Latest Shoot: Oklahoma Aquarium

Production on the first adventure of EveryDay Earth has pretty much finished up but we're already working on the second!  Since the curriculum is Oklahoma based we wanted to involve as many educational Oklahoma attractions as possible.

It's also not just Oklahoma rocks and landforms we want to include, we also want to incorporate Oklahoma wildlife to show to show how so many natural systems are connected.   Thankfully the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks was happy to let us stop by and get some footage.

The main focus of the shoot was the "Aquatic Oklahoma" exhibit which features all kinds of local critters that swim, slither, skitter and float around the lakes and rivers of Oklahoma.  It was a great opportunity to get the kind of close up shots of animals that we would never be able to get in the wild.

While out and about, we couldn't help but get some shots at Eufaula Lake.  Water is the main concept covered in the first Module of Everyday Earth so we've shot quite a few of the lakes, rivers, springs, ponds and waterfalls in the state but it never hurts to have more footage.  Plus water is such a crucial part of natural science, geography and culture that there's always a need for extra footage.

And just like that we got some more wildlife shots.  I'm honestly not sure what kind of birds these are so we'll have to check in with our biologist and ornithologist friends to see if they can weigh in.  It was windy and really cold this weekend so outdoor shooting was kept to a minimum but there was one other shot we needed to get:

Coal Miners Memorial Plaza in MacAlester, OK is dedicated to those that lost their lives in the dangerous job of coal mining.  It's also a great visual reminder of the influence of coal in the area.  It has had a large economic impact in the region as well as a cultural one.

We shot footage of this monument years ago for our documentary "Oklahoma Rocks" but that was back in the Standard Definition days.  Since these days we're working in HD 4K video, the older footage would not work in a current project.  But luckily stuff like this is in the neighborhood and it always helps to check back in on an area to make sure our footage is up to date.

EveryDay Earth Trailer

Here's the trailer for our new project "EveryDay Earth!"  It's an interactive video curriculum supplement that lets students go on adventures, make choices and gather data as they learn about earth science and STEM concepts.  We'll be rolling it out to Oklahoma public schools this year!

Geology Kitchen #14 - Mineral Formation Methods

Devin takes a look at a few of the methods of mineral formation in this new episode of Geology Kitchen:

Goddard Youth Camp

The Goddard Youth Camp in Davis, OK has been teaching teachers and students about nature for decades.  The camp includes various hiking trails along the southern shore of the Lake of the Arbuckles and a museum with an impressive collection of natural history exhibits and specimens.  We were there recently to shoot some video.  Check it out below:

Geo-Walk: St. Mary’s Glacier

We recently braved the cold and hiked up the trail to get a look at St. Mary's Glacier near Idaho Springs, Colorado.  Here's a quick video:

Thunder Struck

Last Sunday, Devin went out to the Oklahoma City Thunder game to show off some specimens from the Oklahoma Geological Foundation's Rock, Mineral and Fossil kit.  The rocks were a hit with Thunder fans who got an up close look at the museum quality pieces.

The Foundation was invited out to the game to receive the Devon Thunder Explorers Award which celebrates organizations that encourage outreach and education on STEM topics.  Devin and his fellow OGF board member Jason Hamilton were on the court after the first quarter to receive the honor.

They were joined by Christine Berney from the Thunder, Jeremy Humphers from Devon Energy and, of course, Rumble the Bison to raise awareness for the need to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and math.

The rock kits are donated to Oklahoma schools and are frequently on display at events like this so keep your eyes open and maybe it you'll get a chance to see, touch and even taste the rocks!

Dig Dug

The 30th Annual World Championship Quartz Crystal Dig in Mount Ida, Arkansas was this weekend.  Diggers come from all over the country to compete to see who can dig up the best quartz crystal point or cluster.  A few years back we shot a portion of our documentary "RockHounds: The Movie" there and this year Devin was one of the guest speakers!

Saturday morning was the Kids' Dig and tons of kids signed up to dig in the dirt to try to discover crystal treasures, have fun and just get dirty.  There's also the possibility that they might learn something...but don't tell them that.

              

Afterward Bill Prior from the Arkansas Geological Survey and Devin spoke to the kids about rocks, science and other fun stuff and the winners of the Kids' Dig were awarded their tophies.

This future scientist won Best Quartz Cluster (3rd grade and under category).  The World Championship Quartz Crystal Dig is a yearly event so if you missed it this year start planning now for next year.  See you at the dig!