Today Marvin and Huck visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Dr. King dreamed of a world with equality for all. His memorial stands between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials on the National Mall. Did you know that more than 900 applicants from 52 countries tried to win the design honor. But only one person emerged the winner, Lei Yixin, a famous Chinese Sculptor. The placement of the monument was carefully crafted to sit among the cherry blossoms and the address of 1964 Independence Avenue references the 1964 Civil Rights act. 

Marvin and Hank were inspired to know that the legs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were not completed in the statue. This was to symbolize that his work was to be continued. What can you do to continue his work in your town, city, or state?  Share your findings on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck and #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

John Slyder moved to Gettysburg in 1838 and worked as a potter. He decided to purchase a 75 acre tract of land in 1849 and began building a farm. He built his home, a blacksmith shop, carpentry shop and a double log barn. He dug a well and planted a pear and peach orchard. John used the blacksmith shop to manufacture tools for other local farms. At the time of the battle John lived on the farm with his wife Catherine and three of his five children, John, Hannah, and Jacob. The family was encouraged to leave on July 2nd because of the impending battle and the family heeded their warning. Everything they owned and had worked for was there on the farm. They had no idea if they would return. They did return to find their farm in near ruins. They were offered no reparations for the damage so they moved to Ohio.

Marvin and Hank enjoyed seeing the ways that the Slyders farmed the land. Everything they needed, they farmed, grew, and manufactured for themselves. It was a sustainable way of life. Marvin and Huck want you to explore farms and gardens around your community. Where does your food come from? Can you trace it back to a farm?  Share your findings on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck and #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

Mammoth Cave National Park has been designated both a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Did you know that the temperature inside Mammoth Cave is about 54°F, year-round? The cave has more than 390 miles of cave passage mapped, making Mammoth Cave by far the longest known cave in the world. But guess what? They are still mapping!  The four rock formations found in Mammoth Cave are the St. Louis Limestone, the Ste. Genevieve Formation, the Girkin Formation, and the Big Clifty Formation. 

Marvin and Huck want you to explore any unique rocks and rock formations that you can find around your home. Share your findings on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck and #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

The Indiana Dunes National Park is our 61st National Park. One of the many unique things about Indiana Dunes is that it boasts so much diversity. The park has more native species of orchids than the state of Hawaii and more species of birds than Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It includes three counties and 15 cities and towns. Marvin and Huck had a great time visiting with Kim and Kip!

Marvin and Huck want you to share any bodies of water that are located near you. Are they salty or fresh water? Can you swim there? What types of fish or other wildlife can you find there? Share your answers on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

The Shenandoah Salamander is a small terrestrial amphibian. That means they don't have lungs and rely solely on their skin to breathe. They can only be found on three mountaintops in the Shenandoah National Park. They are mostly nocturnal (night) animals and spend their days sleeping in and under rocks and leaves. When there is no rain, the salamanders are not very mobile. They need the moisture to breathe well. If you are lucky enough to see one- LEAVE THEM ALONE. They are endangered and since they are an endemic species (only found in that place), we need to stay out of their way so they continue to thrive.

Marvin and Huck want you to share any unique species of animals or plants that live near you. Share your answers on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

We will drop a new edition each week. Read through the cartoon, learn more about the content, and share with us on Social Media or via Email. You will receive access to a digital or printable badge. (engagingstem@gmail.com SUBJECT: Marvin and Huck) 

Reposted from "Adventures Blog Page" 
We are excited to introduce you to Marvin the Moose and Hucklebeary Bear! They will be joining our "Expeditions In Education" Team in just a few weeks. They are onboarding right now but will be up to speed with all things relating to the National Parks Expedition Challenge soon. We will tell you a little about each of them and how they will be supporting the non-profit. 

Marvin the Moose comes to us from right outside Bozeman, Montana. He was born inside of Yellowstone National Park but his parents moved to Bozeman for the good food and music. He is one of 3 brothers and loves to eat twigs, bark, roots and the shoots of woody plants. He just finished up his internship at "Moose R Us" and is ready to join the team. His experience in the wild will help him as he tells the stories of the National Parks. We know that Moose are solitary animals and move independently but he has agreed to widen his horizons and work with us. He will tell you that although he has been domesticated and is very friendly, that is not true of other Moose. Leave them alone when you see them. Enjoy them from a distance because the males have wide antlers that can measure up to 2 meters in width, from tip to tip. Welcome Marvin!!

HuckleBeary Bear comes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His mother and father were killed a year ago and Hucklebeary has no other family to take care of him. He is about 5 feet long from nose to tail. He likes to eat herbs, grasses, honey, nuts, fruit, berries and seeds. He also eats fish, small mammals, insects, dead animals and garbage. Huck (as he likes to be called) comes from a long line of nappers. He likes to take several naps a day. He is considered to be a highly efficient hibernator. He can sleep for months without eating, drinking, or pooping. We think he will make a great addition to our team also. 

Their job will be to tell stories as they see them happening in the parks. We are thrilled that they are willing to join us. They will start out writing for our blog but if everything works out with their managers, we hope to have a book in the works, soon. We all have a lot of learning to do as we become friends. Stay tuned for The Adventures of Marvin and Huck. ​