Hey, DigiLearners: A simple task to get you thinking (Scavenger Hunt)

I was thinking about the year (2015) that I was able to be an "Adventurer," and we kayaked  the Portnuef near Lava Hot Springs. I couldn't believe how many carp there were, and how they jumped over our bow continuously. As the carp are an invasive species (orignially introduced with the intention of being a food source), they disrupt the ecosystem of the river. Is there any way to eradicate them completely from the Portneuf?

I have a friend who competes in bowfishing tournaments for carp. Recreation and eradication all rolled into one fun package--for her, anyway. I don't think it's safe for me to launch sharp projectiles in the vicinity of other people!

One of my favorite things about my wife is her love for the outdoors. She feels more at home in the woods than she does any other place. She is appaled by trash. It has a viseral affect to her whenever she sees it. We were fishing in Island Park yesterday on the bank of the Henry's Fork above McCrea's bridge. I noticed some trash as we were walking into the spot. I needed to go back to the truck to grab some more gear so I thought I would snag the trash on my way back up the hill. Too late, the trash was gone. When I asked my if she grab the old beer can, she said "yes, and the skittles bag and shotgun shell too." I guess I missed some, she has an eagle eye for trash and I love her for it.  

I can totally relate to the trash issue!  We live right by a mountain we like to hike and run the trails.  However, the dump is only about a mile away!  When the dump is closed and people don't realize this there are some who take it upon themselves to drive up the road at the base of the mountain and dump their trash instead of come back when the dump is open.  Last spring the people who run the trails and a few community members had a clean up day.  Several pickup loads of trash were picked up! But what is so MADDENING is that with in a week or two someone had dump an old coach off just to side of the road that goes behind the mountain only to be joined by another couch a couple weeks later.  What is wrong with people, have some pride in your community.

This is a GREAT activity for any content area!  It reminds me of the phrase: don't forget to stop and smell the roses.  Thanks for sharing and for including the digi-learners.

The space I chose was the Marinac River Access in Mackay, Idaho.  This is a lovely spot and allows me to pretend I still live in a place with lots of trees and water, like I used to in Florida and Virginia.  One of the reasons I like this area, is that Mike Marinac bequeathed this river access area in his will partly because he loved the river and partly because he was fed up with his snooty neighbors that felt they had the right to eliminate public access to the river by rights of being wealthy.  So to thumb his nose at those folks, he left the access.

I do love the sound of water moving through a river (see YouTube video).  However, what I really love is the uses of local plants, both medicinally and as food.  The one I found at the River Access was Common Mullein. I took this photo today. Common Mullein can grow in very disturbed habitats, and, as you can see in the picture, it grows even in gravel. Mullein is known as "cowboy toilet paper" or "poor man's toilet paper."

However, there are other, more exalted uses for common mullein than just wiping your nether regions.

• For example, you can use it as a tea or smolder it to help with respiratory complaints.  
• It can be used as a cushion or as a blanket.  
• You can also have the flowers infused in oil to create an herbal remedy for tonsilitis and lymphatic swelling.
• Source

One of the things that I assign my students in biology each year, when we cover plants, is to find something in their neighborhood or on their property that can be used medicinally, as a wildcrafted material, or as food that would typically be overlooked.  It has been a fairly successful assignment in the past and I adapted it from this source: https://www.gardendesign.com/plants/hunger-games.html 

Michelle

Good morning,

My young son and I decided to go to the North Bingham County Park,  He was in charge of writing down each of the something criteria. We had a great time.  

Something pretty:  The extensive plant/bird habitat that had been planted throughout the park

Something ugly:  A chain link area full of old construction equipment. This area was very close to the entrance of the park.

Something beneficial:  A community garden to test new plants.  A barn to start seedlings.  

Something detrimental:  An old demolition derby track.  A fantastic place to cultivate weeds.

Something to be preserved:  The entire park needs to keep going.  My son was fascinated by the replicas of buildings etc.

Something to be changed:  Change the demolition derby track into something more useful.

I know I discussed all of the criteria but I wanted to make folks aware of the many great things in this park.  By spending a couple hours walking through the park I realized this is something I could do with my middle school students.  There is a lot of maintenance that needs to take place and it would be a perfect opportunity to teach them about taking care of the environment.