SciGirls I 2016 - Day Two

Have you ever visited the Red Hills Region of Florida? If you have ever been to Mission San Luis, the John G. Riley House & Museum, Pebble Hill Plantation, or Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, you have been a guest of the Red Hills Region. The listed sites are just a few of the cultural, historical, natural, and outdoor sites of the area that is bracketed between two southern rivers and straddles the Georgia-Florida border. SciGirls I began the morning by visiting the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy that dedicates itself to conserving the ecological, historical, and scenic resources of the nearly 130,000 acres that it protects. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Conservation Biologist Kim Sash who introduced the girls to various facets of research that occur at Tall Timbers, with support in radio telemetry from Blake, Cassie, and Chelsea. Two interesting facts were provided about prescribed burns: (1) they are necessary to allow plants to germinate and grow, and (2) they create the opportunity for birds to forage and nest. An actual resolution exists that designates the fourth Sunday in the month of January as the beginning of Prescribed Fire Awareness Week. The SciGirls were then treated to a game of LongLeaf Pine Forest Bingo, but not until after learning about the Eastern King snake, a tiger salamander, and Polly, the resident gopher tortoise of the facility. This experience brought new meaning to the term hands-on as the girls picked up the tortoise, massaged the salamander, and hugged the snake. Oh how we hated to rush off, but there was an oil spill at the Maglab that required clean-up!!!! Dr. Amy McKenna (one of only seven women scientists at the Maglab) presented another fun interactive experience that brought many oohs and aahs, as the girls investigated "The Use of Surfactants in Oil Spill Clean-up." Who knew you could have so much fun with food coloring, water, skim milk, whole milk, half and half, heavy cream, Q-tips, and Dawn dish detergent? Let's just say this SciGirls activity had more to offer than the Dairy Queen. So as we continue finding places to go, tomorrow we look forward to heading out of town. "With brains in our heads and feet in our shoes," each SciGirl will decide which WonderZone to choose!