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Nature Study: Bioluminescence

Have your kids ever seen pictures of glowing jellyfish , fireflies lighting up a summer night, or deep-sea creatures that shimmer in the dark? That magical glow is something called bioluminescence —and it’s one of nature’s most fascinating light shows! Angler Fish craft My class recently participated in a STEM workshop where they learned about bioluminescence in the deep sea. They learned about deep sea creatures like the Angler fish and how bioluminescence was part of their adaptation to the dark depths. They also had a blast making their own Angler fish complete with antennaes. Coincidentally, on this day we got to the chapters in ' The Wild Robot Escapes ' where Roz the robot was exploring the deep ocean and learning about bioluminescence, echolocation and the predatory nature of seabirds like the Skuas . (That's for another blog post!) For children, learning about bioluminescence offers an incredible way to bring science, nature, and imagination together. It’s a to...
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Nature Study: Attract Butterflies To Your Garden!

Spring is in the air so what better time so talk about - butterflies!? 

Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory


We took a trip to a Butterfly Conservatory where we learned about the different stages of a butterfly’s life.

We saw all the stages: the eggs, the caterpillars and the  butterflies slowly emerging from their chrysalis and figuring out their wings. 

We also learned that butterflies not only like nectar from flowers but they also really like fruit. More on this later...first let’s answer a question that may be on your mind. 

Apart from being pretty to look at and peaceful creatures...

Why Are Butterflies Important?

Butterflies are natural pollinators and help with the reproduction of crops and plants. A decline in the butterfly (or bee population) can result in a decline or loss of some native plant species or poor performance of crops that rely solely on butterflies for pollination.

How To Attract Butterflies To Your Garden 

Pick a sunny spot. Apparently, butterflies are cold blooded creatures so they enjoy soaking up the warmth of the sun.


Plant flowers that attract butterflies. Plant several varieties to attract different types of butterflies or plant milk weed to attract the endangered species like the Monarch Butterfly. 

Place shallow plates of water and sand or water, sand and soil around so they have a water source. 


Peg a sweet treat to share with them. On our trip we discovered that butterflies really like oranges. Place some wedges on a plate or butterfly feeder for them to enjoy. 

DIY butterfly feeder waiting for
the butterflies

Provide a perch for them (backyard pavers work too). Aside from large leaves and flowers, butterflies like to perch on large smooth stones. Who knows...they may even feel comfortable enough in your own backyard to perch on you!

What are some other fun or interesting facts you’ve observed about butterflies? Share them in the comments below.

Tip: Download the SEEK APP from iNaturalist & National Geographic to identify the different types of butterflies in your garden or park. 

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