living wetlands at the ut...
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Living Wetlands at the UT Gardens | VOLS Bingo
The wetlands were built in 2015 to show visitors the benefits that wetland ecosystems can bring to our cities, towns and neighborhoods. Wetlands are the kidneys of the earth, soaking up toxins that get washed off of parking lots and rooftops and keeping them out of streams and rivers. These wetlands catch runoff from the parking lots at the green houses, protecting Third Creek and the Tennessee River. These wetlands are home to many wildlife species. Ducks, dragonflies, frogs and water striders along with many other insects and animals use the wetland to find food, take shelter, and raise their young. With each season, the wetlands change. Visit often to see what is new! Can you get a wetland bingo? Access the online bingo card at the links below and start finding the items in the boxes. Challenge your friends and family to play, and pick from the rule options below. Find a glossary of terms at https://tiny.utk.edu/wetlandbingoglossary.
https://tiny.utk.edu/wetlandbingo
Fill in a box by finding the item pictured in the box and tapping the screen. Rule Options*:
-‐ For a “GO VOLS” game – Fill at least one box in each of the columns labeled at the top, and once you have done so, yell “GO VOLS!”
-‐ For a short game – Fill all boxes in either a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line.
-‐ For a regular game – Fill all the boxes in both a horizontal line and vertical line.
-‐ For a long game – Fill all the boxes on the card. *Note: As the wetland is a natural feature, the presence of some plant and animal life may be seasonal. Late spring (May-‐June) is the best time to find all the items in the bingo card boxes. If you are playing in fall or winter, then the short game that requires the fewest boxes is recommended.
Arrow Arum: a wetland plant that is native from Maine to Florida and has bright green, heart-‐shaped leaves and white flowers. HINT: Look for tall white flowers.
Backswimmer: an aquatic insect that swims on top of the water upside down and is also called a water boatman.
Bees: flying insects that make honey and perform pollination, the process by which pollen is transferred to the female reproductive organs on a plant.
Bird Nest: a shelter built by birds to rest and hatch young; usually built from sticks, moss, and any other debris the bird can find and transport.
Blooming Pickerelweed: a wetland plant native to the American content that produces a vertical, stalk-‐like purple flower.
Bulrush: a tall grass-‐like water plant that grows in dense colonies from root structures called rhizomes and has round stems. HINT: Look around the edge of the middle pond.
Butterfly: flying insects that often have brightly colored wings and a “complete” life cycle, consisting of four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult.
Detritus: dead organic matter that is the result of decomposition of living organisms, both plants and animals. HINT: look on the soil surface under the water.
Dragonfly: flying insects that have two sets of strong transparent wings, sometimes with colored patches, and are a major predator of mosquitos in wetlands.
Ducks: a group of waterfowl birds, which also includes geese and swans, that migrate annually and use wetlands to find food and shelter from predators.
Duckweed: an aquatic plant that floats on or just beneath the water surface and is the smallest flowering plant.
Exoskeleton: an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal’s body. HINT: Look closely on the plant stalks coming out of the water.
Frog Eggs: a mass or cluster of eggs from a frog and resemble jelly with black seeds inside. HINT: Look on the underside of logs and sticks that are under water or floating.
Frog: carnivorous amphibians that begin their lives in wetlands as tadpoles and often hunt in wetlands as adults.
Iris: the type of iris you see is known as blue flag iris and grows to be 2-‐3 feet tall with violet-‐blue blooms.
Natural Oil Sheen: a thin floating layer of oils (or hydrocarbons) that form as a product of microbial activity in wet (or anaerobic) soils of the wetland.
Radial Leaves: a leaf arrangement on a plant where multiple leaves come out of a bulge on the stem; also called a whorled pattern.
Sedge: a type of plant that looks like grass and grows very well in wetlands. It has flat stems, unlike rushes which have round stems. It’s easy to remember with the saying “sedges have edges and rushes are round.”
Seed Clusters: a grouping of seeds produced by grasses in order to reproduce and spread.
Songbirds: perching birds that produce a range of calls and include birds like warblers, sparrows, swallows and more.
Sweet Flag: a tall, wetland plant that gets its name from the sweet smell that arises when the blades are snapped. HINT: Look along the edge of the water.
Tadpoles: larval stage of the life cycle of frogs and amphibians that is usually spent entirely in aquatic environments; also called pollywogs.
Turtles: aquatic turtles commonly found in wetlands include Red Eared Sliders and Paint Turtles.
Water Reflections: the reflection of light off the water surface.