Due to the much needed rain event this week we were unable to go to our outdoor classroom. That didn’t stop us from having a blast in the gym discussing riparian flora, examining plant samples under a microscope and enjoying a really fun activity! Kids were divided into groups of three or four and given a sheet of paper with a river drawn through it. They got the chance to design their dream waterfront property- money was no object but they had to include a place to live, a place to get their food, a place for their garbage to go, three different plants and three different animals. What they didn’t know is their “rivers” were connected and pollution from each property was carried downstream to the next groups properties. They mastered the understanding that we are all part of the same ecosystem and what we do on our properties affects our neighbors and even people miles away.