Nick LaFave
About
Expeditions:
Predatory Spiders in the Arctic Food Web
Occupation:
Teacher
Organization:
Clover High School
Nick LaFave is a National Board Certified Teacher who has been teaching science since 1997. He currently teaches Environmental Science in Clover, South Carolina. Mr. LaFave grew up close to the New York/Canada border between the St. Lawrence River valley and the Adirondack Park. Walking out the door of his childhood home to explore the nearby woods, or fish the river sparked a lifelong passion for learning about nature. Mr. LaFave uses a hands-on approach to teaching Environmental Science. He and his students manage a nearly 100 acre "outdoor classroom" where some of the unique learning opportunities include monitoring fish populations and water quality, studying turtle populations, and raising tilapia to control nuisance plant species. He also encourages his students to be active participants in community service. Outside the classroom, Mr. LaFave spends his time playing hockey, golfing, attempting to play guitar and mandolin, hiking, and camping with his wife (also a teacher) and daughter.
Nick LaFave's Content
| Title | Type |
Last Updated |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Nick LaFave and the Predatory Spiders Expedition: Professional Development | Event | 15 August 2012 | |
| Nick LaFave and the Predatory Spiders Expedition: Public Event | Event | 15 August 2012 | |
| Clover High teacher treks to the Arctic Circle for spider research | Article | 21 February 2013 | |
| 3,290 Miles From LI: Arctic changes, local impacts | Web Link | 1 April 2013 |
| Title | Forum | Posted |
|---|---|---|
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Advice? |
Microorganisms in Antarctic Glacier Ice | February 9, 2012 - 10:42am |
I've walked on piles of wet towels, but not wet Laundry. I stole that reference from someone on another PolarConnect event.
{read more}Boardwalks are built in areas of high-traffic, like main pathways from camp to field sites that are shared among many teams. This greatly reduces our impact on the tundra.
{read more}The spiderlings eventually disperse off the mother's back and then take in food for the first time.
{read more}I think it was just the album version. Nice question!
{read more}Birds and other spiders were the two main wolf spider predators that we observed. The wolf spiders are actually pretty unique with their eggs. Mothers carry them on their backs in egg sacs, even continuing to carry around the spiderlings for a period of time after they hatch!
{read more}Although it is a very remote location, we do have an incredible cooking staff! We ate a great variety of delicious foods, everything from burgers and chicken to salmon and steak.
{read more}That's a really good question. We didn't identify the grass, so I really don't know if it is still around today. It looked much like the common grasses that we see though. The cool thing about your second question is that even the bones found in the permafrost are actual bones, not fossils!...{read more}
Hi Allyson,
I knew virtually nothing about water tracks until watching the team's Polar Connect event. You can check it out here:...{read more}
The fox in that picture is a red fox. It naturally has some variation in color, but they remain the same basic color year-round unlike the arctic fox. Arctic foxes are white in the winter and become brownish red in the summer.
{read more}No, we really didn't make any drastic changes in altitude. It did get colder on some summits, but certainly nothing that would impact breathing.
{read more}