Galveston – Reflections

Lakehill Preparatory School biology students recently spent five days in Galveston, adding hands-on experience to their classroom lessons. Students visited the NOAA turtle research facility in Galveston where they raise loggerhead sea turtles to use in testing the turtle exclusion devices required in all shrimp and fish nets. They visited the salt marsh and captured dozens of fish and invertebrates to discover what kind of animals live in that habitat. They also learned about the value of the salt marsh to human society, including its role in controlling flood waters, holding the soil in place, and detoxifying the water of chemical run-off from farms and urban areas. Students were also able to understand how freshwater rivers mix with ocean water by measuring the salinity and water clarity.

Students were able to sample marine life in the deeper water of the Houston Shipping Channel using a trawl net similar to what shrimpers use to haul in their catch. They caught a variety of fishes as well as a few invertebrates. They then returned to the salt marsh for a 2.5-mile kayak tour through small channels of water, allowing them to get a close-up view into salt grass habitats far from human disturbance. Students gained a better appreciation for the detail of this habitat by painting a water-color portrait of the scenery. “I think it helped students understand that we need both a scientific understanding of the biome and a personal artistic connection with the habitat to create policies to help preserve it for future generations,” said Biology teacher and trip sponsor Jeremy Holman.

The group enjoyed a tour of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which houses one of the finest paleontology exhibits in the country. At Brazos Bend State Park, they hiked around the lakes that are home to a robust alligator population. They also participated in a space station simulation and had a star-gazing party hosted by professional astronomers at the George Observatory. In the simulation, students assumed roles in navigation, communication, engineering, geology, biology, life support, and medical to successfully land a probe on the surface of the moon. This team-building exercise is used by corporations throughout Houston, and Lakehill students solved every challenge in under an hour to complete the mission. Through the 36-inch domed telescopes, they were able to see Saturn and Mars, various star clusters, and several nebula (planet- or star-forming dust clouds) in deep space.

They ended their adventure with a visit to the Kemah Boardwalk, where they fed sardines to the stingrays in the aquarium and rode on the various amusement rides, including the famed Boardwalk Bullet wooden roller coaster.

By Jeremy Holman
Upper School Science Teacher, Lakehill Preparatory School

On April 17 – 19, Lakehill Preparatory School’s ninth grade class traveled to Galveston for the annual Ninth Grade Biology Trip. Following is a blog post detailing their adventures.

The Galveston marine biology trip was a big success despite the unusually high spring tide and a cold front that knocked 30 degrees off the thermometer in just a few hours. Students spotted a number of dolphins while aboard the Seagull II, and got an up-close look at a ship made of concrete. It did actually float at one point, but when the hull cracked, there was no way to repair it. Now it sits in the shallow water off to the side of the Houston Shipping Channel, and is home to endangered birds. Ironically, it represents a reversal of ecosystems; we took their homes, now they claimed one of ours.

The trawl net hauled in several animals our students had never seen alive, let alone held in their nervous hands. We caught several sheepshead fish (they actually have nubby teeth that kind of look like human teeth), a dozen or so squid that readily blended into the hands of students as they tried to examine them more closely, a small sea robin (which can walk along the bottom using modified fin appendages), and a flounder–a fish that lays on its side and physically migrates one eye so that both eyes end up on the same side of their body.

Kayaking in the estuary was a bit rough the first day due to windy conditions, but on the second day, we became semi-pros as we navigated narrow channels in the salt marsh to get into the nesting sites of herons, egrets, and other marine birds. Using seine nets, we captured comb jellies, shrimp, crabs, and a variety of juvenile fishes including red drum, silversides, and even yellowfin tuna. The snails were out in high numbers grazing on the freshly sprouted stalks of cordgrass, but oysters and fiddler crabs were surprisingly hard to find this year.

With nesting season in progress for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, our students learned first-hand how difficult it is for a turtle that is adapted for the sea to lumber out of the surf and up to the dunes, dig a hole with only their flippers, bury their eggs, and return to the sea. The students did just that—sort of. With backpacks full of sand and water, they raced twenty yards on their bellies using their outstretched arms and legs like flippers, dug holes with their feet, and buried chicken eggs in the sand. We lost a lot of chicken eggs by the next day, but it was an exciting lesson on sea turtle reproduction.

We ended the trip at Kemah instead of the newly constructed Pleasure Pier, as it was closed due to high winds. We had a great time feeding stingrays and screaming our heads off on the wooden roller coaster and other thrilling rides on the boardwalk. All in all, the students learned many things, enjoyed a lot of new experiences, ate some great food, and had a boat-load of fun.