The Beijing News reporter toured the botanical garden at night to look for small animals.
The little reporter prepares food for the hedgehog. Photo in this edition / Photo by Liang Sicheng, intern of the Beijing News
Installing infrared trigger cameras, preparing hedgehog meals, painting face camouflage paintings... On the evening of August 6, more than 20 young reporters from the Beijing News walked into the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden, under the leadership of a number of professional teachers, to explore the mysteries of animals and plants and feel the colorful life under the night. This is also the first member activity held by the Beijing News Small Journalist Academy since its establishment on August 1. In order to provide young journalists with more practical opportunities, expand their horizons and enhance their abilities, the Beijing News Small Journalists Academy will also organize various forms of online and offline theme activities from time to time.
The "Night Tour botanical garden, visit the night elf" activity is a public welfare summer camp sponsored by the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden and funded by the Alibaba Public Welfare Foundation, and this year it was specially customized for the members of the Beijing News Small Journalist Academy. From the content of the activities to the design of the experience session, children are encouraged to work together as a team, explore independently, and think actively, while also allowing them to plant the seeds of environmental protection in their hearts while being close to nature.
Set up personalized themes to encourage self-inquiry
"The infrared trigger camera can feel the warm-blooded animals moving nearby, and activate the lens within 0.6 seconds..." Before the night tour, the pine nut teacher of the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden explained the basic methods of wildlife monitoring to the young reporters, as well as the working principle of the infrared trigger camera, and the young reporters listened with relish.
Regarding the specific use of infrared trigger cameras and parameter settings, the teacher did not directly teach the children, but first let each group explore independently, and finally revealed the correct method. "The result of our group's discussion is that this small black lamp is a flash, and in the middle is a lens..." Sha Monan, a small reporter from the Beijing News, shared the conclusions reached by their group after observation and analysis.
After studying the use of the camera, each team received an exclusive mission card, which varied from "shooting a video of a hedgehog eating at a snack bar" or "taking a photo of the leaves of a mimosa unfolding in the early morning"... Young journalists should set the camera to different parameters according to the task to ensure that the video or picture material specified by the task can be captured. In order to exercise the children's self-directed ability, the camera battery installation and parameter setting are completed by the cooperation of each group, and the leading teacher only does the timely prompts, and does not interfere too much.
Emphasis on experientiality stimulates children's curiosity
"Unlike in-school education, which pays more attention to knowledge and skills, we design activities based on experiential aspects," Li Guangwang, director of the Plant Department of the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden, told reporters. In the activity, the young reporters not only practice and operate according to the requirements of the teacher, but also constantly find problems and think independently.
"In addition to animals, far-infrared cameras can also observe plants, such as some more distinctive and physiologically significant plants, such as mimosa, cassia, etc., and the process of opening and closing their leaves is very interesting." After listening to the teacher's explanation, the small reporter Tang Huaiyuan questioned: "The camera principle is infrared trigger, and plants are not warm-blooded animals, so how can the camera shoot plants?" Mr. Pine cone helped him solve his doubts and praised him for "this problem is very good."
Good observation is a necessary quality of journalists, in the process of night visits to the botanical garden, small reporters observe meticulously, often have unexpected gains, such as some found a beautiful butterfly caterpillar, some found a golden thread frog. "Under what circumstances do fireflies glow?" "Why do the leaves of the dancing grass move when they hear music?" "Why does this moth's wing pattern exactly resemble the bark?" ...... Curious young journalists are constantly asking one new question after another. Lead the teachers to guide and prompt the children when they have new discoveries, so that they can find the answer step by step through observation and thinking.
Get in touch with nature at close range and cultivate awareness of ecological protection
"It's so cute!" While visiting the Botanical Garden at night, a group of young reporters found a hedgehog about two years old in the grass. "Tap, don't scare it..." The little reporters carefully watched the little hedgehog for a while, and then hurried to make way for it. Let's not delay the little hedgehog's return home."
"Humans try not to feed wild animals food at will, otherwise it will interfere with their normal life and weaken their ability to find food on their own..." The leading teacher reminded the young reporter. In order to let the young reporters know more about the knowledge of nocturnal animals, the event also specially arranged for young reporters to visit the nocturnal animal herbarium to understand nocturnal animals such as weasels and pangolins, so that the young reporters can understand the living habits of animals and recognize the importance of protecting ecosystems and protecting wild animals.
"Through observing, understanding and getting close to these cute animals and plants, let the children have feelings for nature", Li Guangwang hopes that through such activities, children can cultivate and enhance their awareness of protecting animals and plants and thus protecting the ecology.
■ Small reporter observation
Learn nocturnal biological monitoring
Beijing News (Small reporter Tang Huaiyuan An Ruijin) On August 6, 2018, 30 young reporters from the Beijing News went to the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden to participate in the night tour and visit activities.
After the on-site grouping, Mr. Pine Nuts of Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden gave two lectures: "The Story of the Discovery of White-cheeked Macaques" and "Infrared Trigger Camera". The young reporter learned the basic methods of wildlife monitoring and became familiar with the structure of infrared trigger cameras. Subsequently, the "Hedgehog Snack Bar" taught by Cedar Teacher enabled the young reporters to have a preliminary understanding of the hedgehog's living habits, and everyone mixed the four ingredients of oatmeal, cat food, scrambled eggs and bread worms according to the amount specified in the "Recipe", and completed the configuration of the hedgehog meal.
"Is the lion a female or a male lion hunting?" "Do weasels love chicken?" ...... In the herbarium, the teacher explained the doubts of the young reporters, introduced the living habits of a variety of nocturnal animals, and made everyone realize the importance of protecting ecosystems and wild animals.
After the indoor event, the young reporters couldn't wait to go into the night and explore the botanical garden. Just after entering the park, a sharp-eyed reporter found a golden thread frog on the lawn, and the small hedgehog found later made everyone excited. Each group carefully recorded their findings in a notebook: cicadas on large trees, snails on paths, yellow dragonflies that stopped on their leaves, crickets jumping in the grass, flying bugs, dancing grasses, cassia seeds with medicinal properties... In addition, the young reporters did not forget to place infrared cameras and hedgehog meals. At the event, the young reporters not only felt the charm of scientific knowledge, but also improved their hands-on ability and teamwork ability.
Record late-night stories of the Botanical Gardens
Beijing News (small reporter Duan Xinyu) On the afternoon of August 6, 30 young reporters from the Beijing News came to the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden to participate in the summer camp activities of the Botanical Garden at night. The young reporters were divided into four groups, enriching their knowledge and broadening their horizons by studying infrared trigger cameras, preparing hedgehog meals, and herbarium explanations.
When the infrared trigger camera was studied, there was a heated discussion within all four groups. Some people say that this part is an LED light, some people say that it is an infrared emitter... Until the teacher revealed the answer: the infrared trigger camera is mainly composed of a split infrared emitter, receiver and camera and other parts, according to the different working principles, divided into active and passive two. At the scene, the teacher led the young reporters to set an automatic photo time at night. "Want to know the story of the Botanic Garden late at night? The photos taken by the infrared trigger camera will restore the scene for everyone. ”
Finally looking forward to the time of field exploration, the young reporters entered the two parks of the Beijing Teaching Botanical Garden to observe. In the first park, everyone saw the closure of the leaves of the plant, and the most amazing thing was the dancing grass, only to see that after hearing the sound, the leaves would gently turn, just like the dancers were dancing. In the second park, there are many small hedgehogs, and the young reporters put the pre-prepared hedgehog meal on the lawn, and the little hedgehogs will come to eat. In addition, the young reporters were lucky enough to see the night elf, the fireflies. Some of them are stationary and sparkling; some of them fly higher and higher, and the bright light appears from time to time. Because it had just rained on the day of the night tour, the air was humid, and the park road was full of small snails, creaking when they stepped on it, and the small reporters screamed in horror, afraid of stepping on them.
"Nature is amazing!" At the event, young reporters frequently sighed. In addition to seeing the nocturnal forms of a variety of animals and plants, they also realized the importance of observation and gained growth in the experience.
This edition is written by Beijing News reporter Feng Qi