4-H Does Paleoclimatology

Our 4H club had the awesome opportunity this week to tour the University of Washington Ocean Sciences building and learn about the Paleoclimatology & Organic Geochemistry Research being done there.  We feel really fortunate to have access to this great teaching, learning and research institution.  The visit was a wonderful example for the kids of what can be accomplished with an interest in the natural world combined with a solid game plan and lots of hard work.

Paleoclimatology is the study of changes in climate over the entire history of the Earth.  Researchers learn about these changes by looking at ocean currents, temperatures, salinity, atmospheric gasses and very, very old slices of history...literally.  Much of their data comes from deep sediment and ice core samples collected in various places all over the world.  Information about what our atmosphere was like thousands of years ago can be compared to today's data and much can be learned.

This is a device that collects samples in the open ocean.

We learned that our oceans are mapped just like our land masses are.

The kids were very interested in the nitty gritty, practical details of how data is collected by the research team.  Members of the team spend several months each year out in the field collecting data in places like   the Marshall Islands, Fiji and the Galapagos Islands.  The University has developed and manufactures self propelled Deepglider devices that travel through the oceans of the world collecting information in a much more efficient way than in the past when research boats and many people would be needed to achieve the same result.    

Deepgliders getting readied for testing.

The lab has a test tank where they are able to do trial runs with equipment before taking it out into the field.  We got to try it out for ourselves.

Many parts of the lab facilities contain high tech industrial-looking equipment.  It was a good reminder that science is not only about lab coats, beakers and microscopes.

There were temperature controlled rooms containing core sediment samples in various stages of analysis.  The oldest core sample we saw was 120,000 years old.  It was also interesting to learn that some really low-tech tools like cheese wire and plastic wrap play important roles in the whole process.

The researchers also look for information in living things like plants that help measure saline levels in the earth's oceans.  Every single variable has to be looked at in order for the research to be valid and meaningful.

It was fun to see evidence that this was a real, working lab with people leaving notes out for each other.  I leave notes out on my counter too, but mine usually say something like "buy peanut butter".  Hmmm.

The high point for most of the kids was when they got to see the power of liquid nitrogen which, at  -346°F,  is the coldest thing that exists on Earth.  We dipped several objects in liquid nitrogen (gummi bears, roses, bananas, pennies and balloons) and got to see how extreme cold effects different substances.  It's a well known fact that scientists kick everyone's butt in the party trick department.

Upon departure we were also reminded that scientists do humor too.

Thanks University of  Washington Paleoclimatogy & Organic Geochemistry folks!  And keep up the good work!

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4-H Ranch Camping 2011

Our 4-H club had another fabulous camping trip in Idaho this year.  The weather was perfect.  The kids all got along.  Nobody got hurt.  We tried some new things, as well as some old.  Here are a few highlights:

The swimming pond was a constant source of entertainment. 

We did a little fishing and a little catching...though all the fish we caught were released to live another day.

We cleaned some saddles and practiced sitting on them. 

We learned some basics about horses, horse safety, saddle parts, and how to ride.

We got to take a few spins around the ranch on Whisky and Brownie, our two faithful steeds.

We learned how to make, and then ate, some really good ice cream.  We made plain vanilla, but then had huckleberry and chokecherry preserves to drizzle over the top.

We tried orienteering for the first time.  The kids loved it.  They had to find nine locations on the ranch by using maps and compasses and race to see who could do it the fastest.  See the big finish?  Murdoch even got in on the action. 

More fun on the pond...

 Roasting marshmallow, of course.

This year's Pack: 10 tired and happy kids.

Theo Chocolates

Yesterday we went on another great 4-H adventure.  This time to the Theo Chocolate Factory in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.  Theo Chocolates makes organic, fair trade treats and is the only chocolate factory in the US that gives tours of its operational facilities.  We had a great time.

The lobby/entrance was filled with little piles of samples.  This one was my favorite: a dark chocolate with orange oil. 

We all had to wear hairnets for the tour.  Stylish!

I won't begin to try and explain what this machine does, but doesn't it look cool?  And those are bags of sugar on the pallet behind it.

This was actually waste chocolate that gets separated from the chocolate slurry because it was too thick and lumpy to be used in the bars.

These were the outer casing (husks?) of the cocoa beans after they'd been roasted.  They smelled great!

Individual chocolates being nested in their little paper cups before they make their way to the store. 

And finally, perhaps my favorite thing:  a giant chocolate Buddha head...just for fun.

Costumes at Taproot Theater

We had another great 4-H adventure this week, this time with a visit to the Taproot Theater in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood. Since it's the costume time of year, we decided to see how real-life sewing and carpentry skills can be put to use in a creative way. We were led on a GREAT tour by Sarah, the friendly and charismatic costume shop manager and resident designer. We were there, almost to the day, one year after the theater sustained major fire and water damage caused by an arsonist on the loose in the neighborhood. He has since been locked behind bars, but the consequences for the theater and many of the surrounding businesses were severe. Luckily, for the neighborhood (and for our club), Taproot was able to rebuild and come back from the ashes.

During our tour, we visited the set for the current show Wedding Belles, which ends this week. We peeked in on the set construction room, which was filled with all sorts of fun carpentry and power tools. We also saw the Green Room and where the actors meet to read through scripts and prepare for the plays, and the make-up room where the actors get ready to go on stage.

But the main focus of our time at Taproot was the costuming department. We were eager to see some sewing in action, and were not disappointed.

They were busy getting ready for the holiday season show Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol. Here is some of what we saw:

We are planning to go back and see a matinee of the show when it opens at the end of November. We urge everyone to take in a production if you get the chance!! We're so lucky to have a great neighborhood theater like this to take advantage of for shows and as a creative resource for our community. Thanks Taproot!

4H Camping 2010

We had another GREAT 4H camping trip at the Ranch in Idaho this year! For three nights and fours days we camped on the grassy banks of the pond, and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air. Here are a few of the activities that we filled our days with...

We got to ride around in "The Mule", which is basically a big, beefy, slow moving golf cart. At one point I think we had 14 people (12 kids and 2 adults) riding on it all at once. Mostly the kids ran around or rode their bikes anywhere they wanted to go, but the mule was a huge hit.

We fed the horses apples from the orchard. Everyone practiced holding the apples in the flat palm of their hands so that the horses didn't nibble fingers.

We visited the other livestock and the working buildings of the ranch...the barn, the feedlot, the quonset hut. We sat on the tractor too.

We made ice cream from scratch with an old crank ice cream churn. We theorized about why it's helpful to add rock salt to the ice when you're churning the ice cream. Do you know?

We enjoyed the pond endlessly. We swam, used the paddle boat, bounced on inner tubes and fed the fish.

We honed our fire building skills...without the use of newspaper. Only twigs and bark for starter!

We cooked yummy food for every meal, and shared in the clean-up chores.

We returned to Fish Creek to continue our stream restoration project. This year we planted fewer trees, but we enclosed them in wire cages to protect from the small furry creatures that apparently enjoyed munching on last year's trees. Hopefully when we return next year many more will be thriving.

We enjoyed my brother's wood-fire hot tub. You'd be amazed at how many kids can squeeze in!

It was a great visit. Everyone played hard, worked hard and slept hard. Can't wait for next year!!