Group Puts Educational Spin On John Marshall 'Beach Day'

Most schools schedule a “beach day” toward the end of the year, giving students the chance to go outside to explore and enjoy nature. The fifth graders from John Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton held their “beach day” today, with a true educational spin!

Group for the East End environmental educators Steve Biasetti, Anita Wright, Jennifer Skilbred and Kate Fullam were on hand to lead students through the salt marsh ecosystem as part of their final SEALS (Science Encompasses All Life and Systems) field trip of the year. Summer education intern Brian Riley also joined in on the trip to assist.

Among the many creatures gently captured and observed were: Fiddler Crabs, Ribbed Mussels, Mud Snails, Clams, Whelks, Atlantic Slipper Snails and Bay Scallops. At one point, movement under the water’s surface caught Steve Biasetti’s eye and he was able to scoop up a live Horseshoe Crab for observation. One group of students found an abundance of Fiddler Crabs and decided to race them from the center of a circle drawn into the sand and surrounded by rocks. Mr. Ryan, their teacher, almost took first place (but not quite)!

Eye-catching animals and beautiful shells found on the beach were not the only learning tools used on this field trip. The variation of plant life in and around the salt marsh was also a draw for students who had never seen Salt Spray Rose in bloom (a lovely pink flower) along with Prickly Pear Cactus (a bright yellow flower). It is always a joy to see students marvel at the fact that Prickly Pear Cactus is the only cactus east of the Mississippi River.

A final lesson of the trip, echoed throughout the other SEALS lessons each year, is that of ecological relationships. That is, the interactions between animals and their environment, plus the relationships between different animal species. Bees gathering pollen from blooming flowers, a barnacle growing on a rock, and a Great Egret catching fish in the marsh were among the ecological relationships observed during the visit to Sammy’s Beach.

A relationship that began in 1996, the Group for the East End SEALS program includes four field trips and several classroom lessons annually with each fifth grade class at John Marshall Elementary School. Field trips focus on four different Long Island ecosystems – ocean beach, salt marsh, forest and freshwater wetland. Classroom lessons cover topics such as Long Island’s geographical history, groundwater, taxonomic classification, animal adaptations and migration.

Students who move on to sixth grade at John Marshall are treated to another year of integrated environmental education through the Group for the East End OWLS (Outdoors While Learning Science) program. The OWLS program, initiated in 1998, consists of four field-based lessons to four different ecosystems on eastern Long Island – ocean beach, salt marsh, forest and freshwater wetland – where students learn how to collect data as scientists in the field.

For more information about the SEALS program, or any of Group for the East End’s educational programs, please contact Steve Biasetti at (631) 765-6450, ext. 205 or sbiasetti@eastendenvironment.org.

Group for the East End protects and restores the environment of eastern Long Island through education, citizen action and professional advocacy. We inspire people to embrace a conservation ethic. www.eastendenvironment.org