We began the field trip talking with our park rangers about the rules of the park and types of plants and animals we might see on our hike. Next, each student was given a clipboard, a list (with pictures) of things to look for and half of a crayon. Then we were off...
First we saw some poison ivy growing on a tree. "Leaves of three, let them be." That means stay away from plants with three leaves! Or you might get itchy all over.
The first evidence of animals living in the sanctuary was found under the cover of a gazebo: mud-dobber nests and spiderwebs. The wasps (mud dobbers) lay their eggs in these nests they make with water and dirt. They come back to feed the larvae. Spiders also like to feed on the larvae.
All of the students really enjoyed looking at their lists and checking off any plants or animals they had seen. They were also GREAT listeners, learning so much about the native habitats in Florida.
We looked across Lake Oneida at the island and imagined all of the animals in the water that we couldn't see...yet.
Lia
Grace
Walking on the Red Maple Boardwalk to get to the swamp area.
The scenery was so peaceful and beautiful.
In the Buckhead Branch Swamp, our ranger pointed out a fallen tree. She told us that they leave fallen trees in the sanctuary because they are great homes for many different animals.
Ms. Beaver loves the beauty and calmness of the swamp. And we were lucky that the bugs did not bother us at all.
A leaf with holes was one of the items on our Checklists. Who ate the holes in this leaf?
A cypress tree has a wide trunk at the ground, but gets skinnier as it grows taller. It also has a vast root system.
Some knee knots of the cypress trees. These are part of the root system of the cypress trees. They spread out far away from the tree itself. The root system of the cypress is still a mystery to scientists.
Busy Beavers are good listeners!
A carnivorous plant. Insects climb into the tubes of these plants where there is digestive juice that destroys and breaks down the insects for nutrients for the plants.
Another view of Lake Oneida.
A Sweet-Gum Tree has leaves with 5 points.
A Sweet-Gum tree also appears to have stripes on the trunk. These are actually a lot of holes side by side made by woodpeckers that love to eat the insects covered in the "sweet" sap of the tree. Its like eating dessert with your meat!
The bridge connecting the mainland to the island was a great place to see the wildlife. We saw 6 turtles and many, many fish! We even got to feed the turtles with bread that Ms. Watson's class shared with us!
Many plants also live in the water. They provide shelter and food for the aquatic animals.
Sarah and Vishal enjoyed seeing the turtles.
Turtle!
Fish!
Waiting patiently...
More good listeners!
Palmetto leaves are very sharp, so most animals do not eat them.
