BioTV

Birds are Everywhere

Drawing from nature is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to discover the plants and animals around you. There is crossover value for everyone: practice drawing from life; hone observation skills; deepen knowledge of the natural world. Join natural science illustrator/avid birder Sandy McDermott as she celebrates the the 26th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count during BioNook's latest After School Science Club session, Birds are Everywhere, an online scientific workshop introducing middle and high school students to the art of creating nature journals with an emphasis on using drawing as a tool for observation.  

Birds on the Move

Fall is here, and millions of bird species around the world have taken to the night skies to begin an annual trek over water and land, sometimes for days non-stop, to get from one place on the globe to another. But why? Join natural science illustrator Sandy McDermott and science education consultant Lornie Bullerwell as they explore the ecological significance of bird migration during BioNook's latest session of After School Science Club for middle and high school students, Birds on the Move: The Art of Migration. 

Gummy Bear Osmosis

Learn all about osmosis — the movement of solvent molecules across semipermeable membranes from higher to lower solute concentrations — using gummy bears as a test subject. 

Planaria Dissection

Join Thomas Cooke, Postdoctoral Fellow in Peter Reddien’s lab at Whitehead Institute in a planaria dissection. He explains how, in some species, certain organs can restart their developmental programs after cells are lost or injured in order to regrow their missing parts. This type of regeneration research can help us understand how bodies develop and may contribute to the field of regenerative medicine. 
Audience level: middle and high school
 

Whitehead Institute Greenhouse Tour: The Importance of Studying Rare and Endangered Species

Take a glimpse into the inner workings of a bustling greenhouse facility with Rebecca Povilus, Postdoctoral Fellow, in Mary Gehring’s lab at Whitehead Institute. Follow Rebecca through the greenhouse as she explains how the tiny water lily, Nymphaea thermarum, is being used to better understand the evolutionary history of flowering plants. 

This video was created in conjunction with Whitehead Institute’s Annual Spring Lecture Series for High School Students.