A RAINFOREST IN OMAHA?!?!

Quick!  What covers only 6% of the Earth but holds 50% of the world's plants and animals?

If you answered "rainforests", you would be absolutely correct.  Krumbs and I are learning about rainforests in an enrichment program this week--and what we've found out is fascinating!  Rainforests supply us with medicines, plant extracts and foods we eat every day (like CHOCOLATE)! The world's rainforests are home to millions of animals...and scientists are discovering more every day.

So...with rainforests on our minds, Krumbs and I visited the Cafe.  Could Krumbs and I find some fun and interesting rainforest facts to share with my class?  The answer was YES, of course!  We stumbled on the greatest article about a rainforest in....Omaha, Nebraska!?!?!?  Impossible, you say?  Nope...entirely possible and absolutely true.  You can read all about it in Janice Bjornstad's article, "Jungle in the City: The Creation of an Indoor Rainforest".   Scientists, artists, horticulturists, construction workers, veterinarians and volunteers all worked together to create a living rainforest in Omaha, Nebraska!  You can find out all about this amazing creation, from how experts "built" trees to how they protected the animals and the visitors by clicking here.

Amazing and exciting stuff for great minds like us!