On Thursday 25 March, Year 12 Geography went on an excursion to the wetlands of Bonna Point, Kurnell.

It was a beautiful, sunny day. When we met with our instructor he took us around the area and showed us the three different features of the coastal area that we were exploring, these included sand dunes, salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves and the estuary. After which he sat us down at a table and showed us how plants adapt to the salty environment of sand dunes and salt marshes. To do this we tasted two different seagrasses one was very salty, this reed seagrass was exposed to too much salinity and died to protect the rest of the seagrass which is green and less salty. 

After recess, we physically measure the salinity and temperature of each environmental feature and assess the differences along with the plant and animal life in each area. Along the mudflats and mangroves, many crabs came out at low tide to feed on any dead materials present on the shore. We explored the mudflats and picked several different species of the crabs up to explore which species were most present in each area as well as their physical differences. Mudflats and mangroves are home to a diverse range of animals such as crabs. We were acquainted by the presence of a number of small crabs. Some were more pleased with this than others

After lunch, it was time to get in the water. Though we were informed of safety precautions, such as to beware of sea creatures, such as a stingray or a blue-ringed octopus before embarking on fishing in the water. We collected samples of aquatic animals and discussed the adaptations required to live in a wetland environment which is intertidal and the salinity levels are constantly changing.

This fieldwork helped our class deepen our knowledge of intertidal wetlands and allowed us to use geographical equipment to measure and assess the environment.

By Kate Lincoln and Shreya Pal