Caring for Our Coast: Brother Martin 8th Grade Field Trip

This past week, students in Mr. Mavor’s English I Honors and Mrs. Peavey’s World Geography Honors as well as seniors in Mr. Thomas’s Environmental Science elective traveled to two sites in Baton Rouge as they completed their study of coastal erosion and protection measures.  Their first stop was the Center for River Studies on LSU’s River Campus; in addition to educational graphics concerning projected land loss along our coast, this site houses an impressive warehouse-sized 3D printed map of the lower Mississippi that scientists use for flood and diversion land-building modeling. Then the students traveled to LSU’s main campus. After lunch in the Student Union, they walked to the Energy, Coast, and Environment Building where they witnessed a series of presentations by graduate students and LSU faculty on topics such as monitoring habitat health in our coastal waters, the propensity for diversions to create new land, and the methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Students also received information on major and career options in this growing field.

Brother Martin strives to connect field experiences with classroom instruction to make learning authentic and relevant for our Crusaders.