Senior Seagrass Meadows - Second Nature Asia Pacific

What we provide

Award-winning educators/ facilitators
Itineraries and Flyers
Curriculum-based work-booklets
All relevant equipment (supplying up to 150x students per session)
Example assessment tasks
Transportation options (we provide quotes to utilise our own buses for every excursion and can purchase all relevant flights relating to your program where applicable)
Pre/Post Excursion Activities (usually a PPP)
Risk Assessment (location specific)
Variety of field-work locations (where available)
Accommodation options (we provide quotes to utilise the most affordable and most appropriate accommodation to suit your needs)
Catering options (we provide quotes to utilise our own in-house catering service for every excursion (where available) and/or catering through a third-party provider

Senior School (Yr 11-12) Programs

Our “Seagrass Meadows” programs for years 11-12 have been specifically developed for units of study in Geography, Biology, Marine Science, and Earth and Environmental Science. Each can however be tailored to a school’s needs. The programs are great fun and involve the exploration of a natural environment (excursions), or an exciting interactive PPP with classroom activities (incursions). A detailed understanding and awareness of the importance of seagrass ecosystems and a new-found appreciation for this amazing habitat are key outcomes. These programs are delivered by passionate facilitators with specialist knowledge on coastal geography. The experiences can be delivered to complement the following units or modules:

Geography

Year 11 Responding to Risk and Vulnerability in Hazard Zones (QLD)
Year 11 Hazards and Disasters (VIC)
Year 11 Biophysical Interactions (NSW)
Year 12 Responding to Land Cover Transformations (QLD) or Changing the Land (VIC)
Year 12 Ecosystems at Risk (NSW)

Biology

Year 11 Biodiversity and the Interconnectedness of Life (QLD) or Biological Diversity (NSW)
Year 11 Ecosystem Dynamics (NSW)
Year 11 How do Living Things Stay Alive? (VIC)

Earth and Environmental Science

Year 11 Living on Earth (QLD)
Year 11 Human Impacts (NSW)
Year 12 How can Biodiversity and Development be Sustained? (VIC)

Marine Science (QLD)

Year 11/12 Marine Biology
Year 11/12 Oceanography
Year 11/12 Conservation and Sustainability
Year 11/12 Marine Research Skills

Trip Overview

Australia is famous for its beaches! On this adventure, you will learn about the importance of beaches as well as their function in providing economic benefits to humans. You will also use a variety of fieldwork techniques to investigate a beach ecosystem. If you are seeking a different approach to your coastal study, we can design a program that is suitable for you.

Highlights

Exploring the marsh land at low tide!
Snorkeling (optional)
Identification of plants and animals dominating a seagrass habitat
Looking for other evidence of wildlife (e.g. stingray feeding pits etc.)
Sketching
Map-reading/comprehension
Biodiversity surveys
Equipment use (anemometers/barometers/thermometers etc.)
Identifying adaptations of coastal plants (roots/salt/reproduction etc.)

More Information

Inclusions

Excursions

Guided walk through living seagrass meadows
Coastal plant identification activity
“Magic spot” quiet reflection and field sketch
Talk from a marine biologist about the importance of seagrass and any monitoring programs in place.
Presentation on human impacts and management (observable in the natural environment)
Field work (quadrat or transect studies)

Incursions

An age-appropriate interactive PowerPoint presentation
Investigation of coastal plant adaptations using samples taken from a living ecosystem
Plant and animal identification activities
Virtual seagrass meadow exploration
Active “Protect the Coastline” game (necessitates an awareness of the importance of seagrass, mangrove and beach ecosystems)
Quiz (with prizes!) to assess comprehension

Educational Outcomes

Awareness and knowledge of seagrass ecosystems
Appreciation for the diversity of coastal organisms
A basic understanding of how seagrass ecosystems work including knowledge of food chains/webs, habitats and propagules.
Awareness of the impacts of human activities on seagrass meadows (and other coastal environments) both locally and globally
Knowledge of local and largescale environmental issues affecting seagrass meadows including habitat destruction, overharvesting, invasive species, habitat fragmentation and pollution
Learning of sustainable behaviours that minimise these issues
A sense of connection to and feeling of stewardship towards Australia’s seagrass meadows
An understanding of the complex processes involved in managing our coastal environments in a sustainable manner.

Itinerary

Below is an example itinerary for a 1-day “Seagrass Meadows” excursion. All excursion packages include the necessary work booklets and equipment.

09:00	Tour group pick- Second Nature have a fleet of vehicles available to cater for any number of passengers (within reason). We can provide transport to and from schools and airports
09:45	Arrive at destination and walk to study site
10:00	Activity session 1 Seagrass meadows hide juvenile fish on wide open mud flats. They also provide food to exciting marine fauna such as turtles and dugongs. During this activity, you will identify plants and animals inhabiting a seagrass meadow. You will then learn about how they interact with each other and their environment (for example, through food webs or nutrient cycling).
10:30	Morning tea
11:00	Field Work Session 1 Line transects and quadrat surveys are frequently utilised by field scientists to monitor how an area changes over time. During this activity, students will be divided into groups to assess an undisturbed section of seagrass using techniques explained by our guides. The activity will involve taking measurements of physical factors using supplied equipment and recording results in a data collection table. This is excellent hands on experience in the field!
12:00	Lunch at destination Great areas to take a break and enjoy the scenery
13:00	Field Work Session 2 Students will conduct a contrasting line transect and or quadrat survey at a second study site. This site will have been disturbed by natural processes (e.g. storm damage) or human activity (e.g. nutrient enrichment due to urban runoff) depending on the objective of your study. The comparison of undisturbed and disturbed sites will later form the basis of the students’ summative field reports.
14:00	Walk back to the bus from the study site
14:15	Depart destination, back to school or airport
15:00	Arrive back at school or airport when required

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Second Nature Education offers an amazing variety of educational and experiential programs to a variety of seagrass meadows in: Queensland and New South Wales; throughout Australia; and overseas.