Field Trips and Events
Kick Off Party
To start off the year we had our Kick Off Party. We ate food, chatted, and had loads of fun. We went down to the beach and swam along with observe and analyze
Project Greenshores
For our first field trip of the year, Jr. Audubon members met with members from the Francis M. Weston Audubon Society (FMWAS) at Project Greenshores on October. We learned about the restoration project which added miles of wetlands back to the coast. These wetlands are vitally important to many species of plants and animals, including migratory birds and butterflies. We were able to collect our first set of data to post as our Citizen Science Project. We logged many different species of plants animals at this ecologically important site. The students will use this information, as well as information gathered at other functions and activities, to develop information and activities to educate others in the community.
Big Lagoon Camping Trip
Big Lagoon was the site for our first club camping trip. The weather was gorgeous, the water was wonderful and the food was, well, burned.
Our trip began with a lesson on invasive species from Americorp volunteers. The volunteers took the time to inform our group about how invasive species negatively affect the environment. We were then able to follow them to a site where they were actively working on removing different types of invasive plants and trees. With tools in hand, we assisted the Americorp volunteers and removed huge piles of these nasty invaders. The ones on which we focused were: Bush mint, Popcorn, and Privet.
After putting in some time helping out the environment, we spent some time pulling seine nets and dip netting along the shore identifying the plants and animals we collected. As the sun began to set, we took out the paddle boards and paddled around the lagoon for a bit before dinner. For some, this was a very exciting first!
After dinner, Dewey Barker from the Amateur Astronomer’s Association of Escambia County, joined us for a look at the night time sky. He showed us planets, stars, and moons that most of us never see or even notice because of light pollution around town. It was nice to lay back and star gaze for a bit.
The next day we were able to practice our paddle boarding and kayaking skills as we paddled around the lagoon for a while before lunch.
We look forward to many more overnight camping experiences in the future!