Email: mersprng@gwi.net
Our TV culture has done a lot to make children sedentary, indoor creatures with short attention spans. This program is a good tonic for that. The woods and fields of Merryspring offer countless clues and puzzles, and nothing excites and involves kids like solving a good mystery.
Some are murder mysteries, with feathers and bones for clues. Others are logic puzzles- why did the spider leave its egg sac on this side of the rock? Whatever the case,k our would-be detectives use the tools that all kids are equipped with: sharp eyes, enthusiasm, and inquiring minds.
We give them some more tools, like field guides, magnifying glasses, a telescope, track charts, and hints about where to look next in Merryspring's 66 acres of rolling terrain. The skills and knowledge that they gain, along with the satisfaction of solving these rea-life mysteries, help bring nature alive to them.
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DESIGN IN NATURE
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Phone: 207-236-2239 |
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| Our native Virginia or white-tailed deer, familiar to all Maine children, serves as the centerpiece of this program. We look closely at the elegant design solutions that enable deer to survive cold winters, wild predators, and human pressure. | |||||||||||||||
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Merryspring's collection of bones, sinew, hides, hair and antlers lets students "see" with their own hands just how a deer is equipped for its challenging life. We examine the mechanics of thier running and jumping, the details of thheir keen senses of smell and hearing, and the survival logic behind their behavior. Although boys and girls may relate to deer in different ways, they all seem to find this program's blend of exhibits and analysis interesting enough to stay focused. In the process, they gain a deeper understanding of a creature they thought they already knew. |
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| Even a six-week old fetus seems finely formed and ready to run | Antler rub on tree in November | ||||||||||||||
| Sketch of front leg mechanics in a deer | |||||||||||||||
| Merryspring Home.......Education | |||||||||||||||
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