Central Boulevard Elementary Takes Learning Outdoors to The Green Course!

Did you know that our golf courses can be utilized as outdoor classrooms? Last week, I organized a special ecology field trip for Central Boulevard Elementary on the beautiful Green Course. This was a unique opportunity for students to roam and explore our fairways for a few hours.

With the assistance of Bethpage District's Science Director K-12 Chris Pollatos and his staff, our park hosted four classes at once, a total of 80 students. This was our largest environmental education event to date!

 

 To cover as much territory as possible, park staff set up different learning stations. Students were separated into groups and rotated every 30 minutes. One highlight was our new Discovery Garden. It has over 100 flora species, all labeled with identifying signage to familiarize students with different native plants.

 

Students were able to observe the diverse pollinators for which these plants support. Our Horticulturist Victor, gave a seasonal discussion on seeds and berries that fruit in late September. At another station, Horticulture Assistant Alexa led the students along one of the trails to learn about beneficial woodland species. She pointed out some invasives as well.

Our third station was slightly different. Director of Agronomy Andrew demonstrated how math, science and engineering come together to maintain a golf course! Students saw machinery in motion, got their hands dirty with soil plugs, used moisture meters and threw down grass seed.

 The last station was the Green Course pond habitat!

 

This part of the tour was led by myself, the Park Ecologist. Each student was greeted with a pair of park binoculars to use for this event. It was exciting to have field tools to observe the area and search for wildlife. As luck would have it, the animals were out in full force!

 

First, students spotted a giant spider in it's web. I identified it as a harmless Yellow Garden Spider.

 

We discussed how spiders are insectivores and feed on pesky prey (such as mosquitos and gnats). The students were so engaged that they even noticed the prey in the web. To my surprise, none of the students were afraid and wanted to get a closer look (while staying a safe distance, of course).

 

The next species we discussed on the pond tour, was the American Bullfrog. This is the most popular amphibian living in our ponds. Students enjoyed counting frogs on distant lily pads until they discovered a large one right near by. The students were great at being extra quiet. This was a perfect lesson in respecting nature and not disturbing it.

Lastly, we had a surprise visit by a Green Heron. While herons are no strangers to this habitat, they do not usually linger at the pond. To see one and even notice one (as they are silent and skittish) was a real treat, especially for students who had said that they had never seen one before.

All in all, this field trip and collaboration between the local School District and our park was a huge success! Despite living in the neighborhood, many of the students and teachers mentioned that they were surprised to see a different side of Bethpage State Park. Most have only ever visited the picnic trails, never realizing how much more there was to discover.

 

A big thank you to Bethpage District's Science Director K-12 Chris Pollatos for masterfully organizing this event with me. I would also like to mention Science Enrichment Manager Lorraine Marcis for making sure the event went smoothly, as well as all the teachers who gave of their time. We hope to have provided lasting nature memories for their students and welcome Central Boulevard Elementary back any time!   

 

                                 "If you had a good time on the count of 3 say: Pond Habitat! "                                             

 Post photography and writing by Yael Weiss.