Fred Howard by Martha Rhine

On our latest trip, we drove to Tarpon Springs to explore Fred Howard Park. We learned all about coastal ecosystems and the organisms that can be found there. We learned the differences between the different grasses that are found in the water, like turtle grass, manatee grass and shoal grass. Each of these are different in size and texture to accommodate them in the different areas they grow in. We dragged in some big nets into the shallow water to see what kinds of organisms we could collect. We found snails, crabs and small fish. Then we went snorkeling to get a closer look at the sea grass beds and the organisms that live in and on them.

 hi

Grasses underwater

 Classmate snorkeling 

 The sand is mushy here 

Photo overload, I know, but I love taking pictures!

After snorkeling we walked to the beach to talk about how beaches are formed, beach distribution, how beaches are built (accretion) and how they are lost (erosion), and the importance of the ugly brown looking weeds that litter the beach (sea wrack) which hold nutrients for the birds and other creatures that live on the beach.

 We were lucky to have this weather

 Doggie laying on the sea wrack 

 Doggie on the sand dunes

 Sea oats have interwoven root system so it's not okay to pick them, or they will all fall apart. Plus, they too provide food for all sorts of beach creatures. 

Bye for now!