Through Their Eyes

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge had five classes of kids coming to visit us over two days so there was a rush to get enough helpers to set up stations for them. I volunteered to work on two of my off days. In return, I got to take the kids on the boardwalk and help with the Pond Study. I also got to go check on the kids at the Chesser Homestead so got a few pictures of them there.

The Pond Study consisted of letting the children use nets to collect fish, snails, insects and insect larva, and microorganisms from the pond. Groups of five kids and at least one adult spent about twenty-five minutes collecting the animals and transferring them to their buckets.

Ranger Sarah helping with the capture

Oh, the anticipation when the net comes in

Minnows and a snail -from the first two turns at the net

 Then they brought the buckets to the table and looked at them with the microscopes. After everyone got to see several specimens of pond life, they put the animals back into the ponds.

Working on identifying some of the specimens

The sheet shows many of the possible insects

Fascinating!

When the kids visited the Chesser Homestead, they learned about life about 100 years ago, and then played some of the old games.

Keeping the hoops rolling is hard work

The trip down and back on the boardwalk took another hour.  Some of the groups got to see an alligator that lives at the first shelter, built over an alligator hole. And others got to see the great blue heron that likes to fish in that hole. Everyone got to see great egrets and some got to see anhingas, white ibis, and hear sandhill cranes.

This little water moccasin was in the exact place on both days

This goggle-eyed pig  frog was spotted by a sharp-eyed youngster

At the top of the tower

 Getting to work with young children in the outdoors is always most rewarding for me. They are so excited and intense.  I was even able to get 25 loud, excitable kids to sneak up on the alligator that lives at the first shelter on the boardwalk.  And they found the little water moccasin and the googly eyed frog.  This was a great way to spend two of my days off.