Today, La Europa students and teachers went on a field trip to the Farmington Bay Bird Refuge. This is a marshland where a river flows into the Great Salt Lake. Many varieties of migratory and non-migratory birds were residing here on our trip today. We saw huge herons, egrets, pelicans and red-winged black birds in addition to many other species. We had binoculars so we could view them better, and were surprised at the variety and beauty of these birds. We even saw a duck-like bird catch and swallow a fish that was just about the same size as itself! In addition to the birds, we learned that the soil in a wetlands is alkaline and has a high clay content. Then we learned that the plants in this marsh have adapted to the high salt content of the soil. We ate “pickle weed” and licked the salt off “salt-grass”, hence it’s name. We also learned that there are some parts of a cat-tail that are edible. Then, we learned about the bugs, frogs, larvae and fish that the birds come here to feed off of.
Despite the heat, we enjoyed learning about this wetland ecosystem and how the plants and animals support and sustain each other. Our guides were so enthusiastic and knowledgeable and we learned a lot from them. We appreciate our teachers for organizing outings like this for us!