Anna Maria Elementary School is unique because of its location on Anna Maria Sound and every year teachers take advantage of that to further educate students about life in an estuary.
Third graders took the tour Friday. Thanks to a grant, guides from Around the Bend Nature Tours were there to identify the critters that were netted, put in water-filled containers, observed and returned to their habitat.
Third-grade teacher Karen Paul‘s class brought in some starfish, a tiny seahorse, some whelps and other shells. Many of the kids knew something about the creatures of the sea because of living near the beach both on the Island or the mainland nearby.
Olivia Sauls looks at some critters. – Karen Paul | Submitted
HOLMES BEACH – The students at Anna Maria Elementary School learned firsthand about sea life last week when volunteers from Around the Bend Nature Tours held a class under a playground shelter, then took the students out with dip nets to capture critters and study them before returning them to the waters.
In the past, second-graders got the experience, but this year, school officials decided to expand the program to all the students, one grade at a time.
Around the Bend Nature Tours was founded by naturalist Karen Willey, and she has expanded her tours and added classes for all age groups to educate them about the flora and fauna of our part of Florida.
A number of students have been around the water if they live on the Island, but for those who haven’t been so fortunate, they find out there’s a lot of sea life just under the surface of the water.
They also learned about the birds and larger animals of the area.
Anna Maria Elementary is one of a very few public schools located on the water, giving school staffers an excellent opportunity use it to their advantage.
Kindergartners wait to go out into the bay to catch critters with dip nets. - Tom Vaught | Sun
Before wading into the water, students look at small crabs brought by Around the Bend Nature Tours volunteers. - Tom Vaught | Sun
Anna Maria Elementary School students stand in water almost to their waists while exploring the estuary. - Tom Vaught | Sun
A volunteer from Around the Bend Nature Tours helps with a student's net. - Tom Vaught | Sun
