Friday, June 27, 2014

LSU AgCenter Botanic Garden at Burden

On Tuesday, May 13th,  we had a field trip to LSU AgCenters Botanic Garden at Burden.  We participated in the program called “Trees and Trails.”  We started with an ice breaker and then split into 3 groups that hiked the short trail.  Along the trail we stopped for 3 hands-on/interactive stations:  Tree Cookies, Life on the Edge, and Invasive Species. 

About the Stations:

Tree Cookies - Students learn about resources that trees need to live, how trees compete for resources, and how to read tree rings.

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Life on the Edge - Students learn that habitat loss is the primary reason for the loss of species through a game a game called Habitat Scramble in which each student plays the part of an animal that loses its habitat.

 

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Invasive Species - Students learn how invasive species disrupt life cycles, through the example of the Chinese Privet and the story of the European Starling and the Eastern Bluebird.

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After we had our learning time out on the short trail, we took a break for lunch.  Then, those who hung around went on a nature walk/scavenger hunt on the long trail (1 1/4 miles).

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On our way back, it started raining pretty hard.  I caught a ride with one of the tour guides in the golf cart (I was taking Rob to therapy later that day!) but these other great moms endured the rain. 

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