Nature Badge - Food Chains

Learn about food chains using this fun, interactive game.  Remember, we don’t have squirrels in Australia, but we do have foxes, (many live here in the outskirts of Brisbane) which were brought to Australia from Europe with the early settlers.  (See below to learn more about the problems foxes cause in Australia)

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/foodchains.html

Foxes eat native plants and animals and compete with native animals which would need the same food to live or space to safely raise their young.  Can you think with what native animals foxes may compete?

Find out more about foxes in Australia through these links:

http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/populations/australia.html

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/documents/Biosecurity_EnvironmentalPests/IPA-Fox-PA13.pdf

Have your own copy of Pest patrol, an activity book (with teachers’ resource)

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/documents/Biosecurity_EnvironmentalPests/IPA-Pest-Patrol-Activity-Book-Complete.pdf

This brings us to the end of our Nature Badge blog for this term.  Until then... all the best.

Message from Wootoo:

Don't forget to be working on your nature badge.  (For the girls to earn the badge they need to have completed at least 10 of the ideas on front/back of the nature badge sheet).

Nature Badge - Habitats

As a part of our nature badge work, we have been looking at nature around us, and seeing what lives there, and how healthy the environment is.

The area which is home for a certain type of plant or animal is also known as its habitat.

(For example, in your home, you could say that your room is your “habitat”, even if you share it with a brother or a sister).  

There are many different habitats across Australia.  Can you think of the names of some of them? You probably have heard of “Rainforest” before.  We have some beautiful rainforests here in Australia.  Here are some Queensland examples:

Dense Rainforest in Tamborine National Park:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wl040QMsyM

Daintree Rainforest Footage by Australian Geographic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj0MBLHdKNk

Explore seven different habitats at the Australian Museum website:

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kids-Habitats

The Queensland Museum website is always worth a visit, and helps us understand more about different habitats relevant to our world in their “Wild backyards” online resource.

We challenge you to investigate all three at:

http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/wild/wild-backyards.asp

Wildlife and habitats are under threat, learn more at:

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/wildlife_and_habitats/

But don’t despair!  Help our native plants and wildlife by creating a habitat for them in your own back yard!

Create a habitat for frogs thanks to ideas from Frogs Australia Network:

http://frogsaustralia.net.au/conservation/creating-habitat.cfm

Further resources to creating backyard wildlife habitats are available at:

http://www.australian-backyard-wildlife.com/
until next time when we look at food chains...
Karana Downs Rocks!!