Thanks to the Living Wetlands Program, a partnership between the City of San Jose, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, we were awarded a free field trip to the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge.  The students were able to experience nature in 3 hands on activities.  They were able to hike through the different habitats of the park and learn about the animals and plants that the Refuge protects.  Also, they were able to look at samples of water from the marsh and look for different examples of living specimens.  Finally, the students ran an experiment to determine the different rates of absorption of common land composition materials. They did this to determine the best types of soil compositions to retain ground water and prevent floods and mudslides.  

Student Quotes:

"It was intriguing to see all of the animals that lived there and the different ecosystems." --Prince

"I though it was very interesting and fun, because we got to learn about endangered animals and how we can help them." --Javier

"It was very educational because it gave us a chance to learn about animals in different environments."

"It was fun being outside because I don't get to go out in nature very much." --Jesus