Summary
This section will give you information to help you plan a field trip with Save the Bay. I brought 32 students to Arrowhead Marsh, a hidden wetland near the Oakland Airport, to meet up with extraordinary Save the Bay Instructors. The day was divided into two parts: 1) Canoeing – where we did water quality monitoring, explored the marsh with all our senses, and went on a wildlife scavenger hunt 2) Restoration – where we repotted 300 native plants, cleaned up the shoreline, and went for a walk on a boardwalk above the marsh. Students were able to explore a wetland up close and observe a leopard shark, feel the Bay’s muddy bottom, and listen to the endangered snowy plover.
Objectives
Can apply knowledge about water quality monitoring and the role of wetlands to the San Francisco Bay.
Can conduct a scientific investigation.
Can use a field guide to identify animals in the wild.
Can participate in habitat restoration efforts.
HAVE FUN!
Time
A canoe trip alone lasts approximately 5 hours.
A combined canoe and restoration trip lasts 6 hours.
Planning Guide
Save the Bay has excellent educational staff that is very skilled at working with students. They offer canoeing programs (Canoes in Sloughs) and restoration opportunities at several sites around the Bay. You can also adopt a site and return to the same restoration site several times in a given year to assist in the transformation of a piece of wetland over time. They will even come to your classroom to do a pre-trip lesson if you wish. Given the quality of the restoration work that Save the Bay does, I strongly recommend a double program that combines canoeing and restoration work. The only drawback is that you will have less time on the water, but still enough for kids to learn and play.
The cost for programs is on a sliding scale depending on the number of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch. My students paid $30 each to attend which was well worth it.
To schedule a program, fill in the registration form available on the Save the Bay website or download it below. For more information, contact Save the Bay directly at:
Save the Bay 350 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 900 Oakland, CA 94612 phone: (510)452-9261 fax: (510)452-9266 [email protected] |
Sample Schedule (The time and activities in your program may vary!!)
Typical Canoes in Sloughs program:
9:00am – 9:15am ARRIVAL
9:15am – 10:00am INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES
10:00am – 10:15am PREPARE FOR PUT-IN
10:15am – 10:30am PADDLING Instruction and SAFETY Awareness Talk
10:30am – 1:15pm ON THE WATER!!
1:30 - 2:00pm TAKE-OUT (group comes off the water)
Typical Restoration Program: