Found out about Project Fish through their YouTube page... HERE, and their website... HERE.
Useful information we can put in website and also clips that we can use in PSAs. I have already downloaded a couple of the videos.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Updated Plan!
Okay... so,
The animals we are doing now are:
- Northern Redbelly Dace
- Northern Leopard Frog
- Yellow Mud Turtle
We have started thinking about website layout...
Main splash page (with 1st PSA), which leads to 3 different pages for each animal, which then lead back to the 2nd PSA. With constant navigation along the bottom of each page.
I think we still need to figure out what other pages we need though. And what games we might want to include.
I guess that means we need to research possible games we could figure out how to make. Alex seemed to have an idea which sounded promising.
Thanks to Asterisk, we have our characters designed. We now need to color them and start thinking about how we may want to animate them. Also how we want to incorporate them into the site.
Which leads to the site design. We have the color palette, and Alex is making progress with the logo. We need to figure out a font for paragraph text to use throughout. And what kind of headers, footers or other graphics we may want incorporated.
Other stuff we need to do include the PSA scripts which I am gathering information for. And we need to research more on our three animals, which I think Jeff is going to do.
The animals we are doing now are:
- Northern Redbelly Dace
- Northern Leopard Frog
- Yellow Mud Turtle
We have started thinking about website layout...
Main splash page (with 1st PSA), which leads to 3 different pages for each animal, which then lead back to the 2nd PSA. With constant navigation along the bottom of each page.
I think we still need to figure out what other pages we need though. And what games we might want to include.
I guess that means we need to research possible games we could figure out how to make. Alex seemed to have an idea which sounded promising.
Thanks to Asterisk, we have our characters designed. We now need to color them and start thinking about how we may want to animate them. Also how we want to incorporate them into the site.
Which leads to the site design. We have the color palette, and Alex is making progress with the logo. We need to figure out a font for paragraph text to use throughout. And what kind of headers, footers or other graphics we may want incorporated.
Other stuff we need to do include the PSA scripts which I am gathering information for. And we need to research more on our three animals, which I think Jeff is going to do.
Blog 04/09
Thinking about information for either the website or the PSAs.
What kids can do to help:
VISIT RIVERS
see where the animals live,
what are the environments like?
are they polluted?
what should the environments be like?
engage in fun activities
PROTECT LOCAL WATERWAYS/RENEW WATER QUALITY
what not to pour down sinks or drains,
how to dispose of things properly, why?
what should we dispose in garbage cans? why?
the waste water treatment process
RAISE FISH IN CLASSROOM
understand responcibility they have been given,
what care do fish need?
how to take of them and how long for,
what happens next? - taken to zoo
TAKE FAMILY MEMBER TO ZOO TO SEE FISH
they get to see all the hard work they've done,
see other endangered animals
STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS
blog? chat?
records of different schools,
how many fish each school has raised
Also,
WHY DO THEY NEED SAVING?
how have the numbers dropped?
why are they important?
What kids can do to help:
VISIT RIVERS
see where the animals live,
what are the environments like?
are they polluted?
what should the environments be like?
engage in fun activities
PROTECT LOCAL WATERWAYS/RENEW WATER QUALITY
what not to pour down sinks or drains,
how to dispose of things properly, why?
what should we dispose in garbage cans? why?
the waste water treatment process
RAISE FISH IN CLASSROOM
understand responcibility they have been given,
what care do fish need?
how to take of them and how long for,
what happens next? - taken to zoo
TAKE FAMILY MEMBER TO ZOO TO SEE FISH
they get to see all the hard work they've done,
see other endangered animals
STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS
blog? chat?
records of different schools,
how many fish each school has raised
Also,
WHY DO THEY NEED SAVING?
how have the numbers dropped?
why are they important?
Southern Red Bellied Dace
Southern Red Bellied Dace
Phoxinus erythrogaster
Kingdom: Animalia
Division/Phylum: Chordata - vertebrates
Class: Osteichthyes
Family: Cypriniformes
Order: Cyprinidae
Features
The average southern redbelly dace is 1 1/2 to three inches long. It has a brown-green back, silver-yellow sides, and a yellow, red, or white belly. There are two dark stripes along its sides and a black spot on its tail. The male may have bright red on the belly, lower head, and base of the dorsal fin. Teeth are present in the throat. The scales are very small and the lateral line (sensory organ on the side of the fish) is incomplete.
Natural History
The southern redbelly dace lives in rocky creeks, which have permanent water flow and a gravel bottom with no silt. It is common in rivers in northeast Iowa and scattered populations are found in northwest Iowa. It eats plants, mud, algae, and plankton. It lives in schools, often associated with the stoneroller and creek chub. It usually is found near the bottom of its water body. It reaches maturity at age one year. Spawning occurs May through July. The female deposits several thousand eggs that stick to gravel in the water. The southern redbelly dace has an average life span of two years.
Phoxinus erythrogaster
Kingdom: Animalia
Division/Phylum: Chordata - vertebrates
Class: Osteichthyes
Family: Cypriniformes
Order: Cyprinidae
Features
The average southern redbelly dace is 1 1/2 to three inches long. It has a brown-green back, silver-yellow sides, and a yellow, red, or white belly. There are two dark stripes along its sides and a black spot on its tail. The male may have bright red on the belly, lower head, and base of the dorsal fin. Teeth are present in the throat. The scales are very small and the lateral line (sensory organ on the side of the fish) is incomplete.
Natural History
The southern redbelly dace lives in rocky creeks, which have permanent water flow and a gravel bottom with no silt. It is common in rivers in northeast Iowa and scattered populations are found in northwest Iowa. It eats plants, mud, algae, and plankton. It lives in schools, often associated with the stoneroller and creek chub. It usually is found near the bottom of its water body. It reaches maturity at age one year. Spawning occurs May through July. The female deposits several thousand eggs that stick to gravel in the water. The southern redbelly dace has an average life span of two years.
Northern Leopard Frog
The Northern Leopard Frog
[Rana pipiens: also called the Meadow or Grass Frog]
Until recently, one of the most common sounds in the national parks of western Canada was the low, throaty grunt of the northern leopard frog. In the 1980s, Alberta's leopard frog population plunged so badly that the government of Alberta even put out a "wanted poster," displaying a photo of the frog with the words "Have You Seen This Frog?"
Undoubtedly you've heard, as I have, that worldwide, frogs are in trouble. Still, it surprised me to learn that the Northern Leopard Frog is more than in trouble in Alberta. After all, don't we Albertans live in one of the great undeveloped regions of the world?
This local bad news led me to want to know more about the status of the Northern Leopard Frog in Alberta and about frogs in general elsewhere on our planet.
I've learned that not all amphibians are declining (salamanders, for example, do not appear to be in trouble), and that a single, planet-wide phenomenon seems unlikely. And, there appear to be many contributing factors to the declines that are occuring. These factors include habitat destruction, fire suppression, increases in ultra-violet radiation, industrial pollution, pesticides, acid precipitation, sedimentation, changes in temperature, introduction of predators or competitors into breeding areas, diseases, and natural population fluctuations.
A friend of mine, a good Alberta citizen, said recently: 'What endangered species problems? -- we don't have that problem here in Alberta.' Think again! Have a look at the information below and the links that follow and satisfy yourself about what's going on and what you can do to help.
And, who was it that said, 'If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.'
Ray Rasmussen
Status: Once the most widespread frog species in North America, the number of northern leopard frogs began to decline in the mid 1960s. In Alberta, most populations remained healthy until about 1979 when they mysteriously disappeared from most sites in the central and southern parts of the province. In 1990, only half of the remaining few leopard frog populations in Alberta were breeding successfully.
Habitat: In Alberta, most live in clear, clean freshwater springs in lightly wooded areas. They're most active after sunset in warm, wet weather. They winter under stones in the moving water, as long as there is enough oxygen.
Appearance: These are the familiar frogs of biology books and laboratories. They are the largest common frogs at 50-130 mm long.
Food: Tadpoles eat plants, algae, some dead tadpoles or other small, dead invertebrates. Adults eat almost anything they can catch, including insects, other invertebrates and small vertebrates such as mice or fish.
Breeding: Most frogs don't breed until they're three to four years old. In late April, males begin calling to attract females. Breeding begins in May. Each female deposits up to 3,000 eggs in a large, flattened mass of grey/black jelly in the water. The eggs hatch in 10-20 days into tadpoles. By early August, they transform into adults.
Risk factors: Scientists can't explain the worldwide disappearance of many amphibian and reptile species. It may involve a combination of unusual local conditions (drought, frost, disease, acid rain, loss of habitat), global warming, changes in ultraviolet radiation levels and general contamination of air, soil and water.
Management and Outlook: Current populations are large enough to build on but protection of them and their habitat is critical.
Farmers must ensure pesticide application and cattle grazing near waterholes don't destroy the area for frogs. Wetland drainage should also be avoided. Biologists agree captive breeding programs may be needed to repopulate areas from which the species has entirely disappeared, such as the North Saskatchewan River basin.
http://raysweb.net/specialplaces/pages/frog.html
[Rana pipiens: also called the Meadow or Grass Frog]
Until recently, one of the most common sounds in the national parks of western Canada was the low, throaty grunt of the northern leopard frog. In the 1980s, Alberta's leopard frog population plunged so badly that the government of Alberta even put out a "wanted poster," displaying a photo of the frog with the words "Have You Seen This Frog?"
Undoubtedly you've heard, as I have, that worldwide, frogs are in trouble. Still, it surprised me to learn that the Northern Leopard Frog is more than in trouble in Alberta. After all, don't we Albertans live in one of the great undeveloped regions of the world?
This local bad news led me to want to know more about the status of the Northern Leopard Frog in Alberta and about frogs in general elsewhere on our planet.
I've learned that not all amphibians are declining (salamanders, for example, do not appear to be in trouble), and that a single, planet-wide phenomenon seems unlikely. And, there appear to be many contributing factors to the declines that are occuring. These factors include habitat destruction, fire suppression, increases in ultra-violet radiation, industrial pollution, pesticides, acid precipitation, sedimentation, changes in temperature, introduction of predators or competitors into breeding areas, diseases, and natural population fluctuations.
A friend of mine, a good Alberta citizen, said recently: 'What endangered species problems? -- we don't have that problem here in Alberta.' Think again! Have a look at the information below and the links that follow and satisfy yourself about what's going on and what you can do to help.
And, who was it that said, 'If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.'
Ray Rasmussen
Status: Once the most widespread frog species in North America, the number of northern leopard frogs began to decline in the mid 1960s. In Alberta, most populations remained healthy until about 1979 when they mysteriously disappeared from most sites in the central and southern parts of the province. In 1990, only half of the remaining few leopard frog populations in Alberta were breeding successfully.
Habitat: In Alberta, most live in clear, clean freshwater springs in lightly wooded areas. They're most active after sunset in warm, wet weather. They winter under stones in the moving water, as long as there is enough oxygen.
Appearance: These are the familiar frogs of biology books and laboratories. They are the largest common frogs at 50-130 mm long.
Food: Tadpoles eat plants, algae, some dead tadpoles or other small, dead invertebrates. Adults eat almost anything they can catch, including insects, other invertebrates and small vertebrates such as mice or fish.
Breeding: Most frogs don't breed until they're three to four years old. In late April, males begin calling to attract females. Breeding begins in May. Each female deposits up to 3,000 eggs in a large, flattened mass of grey/black jelly in the water. The eggs hatch in 10-20 days into tadpoles. By early August, they transform into adults.
Risk factors: Scientists can't explain the worldwide disappearance of many amphibian and reptile species. It may involve a combination of unusual local conditions (drought, frost, disease, acid rain, loss of habitat), global warming, changes in ultraviolet radiation levels and general contamination of air, soil and water.
Management and Outlook: Current populations are large enough to build on but protection of them and their habitat is critical.
Farmers must ensure pesticide application and cattle grazing near waterholes don't destroy the area for frogs. Wetland drainage should also be avoided. Biologists agree captive breeding programs may be needed to repopulate areas from which the species has entirely disappeared, such as the North Saskatchewan River basin.
http://raysweb.net/specialplaces/pages/frog.html
The Lynx
Here is a good article I found about the Lynx and the issues within Colorado.
Group Seeks Larger Lynx Designation
It basically talks about how a bunch of environmental groups are trying to get the Southern Rocky Mountain region to be established as an official Canada Lynx habitat. The FWS (US Fish & Wildlife Service) says however that the areas in southern Colorado are too few and too spread out even though they are historical habitats.
The article then goes on to say that after a reintroduction effort, 218 lynxes have been released in Colorado since 1999, and 116 kittens have since been born. Before that, it was assumed the population had died out in Colorado.
The article ends with a quote that goes:
"This is so important because the lynx is a keystone species, they're an indicator species. That means that if they're not doing well, the whole system isn't functioning," Egan said. "Without the lynx, there's a big piece of this giant puzzle missing."
Not sure exactly what this means... but it sounds important!
I also found this pdf which goes over the issues the Canada lynx faces in Colorado, as well as it's listing, it's history and different management techniques.
Canada Lynx pdf
What I found interesting in this pdf is that in Canada the lynx's prey is mainly the snowshoe hair which is a species that follows regular 10-year cycles of alternating high and low populations, which means that as hair population rise so do lynx populations, but as hair populations decrease so do the lynx's.
It then however goes on to say that in Colorado, the lynx prey base includes other types of rabbits as well as squirrels and other rodents. And biologists suspect that this diversity in the cat's diet may make Colorado populations more stable than those in Canada.
Group Seeks Larger Lynx Designation
It basically talks about how a bunch of environmental groups are trying to get the Southern Rocky Mountain region to be established as an official Canada Lynx habitat. The FWS (US Fish & Wildlife Service) says however that the areas in southern Colorado are too few and too spread out even though they are historical habitats.
The article then goes on to say that after a reintroduction effort, 218 lynxes have been released in Colorado since 1999, and 116 kittens have since been born. Before that, it was assumed the population had died out in Colorado.
The article ends with a quote that goes:
"This is so important because the lynx is a keystone species, they're an indicator species. That means that if they're not doing well, the whole system isn't functioning," Egan said. "Without the lynx, there's a big piece of this giant puzzle missing."
Not sure exactly what this means... but it sounds important!
I also found this pdf which goes over the issues the Canada lynx faces in Colorado, as well as it's listing, it's history and different management techniques.
Canada Lynx pdf
What I found interesting in this pdf is that in Canada the lynx's prey is mainly the snowshoe hair which is a species that follows regular 10-year cycles of alternating high and low populations, which means that as hair population rise so do lynx populations, but as hair populations decrease so do the lynx's.
It then however goes on to say that in Colorado, the lynx prey base includes other types of rabbits as well as squirrels and other rodents. And biologists suspect that this diversity in the cat's diet may make Colorado populations more stable than those in Canada.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Post #2!
Okay... so we decided on the idea of 4 superhero animals.
Mammal - Lynx - Elliott
Bird - Ferruginous Hawk - Jeff
Amphibian - Northern Leopard Frog - Alex
Fish - Southern Redbelly Dace - Asterisk
Things we need to do for Thursday 9th:
Elliott & Asterisk: sketches for characters, motion research.
All of us: research on our animals
Alex & Jeff: website research - children's themes that work
Our drop box is set up as well which we can hopefully all access! So we can put files we want others to look at in there!
Mammal - Lynx - Elliott
Bird - Ferruginous Hawk - Jeff
Amphibian - Northern Leopard Frog - Alex
Fish - Southern Redbelly Dace - Asterisk
Things we need to do for Thursday 9th:
Elliott & Asterisk: sketches for characters, motion research.
All of us: research on our animals
Alex & Jeff: website research - children's themes that work
Our drop box is set up as well which we can hopefully all access! So we can put files we want others to look at in there!
Post 1!
Oh my oh my! We have a blog!
How exciting... we are going to help protect so many endangered animals!
Go team!
How exciting... we are going to help protect so many endangered animals!
Go team!
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