MIA Science Students Learn About Local Ecosystem

Members of Marco Island Academy’s Science National Honor Society were treated to a field trip Saturday morning to learn about their local ecosystem at Tigertail Beach from members of the Audubon of the Western Everglades, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and 4-H.

The students were taught about birdwatching by Audubon’s Brittany Piersma.

"I always look forward to teaching local students about bird ID and stewardship,” Brittany Piersma said. "Living on an island or near a coastal area comes with environmental responsibilities. Becoming aware of how you can protect organisms and educate others is vital to coexisting in the beautiful ecosystems that surround us."

Brandon Swope, a science teacher at MIA, was thrilled to get his students some hands-on experience.

“It’s always a pleasure to see our students be out in nature,” Brandon Swope said, "learning more about Marco Island's unique and diverse marine environment. My favorite part of the day was seeing the students get excited when correctly identifying a bird. With so many species of birds here, it can be much more challenging than one would think.”

Zach Wolfe, a math teacher at MIA, enjoyed seeing the Science National Honor Society students learn from the experts.

“I think it is great that the Audubon of the Western Everglades sponsors these monthly events for our students,” Zach Wolfe said. "Each month allows students to learn about different parts of our ecosystem. Today we were in our own back yard, but as the year progresses, we will travel as far as the Everglades to attend a narrated tram tour. All of these events allow the students to better understand where they live and how to better take care of our ecosystem. We are looking forward to a great year of events.”