ACCE & Ms. Otto's Day on the Bay: May 10, 2012

This was the day of the snake at North Point State Park! Students from ACCE saw three snakes throughout the day in various habitats. As Ms. Otto and students were walking out of the water after seining, a Northern water snake swam by the group, only its head visible above the water. One student caught it with a scoop net and allowed us to get a closer look at the subtle patterns on its back. Some students saw a different water snake hiding among rocks by the shore of the Bay, while yet another student spotted a black racer sunning itself at the forest edge. We caught two spot-tail shiners with seine nets, a fish species we do not see very often in the park. With its metallic orange scales, it was a treat to see up close, and ACCE students were eager to touch these fish. While seining, we also discovered pink comb jellies, juvenile rockfish, and a blue crab. We usually see bay anchovies in our seine nets, but for the first time, one student caught an anchovy with a fishing rod. There were many Baltimore orioles, orchard orioles, double-crested cormorants, tree swallows, turkey vultures, and Northern cardinals, as well as a pair of osprey fishing. The sunny weather made this day even more enjoyable, and we are hoping for a day just as beautiful as this one for our Bay stewardship activity.

ACCE & Ms. Otto's & Mr. Batts' Day on the Bay: May 9, 2012

Students from Ms. Otto's and Mr. Batts' classes enjoyed themselves on their field trip to North Point State Park. Despite a forecast of rain, the skies turned blue by the end of the day, and it was a great day for exploring the Chesapeake Bay. Many Baltimore orioles were migrating through the area, returning to their breeding grounds after spending the winter in the tropics. Students spotted their bright orange bellies in the woods during a habitat hike and were excited to see this symbol of Baltimore. They also identified numerous orchard orioles, Eastern kingbirds, turkey vultures, northern cardinals, and a few brown-headed cowbirds, great blue herons, and Carolina chickadees. One group even found a snail in the woods! We caught about one hundred bay anchovies with seine nets, along with rock fish and white perch. While no students caught fish with rods, other anglers on the pier hooked several channel catfish over a foot long. These fishermen were kind enough to let students touch the enormous catfish, and quite a few took advantage of that opportunity. All in all, a successful trip!

Bennett High School - Mrs. Bhaskaran - May 14, 2012

Students from Bennett High School spent the morning teaching 7th graders what they had learned on their previous trip to Pickering Creek. The morning was divided into three sections. Students learned about oysters and spent time fishing. The morning started slow but we were soon catching fish every couple minutes. However, we probably lost as many as we caught; the students need some more practice baiting their hooks.

Following their time on the dock, students played games that focused on teambuilding skills. In addition, students created their own bird, based on their choice of habitat, predator, and prey.

The final activity was a forest hike focused on bird identification. Students learned how to use binoculars and bird guides. Unfortunately, the birds were shy today so most were only identified through song.

Easton High School – Ms. Rose – May 10, 2012

Biology students from Easton spent a Day at Pickering Creek, hiking and learning about our various habitats. The students were all excited for the various water activities we had planned. Either Ms. Rose’s students are very lucky or, they are expert anglers because they caught the most fish, and the largest fish this school year. Some students caught as many as four within thirty minutes, including pumpkin seed, perch, mummichog, and a catfish weighing in at four pounds.

Our bird surveys were not as successful as the fishing, the wind made it difficult to hear many of the bird songs. Though we didn’t tally too many bird species, the students were able to focus on our diversity of plants and animals. One group found and briefly captured three toads and just missed a small garter snake. The students enjoyed their day and we hope they can use what they learned to help plan their future environmental lesson to elementary students.

Easton High School - Ms. Dipietro’s Class – May 9, 2012

The groups were small but mighty on this blustery day at Pickering Creek. Students remained enthusiastic through the morning activities, despite the downpour, spotting over 16 bird species sheltering in the dense leaves of the forest. Students on the dock could see barn swallows and osprey flying, undeterred by the wet conditions. The rain seemed to stir up the aquatic wildlife. Groups who did seining in the morning were very lucky, catching close to 90 grass shrimp, silvers sides, and one unfortunate shad who died in the name of science. As the sun returned after lunch and the rain jackets were hung up to dry, students found surprising results during water quality testing. All the rain diluted the dissolved solids in the water, giving us a turbidity reading of three feet! A full foot more than usual. Students also noticed a drop in salinity and an increase in depth. All in all, a successful, if not soggy, day on the bay.