We’re feeling Koi- Learn to build Japan’s National Fish!

Koi fish are actually very intelligent! They can be trained to eat out of their owner’s hands and even do some basic tricks.
In Japan, Koi symbolize good luck, abundance, and perseverance.
Koi fish and Goldfish are distant cousins. Although both species descended from Carp, the Goldfish is actually much older.
The oldest ever Koi, Hanako, was born in 1791 and lived to be 226 years old!
Koi fish can actually get sun burned so make sure they have shade on sunny days!

The Future is Bright (and a Little Windy)- We’re Building Wind Turbines!

Although the first modern wind turbine was build in 1941, windmills have been in use since 2000 B.C.! Windmills were first developed in Persia and China to pump water and grind grains.
The average wind turbine is over 328 ft tall. That’s taller than the Statue of Liberty!
The largest wind turbine in the world is in Hawaii. It’s over 20 stories tall and has blades the length of a football field!
Wind energy is the fastest growing mode of energy production worldwide.
A single commercial turbine can power 600 homes!

Roses are related to some of your favorite fruits including apples, raspberries, cherries, almonds, peaches, and more!
The largest flower in the world is the titan arums, which produces flowers up to 10ft tall and 3ft wide!
Each state has an official State Flower; Texas’ State Flower is the Bluebonnet.
Broccoli is actually a flower!
As of right now, botanists have discovered over 300,000 unique species of flowers, but this number grows almost everyday!

Organic Layer (O Horizon)
- The uppermost layer of soil! The organic layer is rich in organic material (humus) from decomposing plants, which often makes this layer black or dark brown.
Topsoil (A Horizon)
- Found below the organic later, the topsoil is often called the humus layer. This layer contains the most nutrients and provides a great home for organisms to live and seeds to germinate!
Eluviation Layer (Horizon E)
- The eluviation layer leaches nutrients from the topsoil and organic layers, but primarily consists of sand, silt, and quartz. This layer is absent in most soil, but often found in forests!
Subsoil (Horizon B)
- Often found below the topsoil, the subsoil is rich in minerals and salts from certain metals! Because of the lower humus content, the subsoil is lighter in color than the organic layer and the topsoil.
Parent Rock (Horizon C)
- Found below the subsoil, the parent rock gets its name because all of the upper layers develop from it! The parent rock is devoid of organic material and made up of broken bedrock.
Bedrock (Horizon R)
- Found beneath all other layers, the bedrock is made up of highly compact igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock. It is made up of granite, basalt, quartzite, limestone, and sandstone!

There are so many types of gardens! Like our vegetable garden, gardens can be used to grow food, but there are also flower gardens, butterfly gardens, rock gardens, hedge gardens, and more!
In the US, more tomatoes are consumed than any other fruit or vegetable!
Broccoli contains more protein than steak, and apples can give you more energy than coffee!
The stalk, rind, or skin of fruits and vegetables are often the most nutritious parts!