The Detroit River/Lake Erie Trip

We started our day using microscopes looking at tiny creatures who live in the marshlands.  

Found!  A scud!  Totally cool to see these creatures under the microscope! 

What's in a MARSH!?

This is a LOTUS FLOWER LEAF.  Amazing.

Lotus Flower SEED POD.  Whoa.  

The MUSKY is quite the fish.  He eats just about anything he wants.

The mink.  Rarely seen, but all over the marshlands.

Facing our fears!  Bravo!  

Paul, who has worked at Lake Erie Metropark for nearly 25 years, guides us through the amazing wonders of the FRESHWATER COASTAL MARSHLANDS.  Do you know the difference between a SWAMP and a MARSH?  Swamps have hard wood trees growing in the water, whereas marshes have soft wood that grows.  Totally cool.  They learned about the animals who live in the marshes and were able to pet a fox snake.  Please ask them questions about what they learned from Paul! 

We had a bit of bad news after we ate lunch.  Sadly, the winds were so high that we were unable to go out on the boat.  We were still able to board the boat and do experiments as well. They learned about oxygen levels in the water, how long plastics take to decompose (400 years!), and what animals call the area home.