Citizen scientists plant tulip test gardens in places with different climates. Explore climate variables to predict how different conditions will affect where and when tulips emerge and bloom.

Sunny or shady? Wet or dry? Windy or calm? Plants respond to the climate where they are growing. Microclimate refers to the climate conditions of a small, specific place, where conditions may differ from those of the larger surrounding space. Explore conditions that create microclimates. Try the Microclimate Challenge: Plant tulip bulbs in microclimates with contrasting conditions to discover how climate affects plant growth.

Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama. The first spring migrants arrive in the U.S. Gulf States. What routes do they take? If they fly over the Gulf, how do they survive a 500-mile flight with no food or rest? When do the first ruby-throats reach their breeding grounds? What habitat conditions do these tiny birds need when they arrive?

You have already examined your tulip bulb; weighed, measured, and cut it open. Now learn more about each part of the bulb. Use this step by step slideshow to learn how each part has a unique function for this plant storage structure.

Your tulip bulbs have arrived and you're going to bury them in the garden. But wait! What's a bulb? Let's take a look. A bulb contains everything needed for winter survival and spring growth. Explore your bulbs and as a scientist, predict what its parts will become when spring arrives.