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– By Cyndi Butler Focke
Seatack Elementary fourth graders marched with pen and journal toward the Lynnhaven River on a sunny day. Dacia Walker found a snail shell and showed one of the high school guides.
“If you sing to them, they sometimes come out of their shell,” said Environmental Studies Program senior Rory Roberts. Dacia sang a few notes, and sure enough a snail peaked out. She examined the tiny sea creature closely and drew a picture in her journal.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center, situated on 118 acres of water, marshlands, and forest at Pleasure House Point, hosted the field trip.
The visit was part of the Nature Journals project.
Approximately 100 high school junior and seniors are part of the VBCPS Environmental Studies Program at the Brock Center. Six seniors in the program are leading the journaling collaboration as part of an internship with the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and VBCPS.
Environmental Studies Program Coordinator Chris Freeman welcomed the visitors to the Brock Center’s energy-efficient, environmentally smart building. “This is the 10th living building in the world,” he said.
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The center receives 100% of its energy from renewable energy sources, with 15-kilowatt wind turbines and 168 solar panels. Freeman showed students the filtration system that turns rainwater into drinking water and told them the floor was originally a gym floor.
Also, some of the walls were made from school bleachers, and the glass fish hanging from the ceiling were left over from a hospital display. “Reuse, reduce and recycle,” Freeman said.
Students were ready to explore the environment and start journaling, thanks to classroom preparation by teachers and some special guests.
Environmental Studies Program interns shared observation strategies. Seatack art teacher Maggie Smith and a Virginia Beach Friends School art instructor guided students through the journal-making process.
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Blush Belthrop said she had fun making her journal. “We got to use leaves and lavender plants that smelled really good.” She outlined the leaves on the journal cover and used them as sponges to apply paint. The paper inside was folded in an accordion-like style.
The field trip began with fun guessing games to learn about organisms they could possibly see during their exploration of the Pleasure House Point area.
Ciyahna Waul held a picture of a brown pelican behind her back, while others asked questions, including “Is it green?” and “Is it a bird?” to solve the mystery. Devin Roebuck, an Environmental Studies Program junior, told them it’s his favorite animal in the watershed. “Here’s a fun fact,” he said. “Their throats can hold three times the amount of food that their stomachs can.”
Then they headed out on the trails. Blush was curious about river otters, and Lauren Mayo asked a good question. “Have you seen any snakes here?”
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Cornelius Carter said being out in nature was cool. “I like it because there’s a lot of scenery here and it’s not like a classroom.”
They journaled along the river’s edge and drew pictures of animals and the beautiful surroundings.
Indoors featured a variety of activities. They moved their hands atop an augmented reality sandbox and learned how rain affects watersheds and changes landscapes. Many pedaled a stationary bike and watched it power up a cell phone.
They looked at zooplankton and jellyfish under a microscope and discussed how old shipwrecks affect the ocean. Blush said a shipwreck would be good because “it could give animals a habitat,” but also not good because the water would get dirty.
Seatack gifted resource teacher Marie Culver said the nature journaling project provides positive experiences with nature and integrates into all areas of the curriculum.
“The students’ exciting reactions to the living indoor and outdoor classrooms was the best part of the day,” she said. “I was so thrilled to see all of the moving pieces come together.”
More to come:
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Students from Seatack Elementary – An Achievable Dream Academy – will do more nature observing and journaling during an upcoming visit to Bay Back National Wildlife Refuge. Eventually their journals will be displayed in pop-up exhibitions through the community and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (virginiamoca.org) in concert with “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld.” The exhibit opens in February 2024 and explores humanity’s strained relationship with the environment.
The Nature Journals project is a precursor for an outdoor sculpture project with the same students in school year 2024-25. Seatack students will research, design and create an environmentally conscious public art installation for the museum grounds, guided by a teaching artist, museum staff and their teachers.
Visit VBschools.com for more information about the VBCPS Environmental Studies Program.