Ask Ian!

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Jill:

How big do trees get?

Hi,

Well Jill, trees come in all shapes and sizes, so it would be hard to list off all of the trees out there. But I can tell you that the biggest tree in the world is the Sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park, California, USA. They can grow up to 85 metres (279 feet) tall. They are up to 24 metres (78.7 feet) round. It’s said that there would be enough wood to make 5000 million matches!

Check out these pics!

http://www.inn-california.com/valleys/TulareC/Sequoia/sherman.html

That’s a big tree!… Could you imagine the tree house we could make?

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Mary:

Why do birds have feathers?

Hi,

That’s a good question Mary. Because they look nice?

Actually, billions of years ago, birds were part of the reptile family and had scales covering their body. Over the ages, the scales evolved into feathers that help birds fly and keep warm. 

The number of feathers on a bird varies from bird to bird. For example, the hummingbird has the fewest with approximately 950 feathers. While the whistling swan has the most with approximately 25,000 feathers!

With all those feathers, you’d think birds would be constantly tickling themselves! : )

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Jennifer:

Why do flowers have different smells?

Hi,

Jennifer, I really had to sniff out this answer.

The smells in flowers come from special oils that are produced in the petals as the plant grows. When this oil evaporates, it gives off a fragrance which we can smell. Different chemicals, in different flowers, create different smells. For example, the ‘pelican flower‘ in South America smells like rotten meat! Yuck!

There you have it! Hope that answers your smelly question.

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Pat:

How do frogs survive the Winter?

Hi,

Chilling question Pat. So you want to know how frogs survive winter? In a word - Antifreeze! Let me explain…

Lots of animals, including frogs, hibernate over the winter. They find or build a place to live over the winter that will protect them from cold, snow, ice and predators. Then it slows its metabolism down so much that it’s able to sleep all season by using stored energy in its body. When spring comes, the animal “wakes up” and leaves its winter shelter to get on with feeding and breeding.

Frogs that live in water, such as the Leopard Frog and American Bullfrog normally hibernate underwater. But contrary to popular belief, they don’t bury themselves in mud at the bottom because there isn’t enough oxygen in mud for them to survive. Instead they stay near oxygen-rich water and spend most of the winter lying on top of the mud or only partially buried - and they may even slowly swim around from time to time.

Frogs that live on land, like the American Toad, dig deep into the soil well below the frost line and stay there for the winter. Other land frogs that can’t dig as well, such as the Wood Frog and the Spring Peeper, crawl into deep cracks in logs or rocks, or cover themselves in leaves.

Ice forms in much of a frog’s body but not in its vital organs like its heart and lungs. There’s such a high concentration of glucose (a natural sugar) in those organs that it prevents them from freezing. A partially frozen frog will stop breathing, and its heart will stop beating and it will actually look dead. But when it warms up in the spring, it will thaw out and start breathing again!

Fascinating stuff!

-Ian

Keep trekking!

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Gregory:

How many oceans are there in the world?

Hi,

Good question Gregory, I’ve always wondered this myself. 

The world is divided into 5 major oceans:

1) The Pacific Ocean

2) The Atlantic Ocean

3) The Arctic Ocean

4) The Indian Ocean

5) The Antarctic Ocean (recently recognized as the ‘Fifth Ocean’)

And just so you know, the Pacific Ocean is the largest. For more information on Oceans, visit:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Shawn:

What is the biggest animal on Earth?

Hi,

Good one Shawn. I was surprised to find out that the biggest animal lives in the ocean!

The blue whale is the biggest animal in the world. And it’s the largest animal of all time! It weighs more than 30 elephants and can be 30 metres (98 feet) long.

This video shows just how big that is….oh my…:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YtC-VagE4Y

That’s big!

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Scott:

Is the Earth really a huge magnet?

Hi,

Oh, I love magnet questions! When I’m out trekking I always bring a compass with me, so knowing how magnets work always comes in handy.

If you have ever looked closely at a compass, you will have seen how the needle always points north. The compass needle is made of iron. It points north because it’s attracted to the North Pole. This is because the Earth works like a huge electromagnet. Its core is made up of iron and nickel. As the Earth spins, its outer surface spins a little faster than this central core. This sets up a magnetic field - turning the Earth into a gigantic magnet! Yowza!

My head is spinning!

Canada’s Science and Technology Museum has all the information you need to know about magnets, check it out here:

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/schoolzone/Information_magnetic.cfm

Thanks for the question, it was magnetic!

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Hey Campers,

What is Remembrance Day?

Today is Remembrance Day, a very important day to show respect for those who have fought in war.

Remembrance Day commemorates those who died in the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War. It is held every November 11th.

The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. Replica poppies are sold to raise money for Veterans. So don’t forget to wear a poppy in the month of November to show your respect for all the brave men and women who have fought in war.

Lest we forget.

-Ian

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Julie:

Can you reach the end of a rainbow?

Hi,

Interesting question Julie. This question was a real noodle scratcher!

A rainbow is formed by sunlight shining through distant raindrops. As we move closer to it, we see the light through different raindrops yet further away. So we can never really reach the end of a rainbow!

I guess you can end your ongoing search for Leprechauns, huh?

Thanks for the question!

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”

Here’s a question that came in from a camper named Melissa:

Why are Polar Bears white?

Hi,

Good question Melissa, I’ve wondered this myself.

A polar bear is white all over except for its black nose. This helps it to hide in the snow (because we all know polar bears live up north, right?). They have been known to cover their noses with snow when they’re hunting, just to be extra camouflaged.

Check out this quick Polar Bear fact sheet for more information:

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/arctic/pbear.html

Thanks for the question! I learnt something too!

Keep trekking!

Ian

“Let’s Get Outside & Try Something New”