Fourth Annual Educators' Workshop Held at Hammonasset

Menunkatuck Audubon's fourth annual workshop for educators was held at Hammonasset Beach State Park on May 1, a beautiful spring day. Presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Sea Grant Extension Program, this daylong workshop attracted twenty-two participants (school teachers and nature center staff) from around the state.

Participants met at the Meigs Point Nature Center at 8:30 am for our customary offerings of shade-grown coffee, fruit, bagels and muffins. And then it was time to begin! After an introduction by Diane Joy of the DEP's Kellogg Environmental Center, we separated into two groups.

The morning sessions were "Salt Marsh Soils," led by Lisa Wahle, and "Salt Marsh Botany," led by Sandy Weiss, both DEP Project Search environmental educators. Lisa provided us with shovels and augers to study soil samples at various locations in the park, including the salt marsh. One good-natured participant momentarily lost her right leg as it sank thigh high into the muck of the marsh. She bravely continued on, muddy and wet, but still smiling.

Sandy took us out into another, drier, part of the salt marsh. She showed us the different zones of the marsh: the tidal creeks, mud flats, low marsh, high marsh, and the upland edge. In the upland marsh were also pools and pannes. Each zone had plants growing that were specially adapted to their habitat. The session was spent identifying these plants and discussing the special adaptations that allowed them to survive in this salty environment.

After a break for lunch, we again headed out into the park. The afternoon sessions were "Observing Birds," led by Roger Lawson, an environmental educator with the DEP's Kellogg Environmental Center, and "Subtidal Exploration," led by Heather Crawford, coastal resource educator with the CT Sea Grant Extension Program. Roger stressed the importance of teaching students observation skills, rather than just learning the identity of the birds. We spent time noticing size, shape and plumage of birds, as well as their flight patterns, behavior, and where they were found.

Heather set up her session on the beach. A seine net dragged through the water gathered marine creatures for closer study. Masses of marine copepods, crustaceans no bigger than sesame seeds, teemed in the containers. Small comb and moon jellies undulated through the water. Along the line of wrack, or debris brought onto the beach with the tides, we discovered seaweed as well as the shells of many species. Heather discussed the natural history of some of these species and various ways to collect and study subtidal marine creatures.

Back at the nature center, Diane had set up Dr. Peter Pellegrino's computer program, "The Living Seashore: An Interactive Guide to the Invertebrates of Hammonasset Beach State Park." Underwater video of marine invertebrates is combined with an interactive computer program. This program is available for use at the Meigs Point Nature Center when the center is open in the summer.

As always, time was too short to cover everything we would have liked. Aside from that, participants were enthusiastic in their praise of the workshop and the leaders. Menunkatuck would like to thank the DEP and Sea Grant for helping to make this day a success.

Submitted by Cindi Kobak
Photos by Cindi Kobak