Friday Find: Zipcode Zoo

Serendipity! Okay, I know that it isn’t an expletive, but it should be. It’s perfect for those times when you just happen to land in the right place at the right time, the cosmic forces perfectly aligned, discovering something unimaginably, supremely wonderful.

Yesterday, I wrote about how reading My Side of the Mountain has inspired an enduring interest in the natural world, and today I discovered a website for identifying the flora and fauna of any given area: Zipcode Zoo.

This site is huge! It includes millions of pages describing animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc., etc. Even more exciting, you can plug in your zip code to get a customized page showing the species where you live. And, it includes a break down of endangered and invasive species. It also gives you suggestions for nearby areas to explore.

But wait, there’s more.

The site includes a syndicated news feed with articles that are sure to intrigue the nature lovers in your home. I know my crew will be interested to read Frog’s Ears Can Switch Frequencies Like Radios.

I’m thinking that geography lessons will never be the same now that you can use the Proximity Finder - with latitude and longitude detail - to find plants and animals in the selected area.

How many times have you pored through a field guide trying to identify a bird, with little or no success? Zipcode Zoo includes bird, plant, and butterfly finders that simplify your search with input fields for various characteristics.

And more.

Although described as an educational resource for students, parents, and teachers K-12, anyone can use the Ask a Biologist Podcast feature to:

Listen to or make your own bird symphonies.
Listen to interviews on a wide variety of topics with many of the scientists who are “exploring new frontiers in biology.”

There’s more, lots more. A whole world more. Go ahead, visit Zipcode Zoo. And then, come back and tell me: What’s the most interesting feature you found? And how would you use it to inspire the life-long learners in your life?

For more wired world ideas that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Green Dimes - Stop unwanted junk mail and share ways to “green up” our world.

Kids Cooking Activities - Ideas and resources to inspire budding chefs.

Wordle - Turn your words into a work of art

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

Mr. Picassohead - Unleash your inner abstract artist.

Hulu - Watch a movie or catch up on your favorite TV shows on your computer.

Don’t miss the best of the web on Friday Finds. Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email. (Click this link. Fill out the form. Don’t forget to click on your verification Email. Look for this in your mailbox.) You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.