Mountain Lions

Mountain Lions
~ A Virtual Field Trip ~
Gallagher Middle School
Smithfield, RI

Teachers and Friends:
This was the second Earthwatch Expedition/virtual trip for our school, and the third for our school district! Links to our other EW Expeditions are located below. Although the expedition is "done", this site is a resource and reference. It has been left in "live" format (below) to facilitate this.   Your comments, questions, and insights would be appreciated to help determine the impact of this "Teaching From the Field" project and provide suggestions for the future. Enjoy the trip - we did! It's great traveling with you!
Email to: mrsripleygms@yahoo.com

Mrs. Ripley in Sarasota, FL: Wild Dolphin Societies (Our first EW/GMS Virtual Field Trip Experience!)   Feb '01

McCabe 5th graders with Miss Marchetti join us for tracking 'Mountain Lions' - GMS Feb '02!

Mar '02 - Wild Dolphins -McCabe School Gr. 5 Teacher Miss Marchetti

Note: Original "Live Format" Begins Here:
Seventh Grade Green Team teachers, Mrs. Pleau and Mrs. Ripley, will be participating in an Earthwatch Institute expedition. Students at GMS are working on a Social Studies/Science mini project titled:
"Endangered Species: Conservation and the Hunt for Survival". The project will be anchored in RI by Mrs. Pleau who will be receiving information from the field work in the Northern Rockies in and around Malta, Idaho. Mrs. Ripley will be part of the expedition team in Idaho sending data, photos, reports, and email from the field.   Students will be able to ask questions and participate in the trip "virtually" through this electronic connection.
Other interested classes are welcomed - please email us if you'd like more information or are interested in participating. The Teachers Learning and Teaching from the Field Program in Rhode Island is funded by Earthwatch Institute , with a grant from the RI Foundation.
Click the Earthwatch
Logo for information
about EW Teacher Fellows.

***Daily photos and updates from the field***
In January 2002, we will follow the expedition to track mountain lions in the Albion Mountains of Idaho. This will give us a first hand education of the geography and ecology of the area, survival of high level predators, unique adaptations of a variety of animals in the food web, and our own role in the interdependence of life. Scientist Dr. John Laundre, houndsmen and Earthwatch volunteers will help track, tree, tranquilize and collect data from the lions for the ongoing study. Current weather and time: Providence, RI	*Click below:* Day 1 now posted Day 2 now posted Day 3 now posted Day 4 now posted Day 5 now posted Day 6 now posted Additional Photos - posted	An important aspect of the study includes the effects of human changes on the habitat of the lions. This can be both positive as well as negative. An example of positive human interaction is conservation of natural resources. One example of negative human interaction involves "breaking up" large areas of land that mountain lions need. Since such high level predators need this large territory - often in collision with humans - we are interested in the long term effect of humans "fragmenting" their habitat. Current weather and time: Pocatello, ID

*Link to student assignments:* *Requirements* *Project Rubric*	*Related resources - links* GMS FAQ's
*Link to* *Science and Social Studies Standards Addressed*	*Classes are invited to ask questions and join us: mrsripleygms@yahoo.com* Note: If you would like to email questions from a class, please condense them into ONE email. The connection available for this project is quite limited. Please use text only - no attachments, photos, backgrounds or clip art!

Visit Wildworld ~
"Preserving our Environment
by Studying Animals"

www.wildworld.org

This site is the home page for the mountain lion studies in Idaho and Mexico. There is information about the project to reintroduce the Bighorn Sheep. This site also links to information about the interesting and unique species of life found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico!
The studies all focus on conserving wildlife and protecting fragile ecosystems.

Click here to hear a lion roar:

The scientific classification for mountain lion is "puma concolor". It literally means "cat of one color". It is called many things: puma, cougar, catamount, mountain lion, sometimes panther. These terms all stand for the same group of animals ~ mountain lions. As you can see, it has a large range. Their basic requirements are the same as ours - good nutrition and a place to live.

They are often misunderstood and feared by humans. As more and more people inhabit their surrounding territories, there will be more encounters with cougars. It is more important than ever to remember that there must be a balance in nature...including our influence on it.

The study in Idaho with Dr. Laundre is a long term collection of data. The scientists collect information on the lions as well as the mule deer, which is their primary source of food. This allows them to monitor the habitat where the lions live, in order to assure a positive future for these big cats.

The mountain area in Idaho where the study takes place is in the southeastern part of the state. Humans use this land for a variety of uses - farming, roads, hunting, camping, hiking, homes, etc. The problem is that the land needs our respect and care in order for humans and wildlife to share these open spaces in balance.

...1/3 of the length of a mountain lion is actually it's TAIL!

Created and maintained by CRipley