Platypuses have been called the strangest animal on earth, but is it true? Discover this amazing creature with its duck-like bill, beaver-like tail, otter-like webbed feet, reptile-like claws, snake-like venom, and that lays eggs like a turtle!

Here’s our trail map:

• Why Does a Platypus Lay Eggs?
• How Is a Platypus Venomous?
• Why Do Platypus Have a Bill?
• What Does Scripture Say About Being Different?

Eryn's Books:

• The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us About Sabbath Living: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Rest-Creation-Sabbath-Living/dp/0825448891
• Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation: https://www.amazon.com/Rooted-Wonder-Nurturing-Familys-Creation/dp/0825447615
• 936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting: https://www.amazon.com/936-Pennies-Discovering-Intentional-Parenting/dp/0764219782

Episode Links:

• Try CTCMath for free for one week: https://ctcmath.com/
• Save 10% with code NATURE at Christianbook.com: https://www.christianbook.com/
• Nat Theo Club Bonus Video: https://erynlynum.com/club-videos
• Get full lesson guides in the Nat Theo Club: https://erynlynum.com/club
• Free Platypus Coloring Sheet: https://erynlynum.com/why-does-a-platypus-lay-eggs/
• Ask your nature question: https://erynlynum.com/ask
• A great book for learning about God’s designs in creature: God Made Animals by Generations Ministries

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:

“How many are your works, Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24 (NIV)

“Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NCV)

“I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.” John 17:14-16 (NCV)

“Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God.” Romans 15:7 (NCV)

Terms Learned in This Episode:

• Mammal: A group of animals that have hair or fur, are warm-blooded, have a backbone, (most) have live births, and feed their babies with milk from their bodies.
• Monotremes: A small group (order) of mammals that lay eggs instead of having live births. Monotremes include the duck-billed platypus and four types of echidnas.
• Platypus Spur: A spike on the...

Explore the world of lava—what it is, where it comes from, and how God uses volcanoes to show His incredible power and unshakeable love!

Here’s our trail map:

• What is Lava Made Of?
• How Are Igneous Rocks Made?
• How Does a Volcano Erupt?
• How Do Volcanos Point to God’s Power?

Eryn's Books:

• The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us About Sabbath Living: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Rest-Creation-Sabbath-Living/dp/0825448891
• Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation: https://www.amazon.com/Rooted-Wonder-Nurturing-Familys-Creation/dp/0825447615
• 936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting: https://www.amazon.com/936-Pennies-Discovering-Intentional-Parenting/dp/0764219782

Episode Links:

• Save 25% on Apologia’s award-winning curriculum through August 31, 2025! https://www.apologia.com/
• Try CTCMath for free for one week: https://ctcmath.com/
• Nat Theo Club Bonus Video: https://erynlynum.com/club-videos
• Get full lesson guides in the Nat Theo Club: https://erynlynum.com/club
• Free Lava Coloring Sheet: https://erynlynum.com/what-is-lava-made-of/
• Ask your nature question: https://erynlynum.com/ask

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:

“The mountains shake in front of him,

and the hills melt….” Nahum 1:5a (NCV)

“The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.” Psalm 97:5 (NCV)

“...on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Genesis 7:11 (NIV)

“Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down.” Genesis 8:2-3 (NIV)

“You clothed the earth with floods of water,

water that covered even the mountains.

At your command, the water fled;

at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.

Mountains rose and valleys sank

to the levels you decreed.” Psalm 104:6-8 (NLT)

“‘The mountains may disappear,

and the hills may come to an end,

but my love will never disappear;

my promise of peace will not come to an end,’

says the Lord who shows mercy to you.” Isaiah 54:10 (NCV)

Terms Learned in This Episode:

• Lava: A natural material that has come out of a volcano and can cool down and harden into rock.
• Magma: Hot, melted rock that is deep underground.
• Igneous Rock: A rock that is made by lava cooling down and hardening into a rock.
• Elements: The

What do you get when you mix the colors of a peacock, the eyes of a chameleon, the punch of a boxer, and the shell of a crab? Meet the Peacock Mantis Shrimp—a creature so unique, scientists are studying it to understand how to design cars, airplanes, and armor!

Here’s our trail map:

• What Is a Mantis Shrimp?
• Can the Mantis Shrimp Punch Through a Glass Aquarium?
• How Does the Mantis Shrimp See Its Underwater World?
• Are There Things in This World We Cannot See?

Episode Links:

• FREE Activity Guide and Bonus Video for this lesson!: https://nattheo.myflodesk.com/x6uw96zq8y
• Try CTCMath for free for one week: https://ctcmath.com/
• Save 25% on Apologia’s award-winning curriculum through August 31, 2025! https://www.apologia.com/
• Order Eryn’s book: The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us About Sabbath Living: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Rest-Creation-Sabbath-Living/dp/0825448891
• Nat Theo Club Bonus Video: https://erynlynum.com/club-videos
• Get full lesson guides in the Nat Theo Club: https://erynlynum.com/club
• Free Mantis Shrimp Coloring Sheet: https://erynlynum.com/mantis-shrimp-punch/
• Ask your nature question: https://erynlynum.com/ask
• Order Eryn's book, Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation: https://www.amazon.com/Rooted-Wonder-Nurturing-Familys-Creation/dp/0825447615

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:

“How many are your works, Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24 (NIV)

“Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ.” Colossians 1:16 (NCV)

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NCV)

Terms Learned in This Episode:

• Crustacean: An animal with a hard shell on the outside, jointed legs, and no bones inside. Most but not all live in water.
• Stomatopod: A category (order) of crustaceans commonly called the mantis shrimps. They live in ocean waters, commonly in coral reef areas. They are aggressive and are carnivorous, meaning they eat other creatures.
• Cavitation: A process where the mantis shrimp creates a bubble by the power of its punch that collapses, causing a shockwave of incredible force including sound,...