Below sea level, there is an entire ecosystem of beautiful and interesting plants and animals. However, those scintillating sights are slowly being destroyed by pollution and human encroachment. This makes knowledge of the ecosystem vital if it will be able to exist for generations to come. On the seventh-grade Keys trip, which takes place May 4-6, students will have the opportunity to learn what they can do to help preserve Florida’s oceanic ecosystem.

Students have been preparing for the Keys trip for months, starting with science labs they conducted which involved several organisms – worms, aquatic plants, and flowers – that can be found in The Keys. In addition, the packing list has been handed out to all of the students in their science classes and explained by Ms. Mallory Gleason, the seventh-grade science teacher who has organized the trip. Everyone is busy with preparations for this trip, and Ms. Gleason is working very hard to make sure the trip will turn out well, as it will be her final trip at this school.

“I will miss being down there,” said Gleason. “It’s absolutely beautiful and we’ve had amazing weather every year. The staff is really fun and informative, and they run a really great program.”

For Gleason, it’s rewarding to see her students have fun on this culminating trip that allows them to show off their knowledge. “This is sort of the ‘last hurrah’ before finals, and I love getting to see [the students] demonstrate how much they’ve learned through the year. It’s one of my greatest pleasures to hear the staff comment on how well-behaved and knowledgeable our seventh grade is. When they all follow rules and get along, it’s a[n] [incredible] trip!”

Middle School Science Department Chair Ms. Gabriele St. Martin helps with the excursion as well, and enjoys the educational opportunity it provides the students. “Seventh graders have been going on this trip for [about] 26 years because it is a wonderful trip that looks at all of the phyla that [the students] have talked about [in their science classes], and they will get to see those animals in action. It is also an environmental science trip because [they] will get to learn about the stresses that are put on the ecosystem down there. I hope that the seventh graders will gain an appreciation for how fragile the marine ecosystem is and an appreciation for the variety and biodiversity of the animals.”

There will be many different activities during this trip. Most of the seventh graders are very excited to go snorkeling, but there are also other fun activities: labs involving macro invertebrates, seagrass, coral reefs, mangroves, and fish identification.

“I am looking forward to the trip because this combines my interest in marine biology and the fun of swimming,” said seventh grader Madeline Caruso. “I am most excited to go snorkeling because this is something I don’t do often. I am [hoping] to learn more about marine life, and more about what species live in the ocean.”

Seventh graders are also glad to get a three-day break from classes and enjoy some bonding time with their classmates. For students like seventh grader Julia Kirschenbaum, one of the highlights will be“spending time with friends.” Fellow seventh grader Madeline Hart is very enthusiastic as well because she loves the idea of “three days dedicated to science.”
Although this trip takes a lot of work to plan, it should be a rewarding experience for the students. They will not only have fun in the sun with their friends and teachers, but will also become further educated about Florida’s marine life and how to preserve it.