What a beautiful place! Padilla Bay is north of Mt Vernon heading west towards Anacortes. When you arrive there is a large building and inside is a classroom as well as several rooms with information about estuaries as well as very fun hands on room where the kids can really play and learn about estuaries. What is an estuary? (some of you I am sure know, but for those who don't here is your mini lesson) An estuary is the place where fresh water meets saltwater, so where a stream or river meets the salt water of the ocean. These are wonderful places that are just filled with life! So many creatures live in estuaries and it is the home to zillions of babies from plant babies to sealife babies! The kids went first through a class where we learned what is needed to make "estuary soup", watched a video about estuaries and their importance and learned a bit of the history of Padilla Bay. We then moved onto the beach! Armed with shovels, cups for water to hold creatures as well as a clipboard with photos of life we could find and a speciman tray, we were off and digging! The kids found lots of wonderful things from green sea slugs, to snail eggs, as well as eelgrass and even a skeleton shrimp! Our guide took all of our collections and placed them under microscopes for us to view all the wonderful life we had found. It was truly a fun and wonderful adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment