Aspen Biologists Give Back To The Community

Aspen biologists have been making a difference by teaching elementary school students about the local animals and plants that can be found in their communities. Agoura Hills Biologist Jennifer Lancaster taught a workshop on microscopes and botany to fifth graders. The students got to collect specimens from the school garden and look at various types of flowers, roots, leaves, and stems under the microscopes. They even got to see some insects and insect eggs, and were very excited not only to explore the plants they’ve been learning about in their botany unit, but to think about all of the interesting things in nature that they can’t see with the naked eye.

One of Aspen’s Inland Empire Biologists, Justin Wood, volunteered his time to plan and host the 2nd annual “Nature Night” at a local elementary school. More than 150 people attended the event with various activities including live animals, insect collections, animal pelts, and an astronomy lab. Justin collected samples of native plants from the region and had them on display. A native plant sale was part of the event and more than forty native plants were sold with benefits going to the school PTA. Justin reached out to several local agencies and non-profit organizations to attend the event, including the San Bernardino National Forest, Sierra Club, County of San Bernardino, San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust, Heaps Peak Arboretum, and others.