Antioch Environmentalists Explore Brannan Island
Students from Fremont Elementary School in Antioch buzzed with excitement as they arrived on the banks of Three Mile Slough on Brannan Island in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. Students couldn’t wait to explore this special wetland habitat! KIDS for the BAY Educator Anais Wilson shared the importance of using ‘Leave No Trace’ principles. “Please pick up all of your trash. If you see trash on the ground, even if it’s not yours, pick it up. We want to leave this special place better than we found it!” she explained.
Ms. Anais directed the class’s attention to the slough, running alongside the picnic area where Ms. Kim’s students gathered. “Who sees this body of water right in front of us? Who can guess what it is?” she asked. “Is it a river?” guessed Marjorie. “It’s part of the watershed,” confirmed Steven. Ms. Anais reviewed how all the bodies of water within a watershed are connected. Students remembered from their watershed lessons that freshwater from rivers like the San Joaquin River and the Sacramento River make their way to the delta and eventually, to the San Francisco Bay which connects with the Pacific Ocean. “This stretch of water is called the Three Mile Slough. It’s where the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers connect and form wetlands and marshlands.” Students were excited to meet this special wetland habitat in person!
“We’re going to be investigating plankton from the slough!” announced Ms. Anais. “Which organism is at the beginning of most food chains?” she asked. “Plankton!” exclaimed Heily. Using field microscopes, students examined slides containing a few drops from a water sample that KftB Educators collected from the slough earlier that morning. Students made notes in their field journals and drew the different types of phytoplankton and zooplankton they observed. “I see a bunch of things moving around in there! I didn’t know that a single drop of water could contain so much life!” said Mario. “I saw a bunch of little creatures swimming around,” confirmed Ja’Dahya.
Ms. Anais moved among the students, helping them adjust the microscope dials until their images came into focus. The young scientists checked their plankton guides to identify the microscopic organisms they were observing. “I found a juvenile fish!” remarked Steven, peering into the microscope. “I found a barnacle nauplius, or barnacle larvae. Like Barnacle Boy! Why does everything in life relate to Spongebob Squarepants?” wondered Russell. “I saw a mysid shrimp. It looks like the ghost shrimp that my brother has in his fish tank, but tinier!” shared Majorie. “We have to say everything is fascinating because we are scientists!” said River. “This water sample has so many fascinating creatures! Everything is so fascinating!”
Environmentalists spent a lot of time looking through binoculars and using guides to identify nearby birds and native plants. Steven took it upon himself to identify every single tree in the area! He moved from one tree to another, plucking a fallen leaf or two from the ground before returning to the path to identify it using his native plant guide. Using the fallen leaves, he was able to identify many species “I think this is a white elder tree,” said Steven. “This is a coastal live oak! I wonder if it has acorns at this time of year?”
The students were also determined to identify the feathered residents of Brannan Island. “I saw a common raven! I could tell it was a raven and not a crow by looking at its tail shape!” said Russell. Walking to the end of the fishing dock, students excitedly pointed out a few swallows swooping low over the surface of the water to hunt for insects such as mayflies and stoneflies.
At the nearby dock, our young Environmentalists spotted an ‘Eat Fish Safely’ sign, detailing the types of fish from the slough that are safe to eat, and the recommended quantities a person can safely consume. Students buzzed with excitement, having just completed their Safe Bay Bay/Delta Fishing and Cooking Environmental Action Project with KftB. “This looks like the chart we used to teach our parents which fish are safest to eat!” said Ja’Dahya.
Students also eagerly watched a man fishing along the riverbank with his young son. With a series of splashes, he reeled in a small fish. “I’ve never seen anyone catch a fish like that before!” exclaimed Bryson. “Is that a beaver?” shouted Rhyan, pointing excitedly to a disturbance in the middle of the slough, several yards away. Sure enough, a medium-sized, brown mammal broke the surface of the water for a brief moment, before diving under the water again. The young Environmentalists guessed what kind of animal it could be, though they weren’t close enough to identify if it was a beaver, a type of otter, or the young seal pup that likes to hang around the area. River demonstrated a sharp scientists’ eye when she spotted a turtle well-hidden under a big island of algae and surface-floating plants.
“I love nature walks. I’m so glad we came here on this field trip. I love going in nature and just closing my eyes. I feel really calm. I am so glad we got to visit Brannan Island. This is the coolest place ever, and I loved seeing all the animals!”
River, Third Grade Student, Fremont Elementary School, Antioch
“My student, Mario, is quite the Environmentalist. He cares so much about protecting all of the precious life on earth. It’s so amazing to see him come to life as a result of this KftB Program. The program has given him an opportunity to really follow his passions. It has inspired him and all my students so much!”
Kay Kim, Third Grade Teacher, Fremont Elementary School, Antioch
To wrap up the field trip, Ms. Anais asked the class if they wanted to share something they loved about their special field trip, or something they learned. “My favorite part was when I discovered a new species!” exclaimed Steven. Zayden added, “I loved looking at the fire ants and seeing all the cool bugs.” Perla said, “My favorite part was when we went to the fishing dock and looked through binoculars. I saw lots of birds I’ve never seen before.” Mario exclaimed, “I loved everything!”
When they arrived at Brannan Island, the Fremont Elementary students seemed unsure about being outside and hesitant to get their hands dirty. One chaperone commented, “You can tell they’ve never been camping before!” Yet, by the end of the day, all of the students were fully immersed in the experience, unafraid to connect with nature, and thrilled about all of the wildlife that surrounded them. A brand new class of students emerged from their cocoon, transformed into impassioned, caring Environmentalists with the help of this special field trip to Brannan Island!