Seventh Graders visit Bluff Point

WOW! What a great day I had accompanying the seventh grade class to Bluff Point in Groton. In addition to thoroughly enjoying the time I got to spend with some AWESOME kids, I got to experience some really cool science in action.
We hiked on some beautiful trails until we came upon an estuary where we used seine nets to explore the aquatic nursery environment. What did we see? Tons of snails, crabs, grass shrimp, flounder and even a baby squid. (Did you know they change color?!) We saw the carcasses of TWO horseshoe crabs, too! The kids got wet, measured salinity, turbidity and took notes on wind speed, temperature and wildlife. Then, we marched out of the estuary and enjoyed time on the beaches where we continued to search for wildlife. The area was, at one time, an oyster bed-- The hurricane of 1938 did major damage, and after a hike through the woods, visitors can see the remains of a foundation.
This post is sort of stream-of-consciousness because I am still reeling (pun intended) from the great day...
We topped it off with yummy ice cream sandwiches from Dairy Queen.
Loved this trip!