the most wonderful field trip...EVER

Today the first-graders went to Beachwalker Park at Kiawah for a field trip. Now I always go on every field trip, so I'm not a johnny-come-lately in the field trip department. But this is definitely one I wouldn't have missed and I am so glad I didn't.

The field trip included two programs conducted by naturalists or marine biologists or some such experts employed by the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department. These young women and men were excellent - full of energy, brimming with knowledge and with an extraordinary capacity to engage young children.

The first program our group did was "Secrets in the Sand". Each child got a shovel and a strainer and they dug in the sand in a tide pool and at the water's edge and found all sorts of "treasures" in the sand. Then the naturalist explained all about the food chain in the ocean and the food web. Fascinating stuff.

The second program was "Seining the Sea" where two naturalists dragged a seine through the ocean and came in with their catch for the children to sort through. The catch included all sorts and sizes of hermit crabs, a spitting mad blue crab, a flounder, a speckled crab, an anchovy, seaweed, and a bunch of other stuff. It was soooo cool and the kids (and the parents) loved it.

The weather was perfect, the programs were perfect, and the day was completely perfect!!
finding secrets in the sand

making a clamshell, complete with a pinky siphon

preparing the seine

one angry claw-clacking crab!

my description: Mac and his friends studying intently the seine catch
Jimmy's likely description: Mac surrounded by pretty girls on a beach. Awwww yeah!

Checking out an anchovy's mouth