10 - OCVN Week 8

AWESOME!!! That's the only word I can use to describe week eight's OCVN class at the Germantown Metroparks Nature Center. Bob Henn, author of Wildflowers of Ohio, spoke to us in the morning. He gave us each a lily and we pulled off the petals and sepals - yes, three of those petals were really sepals. Then we learned about sex - the reproductive system of flowers. We examined the pistil which is made up of the ovary, the style and the "sticky" stigma on the top. The stigma receives the pollen so you want something that the pollen will adhere to. Bob was great at giving us ways to remember all the terminology.

After learning about flower parts Bob showed us some pictures of wildflowers. Then we took a hike outside.
He actually dug up a bloodroot and cut into the root to show us how "red" it is and where the flower gets its name. We also found a deer carcass and we examined this, playing CSI. Bob autographed copies of his book.

After lunch, Doug, the naturalist working there, spoke to us about fossils. Then we took a hike and went down to the riverbed. The creek was full of fossils. I found a horned coral and a brachiopod (clamlike structure) that was fully intact. Many of the rocks only contained the bottom shell of the clam imprinted into the rock. So I felt lucky to have a complete one.

Doug also told us about all the teaching aids available at Germantown Nature Center. These nature kits (on insects, butterflies, mammals, trees, etc) are free (with a small deposit) and can be used with grade school kids of all ages. It's good to know where to find teaching aids.


Doug was great at showing us how to build rapport with a group. When our day was almost finished he asked us to stand in a circle and say one thing that we really liked about the day. I said I liked seeing the red striped salamander that Nina found in the creek. Some people were grateful for the beautiful day and Doug, our teacher. I went home with many happy memories.