Earthquakes are part and parcel of California life. Venture forth to the California section of Strybing Arboretum, in Golden Gate Park. Learn the names of the wildflowers and their preferred habitats, along with botanical terms describing flower parts. Return to the classroom to share, re-copy, and illustrate your poetry. Far from being slimy, snakes are covered with smooth, dry scales that contain the same protein found in human fingernails.
Snakes have amazing adaptations for feeding, locomotion, and defense.
Explore snake anatomy, including the basic differences between major snake groups. Assist in a simple dissection of a snake specimen, revealing its internal organs. They are all part of the highly diverse group of organisms known collectively as mollusks. Some live deep in the mud, others deep in the sea, still others can slime around your garden seemingly without a care in the world. Spend an afternoon, first at the Academy, learning the basic biology of these local birds by examining their bills and feet, bones and feathers.