Ray of Sunshine #4...Aquarium of the Pacific

 

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, CA. It looks like an amazing place if you like the sea and the creatures in it. Their webcams are just what the doctor ordered if you need some undersea zen moments. Miss Bunn particularly found the Anthias and Wrasse Exhibit webcam to be very soothing in full screen mode.

Click the link above to get to their main page. Click on exhibits and then webcams to be taken to the webcam page. Their are several to choose from. Penquin Habitat (both above and below water), Sea Jellies, Tropical Reef, Honda Blue Cavern, Anthias and Wrasse Exhibt, and Shark Lagoon. Can you say "Why wait for shark week"?

At the bottom of each webcam screen click on the "Aquarium Webcam Resource Kit" to find lesson plans, short educational videos, worksheets, and web-based activities and resources for K-8th grade students.

The Aquarium is offering an Online Academy to bring educational programming as well as fun and entertaining activities to the public during the current closure.There you will find both on-demand videos and activities for all ages (grade levels K through 12 are listed) and a schedule of interactive live programs with aquarium educators, from virtual classroom sessions to Pacific Pals puppets. Check back often as the page will be updated regularly with new content and live dates as they become available.​ There is even a Sea Star Certificate to print out for kids who have tuned in to one of the programs.

SO much to do there and now we have the time to do it! Enjoy!

A Great Example of Thinking Outside the Box!

Who knew this about crows? Most people just see them as a nuisance but evidently they could be so much more! Take a look (& listen) to this TED talk. People like this who dare to think in totally new directions will be the ones who move us and the planet forward. (Or so says Miss Bun!)

Read This To Put A Chill on Your Summer Heatwave!

 What ever happened to the ships Erebus, Terror and the 129 souls that set sail for the top of the world confident that they could conquer the frozen landscape and find a sea route through the Arctic Ocean?

The Terror by Dan Simmons is a 600 + page turner of an historical novel that recreates the doomed Sir John Franklin expedition of 1845 that was charged with searching for the Northwest Passage.

If you are sweltering in the summer heat this is the perfect book to cool off with as temperatures are typically well below zero. And, as a result of Simmons' meticulous research, you will find yourself a part of the crew facing starvation, disease, and something not quite human that roams the ice. (Chills!)

Intrigued?

Take a look at the book review by David Masiel in the Washington Post:
The Thing on the Ice

Check out the author's site:
Dan Simmons Official Web Site

 

Links about the Franklin Expedition:
NOVA'S Artic Passage

Franklin's Lost Expedition


Check out this video from the NOVA program:




The story continues! 

This just in from BBC News dated 7/21/10:
Canadian Archaeologists Hunt Long-Lost Arctic Explorers


Enjoy!

Going On A Treasure Hunt!

Like a challenge? Like the great outdoors? Love puzzles? Like to collect things?

Well.....Letterboxing (or possibly it's much younger cousin Geocaching) might be for you!

"Zo, vhat ees zis Leterrbooxing ov wheech yo spek????" (Sorry, I went all Inspector Clouseau there for a second.)

So glad you asked!  Letterboxing is a game of hide and seek with clues. To play you need a compass, a trail name, a personal rubber stamp, & a logbook.

The letterbox (usually a waterproof plastic container that holds at least a rubber stamp & logbook,) is hidden by its owner at some location. Your job is to find it armed with the clues provided. Once you have found it, you stamp your logbook with the letterbox stamp & stamp your stamp in the letterbox logbook thus providing proof all around that you really did find the box. Cool, huh?

Evidently handmade stamp images are highly prized in the world of Letterboxing. So you get to be creative & physically active as well!

Here is a site that will give you all the info you need to get started (along with clues to find letterboxes) & then some:

Letterboxing North America

Don't worry if you are not from North America. Letterboxing (& geocaching) is global! Check out the Net for info on boxes in your neck of the woods.

Wondering about  letterboxing versus geocaching? Here is well written article by Trailhead Tessie from the SheltonTrails.org site comparing them: Letterboxing and Geocaching which also includes links.

What a great way for the whole family to enjoy the great outdoors this summer! 

Plant A Rain Garden!

So, what is a Rain Garden, you ask?


Why, it is a low maintenance way to keep rain water from sloshing (a very technical term!) off of concrete, macadam, shingles,etc. and going straight to storm drains (along with all kinds of pollutants) and then dumping in rivers.

Put simply: A rain garden is a planted shallow depression
designed to catch and filter rainfall runoff.

Check out this video for more info:

Do something nice for Mother Nature!






Here are some links to get you started:

Rain Garden Network
Pennsylvania Rain Garden Guide (pdf)
Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels
Rainscaping With Rain Gardens (pdf)

Enjoy!

Another Cool Site: Vintage Printable!!! (And a Manifesto to Boot!)

 Need free vintage images? Then you will want to go here:

Vintage Printable


About Vintage Printable
"Vintage Printable provides public domain antique scientific, naturalist, and other images for you to print or download. The illustrations here are curated or, tossed as has been pointed out, by me, Swivelchair, an anonymous biopharma worker"

 Besides spending huge amounts of time feasting on the marvelous images to be found here, might I also suggest that you take a look at the site's About and Public Domain Manifesto page?

Swivelchair's take on the issues of copyright, public domain and who controls (or would like to control) access to information is important for everyone to know about. You may be surprised to find out who some of the players are in this game.

(Miss Bun is of the persuasion that Swivelchair ROCKS!)

Hibernation Anyone??? A ThinkQuest Website has the Scoop!

Ok, so hibernation time is just around the corner (You're feeling very sleepy...) and in case you were wondering what that's all about take a look at this very good website created by a group of 5th graders for a competition put on by ThinkQuest (see below):

The Deep Sleep
Did you know there are four different ways animals deep sleep? Check it out!     

What is this ThinkQuest I speak of?

ThinkQuest  is a protected, online learning platform that enables teachers to integrate learning projects into their classroom curriculum and students to develop 21st century skills. It is provided as a free service to K-12 schools around the globe by The Oracle Education Foundation.

On the ThinkQuest site you will find the project area (here you can take a tour of ThinkQuest...fyi); a competition space where the technology contests happen and the ThinkQuest Library that houses all the projects and is a pretty nifty learning resource.There is also a professional development program for teachers.

School administrators must enroll their schools to participate in a project or competition but anyone can access the ThinkQuest Library and check out the competition winners.

You can search the library by age group, country, and subject category. There are over 7,000 websites created by students from around the world and they are amazing.  Enjoy!

Check Out This Tres Cool Museum . . .

"Housed within the walls of San Francisco's landmark Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of interactive exhibits in the areas of science, art, and human perception"  and was founded in 1969 by physicist and educator, Dr. Frank Oppenheimer.

Their mission is to "create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them".

 


The museum has been online since 1993 with over 18,000 web pages as well as sound and video files that explore hundreds of different topics. it attracts 20 million (yes, million!) visitors a year. 

Kind of mind boggling, isn't it?

 
 While you explore the website be sure to press the "Do Not Push This Button" button on the home page, sign up for their E-newsletter, check out the more than 500 science experiments that you can print out and have a great time!

Miss Bun is most impressed with the museum's creative, thoughtful use of technology to "focus on investigating the science behind the ordinary subjects and experiences of people's lives. The topics themselves provide "hooks" that get people excited about science. Then, when we investigate these topics, we can also look at the historical and social issues surrounding them, thus providing a context for scientific exploration".

The Full Moon . . .

Hey, Peeps, I don't know about where you are but where I am last night was a full moon AND it was a gorgeous night to watch it! (Gotta love this time of year!)

In honor of our venerable Celestial Companion may I direct your attention to Keith's Moon Page: Facts, Phases, Photos, & Folklore ?

Here you will find tons of info & great links (be sure to check out the links) on this site created by one Keith Cooley. (It looks like a labor of love to Miss Bun.)

Mr. Cooley evidently loves astronomy and the web. There is no "About Page" on this site and it's not clear if the site is being updated but we suspect not. Still, it's definitely worth a look see.

The Moon in Art & Literature (Wikipedia) is also interesting and touches on topics ranging from theater to music to animation and a few things in between.

So get on out there and look at the moon tonight if you can and ENJOY!

Take An Armchair Cybervisit to ...

The National Library of Australia where you can click on "Explore Our Digital Collections" from which you can explore the Australian story through photos, audio recordings, maps, printed manuscripts, printed music & more.

Be sure to click on "Online Exhibitions" under "Other Online Resources" (its on the middle right) to find out what a Bunyip is and how it fits into Australian culture.



There are many other fascinating things to look at and learn about here so take your time on this site.

Miss Bun (no relation whatsoever to the aforementioned creature!) has noted that visiting National Libraries is one way to explore another country without undue trials or tribulations (or expense)!

Enjoy!

Stories from the Nature Conservancy!

The Nature Conservancy , Dear Friends, is the leading conservation organization working around the world (in 50 states & more than 30 countries for 58 years) to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.


Check out their About Page to find out how and why they are so successful. It's really very impressive!

One of the most engaging features of this site is the Nature Stories Podcasts where you can listen to interesting and unexpected weekly stories of people's connection to the natural world.

For example, try the Snake Charmer podcast to find out why some people love snakes!

Podcasts can be listened to online or downloaded to your iTunes® or your MP3 player to take with you.

(All of the stories are taken from the Public Radio Exchange and many are from Stories from the Heart of the Land, a public radio series sponsored by the Conservancy and Visa, and produced by Atlantic Public Media.)

Miss Bun just loves a good story! Don't you?

Rats in Life & Literature . . .

Hello Peeps! Did you know that Miss Bun has a distinct fondness for pet rats? (I'm guessing most folks would find that strange if not downright disturbing.)

If you are one of them you need to take a look at Herorat.org and find out why you just might want to adjust that attitude.

Who knew that rats can be trained to detect landmines as well as sniff out tuberculosis?

At HeroRat you can learn about this program, adopt a rat, buy cool ratty stuff & marvel at these amazing creatures!

Just in case you think this is some kind of urban legend check this out:

Mankind's new best friend? , Boston Globe, Colin Nickerson November 23, 2008

Did you know that Beatrix Potter had a pet rat named Sammy? She dedicated a book to him. You can read it online here: The Tale of Samuel Whiskers from Project Gutenberg

Here are a few ratty facts (& photos) you might want to take a look at: Interesting Facts About Rats

Plus there is also a List of Fictional Mice and Rats on Wikipedia to peruse.

Enjoy!

Travel to Africa with the Expedition Game.....TGIFF!

Ok, Peeps, here is your chance to head an expedition of your very own to deepest, darkest Africa!

Expedition Africa is a game based on The History Channel's show of the same name.

The goal is to get to the end of your 970 mile journey alive and there are some tough choices to make along the way. Not all expeditions are successful.

(Actually Miss Bun has gone exploring four times now and has failed miserably. But in true reference librarian fashion she vows never to give up!)

The role of six dice determines how your expedition proceeds and what obstacles are put in your path.

You get three rolls per turn. You may keep the good dice and re-roll the bad ones.

Each turn is about one week. Be sure to read your journal along the way.

So....are you feeling lucky? Enjoy!

Learn About Low Impact Development and Eco-living

When I visited this site: A Low Impact Woodland Home by Simon Dale in Great Britain two things that made an immediate impression were 1) how passionate about this subject Mr. Dale must be and 2) if it weren't for the Internet I would probably never have had the privilege of learning about it.

This is a straightforward, interesting site on the topic of green living, sustainability, and low impact development. Take a tour around the site and be sure to visit the Lammas website that is listed under "Resources" to learn about the society and Eco-living.

Under the "Home" tab you will find house plans, the family's perspective, and similar buildings.

On this site you will also find videos, a forum, how to get involved and some good resources.

This is an excellent example of using the power of the Web to connect people and ideas.

A Place For Hopefully Happy Endings Plus A Book Chat . . .

The Elephant Sanctuary "founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. It operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee — 85 miles southwest of Nashville.

The Elephant Sanctuary exists for two reasons:

• To provide a haven for old, sick or needy elephants in a setting of green pastures,
  dense forests, spring-fed ponds and heated barns for cold winter nights.
• To provide education about the crisis facing these social, sensitive, passionately intense,
  playful, complex, exceedingly intelligent and endangered creatures."

If you have a fondness for animals, and especially elephants, this is a site to check out. You can learn much about these amazing creatures, read the sanctuary's annual reports, watch videos of the elephants, sign up for their e-newsletter, visit the gift shop, sponsor an elephant, watch the ele-cam, learn how you can volunteer at the sanctuary (it's the only way you can actually visit), and more.

One of my favorite stories is about Dulary (that's her on the left) who lived at the Philadelphia Zoo for 43 years. You can watch the videos of her farewell in Philly and her arrival (click on "Dulary's arrival" in the drop down box) at the Sanctuary. It is really touching to watch her first tentative steps & the start of a new friendship in her new home.

You can also find out about the extra special bond between Tarra (an Asian elephant) & Bella (a chow-mix dog) ( click here).

And of course you can follow news about all the girls (they all have their very own pages) and their activities. How cool is that?




AND since the Elephant Sanctuary reminds me of a wonderful book, here is an
Impromptu Book Chat:


Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

"As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival."

Book Bytes: LOVED this!!! Highly recommended!

You Don't Want to Miss The Naked Scientists Web Site!

(or DO you???) Don't let the titillating title fool you...there is real science here....naked or not!

The Naked Scientists: Science Radio and Naked Science Podcasts
proclaim (from their About page) that they "are a media-savvy group of physicians and researchers from Cambridge University who use radio, live lectures, and the Internet to strip science down to its bare essentials, and promote it to the general public. Their award winning BBC weekly radio programme, The Naked Scientists, reaches a potential audience of 6 million listeners across the east of England, and also has an international following on the web."

(Miss Bun has always wanted to be part of an International Following. This is her chance!)

The site is divided into broad topics: Articles, Podcasts, Kitchen Science, News & Views, Books, & Science Forum which are then broken down into branches of science such as biology, chemistry, nature, maths, medicine, physics, etc. And of course there is an About Us page, a Contact Us link as well as the ability to Search the site.

Here is the line-up for their June 28th 2009 Driving Into the Future show:

"This week, we look into new ways of putting a tiger in your tank! We find out how pond life could help make eco-friendly biodiesel and how new types of batteries can power electric cars for further than ever before without running out of juice. Plus, how Margaret Thatcher’s face can tell us how monkeys recognize each other, what sharks have in common with serial killers and why dolphins are a bit like jet fighters. And in Kitchen Science, we see how batteries work in Arctic conditions."

And (currently) there are some 285 shows to listen to, 158 articles to peruse, & 152 kitchen experiments to try! So go put your lab coat on, get some sterile gloves (don't forget the safety glasses!) and get some serious science on!

Check out this YouTube video (actually a pilot vodcast) that will give you an idea of what the podcasts are like.

An Interactive, Online Museum of Science, Humanities, & Culture...

WebExhibits is just that and more. Their hope is that the exhibits’ information, virtual experiments, and hands-on activities prompt us to think, to formulate questions, and to explore topics from a variety of angles.

Current topics include: Calendars Through the Ages; Daylight Savings Time (which made an appearance previously on this blog ); Color Vision & Art; Poetry Through the Ages; Van Gogh's Letters; Butter; Causes of Color; Bellini's Feast of the Gods; and Pigments through the Ages.

Previous topics can be found on the "Older Exhibits" page.

Be sure to check out the "About" page where you can learn how to create your own exhibit, take advantage of teacher resources, sign up for the newsletter, give feedback and more!

What a cool concept! Go forth and partake!