Understanding Penguins

PenguinScience is easily one of the best-designed Web sites I’ve ever had the pleasure of stumbling upon. It is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and the quality of the contents entices you explore the site in detail. The stated objective, “understanding penguin responses to climate and ecosystem change,” is achieved by luring the user into the snowy and watery world of Antarctica’s penguins through a series of (1) illustrated lesson plans on climate change for (a) middle school and (b) advanced grades; (2) an education page with 12 different classroom activities; (3) a penguin cam; (4) an extensive collection of still and video images; (5) a wealth of information derived from research on penguins; and (6) a preview of a new educational DVD on penguin biology, polar ecology, and evidence of accelerating climate change (coming soon).

The principal collaborators behind PenguinScience are David G. Ainley (H. T. Harvey & Asociates), Grant Ballard (PRBO Conservation Science), Katie M. Dugger (Oregon State University), and Phil Lyver (Landcare Research Ltd.), with funding and logistical support from the National Science Foundations Office of Polar Programs, the U.S. Antarctic Program, and the New Zealand Antarctic Program.

WARNING: If you visit PenguinScience, and by all means do so, be prepared to spend some time there. You’ll be glad you did, as you'll come away much more knowledgeable about penguins and climate change.