14 Jun Science news beyond the garden walls

During Week 7 Ms Edwards and the students in Room 9 carefully collected creatures from the Outdoor Classroom in an effort to begin documenting what interesting animals we have lurking in our school backyard. Back in the lab, students completed a labelled diagram and used a branching key to classify their specimens. We found lots of earthworms, slaters, snails and spiders. However, during lunch that day Mikaela and Desean made a brilliant discovery over by the cricket nets. They had a friendly encounter with a stick insect, about 12 cm in length.

Carefully collecting this specimen, they brought it back to the lab for further observation. Here is a photo of the stick insect taken in the lab. Mikaela and Desean then returned the stick insect back to its original habitat. Lucky passerbyers on the oval watched the whole release process, however, they had trouble spotting the stick insect because it’s a master of disguise! Stick insects are among the best camouflaged insects in the animal world, mimicking perfectly the leaves, branches and twigs of their surroundings.

Great discovery Mikaela and Desean!

We wonder what else we’ll discover living in our gardens at school?