Explore Outdoors ~ Logan Hill Nature Preserve

 

 

 

This past Sunday, Mothers Day, was perfect weather for a walk. So we headed to the Logan Hill Nature Preserve, a Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve located in Candor, NY.

 

 

 

 

The preserve is a mix of field and woods, with vernal pools and a pond. It's perfect habitat for bobolinks and woodcocks. On Sunday we heard  a medley of birdsong: hermit thrush, robins, sparrows of all kinds. We also heard the low humming of bumble bees and carpenter bees checking out the flowers.

 

Speaking of flowers...

 

 

 The overwhelming color this time of year was green ~ with highlights of muddy brown.

 

 Fortunately, there were stones across the muddy spots. Even they were part of the natural wonder! Who can resist stopping to look at fossilized brachiopods in the path? 

 

 

Two Dinosaur Books

When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was my dad’s college geology text. I loved the drawings of dinosaur fossils and the renderings of how scientists (back in the last century) thought they might look. And now look – today I have two new(ish) books about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

theme: Dinosaurs, nature, fossils

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Jane Kurtz, illus. by Giselle Potter

48 pages; ages 4-8

Beach Lane Books, 2026 

Mary Morland was born in a time of ribbons and lace, when small girls were seen as dainty, delicate decorations to make a room pretty.

But she was not one for sitting in a parlor – not when the whole wide world was waiting outside. She spent her days looking closely at plants and rocks … and drawing her observations in a journal. She collected fossils and shells, sent specimens and letters to Georges Cuvier (a famous French scientist). She drew pictures of bones from a Megalosaurus – the first dinosaur to have a name. Did she stop studying and drawing once she got married and had kids? No, she did not.

What I like about this book: I love that Jane Kurtz brings another woman of early dinosaur discoveries to the page. Mary Morland was a contemporary of Mary Anning, and yet few people have heard her name. Not surprising; in the 1800’s, women didn’t get credit for their discoveries. I like the emphasis on how Mary observed the plants and animals she saw, and how she drew her observations in her journal. And I like the back matter that tells more about Mary, and provides resources for curious young dinosaur hunters.

Dinosaur Secrets Revealed! How High-Tech Tools Spark Discoveries (Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries) 

by Sandra Markle 

48 pages; ages 9-12

‎Millbrook Press, 2025 

Are you ready to discover dinosaur secrets? If so, Sandra Markle invites you to dive in and follow the discoveries she reveals. Because, as she notes, new technology and high-tech tools not only allow scientists to study ancient bones in a new way, but allows scientist to ask new questions. Like…

How powerful was T. Rex’s bite? Load sensors, like those found in bathroom scales, combined with digital models and computer animation were put to use to solve the problem. Seven chapters address seven questions and introduce the technology used by modern paleontologists and their engineering partners. People are still digging bones out of rock millions of years old, but the technology to evaluate the bones continues to evolve! Back matter includes more dino information and resources for kids who want to dive deeper.

Beyond the Books:

Does your state have an official State Dinosaur? What about a State Fossil? Find out and create a stamp celebrating your state dino or fossil. My state has a fossil (yay!) but not a dino – and I want to know why not!

Draw what you see: an interesting leaf, a snail, a rock or a shell… something you can observe close up. You’ll need a sketch pad or some plain paper, and a good pencil. Colored pencils or crayons are great for adding colorful details.

Learn more about women paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) at this Museum of the Earth page.

Create your own dinosaur name  - and then make a picture of you as a dinosaur. Here’s a dino-name cheat sheet from PBS. 

Thanks for dropping by today. Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Fighting about Fossils...

I grew up in the land of Dinosaur skeletons. I loved to visit the natural history museum at the University of Utah just so I could walk through the dinosaur exhibit and imagine those thunderous creatures stomping across the hillsides. What I didn’t know – and didn’t learn until much later – was how much our exhibits depended on a war… a Bone War! So I was delighted when this book came out just a couple months ago…

The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils 

by Jane Kurtz; illus. by Alexander Vidal 

40 pages; ages 3-8

‎Beach Lane Books, 2023

theme: biography, paleontology, fossils,

In 1863 two smart, bold young men met for the first time. They had a lot in common. O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope were fascinated by science.

They tromped around fossil beds together and even named fossils after each other. Friends forever, right? Until…

Marsh pointed out a mistake Cope had made in describing Elasmosaurus. Cope had attached the skull to the tail end, and Marsh was delighted to point out this error! From now on it was all-out competition to see who would make the next big fossil discovery. No more working together for these two. Instead there was trickery! Espionage! Skullduggery!

What I like about this book: Young paleontologists will love reading about the race to discover new dinosaur fossils and the work it takes to get them out of the rock and into museums. The discoveries Cole and Marsh uncovered inspired other scientist to look for bones as well as eggs, skin, footprints – even fossilized poop (called coprolite, in case you’re wondering). Even now paleontologists are out in the field searching for more bones and fossilized dino-bits.

Then there’s the story of two dedicated scientists who could have been great, but ended up destroying their lives in a bitter rivalry that grew into the Bone Wars. What could they have accomplished had they worked together?

Back matter includes notes from the author and illustrator, who remind readers that scientists are learning more about dinosaurs every day. And there’s a list of resources and suggested reading for curious kids who want to dig deeper.

Beyond the Books:

Think like a paleontologist with the educators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. This 20-minute video encourages viewers to make close observations, form a hypothesis, and use information from fossils to understand more about extinct creatures. There’s also a visit to the Fossil Prep Lab to learn how fossils are prepared for research and display.

Check out these fun activities from the Los Angeles Natural History Museum – from coloring pages to dying dino-like eggs to making your own fossil. 

Plan how you could tackle a huge project that needs to get done. Maybe it’s cleaning out the garage, or mowing and raking the yard. Would it be better to have someone help you? How would you divide the work? When things don’t go smoothly, how might you solve disagreements? Once you’ve thought things through, gather your team and tackle that project.

Here are reviews of other books about paleontologists:

Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist, by Andi Diehn

Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist, by Linda Skeers

The Dinosaur Expert, by Margaret McNamara

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones, by Susan Lendroth

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media.

Mary Anning's Curiosities

I love fossils! I have an ammonite on my desk, and I think my first book was my dad’s geology textbook – it was filled with black-and-white photos and drawings fossils and dinosaurs. So I’ve been wanting to read this book a long, long time.

Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist 

by Linda Skeers; illus. by Marta Álvarez Miguéns 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Sourcebooks Explore, 2020

theme: fossils, biography, nonfiction

Mary Anning dodged high tides and crashing waves to scout the beach near her hometown of Lyme Regis, England.

Basket in hand, Mary is searching for fossils ~ “curiosities” that people will pay money for. Then one morning, she and her brother saw bone with an eye socket. They chiseled away dirt and stone, exposing a skull! Mary wanted to find the creature’s body so she continued searching. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

What I like about this book: Mary Anning is curious about her curiosities. She wants to know more, so she studies papers, draws the fossils she finds, and even cuts some open. People think these fossils are of Monsters! But Mary isn’t afraid – she keeps hunting for more. 

I like how author Linda Skeers depicts Mary and the society she lives in. Even as scientists study her fossils, they refuse to admit her to the Geological Society of London. Women are NOT ALLOWED. 

There is great back matter, too. “Bone Bits and Fossil Facts” is filled with tidbits of info and definitions of some of the words in the book. And there’s a wonderful timeline

Beyond the Books:

Find out more about Mary Anning at the Natural History Museum in London.

Make your own fossils. Here’s how (from PBS). And here’s 25 more fun fossil activities.

Learn more about ichthyosaurs in this National Geographic video.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review from library copy.

We Came Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas 

by Elizabeth Shreeve; illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon

32 pages; ages 6-9

Candlewick, 2021

theme: prehistoric life, evolution, STEM

Life began in the vast empty sea, when Earth was young.

From single-celled microbes to dinosaurs and beyond, this book takes readers on a fantastic journey. First stop: the Edicaran period, 546 to 635 million years ago. Back then, the sea was filled with “strange and squishy creatures.” At the end of that period there was an explosion of diversity. Millions of years passed, through another couple periods and then: fish! insects! mollusks! It is the Devonian period (359-419 million years ago).

What I like about this book: It is wonderful storytelling about life, the universe, and extinction after extinction. And yet, some of those early animals survived to populate the land and change. I love the artwork, too.

This Friday is the start of Cephalopod Week, where folks celebrate cuttlefish, octopuses, and squid, so I had to ask Elizabeth One Question: What is your favorite cephalopod?

 

Elizabeth: Oh, this is a tough choice but I’ve got to say…ammonites! These amazing mollusks emerged over 400 million years ago, made it through the Permian Extinction 252 million years ago when 96% of marine species disappeared (phew!), and exploded into many different sizes and shapes during the Triassic. Ammonites swam backwards using their tentacles for jet propulsion, a seemingly inefficient technique that kept them zooming around for around 350 million years.

In fact, ammonites (ammonoids) are one of the most successful animals of all time. Over 10,000 different species once inhabited Earth’s oceans, and their distinctive shapes provide important index fossils wherever oceans once existed. Some were shaped like ice cream cones or paper clips, but most were spiral. These were the cinnamon buns of the prehistoric seas! Some even had spikes! Ammonites disappeared in the same extinction that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. But their fabulous cephalopod relatives live on, including squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish.

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about the geologic time scale here.  

Check out Elizabeth’s video introducing Out of the Blue and why she wrote it here. She’s made a series of videos about different creatures, from ancient to modern times. You can learn about the many creatures featured in her book at her collection of videos.

Learn more about cephalopods over at the Science Friday website. There are links to virtual tours and even a movie night - all happening over the next few days.

Elizabeth is a member of #STEAMTeam2021. You can find out more about her at her website.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Paleontology Girls!

I’m ending the month with a celebration of women in paleontology. The themes for today: fossils, women scientists, biographies

Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist
By Andi Diehn; illus. by Katie Mazeika
32 pages; ages 5-8
Nomad Press, 2019

When Mary Leakey was a little girl, she and her father liked to learn about the past.

Mary didn’t go to school like other kids. Instead, she read lots of books about things that interested her. Like fossils. She was passionate about fossils and became good at drawing them. When she grew older, she went to Africa and looked for fossils. She uncovered a skull that was about 16 million years old, and years later discovered fossilized footprints.

What I like about this book: It’s fun to read, and I like how curiosity drives Mary to study fossils and footprints. I also like that author, Andi Diehn explains what paleontologists do when they find fossils. They describe where they found it – landscape and features – and then measure and draw the fossils. And there is back matter! An activity, some quotes and connections to the text, a timeline, and a glossary. Plus, it’s part of a series that introduces women in science to young children.

Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Paleontologists: With Stem Projects for Kids
By Karen Bush Gibson; illus by Hui Li
112 pages; ages 8-12
Nomad Press, 2019

Life on earth began about 3.7 billion years ago – not that anyone was there to document it. So how do we know about prehistoric life?

Paleontologists. They’re the scientists who study fossils, from ferns to trilobites, dinosaurs to ancient humans. In this books we meet twelve-year-old Mary Anning who, in 1811, found a dinosaur in the cliffs near her home. We meet Mignon Talbot who studied crinoids – and I’m glad she did because our garden is filled with fossilized crinoid stems. She is also the first American woman to discover – and name – a dinosaur. Other paleontologists featured are Tilly Edinger, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey.

What I like: Before we head off to join the paleontologists, there’s a “field kit checklist” to remind us to take out safety glasses along with the rock hammer. There are plenty of text-boxes, along with short bios of other paleontologists not featured and hands-on “field assignments” at the end of each chapter.

You can read an interview with author Karen Bush Gibson that was posted earlier this week over at STEM Tuesday.

Beyond the Books:

Draw a fossil – or a shell, leaf, bone, or even a plastic dinosaur. Just like a paleontologist, your goal is to observe your find and capture its shape, colors, and textures on paper. Make sure to write down the date, and jot any notes and labels like a real paleontologist would do.

Make your own fossils out of salt dough. Use shells, plastic dinosaurs, or even leaves to make impressions. Once baked to hardness, paint and … voila! Your very own fossil museum. Instructions here and here.

Or if you’d rather, whip up a batch of cookie dough – you know, the kind you roll and cut into shapes – and press some “fossil imprints” into them.  Or make some fossil jewelry. Here’s directions for that.

If you were a dinosaur, what would your Dinosaur Name be? Find some dino books and choose your favorite names. Stuck? Then check out this cheat sheet from the Horniman Museum

Get digging! Head out into the field alongside paleontology experts, or find fossil camps for kids here.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. And you can check out more books on paleontology over at the STEM Tuesday blog – where this month’s theme was Dinosaurs. There’s a book list and more. Review copies provided by the publisher.

More Bones in Stones

Before I could read words, I "read" books by looking at pictures. My favorite book at the time was my dad's geology textbook that had an entire section on fossils and dinosaurs. That could explain my love of children's books about paleontology (the branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants). So here are two more books about the lives of animals whose bones we find in stones...

theme: dinosaurs, fossils, whales

Dinosaurs: a shine-a-light book
by Sara Hurst; illus. by Lucy Cripps
36 pages; ages 4-8
Kane Miller, 2018

Dinosaurs were alive long before there were people.

This book provides a novel way to explore the world of dinosaurs, because part of the illustration is revealed only when you shine a flashlight behind the page.

What I like about this book: that it begins before dinosaurs, with early life that includes jellyfish and bristle worms. As you turn pages, you walk through time visiting different environments, from swamp to jungle.

I like that long, multi-syllabic names are included, because what kid doesn't want to learn how to pronounce parasaurolophus! Back matter adds some quick facts about some of the dinosaurs.

Charlotte's Bones: The Beluga whale in a farmer's field
by Erin Rounds; illus. by Alison Carver
36 pages; ages 5-9
Tilbury House, 2018

Many thousands of years ago, when a sheet of ice more than a mile thick began to let go of the land... the Atlantic Ocean flooded great valleys...

Some of those glacier-scoured valleys were in Vermont. When they became part of the sea, Charlotte and her Beluga buddies swam into the bays. They hunted salmon and raised their young. But one day Charlotte got trapped in a marshy area and her pod could not rescue her.

What I like about this book: The wonderful way that Erin Rounds shows the process of decay and sedimentation that covered her. And how, thousands of years later, in 1849, railroad workers found Charlotte's bones. A naturalist wanted to know more, so he pieced the bones together. Then he wondered, how did a whale get to a farmer's field in Vermont?

I like the extensive back matter that helps to answer the naturalist's questions. There is more information about other ice age mammals whose remains have been discovered in Vermont as well: Musk oxen, woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers.

Beyond the Books:
Visit a dinosaur. If there isn't a museum near you, feel free to take a virtual dinosaur field trip at the American Museum of Natural History. And if you have a chance to visit AMNH, the dino exhibit is truly awesome! Here's a list of some dinosaur museums in the US.

Learn more about the amazing Charlotte. Here's a place to start. And here's a link to a 2014 article in the Burlington Free Press: How do you get a whale in Vermont?

What is your state's fossil? Here's a helpful website - with links to your state. Draw a picture of your fossil.

Make your own dinosaur fossil out of salt dough. Or shells, other animals.... Here's how.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. And we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website . Review copies provided by the publishers.

Extreme Survivors

Extreme Survivors, Animals the Time Forgot (How Nature Works series)
by Kimberly Ridley
48 pages; ages 10-13
Tilbury House, 2017

They're prowling around the planet now ... prehistoric beasts whose ancestors survived the catastrophes that wiped out the dinosaurs. Don't look now, but one might be lurking in your backyard...

That's an introduction that grabs your attention! Prehistoric beasts in the backyard? Absolutely. Also in the ocean, on the beach, sliming across a jungle floor. In the pages of this book, Kimberly Ridley introduces readers to ten creatures that have survived the centuries: the toothy goblin shark, the spiky tuatara, horseshoe crabs, tardigrades, and more. And she reveals their survival secrets.

Running throughout the book is a conversation about evolution - the gradual change in organisms over generations. Organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to be preserved through later generations, Ridley explains. She provides examples of natural selection in action and discusses advantages of certain adaptations. Like the comb jellies that, more than 550 million years ago, were among the first animals to evolve skin and muscles. Even more important than having a primitive "brain", these animals had an anus - so food could go in one end of their digestive system and be excreted out their rear end. This adaptation allowed digestive tracts to develop, further allowing evolution of larger animals. Pretty cool, huh!

Of course there is Back Matter! More info on extreme discoveries, and a couple of nicely illustrated timelines plus quick facts on every animal: how big it is, what it eats, what eats it, when it appeared on earth. And for kids who want to dive deeper into the topic, Ridley provides a list of books and websites.

I caught up with Kim on the phone a couple weeks ago and she graciously answered Three Questions about Extreme Survivors.
Archimedes: You have worked as a science journalist, writing for Boston Globe and other publications. What did journalism teach you about writing books for children?

Kim: Storytelling and distillation. Writing about science is all about telling the stories. Then I have to figure out how to make complex facts and information interesting, entertaining, and fun while keeping it accurate. I look for ways to use engaging language that bring the story to life without anthropomorphizing.

Archimedes: How did you choose the creatures for this book?

Kim: After doing research, I had a list of 20 animals. So I made a huge chart on the wall - a timeline where I posted notes and facts. Then it was a process of elimination. I wanted the animals to be surprising, animals people might not have heard about. (so nix the cockroaches) I also wanted to show a fossil where I could. And I wanted to feature animals that were the focus of fascinating research.

Archimedes: Evolution seems to be a thread connecting all these different animals.

Kim: Absolutely. I wanted to put evolution front and center in the book. It is the basis for teaching life sciences, and an important topic in the Next Generation Science Standards. The point about these animals (extreme survivors) is that, while they may look similar to their ancestors, all organisms have evolved in some way. Over time, environment exerts pressure on animals, and those that survive are the best adapted.

Thank you, Kim! To learn more about Kimberly Ridley and her books, check out her website. She was featured on the GROG blog earlier this week where she talks about writing for a small press.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup.   On any other Friday we'd be joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, but it's summer vacation. PPBF will resume in September, but you can always head over to Susanna Hill's ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from publishers.

Dining with Dinosaurs

Dining with Dinosaurs: a tasty guide to Mesozoic munching
by Hannah Bonner
48 pages; ages 7-10
National Geographic Kids, 2016

If you are starving for dinosaur knowledge, this book serves up a full-course meal of mouthwatering Mesozoic food facts. Starting with who ate who. Or whom. It's a basic intro to the "vores" - carnivores eating herbivores who are eating plants which are gobbling down photons at an alarming rate.

We meet the meat eaters - carnivores of all sizes from mega-huge to eagle-sized. There are omnivores that eat anything they can get their hands on, insectivores who eat bugs, and fish-chomping piscivores. There were even dinovores -  dinos that ate dinos - and scavengers that ate anything dead, including dinos past their expiration date.

Then we meet the herbivores, plant-eaters of all sizes, makes and models from tiny crickets with huge appetites to the extra-large Diplodocus who nibbled leaves from the tops of the trees.

Along the way, Hannah (she's the author) and her Microraptor paleo pal introduce us to scientists who explain tough questions about dinosaur poop, teeth, and more. They even interview a Mesozoic plant about its diet.

When Hannah was in high school, her father wrote a book about the plants of Mallorca. She drew the pen-and-ink illustrations to go with it. You can find out more about Hannah at her website, and read my review of an earlier book here.

And if you're up for a challenge, you can download the game "Evolve or Perish" that Hannah developed for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

  
Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher

Living Fossils

Living Fossils: Clues to the Past
by Caroline Arnold; illus. by Andrew Plant
32 pages; ages 8-11
Charlesbridge, 2016

When I was a kid, my favorite book was my dad's geology text. I spent hours and hours leafing through the pages, studying drawings of fossils and dinosaurs, losing myself in the geological time scale, sounding out "Carboniferous" and "Silurian".

Mostly, when we think of fossils, it's dinosaurs and trilobites. Something preserved in rock. Extinct.

But what if some of those ancient creatures still lived among us? Would we recognize them?

In this book, Caroline Arnold shows us six amazing creatures that resemble their long-gone, ancient relatives. She shows us where they live, how they survived extinction, and what their future holds. One of these "living fossils" is the horseshoe crab. One hundred fifty million years ago, horseshoe crabs had hard shells and long tails. They crawled up on sandy beaches to search for worms and shellfish to eat.

Not much has changed in the intervening millennia... if you visit the east coast on a warm summer night when the moon is full, you'll probably see hundreds of horseshoe crabs pull themselves onto the beach. They're digging nests and laying eggs, just as they did millions of years ago.

You don't need to drive to the beach to find a living fossil; just head outside to a wetland or meadow and look for dragonflies. These keen mosquito-devouring aerial hunters are the great-great-great-/.../ great-grandchildren of dragonflies that lived 280 million years ago. Over time things changed, like size. Back then, dragonflies were a lot bigger - about the size of a crow!

You can find out more about living fossils at Caroline Arnold's website, where she has some activities to do. Check out this article about scientists researching living fossils at the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copies from publisher.

Go on a Pattern Hike

If you’re looking for a way to connect math to nature, start paying attention to patterns. Patterns are lines or shapes that repeat – and you can find them just about everywhere you look: the back of a caterpillar, butterfly wings, the way a wasp’s nest is built or the honeycomb of a bee hive.

There are patterns in the way clouds gather in the sky, and the V’s geese make as they fly.

There are patterns left by waves on the beach, and by snakes on the desert sand. Look closely at a cactus and you’ll find a pattern in how the spines come out; same thing for pine needles.

There are patterns in rocks and trees – and even in the food you eat. Ever cut an apple across the middle and see the star inside? Take a closer look at blueberries and you’ll see that same star pattern at the blossom end of the fruit.

So, next time you head outside go on a “pattern hunt”. Take along a journal or camera and record the neat patterns you find.

What to share the patterns you find? Just send a low-resolution photo to sueheaven at gmail dot com and I’ll post them here (it might take a couple days).