We raised lots of awareness of whales and dolphins around our coast.
Thursday 12 August 2010
More National Whale and Dolphin Watch
I have had a great time at National Whale and Dolphin Watch in Cardigan Bay.
We raised lots of awareness of whales and dolphins around our coast.
We had fun too.
We even saw dolphins.
We raised lots of awareness of whales and dolphins around our coast.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Helping count whales and dolphins with the Sea Watch Foundation
Hello
I have been such a busy bee this summer. Even though I am a little envious of my Brother Ed’s foreign adventures, I've had the lovely opportunity to spend most of the summer in New Quay, West Wales working as a volunteer for the Sea Watch Foundation.
The Sea Watch Foundation is a national marine conservation research charity that protects the whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) around the UK. You might be surprised to know that 26 different types have been recorded around the UK, 13 species are seen regularly. Much of the research that Sea Watch does is carried out on the resident bottlenose dolphin population here in Cardigan Bay. Over the last ten years they have recorded over 230 individual dolphins. This information has helped to set up the two Special Areas of Conservation in Cardigan Bay. These are protected areas for the bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.
I arrived in New Quay at the beginning of August to help out with the National Whale and Dolphin Watch week. The watch is an opportunity for members of the public to take part, in looking out for dolphin, whales and porpoises around the coast of the United Kingdom. A great idea - giving people the chance to get involved in the research which goes into understanding these magnificent creatures. The results collected during the watch provide a snapshot of where different species are around the British Isles. This information helps to inform scientific discussion on any change in the range and distribution of species.
I have been such a busy bee this summer. Even though I am a little envious of my Brother Ed’s foreign adventures, I've had the lovely opportunity to spend most of the summer in New Quay, West Wales working as a volunteer for the Sea Watch Foundation.
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| Bottlenose dolphins |
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| Harbour porpoise |
I arrived in New Quay at the beginning of August to help out with the National Whale and Dolphin Watch week. The watch is an opportunity for members of the public to take part, in looking out for dolphin, whales and porpoises around the coast of the United Kingdom. A great idea - giving people the chance to get involved in the research which goes into understanding these magnificent creatures. The results collected during the watch provide a snapshot of where different species are around the British Isles. This information helps to inform scientific discussion on any change in the range and distribution of species.
The National Whale and Dolphin Watch week ran from the 7th - 15th August this year. It was quite windy and rough for a lot of the week here in New Quay, but that didn’t stop me and the team of hard working Sea Watch volunteers from having an amazing time. During the week there were manned land watches taking place across the UK. I know my brother Ed will be helping out at one of the watches on his beach down in Shoreham in Sussex.
You can find out more about Ed the Bear's NWDW by clicking te link below
We also had a dedicated team on the pier here, which juts out into New Quay Harbour.
New Quay harbour is a great easily accessible location to see the bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat. Because it's shallow and sheltered the dolphins love to come in and feed on the pollack, bream, turbot and flounder along with other species of fish.
Thursday 13 May 2010
Maritime history and BioBlitz
Hi all
After Family Fun Fest was over, I spent some time exploring the park even more. One of my favorite days was going out to learn about some of the park's history on a boat tour with Ranger Gary. Since most of the park is covered by water, lots of the history has to do with islands, shipwrecks and lighthouses. I learned that people have been spending time in Biscayne National Park for 10,000 years, from native peoples, to pirates, shipwrecks, smugglers, millionaires, pineapple framers and presidents.
On the boat, I met Charles and Connie Morelly. They have lived in Parkland, Florida for 53 years! Even though Parkland is only about 1 1/2 hours away from Biscayne, this was their first time at the park, too.
We became fast friends, and they held me up so I could see over the tall railing on the boat.
Our destination was Boca Chita Key. Eighty years ago, Boca Chita was a hangout for the rich and famous. It was owned by a man named Mark Honeywell, who manufactured heating controls for the home. The Honeywell Corporation still exists today, making thermoststs, security systems, smoke alrms, etc. Mr Honeywell built the little lighthouse as a way to get his own captains into the island, but it never had a light in it! Charles and Connie didn't want to go up to the top of the lighthouse, but I made another friend named Tatum who did. What a great view!
The National Park service (the peple in charge here) really have their hands full with boats hitting the bottom and destroying seagrass habitats, taking too many fish, or fish that are too small, illegal immigrants (glad I had my passport!), and a whole bunch of other issues.
When we came down from the lighthouse, Ranger Gary and Tatum took me to see something very interesting to an English girl like me. It was a cannon from a British warship called the HMS Fowey! The ship sank in the park in 1748, while escorting a Spanish ship to the colonial capital in Virginia. The ship hit the reef and got stuck, so the crew threw heavy objects overboard.
Do you know what the heaviest things on a warship are? Yes! Cannons! They were able to free the ship, but a short while later it got stuck again. The crew climbed aboard the Spanish ship and headed to Virginia, leaving the HMS Fowey resting in what is today the park. The area is closed to the public to help protect it, but did you know that that shipwreck is still part of Great Britain? Anyway, Ranger Gary and Tatum left me for a while, and I wanted to look into the end of the cannon. Unfortunatel;y I had a bit of a Winie the Pooh moment. Yes you guessed it, I got stuck. Gary and Tatum were not there to lift me up, so I jumped, and got my big bear head stuck in the end of the cannon!
On the way back in, Ranger Gary told us about BioBlitz, a 24-hour count of everything that runs, walks, crawls, flys, swims or grows in Biscayne National Park! I thought that sounded great, so I decided to stick around for another month to take part. Boy am I glad I did! Over 1200 schoolkids and their teachers and families came out on April 30 to work with nearly 200 scientists looking for species.
They were in the woods, on land, wading in seagrass areas, snorkeling, using robots to search for new life...so much going on. I asked if there were any other bears in the park, and I was surprised when Gary told me that one scientist had found a water bear!
Water bears aren't furry like me, but look rather like an 8-legged bear who ate way too much! They live in water, but since they are so tiny (smaller than a pinhead), they don't need much. Dr. Randy Miller found waterbears on the concrete from the boardwalks at the park's visitor center, and found a different type in the moist bark of a tree! They are so tiny and cute!
http://education.eol.org/bioblitz/biscayne/who-will-be-there/Miller
I got to participate in another fun event at BioBlitz called Biodiversity University. It was an opportunity for me to learn firsthand about how biologists do work in the field by observing, identifying and mapping what they see. A sweet volunteer named Carolyn gave me a transcript, and as I learned about each of these topics, I got a stamp on my transcript.
Then I got to go to lots of the booths from lots of partners of BioBlitz, and each of them had a small lesson for me. I learned about butterflies from the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (www.MiamiBlue.org), got to look at some of Dr. Miller's waterbears, and identified fish with the great kids from Teens for Oceans (www.teens4oceans.org). It is so inspiring to see young people making a difference for our oceans! As I completed the small activities, I got a stamp for each of my elective courses, and I earned enough credits to receive a PhD!
http://www.nps.gov/bisc/naturescience/bioblitzanimals.htm and plants
( http://www.nps.gov/bisc/naturescience/bioblitzplants.htm ) found during the BioBlitz, and there are some other great blogs out there about it too!
I'm so glad I stayed for Biscayne's BioBlitz. Sadly, while I was here, a terrible oil spill happened far on the other side of Florida out in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm heading to Texas, which is a lot closer to the spill, so I'll let you know more when I get there.
So long Biscayne National Park...I learned a lot while visiting, and hope I can come visit again soon! Thank you Gary for looking after me so well and showing me all this great stuff.
Bye for now, Bella
After Family Fun Fest was over, I spent some time exploring the park even more. One of my favorite days was going out to learn about some of the park's history on a boat tour with Ranger Gary. Since most of the park is covered by water, lots of the history has to do with islands, shipwrecks and lighthouses. I learned that people have been spending time in Biscayne National Park for 10,000 years, from native peoples, to pirates, shipwrecks, smugglers, millionaires, pineapple framers and presidents.
On the boat, I met Charles and Connie Morelly. They have lived in Parkland, Florida for 53 years! Even though Parkland is only about 1 1/2 hours away from Biscayne, this was their first time at the park, too.
Our destination was Boca Chita Key. Eighty years ago, Boca Chita was a hangout for the rich and famous. It was owned by a man named Mark Honeywell, who manufactured heating controls for the home. The Honeywell Corporation still exists today, making thermoststs, security systems, smoke alrms, etc. Mr Honeywell built the little lighthouse as a way to get his own captains into the island, but it never had a light in it! Charles and Connie didn't want to go up to the top of the lighthouse, but I made another friend named Tatum who did. What a great view!
We could see all the surrounding islands of the Northern Florida Keys, and we could see how close they were to Miami...the 12th largest city in Amerca. Most of Biscayne National Park's visitors come by boat, so keeping track of them, where they are going and any bad things that they may do can be a problem.
The National Park service (the peple in charge here) really have their hands full with boats hitting the bottom and destroying seagrass habitats, taking too many fish, or fish that are too small, illegal immigrants (glad I had my passport!), and a whole bunch of other issues.
When we came down from the lighthouse, Ranger Gary and Tatum took me to see something very interesting to an English girl like me. It was a cannon from a British warship called the HMS Fowey! The ship sank in the park in 1748, while escorting a Spanish ship to the colonial capital in Virginia. The ship hit the reef and got stuck, so the crew threw heavy objects overboard.
Do you know what the heaviest things on a warship are? Yes! Cannons! They were able to free the ship, but a short while later it got stuck again. The crew climbed aboard the Spanish ship and headed to Virginia, leaving the HMS Fowey resting in what is today the park. The area is closed to the public to help protect it, but did you know that that shipwreck is still part of Great Britain? Anyway, Ranger Gary and Tatum left me for a while, and I wanted to look into the end of the cannon. Unfortunatel;y I had a bit of a Winie the Pooh moment. Yes you guessed it, I got stuck. Gary and Tatum were not there to lift me up, so I jumped, and got my big bear head stuck in the end of the cannon!
Thank goodness they heard me calling and came to my rescue!
On the way back in, Ranger Gary told us about BioBlitz, a 24-hour count of everything that runs, walks, crawls, flys, swims or grows in Biscayne National Park! I thought that sounded great, so I decided to stick around for another month to take part. Boy am I glad I did! Over 1200 schoolkids and their teachers and families came out on April 30 to work with nearly 200 scientists looking for species.
Water bears aren't furry like me, but look rather like an 8-legged bear who ate way too much! They live in water, but since they are so tiny (smaller than a pinhead), they don't need much. Dr. Randy Miller found waterbears on the concrete from the boardwalks at the park's visitor center, and found a different type in the moist bark of a tree! They are so tiny and cute!
http://education.eol.org/bioblitz/biscayne/who-will-be-there/Miller
I got to participate in another fun event at BioBlitz called Biodiversity University. It was an opportunity for me to learn firsthand about how biologists do work in the field by observing, identifying and mapping what they see. A sweet volunteer named Carolyn gave me a transcript, and as I learned about each of these topics, I got a stamp on my transcript.
Then I got to go to lots of the booths from lots of partners of BioBlitz, and each of them had a small lesson for me. I learned about butterflies from the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (www.MiamiBlue.org), got to look at some of Dr. Miller's waterbears, and identified fish with the great kids from Teens for Oceans (www.teens4oceans.org). It is so inspiring to see young people making a difference for our oceans! As I completed the small activities, I got a stamp for each of my elective courses, and I earned enough credits to receive a PhD!
All told, over 810 species were identified in 24-hours. Really, there were a lot more, but they just couldn't type fast enough putting the data in! It will be many months before the park knows everything that was found, but you can see lists of animals.
http://www.nps.gov/bisc/naturescience/bioblitzanimals.htm and plants
( http://www.nps.gov/bisc/naturescience/bioblitzplants.htm ) found during the BioBlitz, and there are some other great blogs out there about it too!
I'm so glad I stayed for Biscayne's BioBlitz. Sadly, while I was here, a terrible oil spill happened far on the other side of Florida out in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm heading to Texas, which is a lot closer to the spill, so I'll let you know more when I get there.
So long Biscayne National Park...I learned a lot while visiting, and hope I can come visit again soon! Thank you Gary for looking after me so well and showing me all this great stuff.
Bye for now, Bella
Sunday 14 March 2010
Family Fun Fest
Hi all
I had a great time hosting the “Bella’s “Bear” Necessities” station at Biscayne National Park’s family Fun Fest on Sunday! It was a beautiful day, and I got to help teach hundreds of people about the Seven Basic Principles of Ocean Literacy.
Ranger Gary, who coordinates the event (this is the tenth year!) had my station set up so that kids took a tour through the seven principles at 7 mini-stations, one for each principle. The mini-stations each contained a short simple activity or demonstration of that principle
Do you know what the seven principles are? Take a look below to find out and also how I helped to teach people about them.
Mini station 1
The Earth has one big ocean with many features. Using a globe, participants ran their finger around the planet without touching land and without taking their finger off the globe. They found out that all the oceans are connected!
Mini station 2
The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth. Using sugar cubes and water-filled syringes, kids demonstrated how rock the sugar cubes) can get eroded by water. Shorelines all over the world have been sculpted in this way.
Mini station 3
The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. Using a jar with a glass top, we demonstrated the water cycle of evaporation, condensation and rain. Most of the rain that falls to earth originates in the oceans…even in places far from the sea.
Mini station 4
The ocean makes Earth habitable. Using microscopes, participants looked at phytoplankton to see the sources of most of the Earth’s oxygen. Did you know that about half of the oxygen we breathe comes from
plants that live in the ocean? That’s every other breath we take that we owe to the ocean!
Mini station 5
The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. Most of the actual living space on Earth is in the oceans. While land offers a mostly flat surface where things can live, the average ocean depth offers 22 times the amount of living space. We used blocks to represent the amount of living space in each habitat.
Mini station 6
The ocean and humans are inextricably connected. We used a large gift wrapped box containing examples of how the ocean provides us with food, medicine, energy, jobs, transportation, security, recreation and inspiration. What a gift the ocean gives us!
Mini station 7
The ocean is largely unexplored. We had three cans with a picture in each that could be viewed through a soda straw. Since very little of the image could be seen through the straw, most people could not tell
what the image was. Similarly, by only seeing a small part of the ocean, we really don’t know much about it. The pictures were of things only discovered recently in the ocean, like black smokers (deep sea features) and the barreleye fish.
You can learn more about the Seven Principles of Ocean Literacy at http://oceanliteracy.wp.coexploration.org/ (but its not as much fun as discovering it yourself !) Good thing there are events like Family Fun Fest to make learning fun!
Well I had so much fun and so did the people visiting the mini stations. If anyone reading this message came to the FAmily Fun Fest, leave a message bellow and tell me what you thought about the event and what you found out. That would be awesome!
Bye for now, Bella Bear
I had a great time hosting the “Bella’s “Bear” Necessities” station at Biscayne National Park’s family Fun Fest on Sunday! It was a beautiful day, and I got to help teach hundreds of people about the Seven Basic Principles of Ocean Literacy.
Ranger Gary, who coordinates the event (this is the tenth year!) had my station set up so that kids took a tour through the seven principles at 7 mini-stations, one for each principle. The mini-stations each contained a short simple activity or demonstration of that principle
Do you know what the seven principles are? Take a look below to find out and also how I helped to teach people about them.
Mini station 1
The Earth has one big ocean with many features. Using a globe, participants ran their finger around the planet without touching land and without taking their finger off the globe. They found out that all the oceans are connected!
Mini station 2
The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth. Using sugar cubes and water-filled syringes, kids demonstrated how rock the sugar cubes) can get eroded by water. Shorelines all over the world have been sculpted in this way.
Mini station 3
The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. Using a jar with a glass top, we demonstrated the water cycle of evaporation, condensation and rain. Most of the rain that falls to earth originates in the oceans…even in places far from the sea.
Mini station 4
The ocean makes Earth habitable. Using microscopes, participants looked at phytoplankton to see the sources of most of the Earth’s oxygen. Did you know that about half of the oxygen we breathe comes from
plants that live in the ocean? That’s every other breath we take that we owe to the ocean!
Mini station 5
The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. Most of the actual living space on Earth is in the oceans. While land offers a mostly flat surface where things can live, the average ocean depth offers 22 times the amount of living space. We used blocks to represent the amount of living space in each habitat.
Mini station 6
The ocean and humans are inextricably connected. We used a large gift wrapped box containing examples of how the ocean provides us with food, medicine, energy, jobs, transportation, security, recreation and inspiration. What a gift the ocean gives us!
The ocean is largely unexplored. We had three cans with a picture in each that could be viewed through a soda straw. Since very little of the image could be seen through the straw, most people could not tell
what the image was. Similarly, by only seeing a small part of the ocean, we really don’t know much about it. The pictures were of things only discovered recently in the ocean, like black smokers (deep sea features) and the barreleye fish.
You can learn more about the Seven Principles of Ocean Literacy at http://oceanliteracy.wp.coexploration.org/ (but its not as much fun as discovering it yourself !) Good thing there are events like Family Fun Fest to make learning fun!
Well I had so much fun and so did the people visiting the mini stations. If anyone reading this message came to the FAmily Fun Fest, leave a message bellow and tell me what you thought about the event and what you found out. That would be awesome!
Bye for now, Bella Bear
Friday 12 March 2010
Bella arrives in Biscayne National Park, Florida
Hi all.
I arrived at Biscayne National Park this week. The park is located in South Florida, and I am told it is the largest marine park in the US National Park System. It protects mangrove forests, clear bay waters, the northernmost Florida Keys, a portion of the world's third-largest coral reef, and over 10,000 years of human history. Wow!
I heard it is usual for visitors to the park to have their picture taken at the park entrance sign (to show that they have been there).
When I arrived, I ran straight to the beautiful blue waters of Biscayne Bay, a wide, shallow estuary. (I found out that the average depth was 2-3 meters deep).
It was so beautiful and relaxing sitting on the bench after my journey from the UK. So much to see I started to get fidgety and I kept looking at the mangrove trees along the shoreline. My brother Ed explored some mangrove trees in Hawaii so I just had to get in there to check them out for myself.
But I just wanted to know more, so I headed into the Visitor Center to talk to the rangers. On my way in, I saw the sign for Family Fun Fest coming this Sunday. That is the main reason I have travelled to Biscayne National Park...I will be the guests of honor at one of the activity stations at the event. I can't wait!
I was anxious to learn more about the park in case visitors asked questions, so I hurried inside the visitor center where I met Rangers Maria and Abby. They were sooooo nice! This is me with ranger Maria.
And guess what, I earned a junior ranger badge.
My trip from England was long and tiring, but it was also kind of cramped, so before I left, I made sure to stretch my legs a bit more. Outside, I found a very strange looking tree. It had reddish-orange peeling bark, but there was deep green underneath. It is called a gumbo limbo tree, and is very common in the maritime hardwood forests on the park's islands.
Jumbo limbo trees can photosynthesise with their bark (use sunlight to make food like most plants do with their leaves). So when hurricanes come along and blow all the leaves off the trees, they still have a way to feed themselves. What a great adaptation for a tree that lives in such a stormy area!
Well, I've got to get some rest before Sunday's big event, so that's all for now. Come back for more later! Bella
I arrived at Biscayne National Park this week. The park is located in South Florida, and I am told it is the largest marine park in the US National Park System. It protects mangrove forests, clear bay waters, the northernmost Florida Keys, a portion of the world's third-largest coral reef, and over 10,000 years of human history. Wow!
I heard it is usual for visitors to the park to have their picture taken at the park entrance sign (to show that they have been there).
So, not wanting to be different, here I am.
When I arrived, I ran straight to the beautiful blue waters of Biscayne Bay, a wide, shallow estuary. (I found out that the average depth was 2-3 meters deep).
The mangrove trees (I later found out these were red mangrove trees) can survive with their roots in saltwater. This helps to stabilize the shoreline so it doesn’t get washed away and protects the land behind as well. Not just that, the roots provides great hiding places for fish, crabs, shrimp and loads of other creatures. Sitting among the roots was a really cool experience.
It is a monthly event now in its 10th year, and draws kids and families from throughout South Florida. This month's theme is "Liter-a-Sea: Oceans of Knowledge" and focuses on how the ocean affects just about everything that happens on Planet Earth. This is great because this is Ed's message too. I will be hosting the station called "Bella's Bear Necessities, all about the 7 basic principles of ocean literacy.
I was anxious to learn more about the park in case visitors asked questions, so I hurried inside the visitor center where I met Rangers Maria and Abby. They were sooooo nice! This is me with ranger Maria.
And below you can see me with Ranger Abby.
They explained how the park's four main ecosystems work together to provide habitats for loads of plants and animals. I bet you didn't know that 95% of the park is covered by water? I didn't until the Ranger Abby told me.
The beautiful exhibits did a great job of explaining about each ecosystem, and the rangers were always willing to help me with questions.
This an amazing coral reef display
There was lots of interesting information about the coral reef in the park as well. Very useful if I get asked questions about this. I watched a short film about the park, then explored Touch Table...
What fun to get to see corals, horseshoe crabs, drift seeds, seashells, skulls and bones up close!
My trip from England was long and tiring, but it was also kind of cramped, so before I left, I made sure to stretch my legs a bit more. Outside, I found a very strange looking tree. It had reddish-orange peeling bark, but there was deep green underneath. It is called a gumbo limbo tree, and is very common in the maritime hardwood forests on the park's islands.
Well, I've got to get some rest before Sunday's big event, so that's all for now. Come back for more later! Bella
Sunday 14 February 2010
Bella at the Brighton Science Festival UK
Hi all
Well I've just come back from the Brighton Science Festival with my display about Ed the Bear and I must admit people really loved it. The visitors were very friendly and seemed really interested in Ed's message and were fascinated by what he has been up to. The children ever thought I was cute - which made me blush.
They all wished Ed well on his journey.
You can find out more about the Brighton Science Festival on Ed's weblog http://adventuresofedthebear.blogspot.com/
Saturday 30 January 2010
Ed asks Bella for help
Hi all
My name is Bella Bear, I guess you have all been following the adventures of my brother Ed the Bear. As you know, Ed came back to the UK from his tour in the USA to visit me at Christmas. While he was here, Ed asked me if I could give his a hand with his adventures. Ed has received so many offers of places to visit to find out about the oceans that he could not visit them all. He asked me if I could visit some of the places for him and of course I said yes.
Straight after Christmas, Ed went back to the US where he has been visiting all the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries. Before he left he asked me if I would go with his buddy Steve to the Brighton Science Festival to tell everyone about his travels and how we can all help the oceans. After that, Ed has asked me to go to Biscayne National Park in Florida to take part in an Ocean Literacy Festival. If you haven’t heard of my brother Ed the Bear you can find out about his adventures on his own weblog
http://adventuresofedthebear.blogspot.com/
Just like Ed, I will be reporting back on the places I visit and the animals and people that I meet.
Goodbye for now, Bella Bear
My name is Bella Bear, I guess you have all been following the adventures of my brother Ed the Bear. As you know, Ed came back to the UK from his tour in the USA to visit me at Christmas. While he was here, Ed asked me if I could give his a hand with his adventures. Ed has received so many offers of places to visit to find out about the oceans that he could not visit them all. He asked me if I could visit some of the places for him and of course I said yes.
http://adventuresofedthebear.blogspot.com/
Just like Ed, I will be reporting back on the places I visit and the animals and people that I meet.
Goodbye for now, Bella Bear
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