Join C2ST at the Encompassing Center’s Combined Communities Thrive Summer Fair. There will be activities, resources, wellness activities and more. C2ST will be out at this event with our microscope checking out cool biology samples.
By Zyara Morton, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
We share the earth with a wide array of diverse animals, insects, and plants. Within our day-to-day life, however, we might only come across a few of the many species residing on this planet. One type of small and abundant creature we see a lot of is the ant! Ants are incredibly diverse, and with such a wide variety in behavior, I began to wonder more about these little critters. Luckily, I had the incredible opportunity to interview Dr. Andrew Suarez, an Assistant Professor of Entomology, or the study of insects, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Suarez specializes in ant ecology and behavior. So put your worker hat on, and follow me into the ant hill, as we learn more about Dr. Suarez, and these tiny creatures.
Continue reading “Into the Ant Hill: An Interview with Entomologist Dr. Suarez”
By Rowan Dunbar, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Chicago
When I first moved to Chicago for college, I quickly realized the city’s love for outdoor recreation. Water plays a key part in how many Chicagoans spend their free time, from the Chicago Riverwalk to the beaches of Lake Michigan. However, I struggled to understand why my friends would want to walk the shoreline – much less swim in an unchlorinated body of water. I knew that Chicago’s drinking water comes from Lake Michigan and that Chicago has ‘good water,’ which means it is generally clean or safe, so why did this free body of water intimidate me so much? That is when I realized that the river I grew up by – its bank covered in broken glass, bottle caps, and cigarette butts – is home to one of America’s most polluted waterways – and is the only endangered river in Illinois: the Ohio River.
Continue reading “From The Ohio River To The Great Lakes: Exploring The Health of Waterways”
By Zyara Morton, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
After a long winter full of sharp winds and freezing temperatures, the first warm and sunny day is often welcomed with open arms. Perhaps you feel more optimistic about the future, or perhaps more productive than you were in winter. Animals also become more active in spring – whether that be bears waking up from hibernation or birds migrating from one region to another. For many people, it may seem as if spring is the season to ‘get things done’, as opposed to winter or fall. However, why might many people feel less productive in winter or fall? Why do we as humans experience such mood fluctuations depending on the season?
Continue reading “Why the Changing Seasons Might Make You ‘SAD’”
Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are important skills to develop for 21st-century careers. At Hernandez Middle School (HMS), all students work on developing these skills throughout their classes. At the STEM event, participants will engage in activities related to one of the 5C’s that show connections between STEM, the Arts, and their daily lives. C2ST will be bringing out our circuit-building and wind power activity for the event.
*This event is closed to the general public and is only open to HMS families. If you would like to volunteer or learn more about how to support future STEM nights, click the button above.
By Elizabeth Carroll, C2ST Intern, Loyola University
Upon the long-awaited onset of spring, a thawing Midwest greets millions of migratory birds as they return for the northern hemisphere’s warm season. The soft calls of songbirds and the less pleasant honks of Canada Geese replace our alarm clocks as a reminder of the warm weather to come. But a bird’s migration is no small task, even for the toughest and most resilient species. Traveling from wintering grounds to breeding grounds can be a several thousand mile journey teeming with a wide variety of predators, perilous weather, and unpredictable resource availability. Threats of climate change throughout their migration routes amplify birds’ vulnerability to these dangers.
