Year 7 Science Excursion 2019 A quick look at the BOM website lead to a variety of comments from the Science teachers. “There’s a gap in the weather there. We’ll be fine.” “A nor easterly breeze is going to send that low pressure system out the greater Blacktown area. We’ll be fine.” “We are going to get drenched. The koalas…drenched! The echidnas…drenched! Everybody…drenched!” Unfortunately, it was the last comment that rang true for the events of the day. The weather was not in our favour as Year 7 embarked on the journey to Featherdale Wildlife Park to learn more about the way we classify animals. The students were extremely excited when the bus trip finally ended and they could see, hear and smell (unfortunately) the animals. Shortly after arriving the students headed to the Learning Burrow to get an up close and personal lesson into the features and adaptations of some of the native wildlife on offer.
Firstly, came the fan favourite…the koala. Humanity prides itself on the fact that we have opposable thumbs but the koala has us beat. Students were shocked to find that the koala actually has two thumbs per paw to help with getting to their food: eucalyptus leaves. Although However, they are pretty picky eating only 5 of the roughly 700 species of eucalyptus trees. Next came the tawny frogmouth who looks very much like an owl. But those beady little legs put it in the family called the nightjars. A cry of ‘Ewww!!’ was exclaimed by the students as they learnt that the shingleback lizard poops in the mouth of whoever tries to eat it. And finally, that the Children’s Python, despite being a good, legless reptile to have as a pet, that it is in fact named after a man called John George Children. Exploration of the entire park came next. Many of the animals and the students were looking for shelter from the rain but alas there were only the lucky few that stayed dry.
However, the excitement and positivity from the entrance gates could not be dampened by the rain. The students found their favourites from all of the different creatures that God has blessed this nation with displaying real joy at being within touching distance of many wonders of Creation. That lead to another teacher comment on the bus trip home: “What a great day and what a great bunch of kids!”
