“Se-ques-tra-tion” was the word of the day for 60 Canyon Oaks fourth graders who visited the Sierra Club Napa Group’s station during a field trip to the American Canyon Wetlands. (Photo credit: Chris Benz. Caption: Chris Benz and Scott Thomason ready to teach.)
The three-hour field trip was part of the Watershed Explorers Program put on by the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation (ACCPF). The Napa Group was awarded $5,000 from the Rolhoff Bequest to partner with ACCPF and educate students about the role tidal marshes play in combating climate change.
The Watershed Explorers Program began in 2019 and this year will give all 300 plus fourth graders in American Canyon the opportunity to do hands-on learning about the natural environment of the wetlands. The Napa Group is participating as a “local expert," along with the Napa County Parks and Open Space District, the American Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Napa County Resource Conservation District.
Our first field day took place on Thursday, November 16. Executive Committee Member Scott Thomason (a former elementary school teacher) and I (an enthusiastic grandma) served as the experts. With each group of students, we began by sharing the Sierra Club’s motto: “Enjoy, explore, and protect the planet.” (Photo: Canyon Oaks fourth graders learning about the wetlands.)
Most students were familiar with the terms “climate change” and “global warming.” But the idea of warming causing sea level rise was a new one. We showed how the tidal marsh portion of the Wetlands protects from flooding and “se-ques-ters” carbon, serving as a nature-based adaptation to sea level rise.
Next came learning about the Wetlands as a biodiversity hotspot, home to many different animals, birds, and plants. We had pickle weed and fennel for the students to taste—pickle weed was the clear favorite with requests for seconds and thirds! (Photo: A pair of egrets fishing.)
The students were eager to explore the wetlands and record their observations in their Nature Journals. Binoculars were passed around so everyone could get a close look at the pair of egrets fishing on the shoreline, the sandpipers foraging on the mudflats, and the flocks of avocets swooping down to land in the water.
At the end of our lesson, we asked “Who thinks it’s important to protect our wetlands?” Every hand was raised.
We will participate in additional Watershed Explorers field trip days throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.