Colorado Wildflower Tour This interactive video will sweep you off your feet as you explore the breathtaking scenery of Colorado. An energetic soundtrack accompanies light exercise prompts, wildflower facts, and multiple choice review questions. Activity Alert: As with all exercise activities, ensure that healthcare professionals have cleared the members of your group to participate. Preparation & How-To s Cue the Colorado Wildflower Tour video presentation on your computer. (If using an ipad or other device, make sure it has speakers.) Click on the Colorado Wildflower Tour and begin playing the video. You can pause the video at any point to give participants time to discuss. Read the information on the screen aloud in case participants are unable to view the text. Review the transcription of the video text in advance if desired. Colorado Wildflower Tour Transcription Welcome! This video contains optional light exercise prompts. As with all exercise activities, ensure that healthcare professionals have cleared the members of your group to participate. Colorado Wildflower Tour Brought to you by Activity Connection A glance at what lies ahead: breathtaking scenery wildflower basics flower identification activities mindful pauses a few light exercise prompts multiple-choice review questions Ready, set, let s go! This uneven terrain will require special footwear. First pretend to put thick, wool socks on your feet. Next, tie your hiking boots tight so your ankles are well supported.
Elevation: Begins at 10,730 feet at trailhead climbs to 11,665 feet Though we will pass many lakes and ponds along the way, our backpack contains plenty of water. We also have a wildflower field guide to learn from along the way! Before we walk through these sunny fields, let s apply sunblock. This activity is like a mini-massage and helps promote blood flow. Enjoy! Spread sunblock thoroughly over your left arm and hand. Now, apply it to your right arm and hand. Use both hands to spread it on your shins, calves, and knees. Spread the sunblock on your neck and the top of your shoulders. We are almost ready to go! We will also need sunblock on our face and forehead. Lift your backpack onto your shoulders and let s get going on the hike. From a sitting or standing position, hike in place for the next 30 seconds (or as long as is comfortable). Imagine the warmth of the sun......and the shade of the trees. Great job, time s up. There are many wildflowers along this scenic hike to Lyle Lake. In the first field we encounter, notice the variety of colors! Let s consult the field guide and learn more. Colors Wildflowers come in nearly every color of the rainbow. Do you know the purpose of a flower s colors? (Pause video if you would like to discuss.) Just as stores use their colorful windows to draw in customers, flowers advertise their pollen and nectar with bright hues. These colors attract the birds, bats, butterflies, and other insects they depend on for pollination.
Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. Bees and butterflies prefer to visit white, yellow, blue, and violet flowers. In the next video, the white, yellow, and pink flowers in the field will be identified individually. Let s find out the common name for each flower. White: American Bistort Pink: Rosy Paintbrush Yellow: Subalpine Arnica As we climb up this steep hill, consider this quote... Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Beyond the top of the hill, we reach a stream. A different type of wildflower grows here. Do you know how location affects which flowers grow there? (Pause video if you would like to discuss.) Location Each wildflower favors a particular habitat. The temperature, amount of sunlight, rainfall, and soil conditions vary greatly throughout the country. Many mountain flowers, like the ones featured in this video, are hardy survivors. They must withstand intense sunlight, cold temperatures, a fierce windchill factor, and little rainfall. Let s visit the White Marsh Marigold growing along the bank of a stream in the next video. Listen to the rushing water and imagine what it would be like to live next to this stream day and night. Marsh Marigold Let s take some time to listen to the water and take some refreshing breaths of crisp mountain air. Your roots grow in cool, soggy soil......and your petals are warmed by the sun. The stream sings to you night and day. There are many other Marsh Marigolds around! Now that we are feeling relaxed, let s continue onward.
Here is a plant that prefers a much different habitat. The Moss Campion Flower prefers to grow on rocky ledges. Let s relax our shoulders before we continue the hike. Slowly raise your shoulders up toward your ears. Hold for 3 seconds. Gently rotate your shoulders and lower them. Repeat 5 times (or as many times as comfortable). Remember breathe (don t hold your breath). Remember to sit or stand up straight. Nicely done Let s continue to the next field and learn about flower shapes. Wow! What a beautiful sight. Notice the variety of flower shapes in this field. We ll consult the field guide shortly. But in the meantime just enjoy the view. Shapes Wildflowers come in a variety of shapes: tubes, bells, spikes, stars, funnels, trumpets, and elephant heads, to name a few. Nature has created each shape to attract desirable pollinators. Butterflies and moths unroll their long drinking tubes to suck up nectar from inside tubular flowers. Flies can t reach inside tubular flower and, instead, prefer flatter flowers with exposed stamens and pistils, such as buttercups. Some wildflowers, such as the Marsh Marigolds we saw earlier by the stream, have one flower atop one stem. Others, such as Elephant Heads, cluster many tiny flowers together on tall spires. Let s take a closer look at Elephant Head flowers in the next video. Purple: Elephant Head Flowers
Notice each tiny flower and its unique shape. Notice the busy insects flying around. They are important pollinators! There is more to see! Let s take a hike through this windy field of yellow Alpine Avens. From a sitting or standing position, hike in place for the next 30 seconds (or as long as is comfortable). Great work! Now for a quick lesson on leaves. Why do they vary? (Pause video to discuss, or continue to field guide info.) Wildflower leaves have evolved shapes and arrangements that give them the best exposure to sunlight and reduce wind damage. When examining a leaf, ask yourself: Is there one leaf on the stem or many? Are the edges of the leaf smooth or jagged? Is the leaf fuzzy, hairy, waxy, or smooth? How are the leaves arranged on the stem? With these questions in mind, let s appreciate the different leaves in the series of upcoming photos. Alpine Sunflower (Also known as Old Man of the Mountain ) Note: Wide leaves, jagged edges Orange Paintbrush Note: Smooth, narrow leaves; several per stem Just like plants, humans need water, too. Take a refreshing drink of water as you enjoy the reflection. One final question for the field guide... What questions should we ask ourselves when identifying flowers?
(Pause video to discuss.) Identification These questions can be used to help identify a flower: How many petals does it have? What color is it? What shape are its leaves? Can you see seeds? Let s practice reviewing these questions for three different wildflower species. (The questions and answers will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.) Globeflower How many petals does it have? Six What color is it? White Can you see seeds? Yes Rosy Paintbrush How many petals does it have? Many in a cluster What color is it? Pink Can you see seeds? No Alpine Mertensia How many petals does it have? A cluster of varying number bell-shaped petals. What color is it? Purple
Can you see seeds? No Thank you for joining us! One final thought... All of the flowers of tomorrow are the seeds of today. We hope you enjoyed this presentation! Multiple-choice review questions will be displayed shortly. Review Questions Which state was this footage filmed in? A) Arizona B) Colorado C) Florida Answer: B) Colorado Which color flower attracts hummingbirds? A) yellow B) blue C) red Answer: C) red Flowers depend on birds and insects for: A) Stimulation B) Pollination C) Photosynthesis Answer: B) Pollination When outdoors, always remember to apply. Answer: Sunblock Finish this quote: Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is. A) Swiftness B) Multi-tasking C) Patience Answer: C) Patience Thank you for joining us and have a wonderful day!