This week we returned to one of our favorite field sites — Emerson Point Preserve — with a new group of curious student scientists, a new location (The Point!!), and several awesome stations planned! After months of in the classroom labs and activities, we were so excited to explore a real estuary and get our feet wet!
Read more: Emerson Point Collecting Trip 2025This place never disappoints and our stations helped to make it even better! The stations were:
- Collect and observe local marine animals
- Hike the mangrove trails and learn about estuarine ecology
- Create watercolor paintings inspired by the estuary
And, as always, the students surprised us with their enthusiasm, questions, and perspectives.
Hermit Crabs, Filefish & Blennies — Field Collecting Fun
We started at low tide on the estuary shoreline, buckets and nets at the ready. Within minutes we had lots of little and big hermit crabs — thin striped hermit crabs run scuttling over rocks and algae from the tip of the shore to waist deep. The students learned how to gently coax them out onto their hands and watch their behaviors up close.
But that was just the beginning.
In the grassy shallows we spotted juvenile filefish, weird little sideways swimmers with that boxy shape, and tiny blennies darting in and out of the seagrass. Students pressed close, and eventually caught several of each, including a large green filefish we names Jalapeño, and we discussed how these fish make a home in the estuary’s patchwork of seagrass and mud.
Watching them compare the fish side by side, noting the differences in body shape and movement, was a highlight and it’s exciting to see real field science in action!
Mangrove Nature Hike: Roots, Creatures & Ecosystems
After collecting, we wandered the mangrove boardwalks, where the real magic of Emerson Point shows itself. Mangroves are like nature’s ecological multitaskers:
- They stabilize shorelines
- Provide habitat for fish and birds
- Filter runoff from land
- Create nurseries for marine life
Students touched the tangled prop roots, looked for fiddler crabs hiding in the shadows, and tried identifying different mangrove species, especially by licking some black mangrove leaves.
Every step was a mini lesson in adaptation and biodiversity. And the kids got to see so many cool and amazing parts of the mangroves and how they connect the whole ecosystem.
Painting What We See
Once we regrouped in the shaded picnic area, it was time for the creative part: watercolor painting based on our estuary experience, and using the brackish water from the estuary we visited. Each student set up their palette and paper, choosing a scene that spoke to them — from a close-up of a hermit crab peeking from its shell to the sweeping curve of the mangrove fringe.
What struck me most was how their scientific observation translated into art:
“I focused on the way the hermit crabs looked and had different shapes and sizes, even though they were the same species.”
“I focused on the filefish because its shape was so different from any other fish I’ve seen.”
Their work reflected not just what they saw, but how they experienced this place.
Reflections: Field Work That Sticks
Trips like this are more than just a day outside of school — they’re about making connections. Students weren’t just looking at marine life — they were thinking about how organisms interact with habitat, how estuaries support coastal systems, and how art can help deepen understanding.
Just like past Emerson Point adventures, we left muddy, tired, and thrilled with what we learned. It’s one thing to read about an estuary; it’s another to stand in it, see it, and paint it.
