Ecosystems & Species:: The Web of Nature Workbook (The Foundations of Science)

<P>Too often we hear messages that science is in conflict with faith, but Pope St. John Paul II wrote that faith and science “each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish.” <I>Foundations</I> seeks to spawn this flourishing in the hearts and minds of young readers, guiding them into a world that will delight their imaginations and inspire awe in the awesome power of God.</P>   <P>This eight-part series covers an extensive scope of scientific studies, from animals and plants, to the galaxies of outer space and the depths of the ocean, to cells and organisms, to the curiosities of chemistry and the marvels of our planet. Still more, it reveals the intricate order found beneath the surface of creation and chronicles many of the Church’s contributions to science throughout history.</P>   <P>In <I>Ecosystems & Species: The Web of Nature</I>, Dr. Timothy Polnaszek introduces young readers to the often overlooked but fascinating scientific branch of Ecology, showing how the myriad species found all over earth interact with one another and their environment. Children will learn how animals and plants adapt to harsh conditions in the wild and how they both battle with one another and work together. By exploring nature and examining species, populations, communities and entire ecosystems, the meticulous balance that God has written into His creation becomes apparent.</P>   <P><I>Did you know . . .</I></P>

• some mantises and spiders camouflage themselves as flowers to catch insect prey?
• like animals, plants can also “sweat”?
• wood frogs live throughout Canada and Alaska because they can survive frozen solid in winter (like a frog popsicle!), and simply thaw out in warmer months?
• some tropical dry forest biomes can have as much as seventy-five inches of rain during its rainy season and as little as two inches in the dry season?
• the aptly named fat-tailed dwarf lemur stores fat in its tail to use as an energy source when it hibernates?

<P>In addition, children will also meet heroic figures like St. Anthony of Egypt and other Desert Fathers, discover the amazing contributions made by the Augustinian friar, Gregor Johann Mendel, to modern genetics, read some of St. Augustine’s insights on the nature of animals, and come to understand how certain areas of science do not conflict with the truth of God being the source of all life but rather point directly to His creative powers and governance.  </P>   <P>Take a journey back to when God laid the foundation of the world with this groundbreaking science curriculum! </P>

Dr. Timothy Polnaszek is an Assistant Professor at Belmont Abbey College. Previously, he worked at MacMurray College and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Arizona within the Center for Insect Science. Dr. Polnaszek obtained his BS in Zoology from North Dakota State University and his PhD from the University of Minnesota where he conducted research on animal behavior, including on animal decision making in woodchucks, blue jays, bumble bees, crickets and other animals. He has presented this research at national and international conferences, as well as published journal articles on wildlife and animal behavior. He now studies animals and plants on a small forest plot in Gastonia, NC that he calls home, as an ongoing research collaboration with his wife and six children.