Year level: 4-12
Group size: up to 35 maximum
Duration: full/split day
Details of activity
A study of the estuary by boat on Richters Creek, Thomatis Creek and the Barron River. Focus of Boating activity is negotiated with the visiting teacher but would likely be chosen from:
- Biodiversity.
- Sustainability and human impacts on the environment.
- Ecosystems and ecologies.
- History.
- Preparation for biological studies/impact assessments.
(Or combinations of above).
The centre has 4 boats – The Osprey, Crocs Cruise, Jabiru and the Kingfisher. Together they are surveyed to carry 35 persons (not including drivers).
Activities to help achieve activity focus can be selected from birdwatching, mud crab studies, fish studies, yabby pumping and population studies, crocodile spotting, water quality testing, vegetation mapping, mangrove study, estuary study, plankton trawl, human impact analysis.
Learning intent
Biodiversity
- Record and interpret data monitoring local biodiversity.
- Explain the importance of biodiversity in maintaining a healthy environment.
Sustainability
- Recognise the impacts, both positive and negative, that humans have had on the local estuary.
- Evaluate the short and long term effects of these impacts.
- Discuss possible methods of sustainably managing the estuary in the future.
Ecosystems and ecologies
- Identify the factors creating connectivity between systems.
- Identify patterns, zonations and species distributions in an estuary and explain these.
- Understand the ecology of select species.
- History - recognise locations of significance in indigenous history and post European settlement.
- Recognise the natural processes and events of the past; consider possible impacts of similar events in the future.
Critical and creative thinking
- Inquiring, identifying and exploring and organising information and ideas.
- Generating ideas, possibilities and actions.
- Reflecting on thinking and processes.
- Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures.