Beyond The Classroom Ecology

PINE faculty across all Divisions share an affinity for taking full advantage of our location to fully explore local ecosystems. Here are a few recent examples.

Emily Howard led her 5th Grade students into the swamp - literally. The unique ecosystems that call the 23-square miles of Grassy Waters Preserve home, provided the perfect spot for students to step into the water and try their hand at swamp tromping and dip netting. Park Rangers walked the group through the array of unique forested hammocks & native wildlife. Students will use their observations from the trip to create a final research project on Earth's four spheres in the Everglades. 

"Providing students with beyond the classroom, hands-on learning always returns deeper comprehension and fosters a passion for new discovery and appreciation of our natural environment," shared Howard.

3rd Grade teachers Tara Hughes & Kali Flood provided students with hands-on inspiration to launch their new nonfiction reading/writing unit. Visiting the Oceanographic Center on Hutchinson Island, students picked a sea creature to research. The students will then dive into writing chapter books to publish and share with 2nd Graders.

“This is a great way to get the students to teach their audience new facts, while also getting 2nd Graders excited about their 3rd Grade year at PINE,” shared Hughes.

Dr. Carolyn Bogaski & her Honors FL Ecology students participated in the annual ‘A Day in the Life (ADIL) of the Indian River ‘Lagoon’ -  essentially creating an environmental report card of the Lagoon. Just another example of PINE’s commitment to Beyond The Classroom learning experiences. 

"Students used field techniques to measure chemical, physical, and biological parameters to determine how our local piece of the estuary fits into the larger ecosystem,” shared Dr. Bogaski. “The results help us better understand our local ecosystem’s ecological health and the relationship our site has to the entire watershed.”