On Tuesday, April 21, David Blackburn, associate curator of herpetology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, guided 112 students on a virtual field trip through “Ribbit the Exhibit” at Mounts Botanical Garden in Palm Beach County.

“Ribbit the Exhibit” features whimsical sculptures constructed with copper sheeting and welded together by artist J.A. Cobb, known as the “Frog Man” across the country. Interspersed with the colorful backdrop of the Botanical Gardens, the exhibit takes on a storybook feel that would delight children of any age.

An endlessly engaging presenter, Blackburn was quick to win over his young audience by introducing them to his lab staff – which he had built out of Legos. Throughout the virtual tour, Blackburn displayed photos of the frog sculptures and provided background about the famous art pieces many of them were inspired by, then connected each piece to facts about frog anatomy, biology, and behavior. When introducing “The Jazz Trio” piece, Blackburn discussed the music that frogs make in the form of their mating calls. He played examples of the distinct calls of the strawberry poison-dart frog, American toad, and Puerto Rican tree frog.

As a herpetologist, Blackburn oversees the Florida Museum’s collection of amphibians and reptiles. His research focuses on frog diversity, evolution, and conservation. During these unusual times, it has become more necessary than ever for educators to get creative and keep students engaged, and this virtual event was an ideal example.

The Scientist in Every Florida School team met with Mounts Botanical Garden in October 2019 to begin planning this virtual learning experience. When it became clear that education would need to move online for the foreseeable future, they took it as an opportunity to collaborate on additional events. Currently, they have two more virtual field trips scheduled with Mounts, one focusing on botany, and the other on how architects look to nature for inspiration.

From the number of comments in the chatbox that accompanied the presentation, it was clear that the students were excited about the lesson. During the Q&A session, Blackburn answered questions about how new frog species are named, poisonous frogs, and the variety of coloration in frogs, just to name a few.

• View a video of this event here.
• View the state standards associated with this trip here.
• View supplemental resources for grades K-12 here.

For more information or help bringing scientists into your classroom, please contact the SEFS team by emailing Brian Abramowitz (babramowitz@floridamuseum.ufl.edu) or Stephanie Killingsworth (skillingsworth@floridamuseum.ufl.edu) or visit us at Scientist in Every Florida School.