At 10:00 am on a Friday in June, 30 students from Salem hopped off a bus at Riverbend where they were greeted by IRWA’s environmental educator Emma Hughen and myself – Margot Kelly, IRWA’s 2023 Kerry Mackin Environmental Education Intern. Once name tags were on and all kids were sat criss-cross-applesauce on some picnic blankets, I told them that today would be brought to them by the letter “B.” With this in mind, we brainstormed what river-related “B” words we might discover today. After some creative guesses (many of which were the repeated “bear!”), we finally landed upon bugs, boats, and beavers.
Split into three stations, the students had a chance to paddle along the river in kayaks and canoes, design a paper kayak of their own, use magnifying glasses and pipettes to explore a tray of macroinvertebrates and river bugs, and … find Riverbend’s giant magic beaver!
The students quickly discovered that this elusive giant beaver was none other than their beloved counselor Justin, although any disappointment at his lack of magic was quickly transformed into hilarious giggles and screeches as he transformed into said river critter. The purpose of this activity was to develop a basic understanding of how form relates to function in nature. Students were handed a “feature card” that had a beaver body part on it along with the description of its purpose to the beaver. Spread out on the lawn around us were a variety of dress-up items. One by one, the students read their card aloud and looked for the matching item to adorn Justin with. We learned that a nictitating membrane (scuba goggles) help beavers see underwater and that ear valves (headphones) prevent the beaver’s ears from filling completely with water when submerged in the river. Eight features later and … the magic beaver appeared to us (see photo below)! Thank you Justin!
I have learned so much about the Ipswich River and its water protectors during these last two months. This August marks my tenth year living in Ipswich – I thought I knew all there was to know about the river, but boy was I wrong! IRWA has shown me the nitty and gritty of water life and stewardship. Most important of all, I have learned how to apply environmental education in practice. Allowing students to feel, to engage, and to question the natural world has completely changed my own view of sustainability. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to design and implement lesson plans of my own creation. Thank you so much to my mentor Emma and the rest of the IRWA staff. Two weeks to go before I head back to Skidmore College to begin my junior year as an Environmental Studies major. Until then… see you on the water!