On Friday, October 13th, students of AP Environmental Science went on a field trip to Sandy Hook National Park to learn about ecosystems and the various organisms living in the bay. Led by Ms. Matri and accompanied by Mr. Sullivan and Dr. Gargiulo, a group of about twenty students explored the bay and salt marshes at Sandy Hook, searching for organisms and learning about the various elements that compose a healthy ecosystem.

Students started their day off learning from staff members of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium about Sandy Hook’s salt marshes. Following the lesson, students were then able to explore the beach, identifying organisms and fishing in the bay. Students learned how to use a seine, a large net, to catch fish and other organisms. Given pairs of fish waders and seines, students were able to go into the bay and try their hands at seining for fish! Some organisms that were caught include shrimp, hermit crabs, a small flounder, and other small fish. The group even got the chance to be up-close-and-personal with a curious seagull that followed them along the bay! After seining, the group took a quick lunch break before heading indoors to analyze their catch. Students were given water samples to analyze, microscopes to observe organisms, and tools to identify the various sea creatures they caught.

This year marked Ms. Matri’s fourth time taking AP Environmental students on this trip, and she continues to enjoy all that it has to offer.  “This trip has a lot of value.  The staff at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium are very knowledgeable and well prepared.  Everything discussed and seen on the trip relates to the APES curriculum.  Students gain hands on experience with water quality testing, organism identification, handling, and connections to the ecosystems of Sandy Hook,” says Ms. Matri, reflecting on the day. When asked about the experience, AP Environmental student Melissa Asaro expressed, “I had fun on the trip! The most exciting part was to take a break from the classroom and actually observe the environment we live near. Also, I got to do something I’ve never done before [seining]!”  

Overall, although it was a bit windy that day, students thoroughly enjoyed the event and found it a great learning experience. “Sandy Hook has so much to offer… We are lucky to live so close and have the opportunity to go there.  An APES class in Kentucky only gets to read about salt marsh ecology.  We get to live it,” stated Ms. Matri, satisfied with yet another great trip to Sandy Hook. Ms. Matri looks forward to continue taking students on this trip in the years to come, and hopes to bring even more students in the future. “…what will you remember 5, 10 years from now?  That run of the mill day spent in class or the day you went seining with your friends and caught grass shrimp on Sandy Hook?”