Students spend ‘Make a Difference Day’ on Sanibel
Middle-school students from St. Andrew Catholic School volunteered to collect mangrove propagules, pick up litter and learn about the marine environment with the Sanibel Sea School for their day-long “Make a Difference Day.”
The students joined marine science educator Joey Garofano to learn about wildlife that inhabit Sanibel’s beaches and the effects that marine debris can have on them. While learning, students spread out on the east end for a beach cleanup. They were also taught to identify red mangrove propagules and collected them in buckets for Coastal Watch and SCCF Marine Lab’s mangrove restoration projects.
During the walk, Garofano noticed that the buckets were full of parchment tube worm casings, which led to a teaching opportunity. The students learned about the worm’s biology and how it creates the casings that wash up on shore.
“We also saw an exciting array of creatures like a giant nine-armed sea star, moon jelly and sea pork,” he said. “The students were motivated by the animals and made it a mission to clean the beach for them.”
To wrap up the day, the students came up with ideas to reduce their impact at home.