Despite the chilly spring weather, the environmental science class went on a field trip to Indiana Dunes State Park on Wednesday, April 25. The students got to explore the park’s natural beauty and learn about the environment within the park.
“A lot of times we do talk about doom and gloom, so it’s kind of a nice happy ending. The fact that you actually get to see succession in real life. You get to see an actual environment and we get to enjoy some of the intrinsic value that we talk about, but we don’t always get to see,” Mrs. Julie Shupryt, Science, said.
During the field trip, students were led by a park ranger who showed them the different traits of the landscape and who explained the history of the park.
“My favorite part of the ecological succession trail was being able to look down from the dunes at all of the different ecosystems that are present in such a small area,” Sydney Potpora (11) said.
Students explored four different habitats throughout the park and collected data about the characteristics of each of them.
“Field trips are important for students to be able to experience the things they learn about in the classroom in the real world. It helps kids learn how to apply the knowledge they acquire to make a difference in the world and their own lives, which can make their future lives and careers much more valuable,” Potpora said.
Although many people go the beach in the summer for fun, many don’t realize how much of an environmental impact they can have on it.
“I think the most valuable [part] is looking at how humans have impacted the area. We look at the primary succession of the glaciers, but we also look at the secondary succession that’s happening every single day there. Here is a place where you can see succession and human impacts right in your own backyard,” Mrs. Shupryt said.
