Ecology teacher Courtney Kiley couldn’t have chosen a better day for the annual Ecology class field trip. Sunny and 70 degrees, students in Ecology headed to Crosswinds Marsh to walk amongst the changing fall colors and learn more about marsh habitats, study Michigan trees and fish for benthic.

“I loved the ecology field trip because I feel like my freshman year I missed out on studying benthic and this trip was a way to bring it full circle and redeem that experience by going to study benthic with Courtney,” said Molly Hamalainen, a senior in Ecology.

The first part of the trip consisted of a two-hour walk through paths and over bridges in the marsh. Kiley, along with teacher chaperones Marcy McCormick, Liz Stern and Ed Kulka stopped frequently to inform students about beaver dams, perched eagles, wasp nests and unique tree traits.

After a picnic lunch, nets and trays were brought out for teams of seniors to fish for benthic. An array of species were found, from water scorpions to crayfish.

Post and photos by Bridgette Kelly