Within the Junior Land Stewards Program, students are exploring the intricacies of plant systems. Recently, they had the opportunity to dive deeper into the world of plants through flower dissection. This hands-on experience sparked curiosity among our 4th-grade participants and provided them with answers to some common questions about flowers, pollination, and plant reproduction.
Here is a note from Haley Peterson, Junior Land Stewards Program Manager:
During our flower dissection, students were able to answer the following burning questions:
Why do plants produce flowers?
What is the purpose of nectar?
Why are there brightly colored petals?
What is the purpose of a sepal?
Where does pollen come from and what does it do?
What has to happen for a seed to grow?
Why are we doing this work, and what purpose do our pollinator gardens serve?
Students talked about plants as food, shelter, seeds, and reproduction.We dissected flowering maples, daffodils, and African corn flag flowers. The 4th graders discovered that, although each flower was very different, they all had the parts that make up a flower and allow for pollination and reproduction. By using hand microscopes, the Junior Land Stewards were able to take an even closer look at their flowers.
We are excited to get back out into the field next week and see if any of our California native plants have started producing flowers!
This program is supported by your generous support, as well as The California Coastal Commission's WHALE TAIL® Grant and the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.
Donate to support the Junior Land Stewards Program, connecting our local Coastside students to the natural world, and guiding them in stewardship of their local open spaces.