Micro Hike

In this activity we will explore the world at its tiniest, and see the HUGE potential that lies beneath what is seen everyday.

Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk...

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.

I See You, Ecosystem

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?

Location, Location, Location

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.

Today, I'm going to hike around my backyard herb garden (see photo below). All the plants and bricks look like nice places to hideout - especially if I were only a few millimeters tall! I wonder what is going on in there? It doesn't seem to be too busy at first glance, but what if we take a closer look?

Gear Up!

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)

Edumacated Guesses

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?

What About Bugs?

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?

What kind of jacket do you wear on a hike?

A trail blazer!

Outdoor Adventure Challenge

When you get outside, you're going to:

Lay your string down inside of your Micro Ecosystem and then get down and dirty!
No really, get down on your hands and knees and maybe even lay on your belly to get a real close look.
Use your hands to carefully move the grass or plants to the side and peer down in all the cracks and crevices - our goal is to see all the details.
Follow your string slowly as it twists and turns through your space.
I used craft sticks to mark where I saw some things. You can do the same if you want.
On a new sheet of paper, make 3 columns.
Label the first "Plants," the second "Animals" and the third "Terrain".
"Terrain" refers to the shape of the ground and what the ground looks like. Are there hills? Are there a lot of rocks or big stones or is the soil made of really small pieces of sand and dirt?
Write down some of the things that you observed in the appropriate columns.
Check out my three columns below:

Here are some photos of the organisms I found on my Micro Hike around the herb garden. What do you think, would we call all these spiders I found members of the same population or members of the same community? Or both?

Extending Our Learning

If you are like me, I now have a MILLION questions about that little piece of land. To help you dig even deeper, here are some extension activities that will go above and beyond:

Estimate how many blades of grass an ant will need to pass if it walks across your yard. Start by counting blades of grass along the Micro Hike string line, then multiply by the number of string lines it would take to cross your yard.
Estimate how many bugs live in the your backyard by figuring out the area in square meters (Area = length x width) of your backyard and then multiplying by the number of bugs you found in your one square meter.
Write a story of a bug’s journey across the school grounds. What terrain does it pass through and who does it meet?
Use field guides, online keys or image searches to identify insects found on the Micro Hike. I've included a couple links to get you started.
- insectidentification.org
- https://www.biodiversityphotography.org/Invertebrates/Insects

Quick Quiz

Now that we have made ourselve micro experts, let's see how much we remember from today! You will do great!

About the Author

Mountain*

*The Nuhop Outdoor Education Staff use "nature names" when working with students. The reason for these nature names is twofold: first it gives them a built-in conversation starter with students, and second, it provides them a level of personal privacy when working with over 4000 students in a given year.

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