A 5Z Field Trip to

*MILFORD MARSH*

by Ben, D.J., and Gabrielle

On September 21, 2007, 5Z took a trip to the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point. First we saw the marsh. It was VERY muddy. There was also a lot of long grass there called spartina. We learned all the things that a marsh does, like absorb water, clean it, and give animals a place to live and find food. It is also a good hiding place for small animals. Then we went into the marsh to look at the fiddler crabs. There were lots of them. We learned that male fiddler crabs have one huge claw and one small claw. The big claw is used to attract female crabs; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Fiddler crabs live in small holes in the mud. We tried to catch them, but they were VERY fast. We also had a scavenger hunt, trying to find a lot of different thigns that live in the marsh.

After the marsh, we went to a tidal pool at the beach. We looked at all the animals and plants that live in the tide pool, like clams, shrimps, crabs, snails, seaweed (red, green, and brown), and lots more. Instead of fiddler crabs, there were hermit crabs here. We caught them and put them in a small plastic baby pool to make our own tide pool. It was really cool to look at all the things in the tide pool. Then we let everything go! Later, we had lunch at the Center and then we went home. Another exciting day over!

You can read poems we wrote about our trip below.

You can also see photos of our trip by clicking here.


Marsh Poems

Clara

Field Trip
We go on a field trip
We meet the marsh
The sun is hot and harsh
The crabs are fast on their feet
The air smells salty sweet
Our task was to find life
Beneath the brackish sea
And there was a treasure waiting for me

Nicolas

Crabs
Crabs are funny
How they walk
They walk differently
And hide everywhere
They do everything differently
They have different bodies
And different lives.

Hannah

Field Trip
Fiddler crabs everywhere
Some clumps of grass, here and there

In the tide pool
Salt and fresh water and shells
Unlike the fresh water in some wells

Back at school
Out teacher reads us a book

Ian

Audubon Society Haiku
What I learned is:
Moon snails drill through shells and drink
The inhabitants.

Another thing is:
A marsh absorbs some water
In a hurricaine.

Dory

Scavenger Hunt
I had a muddy time, playing in the marsh sand.
- Mud was everywhere

I gave a crab a piece of seaweed
- It ignored it.

I caught a snail and jailed it in my bucket.
- It didn't move.

I wished I could be a swimming fish.
- Although we didn't swim.

I found seaweed, fish, crabs, rocks, two kinds of birds, and a clam and won the scavenger hunt.
- Actually, everyone won.

Olivia

Milford Habitiat
Sand on my feet
Mud in my toes
Who knows where the dirt goes.

On the beach or in the marsh
That's what we learned
From the naturalist in Milford.

Ben

Marshes
Marshes underestimated
looked at to be revolting.
But can open a new world of wonder!

Crabs - an army invading the plants
birds dive bombing to rip them limb from limb.
Escaping the firm hand of a human is not an easy thing.

Shrimp swimmimg fast
to escape the woven net.
Not one can be caught or thirty may be trapped

What a wonderful sight!

Gabi

A Marsh and a Tide Pool
A marsh is squishy,
With mud and grass
With water and crabs.
Your shoes will get caked with mud.

A tide pool is wet,
Being by the ocean and all.
You really do wish
That you could catch a fish,
But no one ever does.

Caroline

Crabs
The crabs scuttle across the sand.
The gulls screech, trying to catch 'em.
The gull dives, the crab scuttles.
Miss! The crab wins the battle,
But not the war of survival.
The grass sways in the breeze -
A good place to hide.
The male waves his claw,
Looking for a mate.

Caitlin

Magic Marsh
To the salt marshes my grade did go
To watch the brackish water flow to and fro.

Egret and eggs and so much more
Turtles and telescopes - a field trip galore!

We saw fiddler crabs outside on the run.
Scurrying sideways in the sun.

At the tide pool we caught shrimp and crabs
They were tricky but fun to grab.

That was the end of my wonderful day.
But I hope to go there again someday.

Gabrielle

Tide Pool
Wish wash wish wash
In and out the tide pool goes.
You see a crab here and there,
Sea shells are everywhere.
You see seaweed and shrimp.
You see fish and clams.
Also a lot of water.
How fun the tide pool was.

Dana

Crabs
Sand hermit crabs
Small thin bony legs
Mini shells
Used for protection
Eats delicious plants.

Peter

Milford
A lot of talking, but still very fun.
Wet and muddy, but not terrible.
Lunch was good, but not great.
Our instructor was cool, but not very interesting.
I really felt bad for the people with shoes.
I wanted to go swimming, but the people wouldn't let me.
I had a good time, but it wasn't the best.
And last, but not least, it was fun in the end.

Max

Haiku
The awesome tide pools
It was wavy and empty
The field trip was great.

Milford Preserve, great
Went there and saw fiddler crabs
It was really great.

The nature is cool
Warm, blue, raining, snowing, fall
I'm fond of nature

Mia

The Salt Marsh
We went to the salt marsh
We learned about
What goes in it and why
My feet hurt a lot
When I put on my boots.
My partner and I
Went looking for life on the beach.
It was so much fun.
Lunch - and then the day was done.

Stuart

Marsh
Exciting and fun.
Lots of animals, very cool
Full of crabs and grass!
Marsh

Micaculous
Awesome
Radiant
Super
Happy

D.J.

Awakening
Vast marsh
as far as I can see

What could this possibly
mean to me

Closer I look, life,
still life everywhere

I realized quickly
we need to care

A great heron in the distance
takes off to roam the sky

A fiddler crab
skitters by

I'm simply a bypasser
making my way through the life cycle.