Crystal Springs Preserve- Part 1

We have joined a really cool, monthly science class at Crystal Springs Preserve (Zephryhills water is bottled here, you can see the pipeline in the spring)

Nicole is going to LOVE this class!  And, I just found out that Hannah and Nate can be involved too, which is very cool.

You can see Nicole's head, sort of in the back, watching the teacher demonstrate something.

They learned about water at our first class.  The students had three types of liquid, but had to determine which was water by conducting several tests include: smell, water droplet, pH, and dissolving salt.

"Looking through the grass/dirt" down into the ground to see the limestone

Then, the kids went outside for a walk around the spring and a crash course in aquifors, limestone and even a random grasshopper (which of course the girls held).

Checking out another area where water is coming out of the spring

They played several games that helped them understand the water cycle better (very fitting since we are talking about the water cycle in CC this week), and also a game to learn about how pollution effects the environment.

This is the water pollution game.  The kids with red hats on are pollution, chasing the baby insects around.  If they tag you, you have to freeze because you "died".

Nate and Nicole got tagged:)

Hannah, being pollution....she's the cutest piece of trash I've ever seen ;)

Nicole also got a pollution hat, now it's on to the tagging.

Next class, they will head into the Hillsborough river to take some water quality samples and testing.  Some weeks, they'll end up back in the woods, or learning about predators, and even survival skills.  It's a cool class!