During the field portion of your trip, students head across the street to the beach to collect “plant like” things, “animal” things, and “human” things. Students will discuss the anatomy of kelp and the role that kelp forests play for nearshore ecosystems. If conditions and time allow, we may be able to do “kelp holdfast dissections” to look for animals living in the kelp. We will also recreate a kelp forest on land with the pieces of kelp your students find. This activity encourages your students to interact directly with the marine sanctuary to discover some of the amazing ecosystems and animals that live close to shore. It also raises awareness for human impact on beaches.