A Little Bit More
The horsetails, or scouring rushes as they are commonly known, are not only extremely old, in terms of when they originally developed, but also quite abundant in many areas today. The pioneers were very familiar with this plant and used it to scrub our their dirty pots and pans much as we use steel wool or other abrasives today. The different species of horsetails have more or less silica (found in many kinds of sand) in their structure and pioneers found this plant an excellent way to keep their cooking utensils clean. It is believed that the silica incorporated within these plants provides an abrasive quality that reduces their food-potential for hungry animals. Although some species are considered edible for humans, none is particularly good.
Horsetails and their kin first appeared in the fossil record about 360 million years ago and were especially abundant in the Carboniferous (time when most of coal produced) forests of 280 million years ago. Fossil horsetails commonly reached a tree-like size of 9 meters (30ft) but today’s largest species reach barely 1 meter (3ft.) in height.
Although horsetails are not very noticeable in today’s plant community, one shouldn’t underestimate their importance to us – at least not from the past. Much of the coal we burn today was formed from their bodies millions of years ago.
Horsetails are especially common along ditches, highways, and railroad embankments but are easily overlooked and often misidentified. One of the surest signs of spring each year is the emergence of the pale, spore-bearing horsetail stalks that may grow as much as 50mm (2in) a day. Their jointed stems are hollow and fit together like pieces of pipe. At each joint, tooth-like leaves cling to the stem but these are not food-producing leaves; stored-up food from last year’s growth in the underground parts provides the energy to send these spore-bearing stalks above ground. Keep a sharp eye out for these in the spring and you may find that you’ve been seeing them all along but didn’t know what they were.
Activities
Coal
Objectives: Learn about coal
Materials: internet access
Despite the fact that coal has been an integral part of our industrial society, many students have never even seen coal. I think it will be an eye-opener for students to learn that much of the energy used in North America comes from coal. This activity is geared for the older students but even the younger ones can get a feel for coal and its importance.
Have your students access these sites and see what they can find out about coal. You may want them to make a verbal report back to the class, write a “newspaper” article about coal,
Kids’ Coal Corner
2002 Coal Information
What Is Coal?
Coal Types
Coal Mining
Coal Uses
Key Concepts
Identification, Populations and Ecosystems
Questions
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Posted by sharon luker on April 01, 2005 at 12:30 PM
Q: I am a 4th grade teacher and have taught for 23 years. I have recently earned my naturalist certificate from Morton Arboretum, IL. I plan to retire next year, after which I would like to work in a park district or forest preserve educating children about the environment. Because I am 60 years "young" I do not have the luxury of spending 20 years working toward a career. I would simply enjoy working on a parttime basis, perhaps in a nature center or on school field trips. How would you suggest I start looking for such employment? I would appreciate any helpful hints and information you can give me. I found your website just by chance and it is wonderful! I plan to use it in my classroom. Sharon Luker
A: Sharon,
Boy, oh boy would a nature center like to have you on staff! Your experience as an educator is extremely appropriate for a nature center, museum or zoo. Obviously, they'll want to be sure you know the subject you'd be teaching but having someone with your experience is invaluable.
Furthermore, once you decide where you might want to work, be sure to let a potential employer know that you'd like to be helpful coordinating that particular organization's programs with the needs of students and school curricula in your area. Nature centers and zoos often do not have a good sense of what they should be teaching to address the needs of school children and you could provide that information - very big asset. You're especially employable so good luck to you. Feel free to email me directly at jrw@enaturalist.org if you want to discuss this further.
My very best to you,
John Wiessinger
Posted by sharon luker on April 01, 2005 at 12:30 PM
Q: I am a 4th grade teacher and have taught for 23 years. I have recently earned my naturalist certificate from Morton Arboretum, IL. I plan to retire next year, after which I would like to work in a park district or forest preserve educating children about the environment. Because I am 60 years "young" I do not have the luxury of spending 20 years working toward a career. I would simply enjoy working on a parttime basis, perhaps in a nature center or on school field trips. How would you suggest I start looking for such employment? I would appreciate any helpful hints and information you can give me. I found your website just by chance and it is wonderful! I plan to use it in my classroom. Sharon Luker
A: Sharon, I've worked in the nonprofit nature center field for most of my career. Often, the staff I hired were first volunteers.
Starting out as a volunteer with a regional nature center, zoo, natural history museum, or arboretum may be the best way to go. You gain experience and the staff gets to know you.
You also get a feel for the job market in your area as you interact with those closest to "inside information." You can't beat word-of-mouth for the latest scoop on a job!
A park district or other governmental related organizations often have rules about posting position openings. Contact their headquarters and find out about their hiring policies. Good Luck! Jim Berry
Posted by Mary on May 01, 2004 at 03:08 PM
Q: I have just noticed the last 2 years that any flower I plant in my yard ,,beside it, well come up a weed that looks just like the flower. I can tell the difference but it amazes me.
I have wild Violets. I planted them one spring that summer there were little weeds that looked just like the violets growing all around them Some sort of water plant it seems. In the other side of my yard
I had 4 o'clocks planted and there before long were these weeds that had the same shaped leaves and same height I could tell it was weeds even had stickers eventually but, what is going on? How can plants know to grow near look alikes?? is this possable??
A: You're obviously being very observant. From your description, I can't be
sure just what kind of plants are growing right next to your flowers but I
can make an educated guess. It would seem to me that if you're getting
plants growing right next to flowers you've planted, and they look just the
same but aren't flowering, they're probably more of the same. Your
flowering plants may be spreading and the new growth isn't producing any
flowers so they seem to be a different plant altogether. Keep an eye on
these nearby plants and see if they don't continue to resemble the flowering
plants you're talking about. I know of no cases where one kind of plant
"selects a growing location" next to another that it resembles simply
because it is similar in appearance.