Archaeology, our fifth and final module, started Monday. Students learned a lot about the basics: Archaeology is the study of artifacts and buildings that people have left behind. In Turkana, there are mostly stone tools that range in age from 3 million years to 50,000 years or less. Students learned about stone tools, [...]
Local students went back to visit the Lorengelup primary school where they planted trees a few weeks ago. They had since erected some barriers around these little trees to protect them from the many goats in the area. Associated with the school is a small brand new maternity clinic. To provide power for lights, cooking [...]
Students learned in detail about how decaying organic plant material gets preserved over time (taphonomy). For example, plants can get preserved under volcanic ash, mud slides, or on lake and river bottoms. In all cases, fine sediment or ash completely covers the plant material. To illustrate taphonomy, students went to the river to look at [...]
This week, students will be learning al about the differences among living plants and their adaptations. Did you know that there are many more plants with toothed leaves in colder climates and that most leaves of plants in warm and wet climates have smooth edges? There is a higher rate of photosynthesis in the spiky [...]
The Field School is not all work; there is also some time to relax. On Sunday students went to Eliye Springs on the sandy shores of Lake Turkana. This little “resort” features a small restaurant with fabulous food and cold sodas (special treat!). Students relaxed in the shade under umbrellas and cooled off in the [...]
Students went on a field trip to Kalodir, a site where with exposed sediments that are over 17 million years old. After chipping away sediments students recovered impressions of leaves and other plant parts. Impressions occur when, let’s say a leaf, drifts to the lake bottom where it is covered with fine sediments such as [...]
Time is flying – the forth module kicked off Monday. Students are learning about the evolution of vertebrates (animals with a backbone) and how to identify animal fossils. Students are also learning about the evolution of plants and how to identify plant fossils. Knowing about what types of plants and animals were present at any [...]
This Sunday students went to visit a local school. Of course, Turkana students have off on Sundays too, but many of the 176 children and teachers came to welcome the TBI Field School students. TBI donated around 20 young trees that we all planted together around the school yard. After that, students played some soccer [...]