Barwon Heads Primary School Grade 5 students once again were involved in learning more about our amazing local natural environments.
The recently held Barwon Estuary Project science day, engaged students in wildlife detective work. The workshop was run by Barwon Coast to create understanding of some of our wildlife’s unique abilities to survive in the local area.
Students started at grass roots, studying a particular animal to list its visual features, discussing how these adaptations assist the animal in its daily life.
They then worked through classification providing additional information for students to develop a dichotomous key for the species they were working on.
As most of our wildlife is nocturnal and generally not seen during the day, it is challenging for many to know what may be out there. So students learnt field techniques that they could apply in the school yard, at home or while visiting the coast to identify what animals may have been in the area during the night.
These field techniques included looking at nest structures, skull identification, reading tracks in the sands and the wonderful world of poo – or scat analysis.
“The Barwon Estuary Project schools program provides unique opportunities for students to delve deeper into our natural worlds, providing them with skill sets that lead to making informed decisions that will lead to positive change. Only together can we make a difference,” Barwon Coast’s Maddie Glynn said.
If you would like to learn more about the Barwon Estuary Project and how you can contribute to Citizen Science, visit barwonestuaryproject.wordpress.com/about-the-barwon-estuary-project/
