Friday, September 10, 2010

Girl Scouts Learn About the Coast at Dauphin Island

Pictured: (left to right) Nyia, LaPrease, Briana, LaTisha,
Shauna and Olivia
What Did You Do Today? Seniors from Troop 362 in Homewood and Cadettes from Troop 229 in Westwood participated in a trip to Mobile to complete their “Shore to Sea” Interest Project Award. On the first day they participated in an educational workshop before embarking on a two and a half mile walk along the coastline. Along the way, they learned about the fragile ecosystem and picked up trash in preparation for any oil coming ashore. Later, the girls swam in the ocean, grilled hotdogs and s’mores, and had a night crab hunt. The next morning they went out on one of the Dauphin Island research vessels, “The Discovery,” where they learned how to identify various types of fish and other sea life in the estuaries. They had the opportunity to study plankton under a microscope and assist with two fish hauls by identifying the gender and species of the fish that were caught. After their sea adventure, the girls left Dauphin Island to spend the night in Mobile. While in Mobile, they toured the historic district, ate peanuts at the “Peanut Shop,” and toured The USS Alabama battleship. The girls declared this one of their favorite trips with their only regret being they didn’t stay any longer.