Knowledge awaits. Do this cool activity and you will feel it firsthand! Your average polar bear will have about 4 Inches (11 centimeters) of fat around their body to keep in the heat. They can grow anywhere from 8 feet to 11 feet in height and about 8 feet in length. Physics Method 3: Thick Fur A polar bears fur is about 15cm thick. Thats because our cells have gone into hyperdrive to turn our food into energy, then our shivering turns that energy into heat. When a seal does come to the surface, the bear bites the seal on the head and neck, flips it onto the ice with its claws, and drags it from the water. Not only is fat easier for the bears to digest, but it also contains more calories, which makes for more efficient eating. Their black skin absorbs UV rays and traps heat in the body. Follow Anuri to discover their secrets. The white color serves as camouflage, and the dense fur acts as a fuzzy blanket, keeping the cold out and the warm in. New Research Reveals How Polar Bears Stay Warm, from Inside Science. In addition to vocalizations, she may use her muzzle, paws, and body to comfort, protect, or discipline her cubs. Polar bears need to consume approximately 4.4 pounds of fat daily or a 121 lbs seal provides about 8 days worth of energy. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. ), Quarter pound of butter (one stick) at room temperature. Their diet mainly consists of ringed and bearded seals because they need large amounts of fat to survive. When its extremely cold, the polar bears blood vessels on their skin close automatically, allowing the bear to keep their blood warm. The layer closer to the body, the undercoat, consists of thick, plush hair that retains heat. Polar bears rely heavily on sea ice for traveling, hunting, resting, mating and, in some areas, maternal dens. Make sure to let your hands adjust to room temperature before comparing. Try your first 6 issues for just 9.99 when you subscribe to BBC Science Focus Magazine. It is as if they take on several winter coats, each of which plays an important part. Finally, polar bears just arent made for running for any extended period of time, which is what you need when youre chasing birds or reindeer. Introduction They need body fat to stay warm in the frigid Arctic, and they also need fat to stay hydrated. Polar bears are stocky, with a long neck, relatively small head, short, rounded ears, and a short tail. I hope you enjoy the site! The prevalence of food, mates, and dens within a particular area may also determine the size of a home range. It works in the same way as wearing a black t-shirt on a hot day can make you feel hotter than wearing a white t-shirt. The paper, titled Polar Bears Exhibit Genome-Wide Signatures of Bioenergetic Adaptation to Life in the Arctic Environment, appeared Feb. 6 in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution. This is important for their survival because it allows them to stay warm in cold environments. Polar bears that are chubby, successful hunters have a much better chance of making it through periods of little or no food. However, theirs is not a deep hibernation. It grows to about 1.6 metres (5.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and 2.22.5 metres in length. They are born blind, hairless, and deaf. One is conduction, the process by which heat moves between two connected surfaces, such as from a stove coil into a pot. Avoid pressing down on the bags. The fur traps air next to the skin, keeping them warm. Adult males normally weigh 350- 600 kg (775-1,300 lb). How do they face the extreme winter temperatures? Read more: How do polar bears stay warm? Release Date: February 10, 2014 This content is archived. every Males are typically 550-1700 pounds, and females are 330-650 pounds. Many bears do congregate at large kill sites, such as areas with large whale carcasses. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor, sum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Bears that live in proximity to Bering and Chukchi Seas often have larger territories that can be up to 135,135 sq miles. Males may initiate play-fighting by approaching another male with its head down and its mouth closed while avoiding eye contact. Sweat would, of course, quickly turn to ice, so its probably useless anyway. To stay alive, the average polar bear needs to eat the equivalent of one ringed seal per week, or roughly two kilos of fat per day. Each hair shaft is pigment-free and transparent with a hollow core that scatters and reflects visible light. The suns rays, fur, and body fat are secondary mechanism that endotherms can use to maintain body temperature. Polar bears scientific name, Ursus maritimus, means sea bear in Latin. (ISNS) -- A polar bears pelt seems simple. A polar bears fur is about 15cm thick. Polar bears are called Nanuuq by Eskimos. Also reuse your feathers and other bags as you can. They do not urinate or defecate, their heart rate slows slightly, and their body temperature either remains the same or drops one or two degrees for the duration of their months-long sleep, which is easily disturbed. Stay Warm with Thermal Insulation, from Scientific American. Our daily newsletter arrives just in time for lunch, offering up the day's biggest science news, our latest features, amazing Q&As and insightful interviews. Pregnant females wake for the birth of their cubs in the den, and for necessary elements of their care. Ultimately, the significance of this discussion about polar bears extends far beyond their fate as creatures. The tubes trap air for insulation and also reflect all the visible wavelengths of light in their hollow airspace, which combine to make the fur look white, though it is in fact colorless. Five of the nine bears in the study lost body mass, meaning they weren't catching enough fat-rich marine mammal prey to meet their energy demands. Misfitanimals.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. Polar bears also hunt seals at birthing lairs. Its also how the thin, shiny blankets in emergency kits work: as heat waves radiate from you, they hit the blanket and scatter without heading too far away, keeping heat in. The first is the guard layer, which is fluffier but not as thick. MODULE 2_Philo_methodsofphilosophizing.pdf. Male polar bears can weigh up to three times as much as the females. Their diet mainly consists of ringed and bearded seals because they need large amounts of fat to survive. They found that since diverging from brown bears less than 500,000 years ago to become a new species, polar bears have undergone remarkable genetic changes to permit the high-fat diet they need in the frigid At high levels, nitric oxide may inhibit energy production, said Durham Universitys Andreanna Welch, PhD, first author and a former postdoctoral researcher at UB with Lindqvist. By doing all of these things, polar bears are able to stay warm and survive in some of the coldest environments on Earth. New Research Reveals How Polar Bears Stay Warm Findings could also explain why they're invisible to night-vision goggles. Polar bears can stay submerged in frigid water for up to two minutes without getting cold. They have the thickest fur of any bear species. New calculations suggest polar bear fur might be so effective at trapping warmth because the hairs scatter infrared light. An ectotherm (cold-blooded animal) relies on their environment to keep warm. Winters in the arctic regularly get down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (which is also -40C). Underneath their fur, polar bears have black skin which absorbs the heat of the sun, and below the skin is a thick, 4-inch layer of blubber. A round polar bear is a happy polar bear, and it requires a lot of energy to keep a polar bear pudgy. Polar bears migrate, contrary to other bears that hibernate. I'd definitely say that polar bear needs thick fur to stay warm and energized. **This post is an update from a previous polar bear fact sheet from NATURE. WebThick Padding of Fat In addition to 2 layers of fur, a thick layer of fat helps keep the bears warm. Then they tried infrared, but they still blended in with the surroundings. Within this high-latitude species, only pregnant females den up for the colder months. Findings could also explain why they're invisible to night-vision goggles. Become part of a community committed to protecting polar bears with our free e-news. The forepaws act like large paddles and their hind paws serve as rudders. As a substitute for seals, bird eggs are actually a reasonably energy-rich food. A fuzzy, warm project from Science Buddies, Key concepts BUFFALO, N.Y. In the winter, brown and black bears go into hibernation to conserve energy and keep warm. Read the latest in your favorite channels. Adult females are usually 150-290 kg (330-650 lb). Some polar bears do summer on land, such as those in Canadas Hudson Bay, where the ice disappears and re-forms on an annual basis, or on the Alaskan North Slope, when warmer seasonal temperatures temporarily make the ice retreat too far north for the bears to follow. "This was at the start of the period from April through July when polar bears catch most of their prey and put on most of the body fat they need to sustain them throughout the year," Pagano said. mammals While we provide information, resources, and education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. 26 This is due to its hydrophobic nature, meaning it acts as a water-repellent. The light will be reflected many times, and some will go back to the skin, said Priscilla Simonis, a physicist at the University of Namur, in Belgium, and the lead author of the paper. In fact, the fur keeps them so warm that adult males can quickly overheat when they run. Female polar bears need to store sufficient fat to feed their cubs Studies show that declining sea ice is likely to decrease polar bear numbers, perhaps substantially. Polar bears are one of the largest land carnivores. B You probably won't agree, but the sun rises in the west at some point. I'd definitely say that polar bear needs thick fur to stay warm and energized. But things are different for their Arctic relative, the polar bear. Discover our latest special editions covering a range of fascinating topics from the latest scientific discoveries to the big ideas explained. WebPolar bears seem to be able to divert more of their bodys resources into generating heat. answered The polar bear needs fat to stay warm yes , cause they need to hibernate in the time of period Advertisement Answer 28 people found it helpful dukemamantal Answer: false Explanation: They are incredibly well insulated with a layer of blubber that can be up to 10cm thick covered with another 15cm of fur. The bears enormous stomach can hold 10-20% of its body weight. Synthetic clothes made to withstand extreme weather use the same heat-trapping techniques as the ones found in animals. Their white fur helps by reflecting UV light away from their bodies. Almost every aspect of the polar bears design is engineered for warmth. Even though polar bears fur helps keep them warm in the coldest climates, they do migrate. Join us in our efforts to encourage leaders to make a swift transition away from fossil fuels and to renewable energy sources, by spreading awareness about the real and pressing threat of climate warming. Within this high-latitude species, only pregnant females den up for the colder months. Polar bears are also tall. Surprisingly, their fur isnt actually white. (In fact, polar bears in decent body condition will often eat only the fat, leaving the less calorie-dense parts of the seal carcass behind to be picked at by skinnier polar bears, Arctic foxes, and birds.) The thick layer of fat keeps these animals buoyant in freezing water too. Every electromagnetic wave that hits a molecule is either absorbed and then radiated out again, or it ricochets. (In fact, polar bears in decent body condition will often eat only the fat, leaving the less calorie-dense parts of the seal carcass behind to be picked at by skinnier polar bears, Arctic foxes, and birds.) By the next spring, the coat may look yellowish from seal oil stains. Method 3: Thick Fur A polar bears fur is about 15cm thick. Cubs remain with their mothers for just over 2 years, denning with her for one or two more winters. Algorithms associating appearance and criminality have a dark past, Gentle medicine could radically transform medical practice, We need highly formal rituals in order to make life more democratic, Private gain must no longer be allowed to elbow out the public good, What we can learn about respect and identity from plurals, How dystopian narratives can incite real-world radicalism. New Research Reveals How Polar Bears Stay Warm, from Inside Science, This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies. Polar bears may also stalk seals basking on ice edges, pouncing on them before they can return to the water. The mating season runs from late March through May. Their fur is thinner and their bodies dont go through non-shivering thermogenesis. They are warm-blooded mammals. The team has begun building more realistic models that can calculate 100,000 hairs in random positions, taking into account all three dimensions. This is due to its hydrophobic nature, meaning it acts as a water-repellent. No, polar bears dont get cold. Heat transfer Scientists unveiled a thorough genetic analysis of the polar bear on Thursday and compared it to its closest cousin, the brown bear. New research points to one potential answer: genetic adaptations related to the production of nitric oxide, a compound that cells use to help convert nutrients from food into energy or heat. Thats why mother bears dont like to swim with young cubs in the springthe cubs don't have enough fat to stay warm. This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies. Stay up to date with the latest developments in the worlds of science and technology. There are three reasons why polar bears dont get cold: Polar bears have a thick layer of fur that helps to keep them warm in the cold climates they inhabit. Now, place one hand on the empty bag and the other on the bag filled with fat. Brad Josephs-Natural Habitat Adventures My mission is to write valuable and entertaining information about animals and pets for my audience. Background Polar bears generally lead solitary lives, with the exception of mothers raising cubs and breeding pairs. The polar bear is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. WebPolar bears thick fur keeps them warm in all conditions, even in water. The layers of fur then acted as gray bodies, which neither scatter nor absorb light perfectly; instead, they do some of both. In the water, polar bears rely more on their fat than their fur to keep out the cold; wet fur is a poor insulator. So its really a matter of basic biology. The cells in most mammals, including humans and other types of bears, will usually convert their food into energy, which they can then use to move their muscles. Gene functions that had to do with nitric oxide production seemed to be more enriched in the polar bear than in the brown bears and black bears. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. WebPolar bears seem to be able to divert more of their bodys resources into generating heat. However, they usually move slowly and rest frequently to prevent overheating. The tail is 712 cm (35 inches) long. They can swim at speeds of up to 6 mph, and can swim continuously for 62 miles. Theyre one of the fattest land mammals on earth and have developed this fat to help them keep in the heat their body produces. Inside Science is an editorially independent news service of the American Institute of Physics, About Inside Science | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Reprint Rights. Polar bears can eat 100 lbs of seal blubber in one sitting. WebOPINION Without a doubt, rabbits have backbone and it lay eggs. One is that seal fat is really the only thing with a high enough energy content to keep polar bears going. In the water, polar bears rely more on their fat than their fur to keep out the cold; wet fur is a poor insulator. This behaviour turns into stories about polar bears seen eating berries, kelp, whale carcasses, bird eggs, and even reindeer. Still, some food is better than no food, and polar bears are intelligent, curious and resourceful animals. The materials in the bags are good thermal insulatorsthey do not let heat travel through them easily. Opinion WebPolar bears thick fur keeps them warm in all conditions, even in water. Sunlight scatters almost entirely off the fur. A polar bears body fat can measure up to 11.4 cm (4.49 in). But how the coat insulates is surprisingly complex - and the subject of some debate. When they cant maintain warmth, their metabolisms will slow down significantly, allowing them to conserve energy until they warm up again. Some arctic animals, such as polar bears, are so well insulated that they cannot be spotted with night-vision goggles, which pick up radiated heat. The fur traps air next to the skin, keeping them warm. Their fur helps keep them insulated against extreme heat or cold by trapping air inside their hollow fibers. Compared to other bears, the polar bear has an elongated body with a particularly long neck and a narrow skull. Fish and Wildlife Service, Eric Regehr, A polar bear in Alaska. answered Give one opinion about the the polar bear need fat to stay warm Advertisement Loved by our community 48 people found it helpful cabeljoshezekiel Answer: need a fur to not get coold Advertisement Still have questions? Polar bears need to consume approximately 4.4 pounds of fat daily or a 121 lbs seal provides about 8 days worth of energy. Females typically have their first litter at 5 or 6 while most males do not breed until 8 or 10. The fat is eaten before the rest of the meat for several reasons. This is due to its hydrophobic nature, meaning it acts as a water-repellent. This is partly due to temperatures, but also due to the movement of the ice. Remove your hands and wait a moment until both hands feel warm again. Polar bears are the apex predators of the Arctic foodchain. Theyve adapted to eating seals over hundreds of thousands of years or more, and cant live long on a land-based diet. Furthermore, this combination of heat retention means that the bear loses very little body heat. The life of a polar bear depends on fat. The life of a polar bear depends on fat. Polar bears are found throughout the Northern Hemispheric Arctic Circle along the north and northwestern coasts of Alaska, throughout Canadas north arctic islands down to its southern Hudson Bay area, Greenland, in islands off the coast of Norway, and along the northern coast of Russia. In the water, polar bears rely more on their fat than their fur to keep out the cold; wet fur is a poor insulator. Fatty diet. Radiation is energy released in electromagnetic waves - its how the sun warms your skin on a hot day. There are three types of heat transfer. They can grow anywhere from 8 feet to 11 feet in height and about 8 feet in length. Official news and information from UB, New York's flagship university, Gene functions that had to do with nitric oxide production seemed to be more enriched in the polar bear than in the brown bears and in the black bears. The genetic adaptations the research team saw are important because of the crucial role that nitric oxide plays in energy metabolism. If a polar bear has the choice between being on land or on abundant, good quality sea ice, it will always choose the latter. The obvious conclusion is that the pelt is the same temperature as its surroundings, said Daniel Koon, a physicist from St. Lawrence University, in New York. PLUS a free mini-magazine for you to download and keep. Polar bears are stocky, with a long neck, relatively small head, short, rounded ears, and a short tail. This fat not only helps polar bears keep warm, but acts as an energy store for slow hunting periods. She studies marine mammal ecology and toxicology. Polar bears weigh about 500 to 1,700 pounds, and they live the cold Arctic in parts of Alaska, Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Norway, and Russia. Even when its really cold outside, polar bears dont usually get cold. Cubs are born while the females are hibernating. They also have a dense layer of subcutaneous fat (blubber) which helps to insulate their bodies from the cold. Just like polar bears, black bears are not cold-blooded. Pellentesque dapibus efficitur laoreet. alphabet This remarkable ability to survive in freezing water comes in handy when they are hunting seals; polar bears often swim long distances underwater to get close to their prey. This initial study modeled only 100 hairs. Species: maritimus. New Research Reveals How Polar Bears Stay Warm Findings could also explain why they're invisible to night-vision goggles. Of course, due to luminescence, we cant see the skin. How Animals Stay Warm with Blubber, from Scientific American Chubby, healthy bears on land are chubby because the hunting was good while they were on the ice. It also helps them appear bigger and more frightening to their prey. After catching a seal, polar bears will consume the fat and skin first, often leaving the rest of the meat for other animals like Arctic foxes, ravens, Arctic gulls, and smaller bears, to scavenge. A second problem is that even the alternative food sources arent infinite. Polar bears arent the only animals this research applies to. Polar bears thick fur keeps them warm in all conditions, even in water. Scientists unveiled a thorough genetic analysis of the polar bear on Thursday and compared it to its closest cousin, the brown bear. Credit: University at Buffalo, Douglas Levere. A The scientists then imagined that the layers were slightly transparent as is the case with polar bear coats, and recalculated. What is important is the number of hairs, and the density. They can survive temperatures as low as -50F (-45C). Fill another sandwich bag with a two-centimeter-thick layer of butter and close the bag. Maternity dens are typically dug in south-facing snowdrifts on thick stable pack ice at sea, or on hilly and mountain slopes on land. ), polar bears: These four elements combined help the polar bear to stay nice and warm, even in the middle of an arctic winter! Infrared is the wavelength of thermal radiation that night-vision goggles detect, as living bodies give off heat. I am the founder and owner of Fauna Facts. The earth has only one moon. The tail is 712 cm (35 inches) long. This large fur coat, and its large fat deposits, can keep them warm in temperatures as low as -50 Fahrenheit (-45 Celcius). How do polar bears survive, and thrive, on the Arctic sea ice? Family: Ursidae Polar bears generate heat internally through their metabolism. All bear species are warm-blooded. (Closing the bag a little over halfway first, then blowing into it and closing the remainder works well; because the air you trap this way is warmer than room temperature, it is best to leave the bag out for awhile to adjust.). Or a polar bear will slowly stalk a seal lying basking on the ice, and finish the hunt with a short sprint. (In fact, polar bears in decent body condition will often eat only the fat, leaving the less calorie-dense parts of the seal carcass behind to be picked at by skinnier polar bears, Arctic foxes, and birds.) It also decreases heat loss to the chilly air. Polar bears are camouflaged in visible light, too, of course. The white coloring provides excellent camouflage for the bears, allowing them to blend in with their snowy surroundings. Cancel at any time when you subscribe via Direct Debit. Scientists widely accept that warm coats (and fiberglass insulation) protect against the elements by trapping warm pockets of air in tiny pores. It weighed 2,209 lbs, stood nearly 12 feet tall, and was displayed at the 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair. At first, they considered the hairs as flat layers. Theyre one of the fattest land mammals on earth and have developed this fat to help them keep in the heat their body produces. Polar bears cant handle cold weather conditions like polar bears can, though. They predominantly eat meat but occasionally eat vegetation. are The male, which is much larger than the female, weighs 410 to 720 kg (900 to 1,600 pounds). Polar bears can eat 100 lbs of seal blubber in one sitting. Dens usually contain an entrance tunnel leading into several concave rooms with an inside temperature up to 40 degrees warmer than the outside, maintained by body heat and insulation from the snow. For a more detailed test, leave the bags on the ice cubes for 15 minutes and feel again. Polar bears have a keen sense of smell. Today, scientists use the term endotherms to refer to warm-blooded animals like polar bears. To stay alive, the average polar bear needs to eat the equivalent of one ringed seal per week, or roughly two kilos of fat per day. The most common method they use is still-hunting, in which the bear waits motionlessly for hours, or even days, outside seal breathing holes for a seal to surface. Polar bears are extremely well-adapted to their arctic environment. Cool Facts about Heat, from Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears at The Ohio State University Each layer was a black body, designed to perfectly absorb all wavelengths and then perfectly emit them. Related Article: How Far can Polar Bears Smell? Other arctic mammals, including foxes and rabbits, are likely using the same strategy. Scientists have identified 19 subpopulations in ice caps across the Arctic region. The bears thick, dense fur has many of these stopping points on the way to the surface of the coat. It allows them to stay hidden in the snow, as it works as camouflage. They prefer areas where continual wind and water currents cause the ice to undergo a cycle of melting and refreezing, preventing it from completely and permanently solidifying. But things are different for their Arctic relative, the polar bear. In a moment you will compare the layers of feathers, fat and air. Being fat is an important buffer in the unpredictable hunting grounds of the Arctic sea ice: its difficult to plan ahead in an environment thats in constant motion, and one that disappears or at least diminishes and becomes scattered during parts of the year. Credit: U.S. As the apex predators of the Arctic, they occupy the top level of the food chain and have no natural predators. Polar bears are actually so well insulated, theyre invisible to night-vision goggles. It grows to about 1.6 metres (5.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and 2.22.5 metres in length. Bears may beg to share another bears kill. New calculations suggest polar bear fur might be so effective at trapping warmth because the hairs scatter infrared light. They reflect light and keep heat in. Find more answers Ask your question 100 qualitative research title phelp po Thnkyou! fficitur laoreet. Their major prey is ringed seals, but they also hunt bearded seals, hooded seals, and harp seals. The average polar bear can consume 2kg (4.4 lbs) of fat in a day. To stay alive, the average polar bear needs to eat the equivalent of one ringed seal per week, or roughly two kilos of fat per day. But theyre small, which means a bear must consume 100 or more eggs to get the same amount of energy as it would from a meal of just one ringed seal. The bottoms of their paws are also covered with small bumps called papillae. Polar bears need protection from the strong sunlight of the Arctic. They are incredibly well insulated with a layer of blubber that can be up to 10cm thick covered with another 15cm of fur. It grows to about 1.6 metres (5.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and 2.22.5 metres in length. Polar bears are the worlds largest land predators, and their white fur blends in perfectly with the snow. Humans are inquisitive and innovative, with an indisputable talent for problem-solving. Theyre one of the fattest land mammals on earth and have developed this fat to help them keep in the heat their body produces. The long guard hairs keep warmth trapped close to the body and provide insulation. WebThe bears digestive system absorbs approximately 84% of the protein and 97% of the fat it consumes. Five of the nine bears in the study lost body mass, meaning they weren't catching enough fat-rich marine mammal prey to meet their energy demands. A single bear visit can be devastating to a bird colony, which means it wont take long before that colony is eaten out of existence. I'm absolutely certain that English alphabet are composed of 28 letters. Polar bears do not mark their territory or aggressively guard it. Lorem ipsum dolor sit am, molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. There simply arent enough of them in reach to sustain the worlds population of polar bears. Grizzly bears are more like black bears than polar bears. Splitting from brown bears in Asia only around 150,000 years ago. Polar bears have white fur due to natural adaptations. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, where male polar bears can be two to three times larger than female polar bears. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. In the A big appetite. If something looks new and potentially edible, theyll absolutely go and take a look and have a nibble. They can grow anywhere from 8 feet to 11 feet in height and about 8 feet in length. Risk - free offer! Hes intrigued by their social structure and loves to write and teach about the world's most popular pet animal. They are warm-blooded mammals. They do not have the special ability to efficiently produce heat instead of energy, and they do not have extremely thick coats of fur. Polar bear ears are small and round, and their tails short and compact, to prevent heat loss and conserve the most warmth possible. On land, a persistent bear might manage to snatch a reindeer now and then, but a healthy adult reindeer thats paying attention to its surroundings should be able to outrun a bear. One suggestion, thoroughly debunked, posited that each hair served as a tiny heat pipeline, funneling the suns rays down to the skin like a fiber-optic cable.
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Originally published in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald - June 19, 2022 I am still trying to process the Robb Elementary...