marshall Middle School, the Olympia District, in Olympia, Washington. Visit a Tropical rain forest, Temperate rain forest. See Rainforest Workshop Educational Resources for lesson plans and activities. Very well done.

Celebrating Diversity - The Sun and Snow Connection. Students from Hawaii and New York, ages 9 - 12, have a page on their native ecosystems.

H.E.A.P. - Harlem Environmental Access Project - Resources for Teachers : Lesson Plans & Activities for classroom recycling and urban composting. Five schools participating share their web sites.

American Museum of Natural History Online Field Journal: Compare insects, birds, shells, butterflies, rocks, animal tracks and reptiles.

World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife at Risk

EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

World Resources Institute - Cultural and Biological Diversity, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Loss of Nature, Loss of Culture.

EARTHWATCH, a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1972, is one of the world's largest private sponsors of scientific field research projects. Their mission is to improve human understanding of the planet, the diversity of its inhabitants, and the processes that affect the quality of life on Earth.

Project Summary | Maps | Photos | Field Notes | Lessons | Ask the Scientist for programs about: Endangered Ecosystems, Oceans, Biodiversity, Cultural Diversity, Global Change, World Health,Origins of Our Future.

Excellent resource. Defenders of Wildlife

The Nature Conservancy - Domestic (U.S.) and International Programs. Adopt an Acre, Adopt a Bison. Conservation Science, Science Library and Scientific Resources. Well done.

National Wildlife Federation

Natural Resource Defense Council

Sierra Club

Friends of the Earth - Fighting Environmental Destruction Where it Begins

Kids F.A.C.E. - Kids For A Clean Environment - an international children's environmental organization. Check out "Trees: A Treemendous Renewable Resource" and see how this all got started. Join the Club. Excellent site.

Wildlife Agencies - U.S.

Department of Game, Fish, and Parks Internet Information - State Wildlife Homepages. Extensive

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Environmental News Network - The ENN Daily E-mail is a FREE service dedicated to bringing you the latest environmental information directly to your e-mail inbox.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

World Watch Institute - Publications - Environmental Alert Series