Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be small? Like REALLY small? So very, very smol...

So small that you could walk around under the blades of grass and the fallen tree leaves and crawl around in the moss and tiny lumps of dirt and grains of sand. I used to daydream about being a few millimeters tall, the size of a bug, and how flowers would appear as large as trees and pebbles would feel as heavy as boulders. I would fight off a hoard of ants with a toothpick to claim my prize. A fallen crumb, now giant, of chocolate! And when the time was right I would harness up a rascally old grasshopper named Hopper and flutter off into the sunset.

Alas, I remain myself, unchanged. But we don't have to be tiny to peek into the hidden world of the pint-sized. Lets zoom in on the smaller side of life outdoors and take a "very long journey" in only a few human-sized steps.

While a leisurely stroll in the park can be nice, we are going to be a little more intentional when we go on our Micro Hike. We'll be exploring a small ecosystem out there. Watch this video on the right to find out what exactly an ecosystem is and then we'll make some predictions about what we might find when we go on our backyard Micro Hike.

• What are the two main categories of things in an ecosystem?

• Where does the energy for all living things originate from?

• How are producers, consumers and decomposers different? How are they similar?

Now that you've learned about Ecosystems, let's pick a place to go for our Micro Hike. There's really no limit, just a patch of real earth. Any backyard or park will work great. Of course, make sure it's safe to be there and that your family knows where you are going to be.

For today's hike, we want a space that has an area of about 1 square meter (1 meter long x 1 meter wide). Since a meter is about 2 steps you can estimate the size of your space by walking in a square, two steps for each side, and you'll have a spot just about the perfect size for a Micro Hike. You can consider the following when picking your plot:

• Think about where you can find a patch of grass near your home.

• As you look, some trees or larger plants are a huge bonus, just don't trample someone's flowers.

• Walls and fences can add some variety to your ecosystem.

Now that you have decided on a place to hike, we will need to bring along a few supplies so we can get really creative! Here's a quick list:

• A length of string 1 to 2 meters long. This is how we will mark our trail. A shoelace can also work in a pinch.

• A some paper and a writing utensil.

• A magnifying glass (optional for up close and personal viewing)

• Craft sticks and markers (optional for making trail signs)

• Small plastic container (optional for temporarily housing and viewing critters)

Now that we have what we need AND know where we are going, let's make some predictions about what we'll find:

• What kind of "biotic" things do you think you'll see? What about "abiotic" things?

• What types of producers do you think you will find on your Micro Hike? What Consumers? Decomposers?

• Think about how the "abiotic" parts of your backyard ecosystem affect the "biotic" parts?

I'm guessing that I'll be finding a few different kinds of insects. If I do, I'm going to take pictures. You can also do a quick sketch if you want. I like to look up the names of the creatures I find after I come back from my hike.

Are insects one of the "biotic" parts of this ecosystem? or "abiotic" parts?

Wow! There are so many interesting things to learn about insects. What was something new you learned from the video?