Stix Early Childhood Center

Seed Dispersal

Last week I noticed that when I walked through the prairie area near the far shelter, seeds collected on my skirt.  Many seeds "travel" by attaching themselves to animals (onto their fur) or people (on their clothes) passing by.  This adaptation allows seeds to travel to a new area where there may be more space and sunlight for a better chance of germinating and growing into a mature plant.

The person who invented Velcro actually looked closely at a seed and saw how it had little hooks on it to attach itself to animal fur.  Velcro has one side with little hooks which attaches to a more wooly/hairy side.  A great way for students to observe this is to wear a sock on their hand and lightly brush plants as they walk by.  Students can then look closely at seeds using a magnifying lens or microscope. 

Have a great day!

Teresa Mulvihill