Eco-Explorer Brownies Complete the activities found within this packet while visiting the Huntington Gardens and earn a try-it!

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Donna Phelps
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1 Eco-Explorer Brownies Complete the activities found within this packet while visiting the Huntington Gardens and earn a try-it! Name: Troop: Learn all about ecology and the environment around you while earning this badge! 1) Desert Eco-Bingo DESERT GARDEN For this first activity, we will be exploring the wide variety of exotic plants found in the Desert Garden here at the Huntington in a game of eco-bingo. Eco is short for ecology. Ecology is the study of how plants and animals live together in an environment. In this game, everyone will receive a bingo card filled with the names of inhabitants of the Desert Garden. As a group, you will explore (the lower portion of) the garden. A show of hands will decide the path to take at every intersection (right, left, etc.) Mark your bingo card as you come across plants and animals that you see listed on your card. As you are exploring and looking at the labels, think about how each plant may have gotten its nickname. Once someone gets 4 in a row, call BINGO. Game over! Now it s time to move on to the next activity.

2) Habitat LILY PONDS A habitat is the place where an animal or plant lives. In a habitat, the animal or plant must have enough space to find food, water and shelter.

2 2) Habitat LILY PONDS A habitat is the place where an animal or plant lives. In a habitat, the animal or plant must have enough space to find food, water and shelter. Use the Lily Ponds to complete this next activity Find a location or source of food, water and shelter for 2 organisms, ( Organisms is a fancy, scientific word for living things). Here s a sample: Organism #0: Name: Bullfrog Food: Insects flying nearby Water: Pond Shelter/Space: Lily Pads around pond Record what you find below: Organism #1: Name: Food: Water: Shelter/Space: Organism #2: Name: Food: Water: Shelter/Space:

3 3) Habitat Architect Pick an animal, any animal! All animals have to have a habitat to call home! It s sort of like their address! For this activity, you will create a habitat for your animal to live in. Make sure to include food, water and shelter for your animal! Name of your animal: You can use this space to draw your animal s habitat! Feel free to turn the page sideways if you want!

4) Food Chain The concept of a food chain is to show how animals and plants are connected to one another. Animals depend on others as a source of food, which is where they get their energy.

4 4) Food Chain The concept of a food chain is to show how animals and plants are connected to one another. Animals depend on others as a source of food, which is where they get their energy. Plants make food for all living things and use the sun s energy to grow. When animals eat plants, they get energy. You also get energy from eating food. A food chain shows how energy is passed from one living thing to another. Here s a short example: ACORN SQUIRELL HAWK Now it s your turn to come up with an example of a food chain with 4 links. In the boxes below, draw the animals and/or plants that make up your food chain. Also, in the spaces below the boxes, write the names of the organisms seen in your food chain.

5 5) Speak Up for Animals! Unfortunately, many animals are struggling to survive in changing environments and many are becoming endangered, which means that if nothing is done to help them, they will go extinct. Extinction is when a species is gone completely. Fortunately, you can help! Below is a list of Conservation Groups who are working to help with environmental issues. When you get home, you can write them a letter and see what you can do to help the environment! You could also check the Internet or call! NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY 225 Varick Street New York, NY TREEPEOPLE Mulholland Drive Beverly Hills, CA AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION th Street, NW Suite 120 WASHINGTON, D.C DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE th Street NW Suite 1400 Washington, DC NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION Wildlife Center Dr Reston, VA THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY California Regional Office 655 Montgomery St Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York CENTER FOR MARINE CONSERVATION Ocean Conservancy th Street, NW 8th Floor Washington, DC THE COUSTEAU SOCIETY, INC. 732 Eden Way North, Suite E, #707 Chesapeake, CA RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK 221 Pine Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA SIERRA CLUB Los Angeles and Orange Co. Chapter 3435 Wilshire Blvd #320 Los Angeles, CA FRIENDS OF THE EARTH 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 600 Washington, DC OFFICE OF ENDANGERED SPECIES US Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Eastside Federal Complex 911 N.E. 11 th Ave. Portland, OR THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600 Arlington, VA You could also check out the book 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth from the Earthworks Group to learn about other ways that you can make a difference! Every individual matters Every individual has a role to play Every individual makes a difference -Jane Goodall CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT!

6 Guide to Desert Eco-Bingo This activity functions much the same way as a regular game of Bingo. Each participant will be given a bingo card in which the boxes will be labeled with the nicknames of desert plants as well as some of the animals seen around the garden. Below is a key with all of the names or clues you can use on your cards: Cactus taller than you Cactus with more than 10 arms A Squirrel A Hummingbird A Lizard Cactus with a Purple Flower Cactus with a Yellow Flower Cactus with an Orange Flower Cactus growing onto something Golden Barrel Heart of Flame Butter Tree Madame Butterfly Bishop s Cap Beautiful Dreamer Anastasia Creeping Devil Fairy Duster Santa Purple Prickly Pear Pipe Organ Coast Barrel Dragon s Blood Peach Monarch Dragon Lady Riptide Oracle Paradox Gypsy Sleeping Beauty Pooka Volcanic Sunset Pink Glory First Light Flying Saucer Apricot Glow [The plants in bold are found within the same areas in the garden. Those in italics are also grouped together. These can be seen in the map on the next page, each as 3 dots in a diagonal row] Once each Brownie has a bingo card, the group should proceed down the main pathway to the lower portion of the garden. The whole group should stay together The participants should be paying attention to the names of the desert plants they pass for they will be marking their cards as they come across those which are listed there. The path taken by the group, beyond the main pathway, should be decided by a quick show of hands. ( Who wants to go right? Left? Straight? ) Whichever direction received the most hands will be the path taken by the whole group.

7 It is up to you, the leader of the Brownies troop whether or not you want to point out the plants listed on the cards as the group passes them on the chosen path. If you want to allow the girls to discover the plants on their own (and potentially miss one of those on their cards) it is totally up to you. As they discover the plants on their cards, try to encourage the occasional quick brainstorm as to why each plant may have received the nickname that is seen on the cards. (e.g.: the creeping devil is low to the ground and looks as though it is creeping towards you). Once someone has four in a row and shouts Bingo! move on to the next activity. Below is a (rough and not entirely to scale) map that shows where in the garden you can find plants listed earlier. (Use the map in the general Huntington Library Information Guide handout to make better sense of the map below!) :

8 Desert Bingo Each Brownie should have a card like this one. Using the key terms, fill in each blank with one term. Cross it off as you find the item in The Huntington s Desert Garden. The first person with 4 in a row and yells BINGO wins the game.

EarthShare California

EarthShare California Contact person: Tania Katbi, Director of Development Phone Number: (714) 386-0806 Email: tania@earthshareca.org Website: www.earthshareca.org How can you choose between drinking clean