HS Students Visit Sunken Forest and Canoe Down Nissequogue River
Science Research teachers Annette Kuruc, Thomas Van Bell, and John Jaeger took the Science Research curriculum to new heights when they partnered up with Western Suffolk BOCES Outdoor Education Program to provide field research experiences for North Babylon students. Consequently, students were able to take two trips this fall to learn how to conduct research in natural environments. The first trip to Fire Island's Sunken Forest was centered on the study of several ecosystems. Students explored and compared the characteristics of a swale, a forest, the Great South Bay and the ocean beach south of the primary dune. They recorded differences in temperature, wind speed and direction, soil, canopy cover, water temperature and salinity, and the flora and fauna.
The next trip was in a canoe down the Nissequogue River, a tidal river which is an ideal outdoors classroom environment. As they canoed down the river, students compared the salty water of Long Island Sound and the brackish and fresh waters of the upper river in Smithtown. They learned the basics of canoeing and stopped at five distinct stations along the river. At each station, students observed and identified the flora and fauna in the various habitats. They also measured the surface and bottom temperature and salinity, along with the turbidity of the river water.
These two field excursions were invaluable for these research students because as Science Director Ms. Offerman-Celetano says, "Science does not only take place in a laboratory. Much of what we learn is in the field."