Photo Essay: Field Trip to Augustine Beach, DE

I have been a chaperone on trips before ... but never with a 4th grade class.  The younger years were filled with wonderment and interest, but somehow by the 4th grade that has transformed into a constant struggle to push limits and rebel.  I think they lose their ability to listen carefully (sometimes at all!).  Somehow, of the 3 groups formed from my daughter's 4th grade class, I ended up with 6 boys and 3 girls ... and the boys were indeed BOYS.  But at least it provided a lot of little chuckles throughout the day. 

Our first stop was a pond next to an estuary.  Just inside the Delaware Fish & Wildlife's property at Augustine Beach we met a few volunteers with the Delaware Nature Society.  One of them showed a Maryland Blue Crab to the kids, who were surprised at their size.  This one had already passed and was starting to stink, so we quickly finished that segment.  Then they examined grass shrimp, mumachaug (little fish), and barnacles.

Then we moved on to the beach, which was a lot of fun since they got to burn off a little more energy.  The volunteers got a large net and managed to get a handful of fish out of the water for the kids to observe, mainly silversides and anchovies.  They also got to see a small jellyfish which was completely transparent.  Then off we went for a little hunt to find evidence of producers, consumers, and predators.  The boys found lighters, a plastic comb, a dog toy, a tile, and the end of a plastic hockey stick.  The girls found feathers, a ladybug, and plants.  Clearly, the girls were into the activities while the boys were more interested in digging in the sand with sticks, finding crabs, and finding al the good trash on the beach.  They thought they'd hit the mother lode - there was just SO MUCH good stuff!  Of course, their finds on the scavanger hunt gave the volunteers a chance to teach them about pollution and our role as consumers in an ecosystem.

By far, the best part for me, aside from observing my daughter, was the view.  Looking at the Delaware River, we coiuld see how fast the current was and we were told that it was NOT a good place to go swimming due to a tremendous amount of pollution.  So sad, really, because it was a very quiet, deserted beach area.

Looking north was just reeds and river ... beautiful and quiet, with only the rush of wind through the reeds.  In spite of the wind and the cold, I could still imagine myself sitting here to read a book come spring and summer.

The only disappointing view on our trip happened to be directly across the Delaware River from the beach ... a nuclear power plant in New Jersey.  :(  But, again, this was an opportunity to work in some additional education for the kids as well. :)

All in all, I enjoy being a chaperone, even though it does wipe me out.  I don't know how teachers do it - they're a special bunch.  I explained to my daughter that being responsible for a handful of others' children is a mentally exhausting task because you're always on, always alert, keeping track of everything. She didn't understand, but I know she will one day.