Get ready for Wild Critters USA!

The tortoise that saved the rabbit!

Did you know a single Mojave Desert tortoise burrow can become a shelter for rattlesnakes, owls, kangaroo rats, and many other desert animals? This week, we explore the Mojave Desert with wildlife biologist Brianna Fogel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Learn how desert tortoises survive in one of North America's harshest environments, why they spend so much time underground, and why scientists call them a keystone species that helps support an entire desert community. ➡️ Part of the Wild Critters USA series, created with PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation ➡️ Learn more about desert wildlife with Ranger Rick Magazine: https://rangerrick.org/ [https://bit.ly/4eumXqh] ➡️ Learn more about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/ [https://www.fws.gov/] ➡️ Free Wild Critters USA coloring pages: https://www.cumbrekids.org/color-along [https://bit.ly/43NgvG1] 💬 Submit your kids' questions! https://⁠⁠www.cumbrekids.org/questions⁠⁠ [https://www.cumbrekids.org/questions] 💛 Support this podcast by joining The Curious Club: ⁠⁠https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club [⁠⁠https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club] ⁠⁠Orbit Family Conversation Starters! 1. If you could design the perfect desert burrow, what would it be like and which animals would you invite to share it? 2. Why do you think some animals can survive in places that seem too hot, too cold, or too dry for people? 3. What would happen to the Mojave Desert ecosystem if desert tortoises disappeared? Continue learning as a family! * Draw your own desert tortoise burrow and decide which animals might use it for shelter. * Explore a map and find the Mojave Desert. How is it different from where you live? * Look for other examples of keystone species and the important roles they play in ecosystems. 🎧 More podcasts by Cumbre Kids in English and Spanish: https://www.cumbrekids.org [https://www.cumbrekids.org ] 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values [https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values ]

Get ready for Wild Critters USA!

Discover the wild side of America with Orbit’s brand-new Wild Critters USA series! Join us as wildlife experts from the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute answer real questions from curious kids about alligators, bald eagles, desert tortoises, bison, and more. Perfect for summer road trips, family adventures, and screen-free learning for kids ages 3–11. ➡️ A special summer series celebrating America’s wildlife in partnership with PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation ➡️ Explore more with National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick Magazine: https://rangerrick.org/ [https://bit.ly/4eumXqh] ➡️ Learn more about PBS Nature: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/] 💬 Submit your kids' questions for upcoming episodes! ⁠⁠www.cumbrekids.org/questions⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/4oETAWR] 🎨 Free coloring pages for all episodes: https://www.cumbrekids.org/color [https://bit.ly/4vtNYSg] 🎧 More podcasts by Cumbre Kids in English and Spanish: ⁠⁠https://www.cumbrekids.org [https://www.cumbrekids.org] 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: ⁠⁠https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values [https://bit.ly/3LqBmJv]

How does AC lower the temperature?

❄️ Do air conditioners actually make cold air? How was air conditioning invented? And what does an HVAC technician do all day? In this episode, HVAC instructor John Vernon helps Orbiters discover the surprising science behind air conditioning. Learn how refrigerant carries heat, why compressors are so important, and how air conditioning changed homes, schools, hospitals, and cities around the world. This episode is part of our Cool Jobs series with Level Up Texas and Texas A&M University's Office for Youth Engagement. ➡️Level-Up Texas: https://tx.ag/cooljobs [https://tx.ag/cooljobs ] ➡️ Skillpoint Alliance (https://skillpointalliance.org/ [https://skillpointalliance.org/]), a nonprofit organization that helps adults prepare for skilled trades careers through hands-on training programs. 💬 Submit your kids' questions! https://www.cumbrekids.org/questions [https://www.cumbrekids.org/questions] 🖍️ Coloring pages for each episode! https://www.cumbrekids.org/color-along [https://www.cumbrekids.org/color-along] 💛 Support this podcast by joining The Curious Club: https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club [https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club] Orbit Family Conversation Starters! * If you could invent something to make life more comfortable, what would it do? * Would you enjoy a job where you solve puzzles and fix machines? Why or why not? Continue learning as a family! * Find every vent, thermostat, fan, refrigerator, freezer, and cooling system in your home. * Draw a picture showing how heat moves from inside a house to outside through an air conditioner. * Watch a family-friendly video about how air conditioners work. 🎧 More podcasts by Cumbre Kids in English and Spanish: https://www.cumbrekids.org [https://www.cumbrekids.org] 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values [https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values]

What's in the eye of a hurricane?

Ever wonder how hurricanes form, why they spin, or why some storms get names? Join Rob, Hank, and cohost Milam as we explore the wild science of hurricanes with meteorologist Steve LaVoie from the National Weather Service!  💬 Submit your kids' questions for episodes! ⁠⁠⁠www.cumbrekids.org/questions⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cumbrekids.org/questions%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0]  Special Middle School episode extra: YouTube [https://youtu.be/I_EnjfzBlMI] After listening: 3 questions for your family: * What did you learn about hurricanes? * Steve was very interested in weather when he was a kid. Do you have one favorite topic, like Steve, or do you enjoy learning about many topics? * If you could name the next hurricane, what would you name it and why? Keep learning! Activities based in this episode:  * Create your severe weather plan! https://www.weather.gov/ama/severesafetyplan [https://www.weather.gov/ama/severesafetyplan]  * See if your name is on the Hurricane rotation! https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml [https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml] * Print a Hurricane Tracking chart: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracking_charts.shtml [https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracking_charts.shtml]  * NOAA Jetstream, an online school for weather:  https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream [https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream]  * Hurricane hazards video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwcHGAEiieU&list=PLGSuh25eUsgFsswOq3DVrhg3lzBylEMSt [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwcHGAEiieU&list=PLGSuh25eUsgFsswOq3DVrhg3lzBylEMSt]  * Learn about the Coriolis effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIyBpi7B-dE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIyBpi7B-dE]  💛 Support this podcast by joining The Curious Club: LINK [https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club] 🎧 More podcasts by Cumbre Kids in English and Spanish: ⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠ [https://www.cumbrekids.org] 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: ⁠⁠LINK [https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values] This work was funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)-Gulf Research Program, Grant # SCON-10001601 (PI: Ayça K. Fackler, Co-PI: Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASEM.

Magma, volcanoes, and fossils! The incredible rock cycle

Ever wondered if rocks can melt like cheese, explode out of volcanoes, or travel to the bottom of the ocean? Join Rob, Hank, and special cohost Kenji as we follow the incredible adventure of Walter the Rock through the rock cycle with geoscientist Dr. Lina Pérez-Angel from Brown University and the Geological Society of America. Together, we discover how rocks form, melt into magma, cool into igneous rocks, break into sediments, and transform deep underground over millions of years. ➡️ This episode is possible thanks to the Geological Society of America ➡️ Learn more about Dr. Lina’s science communication work with GeoChat: ⁠LINK [https://www.instagram.com/geolchat/ ] Orbit Family Conversation Starters! 1. If you could watch one part of the rock cycle in real life, which would you choose? 2. Why do you think rocks can look and feel so different from each other? 3. What’s the coolest rock or crystal you’ve ever found? Continue learning as a family! * Visit a park, beach, or trail and compare different rocks you find together. * Start a small family rock collection and sort rocks by color, texture, or shape. * Look around your home for granite or marble and talk about how those rocks formed. * Learn more about volcanoes and the rock cycle with books or videos from your library. ❓ Submit questions for upcoming episodes: LINK [https://⁠www.cumbrekids.org/questions] 💖 Support this podcast by joining our Curios Club: ⁠LINK [https://www.cumbrekids.org/curious-club] 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: LINK [⁠⁠⁠https://www.cumbrekids.org/our-values] 🎧 Orbit is produced by Cumbre Kids: ⁠www.cumbrekids.org [https://www.cumbrekids.org]