Why do plants have hairs?

As we walk along a trail, we can observe the diverse world around us: trees, flowers, birds, reptiles, rocks, clouds. What an amazing world it is: colors, sounds, textures, smells. But there is another amazing world not easily seen by the human eye, a microscopic world. A glimpse at that world is seen through the microscope or magnifying glass. A weed in your garden, which you gleefully pull up and put under the microscope, may turn out to be quite beautiful and unique.

Read more The Amazing Microscopic World of Plants by Terry Foxx ›

Our goal at the Nature Center is to get people out-of-doors to see the diversity around them, to become connected to nature. Our cell phone, computers, TVs and other electronic devices have taken a hold upon us and our children to the point we remain inside and ignore the out-side world.

However, there is one piece of technology at the Nature Center that holds the fascination of everyone, child and adult. It is the digital microscope. Every time I walk into the Center, I see a child or adult slipping a rock, piece of wood, snake skin or other item onto the base to magnify. For me, that microscope and my digital hand lens have been the window into the microscopic world of flowers and an opening to the diversity and busyness of that world not visible to the human eye.

Read more The Amazing Microscopic World of Flowers by Terry Foxx ›