63 Third Graders Explore Biodiversity

Two weeks ago, I, along with 7 parent volunteers, four teachers, our principal, and Sandra Wyatt from Barrington Land Conservation Trust, took 63 third graders along the Annawamscutt creek from our school in Riverside, through the woods, across a parking lot, across a busy street (with the help of an officer), and through ASRI-protected land to the other end of the creek to meet ASRI Senior Director of Education Lauren Parmelee and teacher Doreen Schiff and her 8th graders to study the creek.  Along the narrow path I had cut as much briars away from and had even moved a fallen tree, we found deer tracks and scat.  Kids and even adults commented that they had no idea this was even here, and we weren't even a mile from the school!  A few third graders even asked if we were going through a jungle in response to the path shaded by maple, oak, and beech trees, native wildflowers, and invasive bittersweet.  

Some had been concerned about what could hurt them out there.  I told them we were unlikely to see many animals on our walk, being a large group that animals would hide from.  Even so, birds, deer, foxes, etc. would not hurt them.  In the permission slip and on the day before, I reminded them to wear good sneakers and long pants and sleeves, because there would be thorns and possibly ticks and poison ivy.  We made the slightly over 2 mile trek from Riverside to Haines Memorial Park in Barrington and back with one scratched leg.  Our nurse did a pre-cursory tick-check back at the school.

Yes, we opened the minds of third graders walking a mile away from their comfort zone (and the comfort zone of a few adults too)!  Yes, many of the kids thought it was a "jungle".  But I also heard them feeling empowered.  They were proud of themselves for taking this hike on.  They felt brave.  They were excited and felt like a team.

Trekking through the "jungle".

Sandra Wyatt from Barrington Land Conservation Trust explains about roots and slippery
rocks before we reenter the woods to get to Haines Memorial Park in Barrington.

When we at last arrived at the other end of the creek, groups of about twelve rotated through six stations.   The first two stations were run by 8th graders from St. Luke's school in Barrington along with their teacher Doreen Schiff, where one station had 8th graders using skeins, nets, and leaf packs to collect fauna from the creek the third graders had help identifying and using charts to note their pollution-tolerance.  The second station involved match cards of macro fauna to their pollution-tolerence to examine different scenarios of what different findings told them about the cleanliness of the creek.   ASRI Senior Director of Education Lauren Parmelee and Ginger from Barrington Land Conservation Trust assisted.

Two kinds of aquatic snails were found, with different pollution-tolerances.

Back-swimmer!

American eel and frog!

Meanwhile, at the other four stations...

Using laminated scavenger lists, kids and adults identify leaves.
Many of these leaves fall into the creek and become habitats for juvenile macro fauna.

Print out your own leaf guide here.

Kids also played Deadly Links (modified to act out as mosquito, dragonfly, and frog in this popular game from Project Wild), created a food web wearing pictures of animals, insects, water, sun, air, soil, and rock clipped to their shirts and passing a rope back and forth to create a "web" of how they were connected, and matching juvenile animal pictures with their adult ones (frog and tadpole came easily, but dragonfly and nymph less so).  We rotated stations every 15 minutes, so the whole trip at the park was an hour and a half.  15 minutes was enough time to run every game, with some playing twice.  Then we had a picnic lunch and carefully collected all trash.  We want to do this trip every year now! 

From a previous Food Web game.

Card examples.

More from St. Luke's: https://prezi.com/1xpqxmufa2w7/annawamscutt-creek/

Biodiversity in a Nutshell

Back in September, I was part of Blackstone Valley's first Biodiversity Festival, organized by the amazing Allison Horrocks, where Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, the Department of Parks and Recreation, NRISOS, 15 Minute Field Trips™, and others set up tables on a windy day that kept threatening rain, but actually had a good turn-out.

Beneath the highway, joggers and bicyclists hustled by on the bike path through land that could have easily have been forgotten about.  Instead, between Cumberland and Lincoln, and into Woonsocket, the 12 mile park follows the Blackstone River.  Once polluted by industry few fish could tolerate, now the river supports over two dozen species!  Following the path, you can see the next ones on that food chain, the great blue heron, cormorants, even osprey and eagles!  An abandoned drive-in movie theater was taken out to allow for a restored meadow.  Now mammals such as the river-loving muskrat return, along with the still urban-tolerant raccoons, skunk, opossum.  Opossum are most-welcome hear, as they eat ticks, and the deer that carry the Lyme tick do visit as well. Coyote and foxes join this web as well.  While snapping turtles tend to be more pollution-tolerant than other turtles, several turtle species and well as sensitive frogs have made the Blackstone River their home.

Kelly House

There are many ways to look for biodiversity.  Actually sightings of animals is always a pleasure, but other evidence can be found with a little searching.  Animal tracks, especially in the soft, wet ground beside creeks, is a good place to start.  Knowing who made the tracks and what their presence might mean is the next step.  Below, molds help identify raccoons, squirrel, deer, dog, and more.

There were many great tables to explore, learning more about insects, leaves, trees...  Deputy Andy and others guided children and families on nature walks and in various fun activities.  

Recording what you find.

Record what you find!  Maybe a drawing or even a photo.  Print out a scavenger hunt list and check off what you see.  Examine bones from a distance, look for holes, burrows and nests without disturbing them, notice eaten leaves and nuts, chewed bark, animal carcasses, snail shells.  Who is eating what?

Identifying seeds and leaves.

Collecting insects.

Finding snake skins.

Identifying fish.

Showcasing groups that study the river.

Using data to monitor environmental health.

Looking at insects and catching live ones!

Now to keep it clean!

Making connections by acting out a food web.

Seeing how water gets polluted...

---and how we can prevent it!

Events like this happen all over our state and can happen at your school or even your backyard or local park.  Next blog: 63 Third Graders Explore Biodiversity