Marshes are among the most delicate and important habitats in our area. Using energy from the sun, healthy marsh grasses produce nearly ten tons of organic matter per acre per year. These nutrients promote the growth of marine organisms, and marshes are important nursery areas for off-shore animals. Many marine waterfowl use the marsh for nesting and breeding. Teams of students will lay transect lines along the marsh and work along them to quantify abundances of animals and vegetation, peat depth, marsh elevation, and water chemistry. At the end, student teams will report back to the larger group, and we’ll discuss what we have learned about the physical and biological structure of the marsh. Includes a discussion of ecosystem services provided by marshes.

To prepare for this trip: Students should wear boots or water shoes. We will be walking in the marsh, which can be wet and muddy. No flip flops please.

Bluff Point State Park is entirely outdoors- there is no gazebo or covered area. There are picnic tables available for meal times before or after the program. The park is a carry in-carry out space, there are no trash cans on site.  There are restrooms available at the picnic area closest to the parking lot. A note for buses: if using a charter bus, there is a bridge at the entry of the park that is too low  to allow the charter bus to pass through (school buses do fit under this bridge). Charter buses can  make a drop off before the bridge and participants can walk to the picnic areas (about a 5 minute walk).