When we arrived, we met three Rangers - Ranger Brad, Ranger Jackson and Ranger Rob. They taught us about native and invasive animals. Each ranger held up an animal that had been preserved through taxidermy. We learnt that echidnas, black cockatoos and goannas are native animals. This means they are only found in Australia. Ranger Jackson taught us about invasive animals like foxes and how they can impact and destroy habitats of native animals. They taught us about national parks and how it is important to remember our past and present history.
After our introductory session, we split into three groups to explore the national park. One group looked for bugs and learnt about why insects hide and how they camouflage. Here we used plastic containers to catch the insects. Another group went into the mangroves. Here they learnt about the importance of mangroves and estuary ecosystems. We used nets to fish for animals and objects. We found some really cool hermit crabs, oysters and seeds. Finally, the last group went to a different part of the mangroves to look for and catch crabs. We learnt a sneaky tip about how to catch crabs – you put your hand on their back so they stand still, then pick them up with your finger and your thumb. This is supposed to stop you from getting nipped. However, Mrs Grima and Miss Hackfath were not so lucky and received a nasty pinch.
We then had lunch and finished the day with a group photo on the beach and some time to play in the sand.
We had an excellent time thanks to Ranger Jamie Tours and we can’t wait to continue our learning journey of how people interact with the land.
Miss Ashleigh Hackfath
Stage 1 Assistant Coordinator- Year 1A
