Students Connect with Nature and Clean Up Trash Pollution at Martinez Marina
“I think I saw a crab larva!” exclaimed Caue, calling his classmates to gather around the scientific microscope he was observing. “Whoa, I think there is a copepod in there, too!” said Lily, checking her plankton identification guide. On their special field trip to Martinez Marina, Watershed Rangers from Las Juntas Elementary School in Martinez eagerly studied water samples from the Carquinez Strait using scientific field microscopes to investigate the plankton living in this special bay-delta habitat.
Las Juntas Elementary is one of the first schools to participate in KftB’s new Martinez Watershed Rangers Program, which provides third through fifth grade classes with opportunities to learn about and care for the local watershed environment in hands-on watershed lessons, a walking field trip to a watershed habitat near their school, and a bus field trip to the Martinez Marina.
On a sunny morning, KftB Sabreena Verma welcomed the Las Juntas third graders to the Martinez Marina. “Raise your hand if you’ve been to Martinez Marina before!” she said. Several students raised their hands. “What is the body of water right behind me?” Ms. Sabreena asked. “The San Francisco Bay!” guessed Karla. “Good guess! This is actually the Carquinez Strait, which connects our freshwater rivers and the delta to the San Francisco Bay. Who can tell me what type of water we might find in this body of water?” continued Ms. Sabreena, building on the students’ knowledge from previous watershed lessons. “Brackish water!” said Vihaan. “Yes, here we’re closer to our freshwater rivers. What do you think that might mean when we think about the type of water here in the Carquinez Strait?” asked Ms. Sabreena. “The water in the Carquinez Strait might be more fresh, since we’re closer to the rivers, and less salty than the water at the Golden Gate Bridge, which is by the ocean,” answered Carter.
The Watershed Rangers headed out on a walk through the marshlands on the Martinez shoreline to connect with nature and explore the watershed environment. They spotted several Canada geese, including several goslings covered in down. “If the parents go hunting, do they leave their babies somewhere hidden, like deer?” wondered Cowboy. “I think their goslings stay with them twenty-four-seven after they hatch. They’re learning how to hunt and how to be geese, and the best way for them to learn is to watch their parents in action,” answered teacher Ms. Lutz.
Martinez students explored the marina colors by participating in a rainbow walk activity. Ms. Sabreena handed each student a paint color sample. They were eager to find something in nature that exactly matched their paint color. Students explored a small, sandy beach along the shoreline, looking for natural artifacts to match their color. Yara, who had a whitish-gray color, quickly discovered an empty clam shell that perfectly matched her paint color sample. Maia discovered a patch of buttercup flowers that matched his shade of sunshine yellow. “Does this count?” shouted Zoe, running up to Ms. Sabreena with a pale, pinkish reed held against the paint sample. Students also compared their paint samples to different colored stones, the bark of a nearby driftwood log, and even the clouds and sky!
Ms. Sabreena instructed students to hold onto one of the natural artifacts they found to show with the group. “Let’s make a circle and share something you observed or something that you gathered out here along the shore, or it can be something that you have learned about our watershed,” she said.
“I found a bunch of little barnacles,” said Isa. “Some of them have a hole at the top. If it has a hole, it means it’s empty. If it’s covered, it means the barnacle is alive. I’m holding a barnacle’s little house, not the barnacle itself.” Colton observed, “There’s a tide near us and a tide that’s farther away from us.” Ms. Sabreena replied, “Great! That zone between the high tide and low tide is called an intertidal zone. There are lots of animals that are adapted to live in this special area. These animals must be able to survive alternating conditions submerged in water for part of the day, and dry for the other part of the day.”
After lunch, students performed a trash cleanup to protect this special habitat. “We found a bunch of tangled fishing wire! Fishing wire is bad because animals can get stuck in it,” said Ralph. “We found six cigarette butts,” said Dillion. “Seven!” Yara corrected, holding up another cigarette butt. “You guys, slow down so that I can record everything!” Eliana urged the group members, who were collecting trash faster than she could record it. “We found twenty-three cigarette butts in one spot! That’s messed up!” exclaimed Carter. ““Hurry! There’s a plastic cup floating in that puddle, and more plastic by the benches!” said Maia. “We found more cigarette butts than any other type of trash. In all, we found twenty-five cigarette butts. I am glad that we got to do something good for the environment and keep Martinez Marina clean for all to enjoy.”
“How does being out in nature make you feel?” asked Ms. Sabreena, at the end of the day. Ralph replied, “I feel calm when I am outside.” “Being outside and listening to the sounds of nature makes me feel relaxed,” added Natalia. “Learning outside is so much fun!” exclaimed Karla. The field trip to the Martinez Shoreline was an excellent learning opportunity for students to delve deeper into environmental science, and also a way for students to find joy in connecting with nature. Stopping and taking time to observe the natural world creates lasting memories and connections with our surroundings. These connections and experiences inspire students to practice environmental stewardship throughout their lives!