Daddy Academy

Chapter 3307 Observation Log

Chapter 3307 Observation Log

It rained a little this morning, the air was incredibly fresh, and the morning light came out a little later than usual.

After breakfast, Xiaobai jogged around the yard a few times with Zhang Tan, and then Xier arrived with Robin.

Robin was taken away by her mother last night; otherwise, the child would have no idea that there was such a home.

Not only Xi'er and Robin arrived, but the entire group of girlfriends also arrived at 9:30 a.m. A little while later, a car stopped in front of the Little Red Horse Academy, and a middle-aged woman wearing glasses got out of the car, carrying a transparent feeding box.

"Is this Little Red Pony Academy?" the lady asked gently as the little white horse opened the door.

"Yes, yes, this is Little Red Horse Academy! Come in quickly." Little White responded enthusiastically. She had learned from the old man that an expert would be coming to Little Red Horse this morning.

The woman began by introducing herself: "My surname is Chen, and I am an insect researcher at the Pujiang Natural History Museum. Our museum is currently working on a project to protect urban fireflies, and I heard that your school discovered firefly pupae?"

"Yes, yes, yes! We have firefly eggs here," Little White replied enthusiastically.

The other children also gathered around, curiously observing the insect researcher. She had been invited by Zhang Tan.

"Where are the firefly eggs? Take me there to see them," Ms. Chen asked.

Everyone enthusiastically led the way, taking Researcher Chen into the grove.

Researcher Chen examined the firefly pupae in the grove in detail, measured the soil moisture and temperature with professional tools, and gently took a soil sample.

She affirmed, "This is indeed a firefly pupa, and it's in very good condition. It's a species of firefly that is adapted to urban environments and can complete its life cycle in a small green space, which is very rare to see."

She opened the breeding box she brought and showed everyone the fireflies inside, which they had bred at a conservation base in the suburbs. She said, "If the pupae here can successfully emerge, it means that small green spaces in the city can also become homes for fireflies, which is very helpful for our research."

Everyone gathered around the enclosure, gazing intently at the fireflies whose tails shimmered faintly, their eyes reluctant to blink.

Xiaobai asked, "How can we protect them?"

Researcher Chen smiled and said, "You're actually doing very well now. The most important thing is not to disturb them unnecessarily. You need to set up an observation plan. I can teach you some more professional observation methods. Just follow them."

For the next hour, Researcher Chen gave everyone a vivid lesson on nature.

She explained the principle behind fireflies' bioluminescence, which is a cold light produced by special light-emitting cells in their abdomen. She showed pictures of fireflies at different stages of growth and taught everyone how to judge the health of pupae by the condition of the soil.

Researcher Chen emphasized: "The most important thing is to maintain environmental stability. Do not clear the fallen leaves around the puddles, as they are a natural insulating layer. Also, do not arbitrarily change the surrounding vegetation, as firefly larvae and adults have specific food sources."

Everyone listened attentively and took notes of the key points in their notebooks.

Researcher Chen stayed at Little Red Horse Academy for over an hour. As he was leaving, Xiaobai asked, "Will you come again?"

Researcher Chen promised, "Yes, I will bring professional equipment to record them when they are about to emerge from their cocoons. If all goes well, we can even consider setting up a small urban firefly observation point in the school so that more children can learn about these glowing little creatures."

……

In the afternoon, Liuliu and Robin prepared to conduct their first formal observation.

Everyone was worried about the two of them and kept reminding them of the precautions.

Neither of them is easy to deal with. Robin is young and doesn't understand anything. Xiaobai is even worried that she might crush the firefly eggs.

As for Liu Liu, although she is the eldest sister in the school, her mentality is still that of a five-and-a-half-year-old, making her the most unreliable one.

"Okay, okay," Liuliu replied impatiently.

"Okay, okay~" Robin was getting a little annoyed.

Finally, everyone let them go. The two of them then took their observation logs, observation boxes with magnifying glasses, and a small soft brush left by Researcher Chen, put on their yellow rain boots, and carefully walked into the grove.

Beside the puddle, the few yellowish-brown pupae lay quietly half-buried in the soil, looking no different from yesterday.

"It didn't move," Robin said softly, a little disappointed.

Liuliu mimicked Researcher Chen's tone and said, "Don't rush, the growth of life requires patience."

She opened her observation diary and wrote on the page for "May 26th":

Observers: 66 & Robin

Time: 4:20 PM - 4:30 PM

Weather: Sunny, light breeze

Observation Record:

The position of the pupae remained unchanged; a total of 6 were found.

The pupa is yellowish-brown in color and has a pointed head.

The soil is moist, and the puddles have filled up because of the light rain this morning.

I found a snail. It was very, very small, crawling along the edge of a puddle.

No other insects were observed approaching.

After finishing her diary, Liuliu closed her notebook. Robin asked, dissatisfied, "Liuliu, why didn't you write anything for me? You wrote it all by yourself."

Liuliu said, "You can't write."

Robin thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, that's true~ Heh~"

The two watched quietly for a few more minutes. The light in the woods gradually dimmed, and then they heard Xiaomi calling them to come out from outside the woods.

The two tiptoed out of the woods and handed the observation diary to Xiaobai, who was waiting outside.

Xiao Bai flipped through the page of records, and the others gathered around as well.

Robin suddenly asked, "Do you think a firefly knows how beautiful it is when it first lights up?"

Xiaomi said, "They may not know it, but people who see them glow will feel that the world has become gentler."

Robin didn't understand, but he thought it was amazing.

After reading the observation diary, Xiaobai said, "They still need time. We should protect them like we would protect a baby."

"And it has to be kept a secret! We can't tell too many people, otherwise everyone will come to see, and it will disturb them." Xi'er put her index finger to her lips.

Old Li chimed in, "Did you know that in ancient times, fireflies were called 'night candles' or 'night light,' and many poets have written about them? Although their lives are short, they use all their strength to emit light, illuminating a small patch of darkness in the summer night. Does anyone know any poems about fireflies?"

Liuliu quickly said, "I can sing 'The Little Insects Fly,' which is about fireflies."

Chengcheng then recited a line of poetry she had recently read: "Silver candles cast a cold light on the painted screen in the autumn, a light silk fan flutters to catch fireflies."

Robin asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Chengcheng explained, "It means that on an autumn night, the candlelight reflected on the screen is somewhat chilly, and you are using a light silk fan to swat away the flying fireflies."

"Wow, did children in ancient times also play with fireflies?" Xi'er's eyes lit up.

Xiao Bai replied, "We don't catch fireflies now; we protect them."

As night deepened, a few stars appeared in the sky.

Xiaomi asked, "Do you think that when the fireflies fly out, the ones that flew away last night will come back to see them?"