#Smartlikeabear - week 7

Week 7 of our bearology challenge

This is going to be the penultimate week of our online environmental education. We have again some nice things prepared for you.

What's happening this week?

Find the timetable and an overview over all activities below.

Overview week 7

07.06. - Monday

Come to the BEAR SANCTUARY! Here you can discover it from the air:

Viewpoint

Parking spaces

Visitor centre

Balou's enclousre

Aera

Playground

Security

Location

Viewpoint

Parking spaces

Visitor centre

Area

Balou's enclousure

Playground

Security

Location

08.06. - Tuesday:

What happened here? Here you will again find three photos where it is not immediately obvious what exactly is to be seen on them.

Fern

This little fern has yet to unfurl. Ferns are among the oldest living beings because they already existed 400 million years ago. Back then they were as big as trees and the remains are the coal deposits of today. Ferns do not have seeds, flowers and fruits, but they reproduce via spores. Seed plants only developed later..

Insect hotel

This is a bee crawling out of a hole in our insect hotel where it has laid its larvae. Nesting aids are often built since it has been noticed that too much habitat has been taken away from the animals by humans. Different structures are good because each bee species has its own needs. The place should be sunny with enough bee food growing nearby.

Old nest

It's nesting season again and this is an old bird's nest. Most nests are only used once, but it doesn't mean birds don't like to return to old breeding sites. There are species that prefer to breed in holes and caves, even on houses (cave-breeders). And there are birds that prefer their nests outdoors (free-breeders), some of them even on the ground (ground-breeders).

09.06. - Wednesday:

Nature has invented some pretty practical things and we humans have adopted many of the ideas for ourselves. For example, the Velcro fastener: Anyone who has ever been pelted with burdock and laboriously removed it from clothing will immediately understand which plant played a role in this invention.

Today we have a little bionics experiment for you to try out. Behind the plus signs you can look up later what should happen and why.

Bionics experiment

Short instruction

Read

This is what you need for the experiment

Feather (not a pigeon feather, rather take one from a water bird), a container or sink with water soap or dishwashing liquid and a hair dryer

The experiment – part 1

Take the feather and drip a little bit of water on it with your finger, move it a little and observe what happens.

This should have happened (click on the plus after the experiment)

The drops should have beaded off as soon as you moved the feather.

The experiment – part 2

Now add some dishwashing liquid to the water and stir the water, wet the feather with it and then dry the feather carefully with a hair dryer.

Then drip water onto the feather again.

So, what have you noticed? (click on the plus here after the experiment)

The feather becomes disheveled and permeable to water.

Why do you think this happened?

As you may already know from "BEAROLOGY", the feathers of most bird species are protected by fat, which makes them water repellent. This grease comes from a certain gland on the rump and the birds then spread it on their feathers with their beaks. This is especially important for waterfowl like ducks and swans.

The soap-bathed feather is no longer water repellent because the detergent has dissolved the protective grease film.

Do you know plants and animals that have inspired people's inventions? Feel free to send us an email at umweltbildung@baerenwald-mueritz.de or use our contact form.

10.06. - Thursday:

It is "Ask the Team" time again. Today, animal caretaker Bianca explains why bears puff sometimes (make a certain kind of sound). Check out the reel on our Instagram channel.

If you too have an exciting question about our brown bears, please email us at umweltbildung@baerenwald-mueritz.de or use our contact form.

11.06. - Friday:

Would you like to have a new fresh fancy scent at home? Then let's try a homemade room freshener. As all our DIY instructions, you will already find most of required things in your household, so the room freshener can be made quite easily.

Homemade natural air freshener