So you want to be a scientist...

So You Want To Be A Scientist...

Through Nature in the Neighborhood and Splash Club children and their parents get to meet scientists who live and work in our region as they share what they know and love about exploring life outdoors. These experiences at Splash can open eyes, warm hearts and expand minds to possibilities for their future pursuits.

Many professional scientists in our region work with nature as their job. They make a living practicing science.  However, thousands more lay scientists practice scientific investigation as a pastime and study nature for fun. In fact, many lay scientists become experts in their field of interest because they love nature and they love learning about it. 

For life-long learners, there is always more to explore and investigate in nature. Many professional and lay scientists spend time sharing their knowledge with young people, hoping that nature exploration will give them the joy that they experience. Most believe that every generation inherits the work (and the fun) of preserving wildlife from the previous generation, and is responsible for passing it on to the next one.

Here are some examples of the fields of study that professional and lay scientists pursue...

Botany

Botanists study plants. Over 10,000 species of plants live in California, so a botanist has a lot of studying to do just to learn to identify them. But botany is more than just knowing the names of plants. Botanists learn where and when plants bloom, what pollinates them, and what eats them.

Ornithology

Ornithologists study birds. Some are especially interested in birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks, and owls.

Zoology

Zoologists study animals but the animal kingdom has too many animals for one person to know all about. So, most zoologists focus their study on a particular group of animals.

Sacramento Splash - Helping children understand and value their natural world picture
Patient, little bees

Solitary Bees generally only collect pollen and nectar from a single species of plant (or from a few closely-related plants). Researchers have discovered that vernal pool Solitary Bees can hibernate underground for up to four years, waiting for the 2-3 weeks when their host plant is in bloom.

Sacramento Splash - Helping children understand and value their natural world picture
Did you know there are tigers in vernal pools?

This is an Aquatic Beetle larva, more commonly known as a "Water Tiger." It's pincers are like hypodermic needles and it uses them to suck the fluid out of its prey. Yummy!