Field Trip to PATUXENT MRS. NAGLE S THIRD GRADE STUDENTS K.W. BARRETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Introduction continued Patuxent Research Refuge is a place you can go to find out about different kind of plants and animals. You will find animals such as frogs, geese, and some birds. The refuge opened in 1936. When you go to the refuge the rangers will talk about what you are going to do inside the National Wildlife Visitor Center. When you go to the center you research the animals in the exhibits. On the tram ride you will see trees that are decomposed by fungi. You will see different kinds of animals such as birds like Blue Jays and the Blue Heron. It is the only refuge that raises Whooping Cranes from eggs. Whooping Cranes migrate to refuges in Florida. If you listen to the person that guides you, you will hear how animals get food and survive in the forest. You may see homes of animals like bird houses, and beaver lodges. You may also see more animals if you are very quiet. You might see Blue Jays, frogs, ducks, Bald Eagles, butterflies, and fish. Patuxent is one of 560 wildlife refuges. When you go to Patuxent Research Refuge you can also go on hikes in the woods. This is a great place to go if you want to learn more about plants and animals! 2
CHAPTER 2 TRAM
Tram continued On the tram ride we saw bird boxes that had open roofs so the birds could get in. In the lake we saw many plants and animals. For example, we saw a Blue Heron, Canada Geese, and plants called lily pads. We also saw a beaver lodge at the edge of the lake. Another thing we saw was evidence that beavers had chewed some trees so they could make their own habitat. The meadow was flat with a lot of short grass and a few trees. The grass was light green. We saw some trees that had fallen due to storms, lightning and beavers. We also saw lots of spider webs. The tram ride was a fun experience! 4
CHAPTER 3 HIKE
Hike continued When we went on the hike we saw plants and animals. For example, we saw awesome fungi, cattail, trees and leaves. We also saw animals such as deer, butterflies, fish and frogs. We saw insects like flies, ants, and caterpillars. It was exiting to see fish! The hike was beautiful! We also went to the meadow and we saw bird houses. The bird houses have a shield at the bottom to keep predators out of the nest. It was exciting to see the tree that was bitten by the beavers. We liked going to the meadow! There were spiky plants. There was a lot of grass! Then we went to the pond. We saw fish and frogs and some toads. We saw plants, algae and lily pads. Some butterflies were flying around the pond and collecting nectar from the plants. We also saw a forest full of trees. We saw roots from a dead tree. The forest was very green. The hike was really awesome! Out of all the things we saw, frogs and toads were our favorite. 6
CHAPTER 4 VISITOR CENTER
Visitor Center continued When we went to the National Wildlife Visitor Center we saw wolves. For example, we saw a wolf eating a bunny. The wolves were stuffed, not alive. Wolves are carnivores and they eat other animals. Some wolves are endangered. Inside the Visitor Center we also saw Whooping Cranes. Some rangers used special equipment and a puppet to teach the babies how to fly, eat and migrate. There also was a viewing patio outside for looking at animals such as frogs and birds. We ate lunch there. In addition, we took pictures of plants and animals. We saw several endangered animals. For example, wood ducks, turtles and a turkey vulture. It was fun! 8
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION
There are so many interesting things to see and fun things to do at Patuxent Research Refuge. It is a great place to go to see lots of plants and animals. If you want to learn about Whooping Cranes there is a great exhibit that gives you a lot of information about them. The wolf exhibit is very interesting too. If you are interested in endangered animals, you might want to spend some time visiting this exhibit. If you like hiking you may enjoy doing it here. There are binoculars for you to use for viewing plants and animals close up. There is also a nice patio for having lunch or just resting while you watch nature. The refuge is located in Laurel, Maryland. Patuxent Research Refuge is one of the best places to visit! 10
Cattail a tall plant that has long narrow leaves and a long thick cluster of tiny brown flowers; cattails grow in places such as marshes
Endangered a species or type of plant or animal that is in danger of becoming extinct; an example is a Whooping Crane.
Forest an area in which the main plants are trees
Fungi a living thing that breaks down dead things for food
Grasslands Large lands covered with tall grass where animals can eat.
Habitat a place where a population lives in an ecosystem. A habitat provides food, water, shelter, and space.
Lily Pads round floating leaves
Lodge The den of certain animals, such as the dome-shaped structure built by beavers.
Meadow land that is covered or mostly covered with grass.
Migrate To move from one place to another.
Pond a fairly small body of still water
Predator an animal that hunts other animals for food; examples are crocodiles, wolves, foxes, bears, and turtles.
Prey an animal hunted and killed by another for food
Snag standing dead trees with hollow trunks
Wetlands Piece of land that has water most of the time.similar to marshes or swamps, can be large or small.