We had a super eventful day Monday at Deering Estate! We started off the morning cooking breakfast as a team. We made breakfast burritos! All of us working together in the kitchen was a great bonding experience, and it gave me a greater appreciation for our meal.

After breakfast, we headed to Deering, where we went kayaking to a nearby key. We learned all about the different species living there. Sadly, due to the tide, there was a lot of trash that had washed up on the key (coming from Miami and other surrounding cities). We even saw a hermit crab who had used a spray bottle cap for his shell. It is sad to see how much of human debris ends up in the ocean, damaging the ecosystem. On the way back from the key, I got in the water and it felt amazing. After lunch, we went on a hike through the mangroves to see an abandoned plane. We had to maneuver through ankle deep mud and mangrove trees, but it was so cool! Finally, we finished up our day with a shark dissection! It was exciting to learn about the shark’s anatomy through hands-on learning.

- Ella