Do you remember your class field trips? Most likely you do, and in fact have a favorite field trip memory. Sierra Club is making those kinds of memories this year for 260 sixth graders at Rio Vista Middle School. In a series of 12 trips to local coastal and river water resource locations, the kids are getting outside to do environmental science tasks with a subtle goal of increasing the eco ethic in the next generation.

 

The 8 sixth grade science classes are taking two trips each.The first location is to Ormond Beach, an unfamiliar area to most of these students. Last Tuesday 2 of the classes went on both a shore hike and a trail hike around the site. "Which comes first, the dune or the plant", was asked on the trail hike. Discussion was encouraged, right or wrong answers deemphasized. Touch, smell, taste was part of the day. "It's SALTY" was a resounding cry upon a touch of salt grass. The kids were plied with thought provoking questions like "Even scientists don't agree on the definition of a wetlands so how do you know there's a wetland if it's not wet?" Pickleweed to the rescue, a sure fire sign of a wetlands! Touch and taste followed.

 

Leaders on the trip are local environmental professionals and volunteers, most of them are paid a stipend to help with the classes.  But one of the assistants last Tuesday is a Sierra Club member doing it simply to grow the young eco ethic for our future. Please give a giant thank you to Irene Rauschenberger, one of the most welcome faces to have as a helper on these outdoor class trips and many other Sierra Club functions. Her time and effort guiding sixth graders through the wetlands and shore habitat is worth a lot to you when these kids are the defenders of our local coastal environment.