September 17, 2009

Staff Musings

Lately, I have tried to develop professional development opportunities for my staff (I can't send them to workshops), and came up with this real gem...have them blog about areas of specialty. It is a great chance for them to learn about social media production and to do a little research from time to time. Today's blurb is from Stephanie Spears, our ecology instructor. Environmental Education is a large component of our educational programs here at the Center...We receive field trip groups from schools and churches in the spring and fall...

Today's ecology lesson is on the Green Anole...they are those little green lizards that scamper around your and your neighbor's porch. Their main diet is bugs like butterflies, crickets, flies, and grasshoppers. They can live up to 10 years old!

One really cool thing about the Green Anole is it's ability to change colors like a chameleon. They can go from green to brown, and even dark gray. The reason why they change color is because of stress. Usually when they are brown, they are stressed out. The males are territorial. Yesterday on the back porch of the staffhouse, there were two green anole. One of the green anole had a hold of the other and would not let it go! Chase separated them, because he is heroic.

Another cool thing about the Green Anole is they can regenerate (regrow) their tails. If a predator grabs a hold of the tail, the lizard's tail can break off and allows the green anole to escape it's predator.

Enjoy the day...

No comments: