SEASON TWO OPENER!!

Meet the Expert: Suzanne Simpson, Ecologist and Land Stewardship Director

Suzanne oversees the protection and enhancement of BLC’s conservation lands, as well as the Spring Creek Nature Trail and the No Child Left Inside environmental education program. She is responsible for assessing the ecological values of new conservation projects and maintaining key landowner relationships. Her stewardship philosophy balances protecting wildlife habitat with the importance of community access to natural spaces. She has a B.S. in Biology from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida, where she studied the thermal ecology of the Cuban treefrog. Suzanne maintains a certification as a professional Ecologist with the Ecological Society of America. When she’s not outside working for BLC, she enjoys “herping” (searching for reptiles and amphibians) and hanging out with her ever-growing menagerie of critters. Suzanne lives in the Buffalo Bayou watershed.

More images of Suzanne in the field.

Suzanne works for Bayou Land Conservancy  Since their inception in 1996, BLC has been dedicated to preserving the land that protects us and has preserved more than 14, 187 acres. Here is Suzanne in a video talking about what they do.

Suzanne is also the host of ASK AN ECOLOGIST!  A U-Tube Show where she answers questions about Ecology.

Check out the first episode HERE:

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Challenge:

FIND your Watershed! Use one of these two maps. Either the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey)

OR the EPA  (Environmental Protection Agency)

Draw a picture of what  your watershed looks like or  make a list of  nature/animals you expect to see.

With your parents permission, send us your picture via email at podcast@solveitforkids.com OR

tag us on our Twitter or Instagram account @kidssolve

If you send in your challenge OR just leave a comment below about the episode, you will be entered into a giveaway to win a FREE copy of the book listed below.

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Highlited book for this Episode

The Wondrous Workings Of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World And Its Ecosystems
By Rachel Ignotofsky  (Ten Speed Press)

An illustrated tour of the planet exploring ecosystems large and small, from reefs, deserts, and rainforests to a single drop of water—from the New York Times bestselling author of Women in Science.

Making earth science accessible and entertaining through art, maps, and infographics, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth explains how our planet works—and how we can protect it—from its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants, to the levels of ecology, the importance of biodiversity, the cycles of nature, and more. Science- and nature-loving readers of all ages will delight in this utterly charming guide to our amazing home.

Book List:

A Balancing Act – Dynamic Nature And Her Ecosystems – Ecology For Kids By Baby Professor

Rachel Carson And Ecology For Kids: Her Life And Ideas, With 21 Activities And Experiments By Rowena Rae (Chicago Review Press)

The Ecology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by DK (Author), Tony Juniper (Foreword)

Biomes: Discover the Earth’s Ecosystems with Environmental Science Activities for Kids by Donna Latham (Author), Tom Casteel (Illustrator)– Nomad Press