The Kitchen Pantry Scientist Ecology for Kids

Liz Lee Heinecke has loved science since she was old enough to inspect her first butterfly. After working in molecular biology research for 10 years and earning her master’s degree, she left the lab to kick off a new chapter in her life as a stay-at-home mom. Soon, she found herself sharing her love of science with her three kids as they grew, chronicling their science adventures on her KitchenPantryScientist website. Her desire to share her enthusiasm for science led to regular television appearances, an opportunity to serve as an Earth Ambassador for NASA, and the creation of an iPhone app. Her goal is to make it simple for parents to do science with kids of all ages, and for kids to experiment safely on their own. Liz graduated from Luther College and received her master’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the author of Kitchen Science Lab for Kids, Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: Edible Edition, Outdoor Science Lab for Kids, STEAM Lab for Kids, Sheet Pan Science, and Little Learning Labs: Kitchen Science for Kids. Her namesake series, The Kitchen Pantry Scientist, pairs illustrated biographies with engaging hands-on activities inspired by their work. The books in that series include: Chemistry for Kids, Biology for Kids, Physics for Kids, Math for Kids, and Ecology for Kids. Kelly Anne Dalton is a professional artist and illustrator living in the wild mountains of Montana. Working from her charming 1920s studio, Kelly Anne loves creating a wide range of work, from children’s books to decorative greeting cards and gifts. Growing up with a biologist mother, Kelly has had an appreciation for science and nature her entire life, and because of that, she enjoys creating the portraits for the Kitchen Pantry Scientist series. When not drawing, Kelly Anne can be found trail running in the forest, playing with her dogs, and adventuring with her husband.

Lab 1 Alexander Von Humboldt (1769-1778) German: Use blue ice cubes to see how cold water moves in ocean currents.
Lab 2 Eunice Newton Foote (b.1819-1888) American: Do a greenhouse gas experiment in a bottle to see how carbon dioxides traps heat.
Lab 3 Jean Henri Fabre (b.1823) French: Build an insect habitat to study insect behavior and habitat requirements.
Lab 4 William Emerson Ritter (1856-1944) American: Capture invertebrates in pitfall traps, soil sieves and aquatic sieves to study population diversity.
Lab 5 Eugenius Warming (1841-1924) Danish: Make a paper cactus with accordion folds to see how cacti expand when it rains.
Lab 6 George Washington Carver (b.1864) American: Grow beans to see how different soil conditions affect growth.
Lab 7 Ed Ricketts (1897-1948) American: Build a tide pool in a tub and make waves to learn about shoreline invertebrates.
Lab 8 G. Evelyn Hutchinson (1903-1991) English: Build a diorama of an ecosystem to illustrate niches occupied by different animals.
Lab 9 Dora P Henry (1904-1999) American: Use bottle caps, yarn and frosting to study the life cycle of barnacles and learn how they attach to rocks, boats and whales.
Lab 10 Rachel Carson (b.1907) American: Make a Secchi disk to test water clarity and take water samples from a local pond, lake or stream.
Lab 11 Eugene Odum (1924-2002) American: Rope off a biodiversity square and see how many plant and animal species you can find.
Lab 12 Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021) Japanese; Plant chia seeds on a slope to see how trees protect soil from wind and water erosion.
Lab 13 E. O. Wilson (1929-2021) American: Make a sweep net to capture and study invertebrates. Observe insects in their natural habitats.
Lab 14 Sylvia Alice Earle (b.1930) American: Create an oil spill in a bowl and experiment to see which materials remove oil from the water.
Lab 15 O’Neil Ray Collins (1931) American: Dissect a mushroom and make prints from the spores.
Lab 16 C.S. Holling (1930-2019) Canadian: Search for animal footprint and make casts of them. Identify the animals as predator or prey.
Lab 17 Wanari Maathai (b.1940) Kenyan: Germinate beans or tree seeds in a jar and transplant the seedlings.
Lab 18 Robin Wall Kimmer (b. 1953) American: Observe and collect moss/ look for tardigrades
Lab 19 Rodrigo Medellin (b.1957) Mexican: Do an echolocation experiment to illustrate how bats locate their prey.
Lab 20 Dana Bergstrom (b.1962) Australian: Use water, your breath and a stuffed animal to see how seeds are dispersed by ocean, wind and animals.
Lab 21 Aparajita Datta (b.1970) Indian: Observe insects such as butterflies, caterpillars, bees, aphids and beetles to learn about the relationship between plants and animals.
Lab 22 Lisa Schulte Moore American: Make prairie plants from chenille sticks to see how long roots reach for water and prevent soil erosion.              
Lab 23 Lesley de Souza (b.1977) Brazilian/American: Build a rainforest terrarium or an aquatic ecosystem.
Lab 24 Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (b.1980) American: Use carbonated water and red cabbage juice to see how carbon dioxide acidifies ocean water.
Lab 25 Jodie Darquea Arteaga ( ) Ecuadorian: Make a fishing net from a produce bag and use candy fish to see how dolphins, turtles can be entangled.