Monday, July 25, 2016

"This is Amazing!!!"

Hi everyone! It's Emily B. again, reporting back after a week of fun in the sun and the sand. This was my first week at two new sites: Blacks Creek and Carson Beach. I had a blast playing games and exploring the harbor with many enthusiastic, curious kids and the awesome JPA's and LHE's who work at these sites.

It's so great getting to know the kids who return to Black Creek each morning to continue their search for crabs and "minnows" and participate in nature walks around the park property. One boy brought an awesome book about sharks to share, and told me a great deal about bull sharks versus hammerheads. For example, did you know that bull sharks are highly adaptable, and have been found thousands of miles up freshwater rivers, even as far inland as Illinois (up the Mississippi River)? Some of the kids are already brimming with knowledge about marine life, and they're all eager to learn more.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, a group of preschool-age campers visited Carson, and I took some of them down to the edge of the water with buckets to search for hermit crabs, periwinkles, and evidence of other life forms on the beach. Soon, though, the kids were wading in and using their buckets to scoop up water and dump it on each other, which is a favorite pastime on hot days at Carson. "This is amazing!" one little girl shouted through the water dripping down from her hair. Her words were echoed out loud by a young boy in soaking wet shorts and t-shirt, and the sentiment behind them was evident on the faces of their classmates.

After a while, all five or six kids turned on me, and I found myself (unsuccessfully) dodging splashes and bucketfuls of cool saltwater. I was quickly sopping wet and laughing: it truly was an amazing time!

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