The Horicon Marsh field trip offers something for everyone.

Post date: Nov 7, 2019 12:52:15 PM

By Olivia Kreft, Staff Writer

Posted November 7th, 2019

School field trips can be inspirational, leaving everyone learning something new. Well, within the Slinger School District, the Ecology & Wildlife & Natural Resources class went to Horicon Marsh!

This field trip offered the students many opportunities. First off, seed collection was a unique activity. The participants got to harvest different plants to collect seeds, which would then be sorted and shipped out to other plantations. These seeds would help with different plots to help the growth and population of a plant.

Next up, was a visit to the Horicon Marsh Explorium. The participants went through a designed history walk to learn more about Horicon Marsh's history. It involved smelling, listening, and learning many interesting things. The most important part of this walk was a certain arrowhead. This arrowhead ends up being your narrator and telling you all about the Horicon marsh and how the arrowhead was made and used.

After the Explorium was the wildlife management hike. This hike led the participants around to see all the different land formations and animals in the Horicon Marsh. The Horicon Marsh is large and home to many migrating birds and all sorts of different wildlife. This area allows all the animals to rest during travel and find a safe shelter for the winter. One of the most popular animals in that area is the muskrat. These creatures eat the cattails, which are very abundant in the Horicon Marsh. Students on the hike also learned about different cutting and burning techniques that help prepare the soil for new vegetation in the spring. These cutting and burning techniques allow for many more ecosystems to appear in the future.

Finally, the group had a chance to monitor aquatic ecosystems which was one of the most hands-on activities during the field trip. This allowed you to test the water for microorganisms, plant life, and any decomposing waste matter. You even got to go in the water to find your test materials! From finding fertilizers to animal waste, you could find anything depending on the area you test. Unfortunately, the Horicon Marsh has always had a problem with fertilizer runoff due to the low environment and the high populations of farms around there area.

So, when you go on a field trip with any class, there is always some learning experience behind it. Remember to pay attention and take what you learned from the educators at the field trip location. You never know when it may be useful.