Monday afternoon before the official kick off of Groundwater to the Gulf 24 teachers gathered to get a jump start on the learning. Project WILD Aquatic activities included “Fishy Who’s Who” which raised awareness about the many different fish species that live in the Colorado River basin, and “Turtle Hurdles” brought to light the limiting factors and the life cycle of sea turtles. Participating teachers received a FREE Project WILD Aquatic Guide filled with 48 activities.

 

Groundwater to the Gulf extended the learning to include a coastal trip to the LCRA Matagorda Bay Natural Park, a 1600-acre park and preserve. Educators traveled south to the area where the Colorado River flows into Matagorda Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico. Once there they collected water samples from the river and bay to compare with samples taken the week before in Austin. They explored the bay up close from kayaks, pulled a large seine net, learned about longshore currents, and tried their hands at Oyster dredging and tonging. While visiting the only lock facility in Texas, they gained a new perspective of the importance of the Intracoastal Waterway commerce. Lessons and activities also included Ocean Literacy Principles, coral biology, marine debris, impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and an amphibian monitoring session.