Dr. Amanda Foster

Last spring, my kids and I counted 47 different species in our tiny suburban backyard in a single afternoon. We saw a hawk moth, heard a woodpecker we never knew visited our oak tree, and discovered three types of moss growing between our patio stones. That day changed how our family sees our yard, and … Read more

Our team has spent the last three summers sitting quietly in our backyards, watching bumblebees bounce between coneflowers, hovering flies mimic wasps, and butterflies drift past milkweed. If you have ever wondered what is actually visiting your flowers, you are not alone. Learning how to observe and identify pollinators in your garden is one of … Read more

Every fall, I watch the sky above my neighborhood and wonder whether today’s the day the monarchs pass through. If you’ve ever stopped mid-walk to follow a drifting orange wing, you’ve already started the journey of learning how to track monarch butterfly migration in your area. Citizen science has turned what used to be a … Read more

Setting up a wildlife trail camera is one of the most rewarding ways to discover what animals roam your property, local woods, or favorite hiking trails. These motion-activated cameras capture photos and videos day and night, giving you a window into wildlife behavior that most people never get to see. Whether you are a backyard … Read more

Spending a full month watching the sky sounds like a big commitment, but learning how to observe and record moon phases over a month is one of the easiest science projects you can start tonight. I have run moon journaling workshops with hundreds of students and families, and the same thing happens every time: by … Read more

I still remember the first rock I ever tried to identify. I was eight years old, holding a chunky gray stone with sparkly bits, convinced I had found a diamond. I had not. It was granite. After that humbling moment, I spent years learning the simple tests that any curious person can run at home, … Read more

The streak test for mineral identification is done by scraping a specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate (called a streak plate) to reveal the color of the mineral’s powdered form. It’s one of the simplest, most reliable tests I teach in my geology workshops, and it works whether you’re at a kitchen table, in a … Read more

The vinegar acid test for carbonate minerals is the safest, easiest way to tell if a rock contains calcite, dolomite, or another carbonate. You place a drop of white vinegar on the specimen and watch for bubbles. If bubbles of carbon dioxide appear, the rock contains carbonate minerals. If nothing happens, it does not. I … Read more

You have a crystal in your hand. It is clear, light catches its faces, and you cannot tell if it is quartz or calcite. You are not alone. This is one of the most common identification challenges for beginner rock collectors, and it trips up experienced rockhounds too when specimens are unusual. The good news … Read more

That gray rock by the garden bed, the speckled one near the fence, the smooth dark stone your kid keeps bringing inside. Most of us walk past these rocks every day without a second thought. But every backyard tells a geological story, and learning to read it is easier than you might expect. In this … Read more