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06-03-2006, 12:23 PM
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park
Hosts Summer of Science
By Las Cruces Reporter
© 2006 SONewMex.com - Reprint Permission Granted
LAS CRUCES - From June through August this summer the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is hosting the Summer of Science. This is a chance to learn about this unique environment we live in by interacting with local scientists and educators.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/TRAIL_65.jpg
It's not dirt. It's soil! Not topsoil, mind you. In NM topsoil is a 'concept'.
(Photos courtesy of www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/))
Each program will highlight a different desert ecology topic such as birds, arthropods (insects, arachnids), desert plants and soil, and the weather. And all this learning about desert science is FREE (RSVP is required)! There will be a different program topic starting at 8:30 a.m. and run approximately 1 ½ hours. Please call 505-524-3334 to RSVP.
They say if you wait five minutes the weather in southern New Mexico will change. It’s All About Weather (June 24)will clear the clouds about weather and climate, how to measure the length of a day, and discover if this past winter was truly the driest winter on record. At Desert Water & Microclimates (July 8) you will learn where the best place to make your burrow home, why plants grow more on one side of a hill than the other. Use scientific instruments to measure the climatic conditions of our desert home. Don’t think there is water in the desert? Guess again.
http://sonewmex.com/images/3kids_smalst.jpg
Hey LOOK, mom... It's a scorpion!
(Photos courtesy of www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/))
It blows in the wind and makes your car dusty but It’s Not Just Dirt - It’s Soil! (July 15). Dirt is not all the same and water just doesn’t make mud pies. Even within the boundaries of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, there are many different soil types. Continue the learning with What Grows in the Desert? (July 22). Taking a closer look at some of the native plants found in the desert, we will explore which plants are tough enough to survive this semi-arid region. Amazing Arthropods (July 29) and Birds of a Feather (August 5) highlight the animal world.
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is located northeast of Las Cruces. From I-25 in Las Cruces, head east on Highway 70 and take the Mesa Grande Road exit (at Oñate High School). Make a U-turn under the highway to head west and stay in the right lane onto the frontage road. Turn right (north) on Jornada Road. Follow Jornada Road for 6.4 miles and turn left at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park sign. Follow the entrance road to the parking area and trailhead.
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Nature Park provides hands-on science education programs for more than 12,000 students throughout southern New Mexico and West Texas each year. Anyone interested in learning more about the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, membership, and volunteer opportunities should call the Nature Park office at 505-524-3334 or check the Nature Park’s web site at www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/)
Hosts Summer of Science
By Las Cruces Reporter
© 2006 SONewMex.com - Reprint Permission Granted
LAS CRUCES - From June through August this summer the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is hosting the Summer of Science. This is a chance to learn about this unique environment we live in by interacting with local scientists and educators.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/TRAIL_65.jpg
It's not dirt. It's soil! Not topsoil, mind you. In NM topsoil is a 'concept'.
(Photos courtesy of www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/))
Each program will highlight a different desert ecology topic such as birds, arthropods (insects, arachnids), desert plants and soil, and the weather. And all this learning about desert science is FREE (RSVP is required)! There will be a different program topic starting at 8:30 a.m. and run approximately 1 ½ hours. Please call 505-524-3334 to RSVP.
They say if you wait five minutes the weather in southern New Mexico will change. It’s All About Weather (June 24)will clear the clouds about weather and climate, how to measure the length of a day, and discover if this past winter was truly the driest winter on record. At Desert Water & Microclimates (July 8) you will learn where the best place to make your burrow home, why plants grow more on one side of a hill than the other. Use scientific instruments to measure the climatic conditions of our desert home. Don’t think there is water in the desert? Guess again.
http://sonewmex.com/images/3kids_smalst.jpg
Hey LOOK, mom... It's a scorpion!
(Photos courtesy of www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/))
It blows in the wind and makes your car dusty but It’s Not Just Dirt - It’s Soil! (July 15). Dirt is not all the same and water just doesn’t make mud pies. Even within the boundaries of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, there are many different soil types. Continue the learning with What Grows in the Desert? (July 22). Taking a closer look at some of the native plants found in the desert, we will explore which plants are tough enough to survive this semi-arid region. Amazing Arthropods (July 29) and Birds of a Feather (August 5) highlight the animal world.
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is located northeast of Las Cruces. From I-25 in Las Cruces, head east on Highway 70 and take the Mesa Grande Road exit (at Oñate High School). Make a U-turn under the highway to head west and stay in the right lane onto the frontage road. Turn right (north) on Jornada Road. Follow Jornada Road for 6.4 miles and turn left at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park sign. Follow the entrance road to the parking area and trailhead.
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Nature Park provides hands-on science education programs for more than 12,000 students throughout southern New Mexico and West Texas each year. Anyone interested in learning more about the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, membership, and volunteer opportunities should call the Nature Park office at 505-524-3334 or check the Nature Park’s web site at www.cdnp.org (http://www.cdnp.org/)